Besides Great Britain and Ireland, where is the third island in the British Isles?

The mainland area of ??the UK is about 244,100 square kilometers, of which England is about 130,400 square kilometers, Scotland is about 78,800 square kilometers, Wales is about 20,800 square kilometers, and Northern Ireland is about 14,100 square kilometers. .

During the late Qing Dynasty in China, the British Isles appeared in official documents, indicating the British mainland. The British Isles refers to the United Kingdom, London refers to London, and Mishima refers to the three most important islands. At this time, Ireland (independent in 1948) was still part of the United Kingdom, and the entire island of Ireland was British territory. The island of Great Britain and Ireland, the largest islands in the UK, were also the largest and third largest islands in Europe. The two islands were definitely the British Isles. Two of them, but where is the third island?

The third and fourth largest mainland islands in the UK are the Isle of Lewis and the Isle of Skye. Both islands are in the northwest of the UK. They have a cold climate and sparse population. They belong to the border areas of the UK. In terms of area, both islands are only a few hundred square kilometers, while the island of Great Britain is 209,300 square kilometers and the island of Ireland is 84,000 square kilometers. The order of magnitude difference is more than a hundred times, and the area and importance are not equal. .

The third island among the three British islands is the Isle of Man, the fifth largest in area, with only 572 square kilometers. What is going on?

When dealing with royal issues, Britain does not directly send guillotines like France. It uses a different method. Let's take a look at the territory owned by the queen.

The current administrative divisions of the United Kingdom are England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. However, there are many islands in mainland Europe that do not belong to the United Kingdom, but are the territory of the British royal family and the Queen's private territory.

The largest of the British Crown Islands is the Isle of Man, which is about 52 kilometers long, about 22 kilometers wide at its widest point, and covers an area of ??about 572 square kilometers (including several small affiliated islands) , less than half the size of Chongming Island in my country. The Isle of Man is dominated by mountains and hills, with a maximum altitude of about 620 meters. The British royal family has a famous saying: Standing at the highest point of the Isle of Man, you can see all the kingdoms of the royal family.

The Isle of Man has a population of only 83,000 (2016), mainly of Celtic descent. It has its own flag, national anthem, and of course a governor appointed by the Queen. Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man, has a different passport from the United Kingdom. The British passport is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while the Isle of Man passport is the Isle of Man in the British Isles.

The Isle of Man is located between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, halfway between England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Ireland. One can imagine a picture. When communications were underdeveloped in the 19th century, Queen Victoria issued orders here. Government orders quickly reached all parts of the UK via ships, and the time spent by various messengers was about the same.

The taxes on the Isle of Man are very low, especially inheritance tax, which is completely exempt. This is probably because the Queen’s inheritance needs to be passed down from generation to generation. There is no corporate tax on the Isle of Man, and there is an endless stream of companies from all over the world opening here.

Therefore, taking into account the area and importance, the British Isles refers to the Island of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Isle of Man.

The British royal family also has a Channel Islands in Europe (called the Normandy Islands in France), located in the waters west of the Normandy Peninsula in France. The population of the islands is about 170,000 (2018), and there are many Normans. The total area of ??the Channel Islands is approximately 198 square kilometers, with the two largest islands, Jersey covering 116 square kilometers and Guernsey covering 78 square kilometers.

If divided according to geographical location, the Channel Islands are obviously close to France, but the ownership of the islands is never based on the principle of who is closer, but who is stronger. Although Britain has declined, it still has many territories overseas, including the Spanish port of Gibraltar. Although the two Channel Islands are British Crown territories, they are protected by the British military and France has nothing to do.

The Channel Islands are similar to the Isle of Man. They are both British Crown territories and have passports that are different from those of the United Kingdom.

The Isle of Man covers an area of ??572 square kilometers, and the total area of ??the Channel Islands is approximately 198 square kilometers. The total area of ??the three islands is 770 square kilometers, less than 2/3 of the area of ??Chongming Island in my country. The United Kingdom is the smallest in area among the five traditional European powers: Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Therefore, the private land that Britain gives to the royal family is definitely generous.

These islands owned by the British royal family do not belong to the United Kingdom, and they are not the same concept as England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. They are more like a special country. However, this country does not join organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union, and is protected militarily by the United Kingdom.

There are currently 54 Commonwealth countries, including the United Kingdom, but not including royal territories. Among these 54 countries, 16 are Commonwealth kingdoms, respecting the British King (or Queen) as their head of state. From this perspective, the status of the British Crown territories seems to be higher than that of these Commonwealth kingdoms.

The British Isles refer to the Island of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Isle of Man.