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The term "British Islands" should not be confused with "British Isles".

The term British Islands is used in the law of the United Kingdom to refer collectively to the following four states:

• the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
• the Bailiwick of Jersey;
• the Bailiwick of Guernsey (including Alderney, Herm, and Sark); and
• the Isle of Man.

The latter three territories are crown dependencies and are not a part of the United Kingdom. The Parliament of the United Kingdom on occasions introduces legislation that is extended to the islands by the use of Orders in Council. For this reason it has been found useful to have a collective term for the combined territories. Dating back to 1889, the current formal definition can be found in the Interpretation Act 1978, an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom:

"British Islands" means the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.[1]

The term is not found in general (non-legal) usage.

British passports issued in the UK have the wording "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" on their cover. In the crown dependencies, this is replaced by "British Islands - Bailiwick of Jersey", "British Islands - Bailiwick of Guernsey" or "British Islands - Isle of Man". These passports are issued to all British citizens resident in the jursidiction in question.

As the crown dependencies are affected only by the European Community provisions relating to the free movement of goods, and are not member or associated states of the European Union, there is no right for Channel Islanders or Manxmen to live or work in European Union countries.

However, if a Channel Islander or Manxman has lived in the UK for move than five years, or had a parent or grandparent who was born or lived in the UK, then they are entitled to European Union citizenship in right of the UK.

If this is not the case, then the passport is stamped with the inscription "Holder is not entitled to benefit from European Community provisions relating to employment or establishment."

Although neither the Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey) nor the Isle of Man are part of the EU proper, their passports still bear the inscription "European Union". A large proportion of Channel Islanders possess European Union citizenship by descent and are therefore entitled to EU passports - those islanders with no inherited or acquired European Union citizenship have their passports stamped to this effect.

In previous times, particularly the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the term was sometimes used to refer to islands under British control, worldwide.

• Interpretation Act, 1978 (unofficial text)