Citizendia
Your Ad Here

For other uses, see Isle of Wight (disambiguation).
Isle of Wight
Motto of County Council: All this beauty is of God
Image:EnglandIsleWight.png
Geography
Status Ceremonial & Non-metropolitan/Unitary county
Region South East England
Area
- Total		 Ranked 46th
380 km² (147 sq mi)
Admin HQ Newport
ISO 3166-2 GB-IOW
ONS code 00MW
NUTS 3 UKG11
Demography
Population
- Total (2006 est. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South East England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Area. See also Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Newport is the County town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. ISO 3166-2GB is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United Kingdom. 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) for the French nomenclature d'unités territoriales statistiques, is a Geocode In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology )
- Density
- Admin. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume council		 Ranked
140,000
368/km² (953/sq mi)
Ranked
Ethnicity
Politics
Conservative
Executive  
Members of Parliament
Districts

The Isle of Wight is an English island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles from the south coast of Great Britain. This is a List of Ceremonial counties of England by Population. This is a list of non-metropolitan counties of England by population. Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons 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 a Political party in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant The counties of England are territorial divisions of England for the purposes of administrative political and geographical demarcation See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands It is situated south of the county of Hampshire and is separated from mainland England by the Solent. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain The Solent is a stretch of Sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. 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. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force Cowes is an English Seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island south of Southampton.

The Island has a rich history including its own brief status as a nominally independent kingdom in the fifteenth century. It was home to the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Queen Victoria built her much loved summer residence and final home Osborne House at East Cowes. Alfred Tennyson 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892 was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and remains one of the most popular English poets Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. Cowes is an English Seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island south of Southampton. The Island's maritime and industrial history encompasses boat building, sail making, the manufacture of flying boats, the world's first hovercraft and the testing and development of British space rockets. A flying boat is a specialised form of Aircraft that is designed to take off from and land on water using its Fuselage as a floating hull. A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle (ACV is an Amphibious vehicle or craft, designed to travel over any sufficiently smooth surface supported by It is home to the Isle of Wight International Jazz Festival, Bestival and the recently revived Isle of Wight Festival, which, in 1970, was one of the largest rock music events ever held. The Isle of Wight Jazz Festival started in 2005 In the small seaside town of Ventnor. The Bestival is a music festival 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. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. [2] The island has some exceptional wildlife and is also one of the richest fossil locations for dinosaurs in Europe. FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system.

The island has in the past been part of Hampshire, however it became an independent administrative county (although still sharing the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire) in 1890. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974 This is a 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 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 ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight: 1 April 1974 – 1979: Louis 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 The island is the smallest ceremonial county in England at high tide, but its land area at low tide is larger than Rutland's. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood Rutland is a county of mainland England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by [3][4] 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. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Contents

History

Main article: History of the Isle of Wight

Early history

The Isle of Wight is first mentioned in writing in Geography by Claudius Ptolemaeus. Today the Isle of Wight is rich in historical and archaeological sites dating from prehistoric periods from an extraordinary wealth of Fossil discoveries including The Geographia or Geography is Ptolemy 's main work besides the Almagest. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca

At the end of the Roman Empire the island of Vectis became a Jutish kingdom ruled by King Stuf and his successors until AD 661 when it was invaded by Wulfhere of Mercia and forcibly converted to Christianity at sword point. Stuff is an aggregate or a group of Items or Matter. Stuff can mean just about anything Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. When he left for Mercia the Islanders reverted to paganism.

In AD 685 it was invaded by Caedwalla of Wessex and can be considered to have become part of Wessex. Cædwalla (c 659 &ndash 20 April 689 was the King of Wessex from about 685 until 688 when he abdicated Following the accession of West Saxon kings as kings of all England, it then became part of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The island became part of the shire of Hampshire and was divided into hundreds as was the norm. A shire is an Administrative division of Great Britain and Australia. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain

In 686, it became the last part of England to convert to Christianity. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings [5][6][7]

The Island suffered especially from the Vikings. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Alfred the Great's navy defeated the Danes in 871 after they had "ravaged Devon and the Isle of Wight". Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c

Memorial to Charles I at Carisbrooke Castle
Memorial to Charles I at Carisbrooke Castle

