Isle of Wight
Motto of County Council: All this beauty is of God
Geography
Status	Ceremonial & Non-metropolitan/Unitary county
Region	South East England
Area - Total	Ranked 46th 380 km² (146.7 sq mi)
Admin HQ	Newport
ISO 3166-2	GB-IOW
ONS code	00MW
NUTS 3	UKG11
Demography
Population - Total (2006 est.) - Density - Admin. council	Ranked 140,000 368/km² (953.1/sq mi) Ranked
Ethnicity	98.7% White
Politics
Conservative
Executive
Members of Parliament	Andrew Turner (C)
Districts

The Isle of Wight is an English island and county in the English Channel five miles from the South Coast of Britain. It is situated south of the county of Hampshire and is separated from mainland Britain by the Solent. Popular since Victorian times as a holiday resort, the Isle of Wight is known for its natural beauty and for its world-famous sailing based in Cowes. Isle of Wight can refer to: In the United Kingdom: The English island and ceremonial county known as the Isle of Wight The unitary authority region covered by the Isle of Wight Council The UK Parliament constituency, the Isle of Wight As of 2004, all of these uses cover the... Image File history File links Isle_of_Wight_flag. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ... map of Isle of Wight within England File links The following pages link to this file: Isle of Wight Categories: GFDL images ... The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England. ... Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of English administrative division used for the purposes of local government. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... South East England is one of the nine official regions of England. ... Area is the measure of how much exposed area any two dimensional object has. ... This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Area. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Statistics Population: 23,957 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SZ502893 Administration District: Isle of Wight Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Isle of Wight Historic county: Hampshire Services Police force: Hampshire Constabulary Ambulance service: South Central Post office and telephone Post town... The ISO 3166-2 codes for the United Kingdom correspond to the nations administrative divisions. ... The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating census and other statistical data. ... The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) is a geocode standard for referencing the administrative division of countries for statistical purposes. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Population - 2002 mid-year estimates from the Office for National Statistics, unrounded figures published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the Entitlement Notification Reports for Revenue Support Grants [1]. See also: List of Administrative shire counties of... This is a list of non-metropolitan counties of England by population. ... This is a list of MPs elected in the UK general election, 2005 to the House of Commons for the Fifty-Fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom at the United Kingdom general election, 2005, arranged by constituency. ... Andrew John Turner (born 24 October 1953, Coventry) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The traditional counties as usually portrayed. ... For the Thoroughbred racehorse of the same name, see English Channel (horse). ... For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... Satellite image showing the Solent, separating the Isle of Wight from mainland Britain The Solent is a stretch of sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of Great Britain. ... The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... For either of the songs named Sailing, see Sailing (song). ... This article is about the town on the Isle of Wight. ...

The Island possesses a rich history including its own brief status as a vassal kingdom in the fifteenth century. It was home to the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Queen Victoria had her much loved summer residence and final home Osborne House built in East Cowes. Its maritime history encompasses boat building and sail making through to the manufacture of flying boats and the world's first hovercraft. Its space history includes the testing and development of the Black Arrow and Black Knight space rockets, launched from Woomera, Australia. It is home to the Bestival and the recently revived Isle of Wight Festival, which, in 1970, was one of the largest rock music events ever held.^[1] The island is also one of the richest fossil locations for dinosaurs in Europe. Look up vassal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (August 6, 1809 - October 6, 1892) is generally regarded as one of the greatest English poets. ... Queen Victoria redirects here. ... Osborne House and its grounds are now open to the public Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. ... Cowes is a seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island due south of the major southern English port of Southampton. ... Boeing 314 A flying boat is an aircraft that is designed to take off and land on water, in particular a type of seaplane which uses its fuselage as a floating hull (instead of pontoons mounted below the fuselage). ... For the band, see Hovercraft (band). ... Black Arrows engine This article is about the rocket, for the novel, see The Black Arrow Black Arrow was a British satellite carrier rocket, based on the Black Knight and Blue Streak rockets. ... Black Knight was a British launch vehicle to test and verify the design of a re-entry vehicle for the Blue Streak missile. ... The Woomera Test Facility (formerly known as the Instrumented Range) is an aerospace testing facility, with the Range Head located at just north-west of Lake Koolymilka (usually dry), about 40km north-west of Woomera, South Australia. ... The Bestival is a music festival on the Isle of Wight. ... The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place annually on the Isle of Wight, England. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fossil (disambiguation). ... Orders & Suborders Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Theropoda Ornithischia Thyreophora Ornithopoda Marginocephalia Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

In 686 AD, it became the last part of the British Isles to convert to Christianity, a century after the rest of Great Britain had done so.^[2][3][4] This article describes the archipelago in north-western Europe. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is...

