Reply #24: Wrong. [View All]

[AtheistCrusader]

"Ireland is separated from Great Britain by a channel of very variable width, the narrowest points being 134 miles between Antrim and Kintire, 234 miles between Down and Wigton, and 47 miles between Wexford and S Wales. The depth of this channel along its centre varies form 45 to 150 fathoms; the deepest and coldest water found along the coast lies off the Antrim shore. This sea-barrier may be contrasted with that which exists between England and France, which narrows to a width of 23 miles and a depth of 20-25 fathoms at the Straits of Dover, widening rapidly northwards into the broad but shallow North Sea, and more gradually southward along the deeper St. George's Channel. It is important to bear in mind that all these waters lie on a broad shelf, which surrounds Great Britain and Ireland (fig. 1). Along the coasts of Scandinavia, of Spain and Portugal, and of Africa the sea-bottom falls rapidly to oceanic depths – 1000 to 2000 fathoms. But if we trace the isobaths of 100 or 200 fathoms northward from the Peninsula, we find they project in a broad curve which passes some 40 miles westward of Ireland, to approach the Continent again on the Norwegian coast. Ireland, like Britain, is essentially a portion of European land, and a slight uplift would re-join both to the Continent."

Ignoring the political boundaries of the European Union, the UK is separated from the mainland by only a water channel. It sits on the same continental shelf, and is indeed part of Europe.

Also I think you, and others, misunderstood the provincial joke in post 3.


http://www.botanicgardens.ie/herb/books/images/fig1.bmp