Middle ages

The Norman Conquest created the position of Lord of the Isle of Wight. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Carisbrooke Castle is a historic Castle located in the village of Carisbrooke, near Newport, Isle of Wight. 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 Priory and the fort of Carisbrooke Castle were founded. Carisbrooke Castle is a historic Castle located in the village of Carisbrooke, near Newport, Isle of Wight. 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. Isabella de Fortibus or Isabella de Forz (July 1237 – 10 November 1293) was the eldest daughter of Baldwin de Redvers 6th Earl of Devon. Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307 popularly known as Longshanks, was a King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost

The Lordship thereafter became a Royal appointment, with a brief interruption when Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick was in 1444 crowned King of the Isle of Wight[8], with King Henry VI assisting in person at the ceremony, placing the crown on his head. Henry de Beauchamp 1st Duke of Warwick ( March 21, 1425 &ndash June 11, 1446) was an English nobleman Henry VI (6 December 1421 &ndash 21 May 1471 was King of England 1422–1461 (though with a Regent until 1437 and then 1470–1471 and a claimant to the kingdom With no male heir, the regal title expired on the death of Henry de Beauchamp.

Henry VIII, who developed the Royal Navy and its permanent base at Portsmouth, fortified the Island at Yarmouth, East & West Cowes and Sandown. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which Sandown is a Seaside resort town and Civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin Much later, 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. The Spanish Armada ( Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, "Great and Most Fortunate Navy" or Armada Invencible, "Invincible

Civil war

During the English Civil War King Charles fled to the Isle of Wight, believing he would receive sympathy from the governor, Robert Hammond. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Hammond was appalled, and incarcerated the king in Carisbrooke Castle.

Osborne House and its grounds are now open to the public
Osborne House and its grounds are now open to the public

Queen Victoria

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 fashionable Victorians including Alfred Lord Tennyson, Julia Margaret Cameron, Charles Dickens and members of European royalty. Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. Alfred Tennyson 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892 was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and remains one of the most popular English poets Julia Margaret Cameron ( 11 June 1815 &ndash 26 January 1879) was a British Photographer.

During her reign, in 1897, the world's first radio station[9] was set up by Marconi, at the Needles battery, at the western tip of the Island. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Marchese Guglielmo Marconi mar'koni (25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937 was an Italian inventor best known for his development of a Radiotelegraph system The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of Chalk that rise out of the Sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight,

Modern history

During the Second World War the Island was frequently bombed. With its proximity to France the Island also had a number of observation stations and transmitters, and was the starting-point for one of the earlier Operation Pluto pipelines to feed fuel to the Normandy landings.

The Needles battery was used as the site for testing and development of the Black Arrow and Black Knight space rockets, subsequently launched from Woomera, Australia. The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of Chalk that rise out of the Sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, Black Arrow was a British Satellite Carrier rocket. Black Arrow originated from studies by the Royal Aircraft Establishment for satellite 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 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.

The Isle of Wight Festival was a very large rock festival that took place near Afton Down, West Wight in 1970, following two smaller concerts in 1968 and 1969. 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. Afton Down is a hill near the village of Freshwater on the Isle of Wight. 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[10]. James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter The Festival was revived in 2002 and is now an annual event.

Physical geography and wildlife

Isle of Wight map.
Isle of Wight map.

Isle of Wight is approximately diamond in shape and covers an area of 380 km2 (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 Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB on the Isle of Wight, England's largest offshore island The Island has 258 km2 (99. 6 sq mi) of farmland, 52 km2 (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. A downland is an area of open Chalk Hills This term is especially used to describe the Chalk countryside in southern England. The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of Chalk that rise out of the Sea off the western extremity 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. St Boniface Down is a Chalk down on the Isle of Wight. It is located close to the town of Ventnor, in the southeast of the island and rises A Marilyn is a type of Mountain or Hill in Great Britain, Ireland or surrounding islands with a relative height of at least 150 metres

The famous view at The Needles and Alum Bay.
The famous view at The Needles and Alum Bay. The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of Chalk that rise out of the Sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, Alum Bay is a sandy bay near the westernmost point of the Isle of Wight, England, within sight of The Needles.

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. For other places whose names are or contain "Medina" see Medina (disambiguation. The Solent is a stretch of Sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. The River Yar on the Isle of Wight, England, rises in a chalk coomb in St Bembridge is a village and Civil parish located on the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. 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. The River Yar on the Isle of Wight, England, rises near the beach at Freshwater Bay on the south coast of the island and flows only a few miles north Freshwater is a large village and Civil parish at the western end of the Isle of Wight, England. For other uses see Yarmouth. Yarmouth is a Port and Civil parish in the western part of the Isle of Wight, Where distinguishing the two becomes necessary, each may be referred to as the eastern or western Yar.

