Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England, opposite Southampton. Popularized from Victorian times as a holiday resort, it is known for its areas of natural beauty and as home to the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes, a town that hosts a world famous annual regatta. Colloquially, it is known as "The Island" by its residents and it possesses a rich history including its own brief status as a vassal kingdom in the fifteenth century, home to poet Alfred Lord Tennyson and Queen Victoria's much loved summer residence and final home Osborne House. Its maritime history encompasses boat building and sail making through to the manufacture of flying boats and the world's first hovercraft. It is home to the Isle of Wight Festival which in 1970 was one of the largest Rock music events ever held with estimates reaching 600,000 attendees, overtaking the record set at Woodstock a year earlier. The island is also one of the richest fossil locations for dinosaurs in Europe. In 686AD, it became the last part of the United Kingdom to convert to Christianity - almost a century after the rest of the mainland.

Related Topics:
Island - England - Southampton - Victorian times - Royal Yacht Squadron - Cowes - Regatta - Vassal - Fifteenth century - Alfred Lord Tennyson - Queen Victoria's - Osborne House - Flying boat - Hovercraft - Isle of Wight Festival - 1970 - Rock music - Woodstock - Fossil - Dinosaur - Europe - 686AD - United Kingdom - Christianity

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Until the revival of Rutland in 1997 it was the smallest county in England but it remains, with just one Member of Parliament and 132,731 permanent residents in the 2001 census, the most populated Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom.

Related Topics:
Rutland - 1997 - County - Member of Parliament - 2001 - Census - Parliamentary constituency - United Kingdom

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