Irish Sea
| Irish Sea | |
|---|---|
Satellite image | |
Limits and ports: ◘ ferry port / ◘ freight only | |
| Location | Britain and Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°30′N 5°00′W / 53.5°N 5.0°W |
| Type | Sea |
| River sources | Rivers that flow into the Irish Sea |
| Ocean/sea sources | Celtic Sea |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom; Ireland; Isle of Man |
| Max. width | 200 km (120 mi) |
| Surface area | 46,007 km2 (17,763 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 80–275 m (262–902 ft) |
| Water volume | 2,800 km3 (2.3×109 acre⋅ft) |
| Islands | Anglesey and Holy Island, Isle of Man and Calf of Man, Bardsey Island, Walney, Lambay, Ireland's Eye |
| Settlements | (see below) |
The Irish Sea is a 46,007 km2 (17,763 sq mi) body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey, North Wales, is the largest island in the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man. The term Manx Sea may occasionally be encountered (Welsh: Môr Manaw, Irish: Muir Meann Manx: Mooir Vannin, Scottish Gaelic: Muir Mhanainn).
On its shoreline are Scotland to the north, England to the east, Wales to the southeast, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to the west. The Irish Sea is of significant economic importance to regional trade, shipping and transport, as well as fishing and power generation in the form of wind power and nuclear power plants. Annual traffic between Great Britain and Ireland is over 12 million passengers and 17 million tonnes (17,000,000 long tons; 19,000,000 short tons) of traded goods.