The island has at various points in history been considered a part of Hampshire, however it became an independent administrative county (although still sharing the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire) in 1890. In 1974 it was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county with its own Lord Lieutenant and the name was adopted as a postal county. The island is the smallest ceremonial county in England (not including the predominantly urban counties of Bristol and the City of London) at 380 km² (147 sq mi), slightly smaller than Rutland at 382 km² (148 sq mi). With a single Member of Parliament and 132,731 permanent residents according to the 2001 census, it is also the most populated Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom. For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... The division into counties is one of the larger divisions of England. ... This is an incomplete list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire. ... Year 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England. ... This is an incomplete list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight: 1980–1985: Sir John Nicholson, 2nd Bt. ... The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known officially as the former postal counties, were subdivisions of the UK in routine use by the Royal Mail until 1996. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the English city. ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state Constituent country Region Greater London Status City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor David Lewis  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - Total 1. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... Oakham Castle Rutland is traditionally Englands smallest county and is bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by Northamptonshire. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Image:1870 census Lindauer Weber 01. ... To see the list in alphabetical order see the categories UK Parliamentary constituencies and UK Parliamentary constituencies (historic). ...

History

Main article: History of the Isle of Wight

The pre-Roman name for the island now known as the Isle of Wight was possibly Ynys Gywth meaning channel island. A name given to them by the early celtic speaking inhabitants of the island. These people may have been displaced around 50BC by Belgic refugees from Gaul fleeing the expanding Roman Empire. Later Roman documents describe the island as within the bounds of a Belgae tribe who were probably related to the Belgic people of northern Gaul. Today, the Isle of Wight is rich in historical and archaeological sites dating from prehistoric periods from an extraordinary wealth of fossil discoveries including dinosaur bones through to remains from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman periods onwards. ... Look up Celtic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The first recorded mention of Belgae, part of the mix that make up modern Belgians, was in the year 58 B.C.; Gaius Julius Caesar, departing from the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis (now Provence), decided to conquer the rest of the Gauls. ... Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... The Belgae were a group of nations or tribes living in north-eastern Gaul, on the west bank of the Rhine, in the 1st century BC, and later also attested in Britain. ... Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ...

The Isle of Wight was conquered by the Legio II Augusta (under the command of Vespasian) of the Roman Empire in c.44AD during the secondary phase of the Roman conquest of Britain. Legio II Augusta, or Second Augustan Legion, was a Roman legion, levied by Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus in 43 BC, and still operative in Britannia in 4th century. ... Imperator Caesar Vespasianus Augustus (born November 17, 9, died June 23, 79), known originally as Titus Flavius Vespasianus and usually referred to in English as Vespasian, was emperor of Rome from 69 to 79. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... For alternate uses, see Number 44. ... Britain was the target of invasion by forces of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire several times during its history. ...

The Isle of Wight is first mentioned in writing in Geography by Claudius Ptolemaeus written in the mid 2nd Century AD stating in the final entry of chapter II ; This article is about the geographer and astronomer Ptolemy. ... The 2nd century is the period from 101 - 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ...

...below Magnus Portus is the island Vectis...

At the end of the Roman Empire the island of Vectis became extremely vulnerable to the raids of barbarian pirates. In the year 534AD the Jutish buccaneer Wihtgar invaded and conquered the island, probably putting the Romano-British inhabitants who had bravely remained on the island to the sword. The island and the adjacent shore of southern Hampshire became a Jutish kingdom ruled by him and his successors until the year 685AD when it was invaded by Caedwalla of Wessex. The West Saxon invasion was by all accounts prolonged and bloody. It is reported in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle that during Caedwalla's attempts to subdue the population he was gravely wounded - wounds from which he would die within a couple of years. Before final subjugation most of the Jutish population of the island were slaughtered and the remnant forced to accept Christianity as their religion and the West Saxon dialect as their language. Events January 1 - Decimus Theodorius Paulinus appointed consul, the last to hold this office in the West. ... The word Jute is also used in reference to the Germanic people, the Jutes. ... Romano-British is a term used to refer to the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire (and later the Western Roman Empire) and in the years after the Roman departure exposed to Roman culture and Christian religion. ... Events Umayyad caliph Marwan I (684-685) succeeded by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (685-705) Justinian II succeeds Constantine IV as emperor of the Byzantine Empire Sussex attacks Kent, supporting Eadrics claim to the throne held by Hlothhere Pope Benedict II succeeded by Pope John V Cuthbert consecrated... Caedwalla (c. ... The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of (mainly) secondary source documents narrating the history of the Anglo-Saxons and their settlement in Britain. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is...