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.

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). The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris) is a Species of Tree squirrel ( Genus Sciurus Brownsea Island is the largest of the Islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. Unlike most of England, no grey squirrels are to be found on the Island[11], nor are there any wild deer but, instead, rare and protected species, such as the dormouse and many rare bats, can be found. The eastern gray squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis) is a Tree squirrel native to the eastern and Midwestern United States and to the southerly A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. Dormice are Rodents of the family Gliridae. (This family is also variously called Myoxidae or Muscardinidae by different taxonomists 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. The Glanville Fritillary ( Melitaea cinxia) is a Butterfly of the Nymphalidae family The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

A competition in 2002 named the Pyramidal Orchid as the Isle of Wight's county flower. The pyramidal orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis, is an Orchid native to central and southern Europe. In a number of countries plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas [12].

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.

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. [13]

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Avg High (°C) 8 8 10 13 16 19 22 21 19 15 11 9
Avg Min (°C) 1 1 2 3 7 9 11 11 9 7 3 2
Mean (°C) 4 4 6 8 11 14 16 16 14 11 7 5
Avg Precip (mm) 89 61 66 48 56 53 41 56 66 79 84 89

Geology

Blackgang Chine circa 1910
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). Blackgang Chine is the location of a now-destroyed Chine (a coastal Ravine) in the soft Cretaceous cliffs near Ventnor at the southern tip The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of The Paleogene (alternatively Palaeogene) is a geologic period and system that began 65 All the rocks found on the Island are sedimentary, made up of mineral grains from previously existing rocks. Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock) These are all consolidated to form the rocks that can be seen on the Island today, such as limestone, mudstone and sandstone. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Mudstone (also called mudrock) is a fine grained Sedimentary rock whose original constituents were Clays or Muds Grain size is up Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. Rocks on the Island are very rich in fossils and many of these can be seen exposed on the beaches as the cliffs erode.

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. Yaverland is a village on the Isle of Wight, just north of Sandown. Compton Bay is a Bay located on the southwest section of the Isle of Wight, England.

Along the northern coast of the Island there is a rich source of fossilised shellfish, crocodiles, turtles and mammal bones. A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae) The youngest of these dates back to around 30 million years ago.

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. The chuprichondira 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 Greensand is an olive-green coloured Sandstone rock which is commonly found in narrow bands particularly associated with bands of Chalk and History Wealden District was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of the Hailsham and Uckfield Rural District Chalk (ʧɔːk is a soft white porous Sedimentary rock, a form of Limestone composed of the Mineral Calcite.

View west from Shanklin Chine
View west from Shanklin Chine

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 Clipper Ship "Flying Cloud" off the Needles, Isle of Wight, by James E. Buttersworth, 1859-60. As a geographical entity distinct from the mainland, the Isle of Wight has always fought to have this identity recognised James Edward Buttersworth (1817 – 1894 was an English painter who specialized in maritime Art, and is considered among the foremost American

The Isle of Wight is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Since the abolition of its two borough councils in 1995 and the restructuring of the county council as the Isle of Wight Council, it has been a unitary county. A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 The Isle of Wight Council is a local council It is a Unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions 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). A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The Isle of Wight is a County 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 House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The current MP, Andrew Turner is a Conservative, and his predecessor Dr Peter Brand was a Liberal Democrat. Andrew John Turner (born 24 October 1953 Coventry) is a politician in the United Kingdom. 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 It is a Unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the

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

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:

Age Group United Kingdom Isle of Wight UA
Total 58,789,194 132,719
0-4 3,486,469 6,437
5-9 3,738,160 7,604
10-14 3,880,609 8,459
15-19 3,663,899 7,417
20-24 3,546,151 5,564
25-29 3,867,115 6,155
30-34 4,493,585 8,084
35-39 4,625,810 8,746
40-44 4,151,580 8,448
45-49 3,735,964 8,399
50-54 4,040,437 10,133
55-59 3,338,861 9,619
60-64 2,879,948 7,951
65-69 2,596,843 7,441
70-74 2,339,231 7,085
75-79 1,966,929 6,445
80-84 1,313,547 4,524
85-89 752,787 2,750
90+ 371,269 1,458

[14]

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. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings 72%, however this census question was optional and 7. 89% did not wish to state a religion.

