Shetland islands
| Gaelic name | Sealtainn |
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| Norse name | Hialtland |
.jpg){kind=icon} Coat of arms
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| Location | |
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 Shetland
Shetland shown within Scotland
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| OS grid reference | HU4363 |
| Coordinates | 60°21′N 1°13′W / 60.350°N 1.217°WCoordinates: 60°21′N 1°13′W / 60.350°N 1.217°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Northern Isles |
| Area | 1,466 km2 (566 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | Ronas Hill 450 m (1,480 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Shetland Islands Council |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 23,210 (2012) |
| Population density | 15/km2 (40/sq mi) |
| Largest settlement | Lerwick |
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Shetland /ˈʃɛtlənd/, also called the Shetland Islands, is a subarctic archipelago that lies northeast of the island of Great Britain and forms part of Scotland, United Kingdom.
The islands lie some 80 km (50 mi) to the northeast of Orkney and 280 km (170 mi) southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total area is 1,466 km2 (566 sq mi) and the population totalled 23,210 in 2012. Comprising the Shetland constituency of the Scottish Parliament, Shetland is also one of the 32 council areas of Scotland; the islands' administrative centre and only burgh is Lerwick, which is also the capital of Shetland since taking over from Scalloway in 1708.
The largest island, known simply as "Mainland", has an area of 967 km2 (373 sq mi), making it the third-largest Scottish island and the fifth-largest of the British Isles. There are an additional 15 inhabited islands. The archipelago has an oceanic climate, a complex geology, a rugged coastline and many low, rolling hills.
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