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Geological Formation

Orkney

Islands and Archipelagos

Orkney is an archipelago of roughly 70 islands off the north coast of Scotland, about 20 of which are inhabited. The largest island, the Mainland, covers 523 square kilometers and holds Kirkwall, the main settlement, with a population across the islands of around 22,000. The surface rock of Orkney is almost entirely Old Red Sandstone of Middle Devonian age, resting on older metamorphic and igneous rocks of the Moine series. The islands carry Neolithic monuments recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, supported by fertile soils and a mild climate moderated by the Norwegian Current. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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UNESCO World Heritage Site 1
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Source Orkney (Wikipedia)
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1. Orkney (Wikipedia)
  • Lead section
    Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland.
  • Entity description, protection designation
    the Moine series. The islands carry Neolithic monuments recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, supported by fertile soils and a mild climate moderated by the Norwegian
  • In Discipline: Oceanography, Lead section (in-discipline Oceanography)
    Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland.
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Wikidata: Orkney
Wikidata Q100166, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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