Main towns

Main article: List of places on the Isle of Wight
Graveyard on the grounds of the church in the town of Brading, Isle of Wight
Graveyard on the grounds of the church in the town of Brading, Isle of Wight

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.

As well as the 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 and Civil parish on the Isle of Wight with a Population of approximately 2800 (1998

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Isle of Wight

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. 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 Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of In Articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a Speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper Vocal tract, the upper vocal In Phonetics, a vowel is a Sound in spoken Language, such as English ah! or oh!, pronounced with an open Vocal tract This is similar to the West Country dialects heard in Southwestern England, but less removed in sound from the Estuary English of the Southeast. 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 Estuary English is a name given to the formulation(s of English widely spoken in South East England and the East of England; especially along the 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.

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). Caterpillars are the Larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera (the Insect order comprising butterflies and Moths Some other words are "gurt" as in large or great, also "gallybagger" as in scarecrow. [15].

Sport

Cowes is a world-famous centre for sailing, playing host to several racing regattas. Cowes is an English Seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island south of Southampton. Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force A regatta is a term used to describe either a Boat race or series of boat races 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[16]. Cowes Week is the longest-running regular Regatta in the world In 1851 the first America's Cup race took place around the Island. 1851 ( MDCCCLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The America’s Cup is the most prestigious Regatta and Match race in the sport of Sailing, and the oldest active Trophy in international Other major sailing events hosted in Cowes include the Fastnet race, the Round the Island Race[17], the Admiral's Cup, and the Commodore's Cup[18]. The Fastnet race is a famous offshore Yachting race. It is considered one of the classic offshore races The Admiral's Cup is an international yachting regatta For many years the Admiral's Cup was known as the unofficial World Championship of Offshore Racing

The Isle of Wight Marathon is the United Kingdom's oldest continuously held marathon, having been run every year since 1957. [19]. 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. The Wightlink Raiders are an Ice hockey team based in Ryde on the Isle of Wight, England. 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.

The Isle of Wight Hockey Club run three senior teams and a junior side, with the 1st XI competing in Hampshire's top division, just one below the regional leagues. The Island also has a ladies team - the Vectis Ladies - which is a separate organisation to the IW Hockey Club. Ventnor Middle School on the Isle of Wight runs a successful hockey set-up, producing a number of players who have since gone on to play at high standards.

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. Ryde Sports Football Club (1888-1997 was an English football club based in Ryde, Isle of Wight. The Hampshire League is a name used for two distinct football competitions based in Hampshire, England. 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[20], plus various other sporting teams [21]. Newport (IW FC (also known as Newport (IoW FC or Newport (Isle of Wight F The Isle of Wight Saturday Football League is a football competition based in England. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Beach football is particularly prevalent on the Island and has several of the nation's premier clubs with almost all of the England Beach Soccer team made up from players from the Island.

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

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 International Jazz Festival, the Isle of Wight Festival and the Bestival. The Isle of Wight Jazz Festival started in 2005 In the small seaside town of Ventnor. 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, England.

Economy

A satellite photograph of the Isle of Wight and the Solent.
A satellite photograph of the Isle of Wight and the Solent. The Solent is a stretch of Sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.

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. The Office for National Statistics (ONS is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency [22]

Year Regional Gross Value Added[23] Agriculture[24] Industry[25] Services[26]
1995 831 28 218 585
2000 1,202 27 375 800
2003 1,491 42 288 1,161

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. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Garlic has been successfully grown in Newchurch for many years, and is even exported to France. Allium sativum L, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the Onion family Alliaceae. Newchurch is a village and Civil parish on the Isle of Wight. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. 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 Garlic Festival is a fundraising event that is held annually on the Isle of Wight. The favourable climate has led to the success of vineyards, including one of the oldest in the British Isles, at Adgestone near Sandown. A vineyard is a Plantation of Grape -bearing Vines grown mainly for Winemaking, but also Raisins Table grapes and non-alcoholic Adgestone is a small hamlet on the Isle of Wight. It is located close to Brading in the east of the island Sandown is a Seaside resort town and Civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin [27] Lavender is also grown for its oil. The Lavenders Lavandula are a Genus of about 25–30 species of Flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean [28] 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.

