Talk:British Isles/Robdurbar's approach

''This article is about the geography and human history of the group of islands situated off the northwest coast of continental Europe which include Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and numerous other smaller isles. For detailed information on the use of the term 'British Isles', refer to the article British Isles (terminology).''

The British Isles are a group of islands (or 'archipelago'), situated off the northwest coast of continental Europe, includes Great Britain (the largest island in the group), Ireland, the Isle of Man, several thousand smaller adjacent islands.

The islands cover around 110 000 m² and are situated in a maritime temperate climate. Politically, they are divided between two countries - the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland - and three crown dependencies - the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

Use of the term 'British Isles'
The term 'British Isles' origins are believed to have been geographical and ecological rather than political, but the fact that the British Isles in general coincided with the former United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801&mdash;1922) meant that the term developed geopolitical, economic and cultural meanings also.

In a modern context, following bloody wars in which the Republic of Ireland gained independence, the term 'British Isles' is now often seen as controversial, and as asserting the United Kingdom's ownership over Ireland. This is encouraged by the fact that British is used to mean 'of the United Kingdom'. As a result, many official Irish documents do not use the term, and alternatives such as Islands of the North Atlantic have been developed.