From 685 therefore the island can be considered to have became part of Wessex and following the accession of West Saxon kings as kings of all England then part of England. The island became part of the shire of Hampshire and was divided into hundreds as was the norm. Events Umayyad caliph Marwan I (684-685) succeeded by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (685-705) Justinian II succeeds Constantine IV as emperor of the Byzantine Empire Sussex attacks Kent, supporting Eadrics claim to the throne held by Hlothhere Pope Benedict II succeeded by Pope John V Cuthbert consecrated... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A shire is an administrative area of Great Britain and Australia. ... For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... The word hundred can mean: The word form of the number 100 Hundred (division) Hundred (word) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Memorial to Charles I at Carisbrooke Castle

The Norman Conquest created the position of Lord of the Isle of Wight. Carisbrooke Priory and the fort of Carisbrooke Castle were founded. The Island did not come under full control of the Crown until it was sold by the dying last Norman Lord, Lady Isabella de Fortibus, to Edward I in 1293. The Lordship thereafter became a Royal appointment, with a brief interruption when Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick was crowned King of the Isle of Wight, King Henry VI assisting in person at the ceremony, placing the crown on his head. He died in 1445, aged 22. With no male heir, his regal title expired with him. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 113 KB)Memorial to King Charles I of England at Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight By ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 113 KB)Memorial to King Charles I of England at Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight By ChrisO File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... Carisbrooke Castle Carisbrooke Castle is a historic castle located in the village of Carisbrooke, near Newport, Isle of Wight. ... Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest of England was the conquest of the Kingdom of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. ... The Lord of the Isle of Wight is a title that began when William the Conqueror granted the Isle of Wight to William Fitz Osbern. ... Carisbrooke Castle Carisbrooke Castle is a historic castle located in the village of Carisbrooke, near Newport, Isle of Wight. ... Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), popularly known as Longshanks[1], also as Edward the Lawgiver or the English Justinian because of his legal reforms, and as Hammer of the Scots,[2] achieved fame as the monarch who conquered Wales and tried to do the same to Scotland. ... Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick (March 21, 1424/5 - June 11, 1445) was an English nobleman. ... Henry VI (December 6, 1421 – May 21, 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 (though with a Regent until 1437) and then from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. ...

Henry VIII, who developed the Royal Navy and its permanent base at Portsmouth, fortified the Island at Yarmouth, East & West Cowes and Sandown, sometimes re-using stone from dissolved monasteries as building material. Sir Richard Worsley, Captain of the Island at this time, successfully commanded the resistance to the last of the French attacks in 1545; the French attempts to conquer the Island being decisively stopped after the English victory in the Battle of Bonchurch. Much later on, after the Spanish Armada in 1588, the threat of Spanish attacks remained and the outer fortifications of Carisbrooke Castle were built between 1597 and 1602. During the English Civil War King Charles fled to the Isle of Wight, believing he would receive sympathy from the governor, Robert Hammond. Hammond was appalled, and incarcerated the king in Carisbrooke Castle. Henry VIII redirects here. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... For other places with the same name, see Portsmouth (disambiguation). ... Yarmouth may refer to one of the following places. ... Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish[1] on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. ... Combatants France England Commanders Unknown Captain Robert Fyssher Strength 500 Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Bonchurch, although never having been specifically cited as the Battle of Bonchurch, was a confrontation between the military forces of France; and a local militia raised, and composed of residents of the Isle... Combatants England Dutch Republic Spain Portugal Commanders Elizabeth I of England Charles Howard Francis Drake Philip II of Spain Duke of Medina Sidonia Strength 34 warships 163 armed merchant vessels 22 galleons 108 armed merchant vessels Casualties 50–100 dead[1] ~400 wounded 600 dead, 800 wounded,[2] 397 captured... For other uses, see English Civil War (disambiguation). ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ...

Osborne House and its grounds are now open to the public

Queen Victoria made Osborne House on the Isle of Wight her summer home for many years and, as a result, it became a major holiday resort for members of European royalty, whose many houses could later claim descent from her, through the widely flung marriages of her offspring. During her reign, in 1897, the world's first radio station^[5] was set up by Marconi, at the Needles battery, at the western tip of the Island. Osborne House Isle of Wight, 2004 View from the North looking up the ornamental drive towards the main house. ... Osborne House Isle of Wight, 2004 View from the North looking up the ornamental drive towards the main house. ... Osborne House and its grounds are now open to the public Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. ... Queen Victoria redirects here. ... Osborne House and its grounds are now open to the public Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. ... For the inventor of radio,Marconi see the competing claims in history of radio and the invention of radio. ... The Needles from the cliffs inshore The Needles is a row of distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, England, close to Alum Bay. ...