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. Cowes is an English Seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island south of Southampton. Boat building, one of the oldest branches of Engineering, is concerned with constructing the hulls of boats and for Sailboats the masts

Although they have reduced the extent of the plants and workforce, including the sale of the main site, GKN operates what was once the British Hovercraft Corporation a subsidiary of, and known latterly, when manufacturing focus changed, as Westland Aircraft. GKN plc ( is a leading British Engineering company The Company was formerly known as Guest Keen and Nettlefolds and can tracing its origins back British Hovercraft Corporation was the corporate entity created when the Saunders Roe division of Westland Aircraft and Vickers Supermarine combined March Westland Aircraft was a British Aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil in Somerset. Prior to its purchase by Westland, it was the independent company known as Saunders-Roe. Saunders-Roe Limited was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works East Cowes, Isle of Wight. It remains one of the most notable historic firms, having produced many of the flying boats, and the world's first hovercraft. A flying boat is a specialised form of Aircraft that is designed to take off from and land on water using its Fuselage as a floating hull. A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle (ACV is an Amphibious vehicle or craft, designed to travel over any sufficiently smooth surface supported by

The Island's major manufacturing activity today is in composite materials, used by boat-builders and the wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, which has a wind turbine blade factory and testing facilities in Newport and East Cowes. Composite materials (or composites for short are engineered Materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical A wind turbine is a rotating machine which converts the Kinetic energy in Wind into Mechanical energy. Vestas is a Danish company that designs manufactures sells erects and services Wind turbines Founded in 1945 by Peder Hansen from the Newport is the County town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Cowes is an English Seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island south of Southampton.

Bembridge Airfield is the home of Britten-Norman, manufacturers of the world-famous Islander and Trislander aircraft. Bembridge Airport is located 23 Nautical miles (43 km northeast of Sandown, Isle of Wight, England. Britten-Norman (officially the Britten-Norman Group or BNG) is a British aircraft manufacturer owned by members of the Zawawi family from the Sultanate The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft mainline airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman The Britten-Norman Trislander (more formally designated the BN-2A Mk III Trislander) is an 18-seat three-engined piston -powered civilian utility Aircraft This is shortly to become the site of the European assembly line for Cirrus light aircraft. The Cirrus Design Corporation is an Aircraft manufacturer that was founded in 1984 by Alan and Dale Klapmeier to produce the VK-30 kit aircraft The Norman Aeroplane Company is a smaller aircraft manufacturing company operating in Sandown. Sandown is a Seaside resort town and Civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin There are have been 3 other aircraft manufacturers that built planes on the Island. [29]

In 2005, Northern Petroleum began exploratory drilling for oil, with its Sandhills-2 borehole at Porchfield but ceased operations in October that year, after failing to find significant reserves. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Porchfield is a village on the Isle of Wight between Cowes and Yarmouth.

Breweries

There are three breweries on the Island. Goddards Brewery in Ryde opened in 1993. Ryde is a British seaside town and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30000 [30] David Yates, who was head brewer of Burts and Island Brewery, started brewing as Yates Brewery at the Inn at St Lawrence in 2000. [31] Ventnor Brewery, under new management, is the latest incarnation of Burt's Brewery, which has been brewing on the Island since the 1840s in Ventnor. Ventnor is a Seaside resort and Civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast [32]. Until the 1960's most pubs were owned by Mews Brewery sited in Newport near the old railway station, but it closed and the pubs taken over by Strongs and then by Whitbread. This article is about the Whitbread company For the sailing race see Volvo Ocean Race. By some accounts Mews beer was apt to be rather cloudy and dark. They pioneered the use of cans in the 19th century for export to British India. The old brewery was derelict for many years but was then severely damaged in a spectacular fire

Services

Tourism and heritage

Compton Chine, looking east towards Blackgang
Compton Chine, looking east towards Blackgang

The heritage of the Island is a major asset, which has for many years kept its economy going. Blackgang Chine is the location of a now-destroyed Chine (a coastal Ravine) in the soft Cretaceous cliffs near Ventnor at the southern tip Holidays focused on natural heritage, including both wildlife and geology, are becoming a growing alternative to the traditional seaside resort holiday. A seaside resort is a Resort located on the Coast. Where a Beach is the primary focus for Tourists it may be called a beach resort The latter has been in decline in the United Kingdom domestic market, due to the increased affordability of air travel to alternative destinations.

