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Shetland Islands

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Shetland Islands , island group and council area (1993 est. pop. 22,830), 551 sq mi (1,427 sq km), extreme N Scotland, NE of the Orkney Islands . Formerly the county of Shetland or Zetland , the archipelago is 70 mi (110 km) long and consists of some 100 islands, of which fewer than one fourth are inhabited. Mainland , Yell, Unst, Fetlar, Whalsey, and Bressay are the largest islands. Lerwick , on Mainland, is the principal town of the Shetland Islands.

The surface of the islands is generally low and rocky, with few trees and spare soil. In places cliffs rise above 1,000 ft (305 m). The climate is humid and, despite the northern latitude, rather mild. Oats and barley are the chief crops; fishing and cattle and sheep raising are very important. The region is famous for its knitted woolen goods and for the small, sturdy Shetland ponies originally bred there. With the discovery of North Sea oil in the early 1970s, a major oil terminal was built at Sullom Voe in the north of Mainland. Tourism is also significant.

The Shetlands are known for their ancient relics. Pictish forts are scattered throughout the islands, and a village from the Bronze Age has been unearthed at Jarlshof on Mainland. By the late 9th cent. the islands were occupied by the Norsemen ; traces of their speech and customs survive. The Shetlands were not annexed to Scotland until 1472, when the islands were taken over as an unredeemed pledge of King Christian I of Norway and Denmark for the dowry of his daughter, Margaret, who married James III of Scotland.

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Shetland

The Oxford Companion to British History | 2002 | | Copyright

Shetland is a group of islands in the northern North Sea, some 150 miles from the north-east tip of the Scottish mainland. Once annexed by the Vikings and subsequently part of the kingdom of Norway, Shetland (together with Orkney) became part of Scotland in 1469. It is a county of Scotland and has remained a unitary local administrative authority. More than Orkney, Shetland has asserted its cultural separateness from Scotland, most notably by the annual ‘Viking’ midwinter festival of Up-Helly-A. North Sea oil has had a significant effect on the economy: one of the main terminals for landing oil from pipelines is at Sullom Voe, and the local authority negotiated with the oil companies a deal which generated considerable revenue for the islands, which were able to cut local taxes and build up a development fund for the future.

Charlotte M. Lythe

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JOHN CANNON. "Shetland." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Shetland." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-Shetland.html

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Shetland Islands

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Shetland Islands Group of c.100 islands ne of the Orkneys, 210km (130mi) off the n coast of Scotland, constituting an administrative region. The principal islands are Mainland (which has the main town of Lerwick), Yell, Unst, Whalsay, and Bressay. Settled by Norse invaders in the 9th century, Scotland sezied the islands in 1472. Fishing and livestock are important, and the islands are famous for Shetland ponies. The region is also noted for its woollen clothing. More recently, oil and tourism have become major industries. Area: 1433sq km (553sq mi) Pop. (2000) 22,440.

http://www.shetland.gov.uk; http://www.visitshetland.com

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Shetland Islands

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | | Copyright

Shetland Islands, Scotland/UK Hjaltland A unitary district and a group of about 100 islands which came under Norse rule in the 9th century and remained so until 1469 when the islands were annexed by Scotland. The name is difficult but is claimed to have come from the Old Scandinavian hjalt ‘high’ or ‘hilt (of a sword)’ and land. This might have been a description of the shape of the group. The Shetland pony originated here.

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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Shetland Islands." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Shetland Islands." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-ShetlandIslands.html

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Shetland

A Dictionary of British History | 2004 | | Copyright

Shetland is a group of islands in the northern North Sea, some 150 miles from the north‐east tip of the Scottish mainland. Once annexed by the Vikings and subsequently part of the kingdom of Norway, Shetland (together with Orkney) became part of Scotland in 1469. It is a county of Scotland and has remained a unitary local administrative authority.

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Shetland

A Dictionary of British Place-Names | 2003 | | Copyright

Shetland (the unitary authority). Haltland c.1100, Shetland 1289. Various suggested interpretations, but probably reshaping of pre-Norse name.

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A. D. MILLS. "Shetland." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

A. D. MILLS. "Shetland." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Shetland.html

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Shetland

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Shetland former county, Scotland: see under Shetland Islands .

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Shetland

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"Shetland." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Shetland." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Shetland.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Scotland's Shetland Island has Danish flavor.(Going Places) Newspaper article from: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL); 9/6/1998
	Milan... Paris... Shetland? Island youth hostel is top of its class in... Newspaper article from: Daily Mail (London); 2/16/2011
	Shetland oil spill continues to spread; harsh weather hampers salvage,... Newspaper article from: The Oil Daily; 1/8/1993