In 1904, a mysterious illness began to kill honeybee colonies on the Island and had nearly wiped out all hives by 1907, when the disease spread to the mainland and decimated beekeeping in the British Isles. Called the Isle of Wight Disease^[6], the cause of the mystery ailment was not identified until 1921, when it was traced to the mite Acarapis woodi. The disease (now called Acarine Disease) frightened many other nations, because of the importance of bees in pollination of many food plants. Laws against importation of honeybees were passed, but this merely delayed the eventual spread of the parasite to the rest of the world. Species Apis andreniformis Apis cerana, or eastern honey bee Apis dorsata, or giant honey bee Apis florea Apis koschevnikovi Apis laboriosa Apis mellifera, or western honey bee Apis nigrocincta Apis nuluensis Honey bees are a subset of bees which represent a far smaller fraction of bee diversity than most people... This article is about the medical term. ... Beekeeping, tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis (14th century) Honey seeker depicted on 6000 year old cave painting near Valencia, Spain Beekeeping (or apiculture, from Latin apis, a bee) is the practice of intentional maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. ... This article describes the archipelago in north-western Europe. ... Look up mite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Binomial name Acarapis woodi (Rennie, 1921) Acarapis woodi is a mite that is an internal parasite of honey bees. ... Common diseases, parasites, pests, and ailments of the honeybee include: // Varroa mites Varroa mite on a honeybee larva Main articles: Varroa destructor Varroa destructor and Varroa jacobsoni are parasitic mites that feed off the bodily fluids of adult, pupal and larval bees. ... Carpenter bee with pollen collected from Night-blooming cereus Pollination is an important step in the reproduction of seed plants: the transfer of pollen grains (male gametes) to the plant carpel, the structure that contains the ovule (female gamete). ...

The Isle of Wight Festival could describe several events, but usually the term refers to one very large rock festival that took place near Afton Down, West Wight in 1970, following two smaller concerts in 1968 and 1969. The 1970 show was notable both for being one of the last public performances by Jimi Hendrix and for the number of attendees reaching, by many estimates, 600,000^[7] (despite only 50,000 tickets being sold), and overtaking the attendance at Woodstock in the previous year. The Festival was revived in 2002 and is now an annual event, with other, smaller musical events of many different genres across the Island becoming associated with it. The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place annually on the Isle of Wight, England. ... The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place annually on the Isle of Wight, England. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... Woodstock may refer to: Woodstock Music and Art Festival, a 1969 U.S. rock festival which inspired a 1970 Warner Bros. ...

Physical geography and wildlife

Isle of Wight map.

Isle of Wight is approximately diamond in shape and covers an area of 380 sq km (147 sq mi). Slightly more than half of the Island, mainly in the west of the Island, is designated as the Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Island has 258 sq km (99.6 sq mi) of farmland, 52 sq km (20 sq mi) of developed areas, and 92 km (57 mi) of coastline. The landscape of the Island is remarkably diverse, leading to its oft-quoted description of "England in Miniature". The West Wight is predominantly rural, with dramatic coastlines dominated by the famous chalk downland ridge, running across the whole Island and ending in The Needles stacks — perhaps the most photographed aspect of the Isle of Wight. The highest point on the Island is St Boniface Down, at 241 m (791 ft), which is also a Marilyn. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) on the Isle of Wight, Englands largest offshore island. ... A downland is an area of open chalk upland. ... The Needles from the cliffs inshore The Needles is a row of distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, England, close to Alum Bay. ... St Boniface Down is a chalk down on the Isle of Wight. ... Map of Marilyns in the British Isles A Marilyn is a mountain or hill in the British Isles (including Ireland) with a relative height of at least 150 metres (492 ft), regardless of absolute height or other merit. ...

The famous view at The Needles and Alum Bay.