Tourism is still the largest industry on the Island. In 1999, the 130,000 Island residents were host to 2. 7 million visitors. Of these, 1. 5 million stayed overnight, and 1. 2 million visits were day visits. Only 150,000 of these visitors were international visitors. Between 1993 and 2000, visits increased at a rate of 3% per year, on average. [33]

At the turn of the nineteenth century the Island had ten pleasure piers including two at Ryde and a "chain pier" at Seaview. A pier is a raised Walkway over water supported by widely spread Piles or pillars. Ryde Pier is an early 19th century Pier serving the town of Ryde, on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. Seaview is a small village located on the North East corner of the Isle of Wight, overlooking the Solent. The Victoria Pier in Cowes succeeded the earlier Royal Pier but was itself removed in 1960. The piers at Ryde, Seaview, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor originally served a coastal steamer service that operated from Southsea on the mainland. Seaview is a small village located on the North East corner of the Isle of Wight, overlooking the Solent. Sandown is a Seaside resort town and Civil parish on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin Shanklin is a popular Seaside resort and Civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, located on the east coast's Sandown Bay. Ventnor is a Seaside resort and Civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast The piers at Seaview, Shanklin, Ventnor and Alum Bay were all destroyed by storms during the last century. Alum Bay is a sandy bay near the westernmost point of the Isle of Wight, England, within sight of The Needles. Today only the railway pier at Ryde and the piers at Sandown, Totland Bay (currently closed to the public) and Yarmouth survive. Totland is a town and Civil parish at the western tip of the Isle of Wight. Blackgang Chine is arguably the oldest theme park in the UK, and one of the oldest in the world. Blackgang Chine is the location of a now-destroyed Chine (a coastal Ravine) in the soft Cretaceous cliffs near Ventnor at the southern tip

As well as more traditional tourist attractions, the Island is often host to walking holidays [34]. or cycling holidays through the attractive scenery. Almost every town and village on the Island plays host to hotels, hostels and camping sites. Out of the peak summer season, the Island is still an important destination for coach tours from other parts of the United Kingdom and an annual walking festival has attracted considerable interest. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

A major contribution to the local economy comes from sailing and marine-related tourism. Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force

Transport

Main article: Transportation on the Isle of Wight
A map of the island from 1945
A map of the island from 1945

The Isle of Wight has a total of 489 miles of roadway. The Isle of Wight is located 5 miles off the coast of England resulting in ship being the easiest method of getting there Major roads run between the main island towns, with smaller roads connecting villages. It is one of the few counties in the UK not to have a motorway, as the islands largest road is only a dual carriageway, running from Coppins Bridge in Newport, towards the north of Newport near the Island’s Hospital and Prisons.

A comprehensive bus network, operated by Southern Vectis links most island settlements with Newport as the central hub. Southern Vectis Omnibus Co is the dominant bus operator on the Isle of Wight. Most island towns receive a 24 hour bus service to Newport.

The island's location 5 miles off the mainland means the most common form of transport is by boat. Car ferry and passenger services are run by Wightlink and Red Funnel as well as a hovercraft operated by Hovertravel. Wightlink is a Ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England. Red Funnel or The Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Co For information on hovercraft in general please see Hovercraft. However, fixed links have also been proposed.

The Island is home to the smallest train operating company in the United Kingdom's National Rail network, the Island Line, running a little under 14 kilometres (about 8. National Rail is a brand name of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC This article is about the railway on the Isle of Wight For other uses see Island Line. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 5 miles) from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States

There are currently two airfields for general aviation, Isle of Wight Airport at Sandown and Bembridge Airport. Bembridge Airport is located 23 Nautical miles (43 km northeast of Sandown, Isle of Wight, England.

Communications

All of the Island telephone exchanges are broadband-enabled and in addition, some urban areas such as Cowes and Newport are covered by cable lines. Cowes is an English Seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island south of Southampton. Some areas, such as Arreton, have no broadband access in certain places. Arreton is a village and Civil parish in the central eastern part of the Isle of Wight, England.

Media

The Isle of Wight has one local broadsheet newspaper, The Isle of Wight County Press. The Isle of Wight County Press is a local compact Newspaper published every Friday on the Isle of Wight. It discusses local issues and is published each Friday, or on the last working day if a public holiday falls on a Friday.

The Island had a television station called Solent TV from 2002 until its closure on Thursday, 24th May, 2007. Solent TV was an independent not-for-profit television channel broadcasting on the Isle of Wight.

