The British Isles, the northern part of the island of Ireland, plus dozens of small patches of land scattered in the Atlantic Ocean, is Great Britain. It can be safely called a maritime power, not only because the seas of Great Britain are important in many areas of her life, but also because of her past achievements in the conquest of countries and continents.
Geographic details
The answer to the question which seas are in Great Britain implies a rather impressive list. Almost 18,000 km of the coastline is formed by several bodies of water. The Celtic Sea washes the shores of the United Kingdom in the southwest. The Hebrides is located along the Scottish coast in the northwest. The Irish Sea separates the British Isles and the island of Ireland, and the English Channel forms the border with France in the southern part of the country. The North Sea is responsible for the mood and climate on the entire east coast of Great Britain. All the seas of the United Kingdom belong to the Atlantic Ocean basin.
French sleeve
The North Sea connects the famous English-French English Channel with the Atlantic. It is famous for many records of desperate swimmers who dared to cross it, and for the tunnel at its bottom, connecting Calais and Dover. The English Channel stretches for more than 570 km, and its width at its narrowest point barely exceeds 30 km. That is why the strait received such a name, which means "sleeve" in French.
The Eurotunnel was commissioned in 1994. Its length is just over 50 km, and it is the third longest in the world after the Seikan in Japan and the Gotthard in Switzerland. The Eurotunnel under the English Channel is double-tracked, and most of it - 39 km - is laid under water. Trains pass the entire underwater underground route in about half an hour, and the Eurotunnel itself is classified as one of the modern wonders of the world.
Interesting Facts
- The Hebrides Sea divides the archipelago of the same name into the Outer and Inner Hebrides. From a tourist point of view, the islands are interesting for birdwatchers. Here you can observe birds that are not found elsewhere in the UK.
- The Celtic Sea got its name only in 1921 thanks to the efforts of the explorer Ernest William Lyons Holt. Previously, this sea of Great Britain was called the "southwestern approaches" to it.
- When asked which sea washes Great Britain from the east, the fishermen answer - a sea of luck. It is here that the most important sources of commercial production are located - shoals or banks, from where fishing vessels deliver most of their catch.