The rest of the Island landscape also has great diversity, with perhaps the most notable habitats being the soft cliffs and sea ledges, which are spectacular features as well as being very important for wildlife, and are internationally protected. The River Medina flows north into the Solent, whilst the other main river, the River Yar flows roughly north-east, emerging at Bembridge Harbour on the eastern end of the Island. Confusingly, there is another entirely separate river at the western end also called the River Yar flowing the short distance from Freshwater Bay to a relatively large estuary at Yarmouth. Where distinguishing the two becomes necessary, each may be referred to as the eastern or western Yar. Image File history File links A rocky coastline on the Isle of Wight, England. ... Image File history File links A rocky coastline on the Isle of Wight, England. ... The Needles from the cliffs inshore The Needles is a row of distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, England, close to Alum Bay. ... Alum Bay is a sandy bay near the westernmost point of the Isle of Wight, England, within sight of The Needles. ... The River Medina is small river that runs from the hills in the south of the Isle of Wight, through the capital Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. ... Satellite image showing the Solent, separating the Isle of Wight from mainland Britain The Solent is a stretch of sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of Great Britain. ... The River Yar on the Isle of Wight, England, rises in Niton, and flows across the eastern side of the island to Bembridge where it meets the Solent. ... , Bembridge is a village and civil parish[1] located on the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. ... The River Yar on the Isle of Wight, England, rises in Freshwater Marshes, and flows only a few miles north to Yarmouth where it meets the Solent. ... Freshwater is a village and parish at the western end of the Isle of Wight. ... Location within the British Isles Yarmouth is a port in the western part of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of England. ...

The south coast of the Island borders the English Channel. Without man's intervention the Island may well have been split into three with the sea breaking through 1) at the west end of the Island where a bank of pebbles separates Freshwater Bay from the marshy backwaters of the Western Yar east of Freshwater, and 2) at the east end of the Island where a thin strip of land separates Sandown Bay from the marshy basin of the Eastern Yar, east of Sandown. Yarmouth itself was effectively an island with water on all sides and only connected to the rest of the Island by a regularly breached neck of land immediately east of the town. For the Thoroughbred racehorse of the same name, see English Channel (horse). ... Freshwater Bay can refer to: The cove on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England: see Freshwater, Isle of Wight The bay in Newfoundland, Canada: see Freshwater Bay, Newfoundland This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same...

Island wildlife is remarkable, and it is one of the few places in England where the red squirrel is flourishing, with a stable population (Brownsea Island is another). Unlike most of England, no grey squirrels are to be found on the Island^[8], nor are there any wild deer but, instead, rare and protected species, such as the dormouse and many rare bats, can be found. The Glanville Fritillary butterfly's distribution in the United Kingdom is largely restricted to the edges of the crumbling cliffs of the Isle of Wight. For the North American red squirrel, see American Red Squirrel. ... Brownsea Island is the largest of eight islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. ... Binomial name Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin, 1788 The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is a tree squirrel that is native to the eastern to midwestern United States and the eastern provinces of Canada. ... This article is about the ruminent animal. ... Subfamilies and Genera Graphiurinae Graphiurus Leithiinae Dryomys Eliomys Hypnomys Myomimus Selevinia Myoxinae Glirulus Muscardinus Glis Dormice are Old World mammals in the family Gliridae, part of the rodent (Rodentia) order. ... “Chiroptera” redirects here. ... Binomial name Melitaea cinxia Linnaeus, 1758 The Glanville Fritillary (Melitaea cinxia) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. ...

A competition in 2002 named the Pyramidal Orchid as the Isle of Wight's county flower.^[9]. Binomial name Anacamptis pyramidalis (L.) Rich. ... A county flower is a flowering plant chosen to symbolise a county. ...

The Island is known as one of the most important areas in Europe for finding dinosaur fossils. The eroding cliffs also assist hidden remains to become more visible. Orders & Suborders Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Theropoda Ornithischia Thyreophora Ornithopoda Marginocephalia Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. ...

Climate

Being one of the most southerly points in the UK, the Isle of Wight has a warmer climate than other areas which results in high levels of tourism, particularly along the south of the island. It also has a longer growing season than other areas in the UK.^[10]

Geology

Blackgang Chine circa 1910

The Isle of Wight is made up from a wide variety of different rock types which date from Early Cretaceous times (around 127 million years ago) to the middle of the Palaeogene (around 30 million years ago). All the rocks found on the Island are sedimentary, made up of mineral grains from previously existing rocks. These are all consolidated to form the rocks that can be seen on the Island today, such as limestone, mudstone and sandstone. Rocks on the Island are very rich in fossils and many of these can be seen exposed on the beaches as the cliffs erode. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight Blackgang Chine circa 1910 Blackgang Chine is the location of a natural chine (a coastal ravine) in the soft Cretaceous cliffs near Ventnor at the southern tip of the Isle of Wight, England. ... // The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... Palaeogene (alternatively Paleogene) period is a unit of geologic time that began 65 and ended 23 million years ago. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ... Mudstone is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ...