The Island has two native, commercial radio stations and has access to other nearby local stations based off the Island. Since 1998, Isle of Wight Radio has broadcast on 107 and 102 FM, as well as on the internet, and on the AM band since 1990. Isle of Wight Radio is an Independent local radio station in Newport on the Isle of Wight. In 2007, Angel Radio began broadcasting on 91. 7 FM from studios in Cowes. Cowes is an English Seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island south of Southampton. [35]

Active local websites with coverage of Island news include Ventnor Blog and Island Pulse.

Prisons

The Island geography, close to the densely populated south of England, led to it gaining three prisons: Albany, Camp Hill and Parkhurst which are located outside Newport on the main road to Cowes. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of HM Prison Albany occupies the site of a former military barracks on the outskirts of Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. Camp Hill was built in 1912 using prisoner labour from HMP Parkhurst and opened by Winston Churchill. HM Prison Parkhurst is a prison situated in Parkhurst Isle of Wight. Albany and Parkhurst were once among the few Category A prisons in the UK until they were downgraded in the 1990s. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The downgrading of Parkhurst was precipitated by a major escape: three prisoners (two murderers and a blackmailer) made their way out of the prison on 3 January 1995 for four days of freedom before being recaptured. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Parkhurst especially enjoyed notoriety as one of the toughest jails in the British Isles and "hosted" many notable inmates, including the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe and the Kray twins. Peter William Sutcliffe (born 2 June 1946 in Bingley, United Kingdom) is an English Serial killer who was dubbed Peter William Sutcliffe (born 2 June 1946 in Bingley, United Kingdom) is an English Serial killer who was dubbed Reginald "Reggie" Kray ( 24 October 1933 &ndash 1 October 2000) and Ronald "Ronnie" Kray ( 24 October

Camp Hill is located to the west of, and adjacent to, Albany and Parkhurst, on the very edge of Parkhurst Forest, having been converted first to a borstal and later to later a category C prison. In the United Kingdom, a borstal was a specific kind of youth prison run by the Prison Service and intended to reform seriously Delinquent young people It was originally on the site of an army camp (both Albany and Parkhurst were barracks), where there is a small estate of tree-lined roads with well-proportioned officers' quarters (with varying grandeur according to rank, but now privately owned), to the south and east.

Education

Main article: Education on the Isle of Wight

There are sixty-nine Local Education Authority-maintained schools on the Isle of Wight, and two independent schools. Education on the Isle of Wight is provided by 69 Local Education Authority -maintained schools on the Isle of Wight, and two independent schools An independent school is a school which is not dependent upon national or local Government for financing its operation and is instead operated by tuition charges gifts and As a rural community, many of these schools are small, with average numbers of pupils lower than in many urban areas. There are currently five high schools. However, there are plans to close at least one of the high schools. There is also the Isle of Wight College, which is located on the outskirts of Newport. The Isle of Wight College is a general Further education college (GFE with a broad Curriculum to reflect the needs to the Island community

The Island uses a middle school system. Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School

Famous residents

Main article: List of Isle of Wight people

Over the years, the island has had many well-known visitors. This is a list of people born in or strongly associated with the Isle of Wight, alphabetically within categories Many come over for health reasons due to the cool sea breeze and clean air. For example, Winston Churchill and Karl Marx were visitors to the Island. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Notable residents include:

Selected places of interest

Key
Image:AP_Icon.PNG Abbey/Priory/Cathedral
Accessible open space Accessible open space
Amusement/Theme Park
Image:CL_icon.svg Castle
Country Park Country Park
Image:EH icon.svg English Heritage
Image:Forestry commission logo.svg Forestry Commission
Heritage railway Heritage railway
Historic house Historic House
Museum (free)
Museum		 Museums (free/not free)
National Trust National Trust
Zoo

