*** Welcome to piglix ***

The Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight
County
IsleOfWightFromTheISS.jpg
An image of the Isle of Wight from the ISS
Flag of the Isle of Wight
Flag
Motto: "All this beauty is of God"
The Isle of Wight in England
Isle of Wight in England
Coordinates: 50°40′N 1°16′W / 50.667°N 1.267°W / 50.667; -1.267Coordinates: 50°40′N 1°16′W / 50.667°N 1.267°W / 50.667; -1.267
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Country England
Region South East
Established 1890
Preceded by Hampshire
Ceremonial county
Lord Lieutenant Martin White
High Sheriff Robin Courage MBE
Area 384 km2 (148 sq mi)
 • Ranked 46th of 48
Population (mid-2015 est.) 139,400
 • Ranked 46th of 48
Density 366/km2 (950/sq mi)
Ethnicity 97.3% White, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% Black, 0.1% Other, 1.2% Mixed
Unitary authority
Council Isle of Wight Council
Executive Conservative / Independent / UKIP
Admin HQ Newport
Area 380.2 km2 (146.8 sq mi)
 • Ranked 106th of 326
Population 139,400
 • Ranked 149th of 326
Density 366/km2 (950/sq mi)
ISO 3166-2 GB-IOW
ONS code 00MW
GSS code E06000046
NUTS UKJ34
Website www.iwight.com
Member of Parliament Andrew Turner
Police Hampshire Constabulary
Time zone GMT (UTC)
 • Summer (DST) BST (UTC+1)
External video
"The Isle of Wight Film"

The Isle of Wight /ˈl əv ˈwt/ is a county and the largest and second-most populous island in England. It is located in the English Channel, about 4 miles (6 km) off the coast of Hampshire, separated by the Solent. The island has resorts that have been holiday destinations since Victorian times, and is known for its mild climate, coastal scenery, and verdant landscape of fields, downland and chines.

The island has been home to the poets Swinburne and Tennyson and to Queen Victoria, who built her much-loved summer residence and final home Osborne House at East Cowes. It has a maritime and industrial tradition including boat building, sail making, the manufacture of flying boats, the hovercraft, and Britain's space rockets. The island hosts annual music festivals including the Isle of Wight Festival, which, in 1970, was the largest rock music event ever held. It has well-conserved wildlife and some of the richest cliffs and quarries for dinosaur fossils in Europe.


...
Wikipedia

...