Cretaceous rocks, normally red, show that the climate was previously hot and dry. This provided suitable living conditions for dinosaurs. Dinosaur bones and footprints can be seen around the Island along beaches, especially at Yaverland and Compton Bay. Orders & Suborders Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Theropoda Ornithischia Thyreophora Ornithopoda Marginocephalia Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. ... The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Along the northern coast of the Island there is a rich source of fossilised shellfish, crocodiles, turtles and mammal bones. The youngest of these dates back to around 30 million years ago. Genera Crocodylus Osteolaemus Tomistoma A crocodile can be any of the 14 species of large, water-loving reptiles in the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the subfamily Crocodylinae). ...

The Island is mainly made up of Tertiary clays, in most of the northern parts of the Island, limestone, upper and lower greensands, wealden and chalk. Tertiary geological time interval covers roughly the time span between the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs and beginning of the most recent Ice Age, approximately 65 million to 1. ... Greensand is an olive-green coloured sandstone rock which found in narrow bands, particularly associated with bands of chalk and clay in northern and western Europe. ... Wealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England. ... The Needles, situated on the Isle Of Wight, are part of the extensive Southern England Chalk Formation. ...

Politics

Main article: Politics of the Isle of Wight

The Clipper Ship "Flying Cloud" off the Needles, Isle of Wight, by James E. Buttersworth, 1859-60.

The Isle of Wight is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county. As it has no district councils (only the County Council), it is effectively a unitary county, although not officially. It is unique in England in this way — all other unitary areas are single districts with no county council, while the Isle of Wight is the other way round. It also has a single Member of Parliament, and is by far the most populous constituency in the United Kingdom (more than 50% above the average of English constituencies). As a geographical entity distinct from the mainland, the Isle of Wight has always fought to have this identity recognised. ... Image File history File links Buttersworth_-_flying_cloud. ... Image File history File links Buttersworth_-_flying_cloud. ... James E. Buttersworth (1817 – 1894) was a British-American painter who specialized in maritime art, and is considered among the foremost American ship portraitists of the nineteenth century. ... The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England. ... Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... The Isle of Wight is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

As a constituency of the House of Commons, it is traditionally a battleground between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. The current MP, Andrew Turner is a Conservative, and his predecessor Dr Peter Brand was a Liberal Democrat. Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, is a liberal political party in Great Britain formed in 1988 by the merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had already been in an alliance for seven years prior to this, since not long after... Andrew John Turner (born 24 October 1953, Coventry) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... Dr Peter Brand (born 1947) is a United Kingdom general practitioner and Liberal Democrat politician. ...

The Isle of Wight Council election of 2005 was a landslide victory for the Conservative Party, displacing the long serving "Island First" group, a coalition of Liberal Democrats and independents. The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, is a liberal political party in Great Britain formed in 1988 by the merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had already been in an alliance for seven years prior to this, since not long after...

There has been a minor regionalist movement, in the form of the Vectis National Party and Isle of Wight Party, but this has generally performed badly in elections. The Vectis National Party was a minor political party operating in the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. ... The Isle of Wight Party is a minor British political party, formed in January 2001 to contest the Isle of Wight constituency at the 2001 United Kingdom General Election. ...

Demographics

From the census taken in 2001, the island's population was at 132,731. This shows a change of 5.4% since the last census in 1991 which is a higher increase than the average for the UK at 2.6%. The mean age of people from the island is 43.19. This is higher than the national average of 38.65.

From the 2001 census data, the population on the Isle of Wight by age group is:

^[11]

The lack of a university on the island causes many younger people to leave for higher education. The Isle of Wight is also considered an attractive place for many people to retire, due to the perception that it is more peaceful than the rest of the UK. This results in a higher proportion of older people.

The most popular religion on the island is Christianity, with 73.72%, however this census question was optional and 7.89% did not wish to state a religion. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is...

Main towns

Main article: List of places on the Isle of Wight

• Newport is the county town of the Isle of Wight and is located in the centre of the Island and is the main shopping area on the Island. Recent developments include a new bus station with retail complex and a new retail park on the outskirts. Located next to the River Medina, Newport was once a busy port until the mid-19th century, but has now been mainly converted into art galleries, apartments and other meeting places.
• Ryde, The Island's biggest town with a population of around 30,000, is located in the north east of the Island. It is a Victorian town with a half-mile long pier and four miles of beaches, attracting many tourists each year.
• Cowes is the location of Cowes week every year and where many people across the UK go to go sailing. It is also the home of famous sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur.
• Sandown is another seaside resort, attracting many tourists each year. It is also home to the Isle of Wight Zoo and Dinosaur Isle geological museum, and an 18 hole golf course.
• Shanklin just south of Sandown, also attracts tourists by its sandy beaches. Its main attractions are Shanklin Chine and the old village.
• Ventnor is on the south coast of the Island and is built on steep slopes leading down to the sea which attract many tourists. Recent developments include Ventnor Haven, a harbour on the coast of Ventnor.

The Isle of Wight has no cities. Newport, located in the centre of the island, is the second largest town and is also the county town. There are also smaller towns along the coasts particularly on the east side of the Island. Many of these such as Sandown and Ryde attract many tourists each year. This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Isle of Wight, England. ... Statistics Population: 23,957 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SZ502893 Administration District: Isle of Wight Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Isle of Wight Historic county: Hampshire Services Police force: Hampshire Constabulary Ambulance service: South Central Post office and telephone Post town... The River Medina is small river that runs from the hills in the south of the Isle of Wight, through the capital Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. ... Ryde, seen from Ryde Pier and showing the twin spires. ... Manchester Town Hall is an example of Victorian architecture found in Manchester, UK. The Carson Mansion is an example of a Victorian home in Eureka, California, USA The term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of architectural styles predominantly in the Victorian era. ... This article is about the town on the Isle of Wight. ... Ellen MacArthur Dame Ellen Patricia MacArthur, DBE (born July 8, 1976) is an English sailor from Whatstandwell near Matlock in Derbyshire, now based in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. ... Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish[1] on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. ... The Isle of Wight Zoo is in Yaverland on the Isle of Wight. ... Dinosaur Isle is a museum located on the Isle of Wight. ... The seafront at Shanklin, 2003 Shanklin is a popular seaside resort and civil parish[1] on the Isle of Wight, England, just south of Sandown on the south coast. ... Ventnor is a seaside resort and civil parish[1] established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of England. ...

As well as the major towns, the island also has many smaller villages. Some of these smaller villages also attract many tourists (for example, Godshill is a popular tourist destination). Godshill is a village on the Isle of Wight. ...

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight maintains a culture close to, but distinct from, that of the south of England due to its nature as an offshore island. ...

Language and dialect

The distinctive Isle of Wight accent is a somewhat stronger version of the traditional Hampshire dialect, featuring the dropping of some consonants and an emphasis on longer vowels. This is similar to the West Country dialects heard in Southwestern England, but less removed in sound from the Estuary English of the Southeast. In common with many other English regional dialects and accents, a strong Island accent is not now commonly heard, and, as speakers tend to be older, this decline is likely to continue. For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... For dialects of programming languages, see Programming language dialect. ... In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a sound in spoken language that is characterized by a closure or stricture of the vocal tract sufficient to cause audible turbulence. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... The West Country dialects and West Country accents are generic terms applied to any of several English dialects and accents used by much of the indigenous population of the southwestern part of England, the area popularly known as the West Country. ... Estuary English is a name given to the form of English widely spoken in South East England, especially along the river Thames and its estuary. ...

The Island also has its own local and regional words. Some words, including grockle (visitor) and nipper/nips (a younger male person), are still commonly used and are shared with neighbouring areas. A few are unique to the Island, for example overner (a mainlander who has settled on the Island) and caulkhead (someone born on the Island or, for sticklers, those born there from long-established Island stock). Other words are more obscure and used now mainly for comic emphasis, such as mallishag (meaning caterpillar) and nammit ("noon-meat", meaning food). Some other words are "gurt" as in large or great, also "gallybagger" as in scarecrow.^[12]. This article is about a form of an insect. ...

Sport

Cowes is a world-famous centre for sailing, playing host to several racing regattas. Cowes Week is the longest-running regular regatta in the world, with over 1,000 yachts and 8,500 competitors taking part in over 50 classes of yacht racing^[13]. In 1851 the first America's Cup race took place around the Island. Other major sailing events hosted in Cowes include the Fastnet race, the Round the Island Race^[14], the Admiral's Cup, and the Commodore's Cup^[15]. This article is about the town on the Isle of Wight. ... For either of the songs named Sailing, see Sailing (song). ... A regatta is a boat race or series of boat races. ... Cowes Week is the longest-running regular regatta in the world. ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the yachting competition. ... The Fastnet race is a yachting race in the United Kingdom. ... The Admirals Cup is a yachting race series in the United Kingdom. ...

The Isle of Wight Marathon is the United Kingdom's oldest continuously-held marathon, having been run every year since 1957. ^[16]. The course starts in Ryde, passing through Newport, Shanklin and Sandown, before finishing back in Ryde. It is an undulating course with a total climb of 1,505 feet.