Notable media references

See also

References

  1. ^ Resident Population Estimates by Ethnic Group (Percentages)
  2. ^ Isle of Wight Festival history
  3. ^ Episode 10, Series E, QI
  4. ^ Glorious Isle has the Wight stuff Home. The Isle of Wight gasification facility is a Municipal waste treatment plant that has commenced construction in southern England. This is a list of Civil parishes in the Isle of Wight, England. This is a list of Towns and Villages in the ceremonial county of Isle of Wight, England. The Isle of Wight Rifles The Isle of Wight Rifles were also known as the "8th (territorial Battalion The Hampshire Regiment Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles" Hansard is the traditional name for the printed transcripts of Parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of Government. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The Isle of Wight County Press is a local compact Newspaper published every Friday on the Isle of Wight. In traditional Chinese culture, qi (zh [[wikt氣 氣]] Pinyin qì, Wade-Giles ch'i Jyutping co. uk
  5. ^ Saxon Graves at Shalfleet, Isle of Wight History Centre, August, 2005
  6. ^ England, A Narrative History, Peter N. Williams
  7. ^ The English Accept Christianity, The Story of England, Samuel B. Harding
  8. ^ William Camden, Britain, or, a Chorographicall Description of the most flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland (London, 1610)
  9. ^ Connected Earth: The origins of radio
  10. ^ Movies
  11. ^ Operation Squirrel
  12. ^ http://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/plantlife-discovering-plants-county-flowers.html Plantlife: County flowers
  13. ^ http://uk.weather.com/weather/climatology/UKXX1881 Isle of Wight Climate Statistics
  14. ^ Population 2001 census data
  15. ^ Lavers, Jack (1988). The Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect. Dovecote Press. ISBN 0-946159-63-7.  
  16. ^ Skandia Cowes Week 2008 - Welcome
  17. ^ JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race
  18. ^ Rolex Commodores' Cup - Home
  19. ^ Isle Of Wight Marathon Race
  20. ^ Isle Of Wight Rugby Football Club
  21. ^ http://www.solent.tv/sports.aspx
  22. ^ published (pp. 240-253)
  23. ^ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
  24. ^ includes hunting and forestry
  25. ^ includes energy and construction
  26. ^ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
  27. ^ English Wine - Wine for Sale - Vineyard Tours, Isle of Wight
  28. ^ Isle of Wight lavender farm, lavender products, lavender plants, teas
  29. ^ A list of aircraft and airplane manufacturers as well as airfields on the Isle of Wight
  30. ^ about us
  31. ^ Yates' Brewery
  32. ^ Ventnor Brewery :: Since 1840
  33. ^ A website with Isle of Wight statistics for investors
  34. ^ Isle of Wight walking holidays - Wight Walks
  35. ^ "History of Our Station" and "Gallery" (Flash). Angel Radio Isle of Wight Website. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine
  36. ^ High Sheriff's new Badge of Office - July 2007, High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight website.
  37. ^ arrival of Christianity
  38. ^ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band
  39. ^ "Holofile 001: Genesis of the Aftermath". Nebulous is a British Comedy - Sci-fi broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Nebulous. Nebulous is a Post apocalyptic science fiction comedy radio show written by Graham Duff and produced by Ted Dowd from Baby Cow 2008-05-15. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the No. 1, season 3.
  40. ^ The Lost Talismans of Spirit of the Stones

External links

General Information:

Media:

Tourism:

Photos:


Articles and Categories about the Isle of Wight, England The Isle of Wight

Category:Isle of Wight | Category:Buildings and structures on the Isle of Wight | Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight | Education on the Isle of Wight | History of the Isle of Wight | List of Isle of Wight people | List of civil parishes in the Isle of Wight | List of places on the Isle of Wight | Politics of the Isle of Wight | Category:Visitor attractions on the Isle of Wight | Category:Geography of the Isle of Wight | Category:Railway stations on the Isle of Wight| Category:Heritage railway stations on the Isle of Wight

en:Wight

Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Isle of Wight is one of the richest Dinosaur localities in Europe, with over 20 Species of dinosaur having been recognised from the early Cretaceous Education on the Isle of Wight is provided by 69 Local Education Authority -maintained schools on the Isle of Wight, and two independent schools Today the Isle of Wight is rich in historical and archaeological sites dating from prehistoric periods from an extraordinary wealth of Fossil discoveries including This is a list of people born in or strongly associated with the Isle of Wight, alphabetically within categories This is a list of Civil parishes in the Isle of Wight, England. This is a list of Towns and Villages in the ceremonial county of Isle of Wight, England. As a geographical entity distinct from the mainland, the Isle of Wight has always fought to have this identity recognised Wight: from Old English word wiht, is a Middle English word used to describe a Creature or a living being

Dictionary

Isle of Wight

-proper noun

  1. An island and county off the south coast of England opposite Southampton, sometimes considered to be part of Hampshire.
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic