British Isles is a name often used for one of the world’s chief island groups. They are bounded by the English Channel, the Strait of Dover, the North Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. The islands in the group are Great Britain, made up of England, Scotland, and Wales; Ireland, made up of Northern Ireland and the country of Ireland; the Isle of Man; the Hebrides; the Orkney Islands; the Shetland Islands; and about 5,500 small islands and islets. Some people object to the name British Isles because it seems to imply that Ireland is British. Each island or group of islands named above has an article in World Book.