The Island is home to the Isle of Wight Islanders Speedway team, who compete in the sport's second division, the 'Premier League'. The club was founded in 1996, with a first-night attendance of 1740. The Island is also home to the Wightlink Raiders, an ice hockey team based at Ryde Arena. They compete in the English Premier League, the 2nd Division in the country. There is also an ENL team, Vectis Warriors, also based at Ryde Arena. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The now-disbanded Ryde Sports F.C. was founded in 1888 and became one of the eight founder members of the Hampshire League in 1896. There are several other non-league clubs such as Newport (IW) F.C. There is an Isle of Wight Saturday Football League with three divisions, and a rugby union club^[17], plus various other sporting teams ^[18]. Beach football is particularly prevalent on the Island and boasts several of the nation's premier clubs, such as the Wight Knuckle Ryders. Before their demise, Ryde Sports were for many years a major force in football on the Isle of Wight and in Hampshire. ... The Hampshire League is a name used for two distinct football competitions based in Hampshire, England. ... Newport (IW) F.C. (also known as Newport (IoW) F.C. or Newport (Isle of Wight) F.C.) are a football club based in Newport on the Isle of Wight, England, They were established on 27 January 1888 and were founder members of the Wessex League in 1986. ... The Isle of Wight Saturday Football League is a football competition based in England. ... For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... Beach Football is a variation of association football (soccer) played barefoot on a beach or other sand surface. ...

The Isle of Wight competes in the bi-annual Island Games, which it hosted in 1993. The Isle of Wight will host these games again in 2011. The International Island Games Association (IGA) is an organization the sole purpose of which is to organise the Island Games, a friendly biennial athletic competition between teams from several islands. ...

Music

The Isle of Wight is also the home of the band "The Bees". Recently they have been having more national success and often perform at smaller concerts on the island. The Isle of Wight is also home to the Isle of Wight Festival and the Bestival. The Bees can refer to: The Bees (UK band), an indie group from the Isle of Wight. ... The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place annually on the Isle of Wight, England. ... The Bestival is a music festival on the Isle of Wight. ...

Economy

A satellite photograph of the Isle of Wight and the Solent.

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added by the Isle of Wight economy at current basic prices by the Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.^[19] Isle of Wight satellite image Adapted from: Earth Sciences and Image Analysis, NASA-Johnson Space Center. ... Isle of Wight satellite image Adapted from: Earth Sciences and Image Analysis, NASA-Johnson Space Center. ... Satellite image showing the Solent, separating the Isle of Wight from mainland Britain The Solent is a stretch of sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of Great Britain. ... Office for National Statistics logo The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the United Kingdom government executive agency charged with the collection and publication of statistics related to the economy, population and society of the United Kingdom at national and local levels. ... For details of notes and coins, see Coins of the pound sterling and Banknotes of the pound sterling. ...

Industry and agriculture

The largest industry on the Isle of Wight is tourism, but the Island has a strong agricultural heritage, including sheep and dairy farming and the growing of arable crops. Traditional agricultural commodities are more difficult to market off the Island because of transport costs, but Island farmers have managed successfully to exploit some specialist markets. The high price of these products overcomes the transport costs. One of the most successful agricultural sectors at present is the growing of crops under cover, particularly salad crops, including tomatoes and cucumbers. The Isle of Wight has a longer growing season than much of the United Kingdom and this also favours such crops. Garlic has been successfully grown in Newchurch for many years, and is even exported to France. This has led to the establishment of an annual Garlic Festival at Newchurch, which is one of the largest events of the Island's annual calendar. The favourable climate has led to the success of vineyards, including one of the oldest in the British Isles, at Adgestone near Sandown.^[24] Lavender is also grown for its oil.^[25] The largest sector of agriculture has been dairying, but due to low milk prices, and strict UK legislation for UK milk producers, the dairy industry has declined. There were nearly one-hundred and fifty dairy producers of various sizes in the mid-eighties, but this has now dwindled down to just twenty-four. Binomial name L. Allium sativum L., commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. ... Newchurch is a village on the Isle of Wight. ... The Garlic Festival is a fundraising event that is held on the Isle of Wight. ... A common vineyard. ... Adgestone is a small village on the Isle of Wight. ... Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish[1] on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. ... Species About 25-30, including: Lavandula abrotanoides Lavandula angustifolia Lavandula canariensis Lavandula dentata Lavandula lanata Lavandula latifolia Lavandula multifida Lavandula pinnata Lavandula stoechas Lavandula viridis Lavandula x intermedia The Lavenders Lavandula are a genus of about 25-30 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native from the...

The making of sailcloth, boats and other connected maritime industry has long been associated with the Island, although this has somewhat diminished in recent years. Cowes is still home to various small marine-related companies such as boat-builders. This article is about the town on the Isle of Wight. ... Traditional boat building in South East Maluku, Indonesia. ...

Although they have reduced the extent of the plants and workfo