Comments on: 169 - The British Isles Inside Borneo

By: Ciara

Ciara — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:15:53 +0000

The Irish government and the EU are opposed to the term “British Isles” and discourage its usage.
The term “British Isles” in a geographical sense was coined by the British after colonisation of the “Irish Isles”. It was never acceptable to Irish people and it is about time British people realsied that. The correct term is “The British and Irish Isles” when refering to these islands.

By: fourth edition » Mapping the World

fourth edition » Mapping the World — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:03:50 +0000

[...] knew that Papau New Guinea is such a polyglot society that it dwarfs the rest of the world? Or that Great Britain could easily fit within Borneo? If you think this sounds all a bit too heavy, there are maps of the US made out of pumpkins, [...]

By: Seamus

Seamus — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 02:28:21 +0000

Please stop using the term “British Isles” It is long outdated. Ireland is not British.

By: Rob Leemhuis

Rob Leemhuis — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:43:45 +0000

Where’s Madagascar? I always thought that was the second largest island after Greenland. (not counting Australia)

By: strangemaps

strangemaps — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:12:19 +0000

@ Benjamin:
Thanks - very interesting article, and blog.

@ Gustaf Redemo & Anders:
Cool, I’d heard about this, but never seen the two designs next to each other.

@ LapinLove404:
Although somewhat late: Merci beaucoup nonetheless!

@ Nudge:
I like your definition. Will remember it for when it comes up in conversation. (Which outside the rarefied environs of map-blogs like these probably is ‘never’).

@ Séan:
There’s a difference between the political and geographical definition of ‘British’. But one definition influences the other, to the effect that most people in the Irish Republic would never accept being labelled ‘British’, not even in a geographical sense. And yet, in at least one definition of that sense, the British Isles include *all* the islands off Europe’s north-west coast (from the Channel Islands upto and including the Shetlands). Politicians (and others) often sidestep the issue by referring to Ireland and Great Britain simply as ‘these islands’.

By: Seán

Seán — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:33:17 +0000

The title of the entry is of course factually incorrect.

I have never met anyone from the Republic of Ireland who would refer to these islands as “The British Isles”. I suggest “The British Isles and Ireland”.

Is there any way you could make a correction? The wording of this page does not represent the view of some 4.5m people in the Republic of Ireland.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:05:36 +0000

If Australia’s an island, what isn’t? Might as well say all of Euroasia is an island as well. Isn’t the continent called Oceana, not Australia?

By: Nudge

Nudge — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:58:32 +0000

Actually, the Australian govt classifies Australia as both the world’s largest island and the world’s smallest continent.

personally, any landmass that takes a week to drive across is no island

By: Gustaf Redemo

Gustaf Redemo — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:23:29 +0000

@Anders: I did a quick look in my pocket and saw that all the coins I had were with the old design. I wonder how long it will take until the old ones are gone? Anyway thanks for pointing that out.

By: LapinLove404

LapinLove404 — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:13:46 +0000

Like Gustaf, I enjoy reading your blog and looking at you maps… That’s why you’re one of the 5 blogs I’m linking to in this BlogDay :

http://www.manteela.be/blog/index.php?2007/08/31/98-blogday-2007