islands council
noun
(in Scotland since 1975) any of the three divisions (Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles) into which the Scottish islands are divided for purposes of local governmentSee also region (def. 6)
RELATED CONTENT
Why is Easter Island Named “Easter”?The instantly recognizable statues on Easter Island (887 of them), called moai, have perplexed and fascinated explorers, experts and average folks since the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen came across it in 1722. And Mr. Roggeveen is the reason it’s called Easter Island. He and his crew dropped anchor on Easter Sunday. The current inhabitants of Isla de Pascua (Spanish for “Easter Island”) call it Rapa Nui, a …
What Bizarre Error Gave California Its Name?When the Spanish first began exploring the Pacific Coast of North America, they mistakenly believed that California was an island. (Some of the earliest and most fascinating maps of the state depict it as separated from the mainland.) This is considered one of the greatest, albeit short-lived, cartographic errors. Early mapmakers began labeling the “island” as California, the name of a mythical island in a book …
Nearby words
- island of the sun,
- island universe,
- island-hop,
- islander,
- islands,
- islands of langerhans,
- islands of the blessed,
- islas canarias,
- islay,
- isle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012