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Orkney ((スコットランド・ゲール語:Arcaibh)〔Dieckhoff, H. (1932) ''A Pronouncing Dictionary of Scottish Gaelic''; reprinted in 1988 by Gairm ISBN 1-871901-18-9〕〔Mark, C. ( 2004) ''The Gaelic-English Dictionary'' Routledge ISBN 0-415-29761-3〕), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, United Kingdom. Situated off the north coast of Great Britain, Orkney is 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of the coast of Caithness and comprises approximately 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited.〔Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 336-403.〕〔Wickham-Jones (2007) p. 1 states there are 67 islands.〕 The largest island, Mainland, often referred to as "the Mainland", has an area of 523.25 square kilometres (202 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles.〔Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 334, 502.〕 The largest settlement and administrative centre is Kirkwall.〔Lamb, Raymond "Kirkwall" in Omand (2003) p. 184.〕 The name "Orkney" dates back to the 1st century BC or earlier, and the islands have been inhabited for at least 8,500 years. Originally occupied by Mesolithic and Neolithic tribes and then by the Picts, Orkney was invaded and forcibly annexed by Norway in 875 and settled by the Norse. The Scottish Parliament then re-annexed the earldom to the Scottish Crown in 1472, following the failed payment of a dowry for James III's bride, Margaret of Denmark.〔Thompson (2008) p. 220.〕 Orkney contains some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe, and the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Orkney is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, a constituency of the Scottish Parliament, a lieutenancy area, and a former county. The local council is Orkney Islands Council, one of only three Councils in Scotland with a majority of elected members who are independents. In addition to the Mainland, most of the islands are in two groups, the North and South Isles, all of which have an underlying geological base of Old Red Sandstone. The climate is mild and the soils are extremely fertile, most of the land being farmed. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy. The significant wind and marine energy resources are of growing importance, and the island generates more than its total yearly electricity demand using renewables. The local people are known as Orcadians and have a distinctive Scots dialect and a rich inheritance of folklore. There is an abundance of marine and avian wildlife. ==Origin of the name== Pytheas of Massilia visited Britain – probably sometime between 322 and 285 BC – and described it as triangular in shape, with a northern tip called ''Orcas''.〔Breeze, David J. "The ancient geography of Scotland" in Smith and Banks (2002) pp. 11-13.〕 This may have referred to Dunnet Head, from which Orkney is visible.〔("Early Historical References to Orkney" ) Orkneyjar.com. Retrieved 27 June 2009. 〕 Writing in the 1st century AD, the Roman geographer Pomponius Mela called the islands ''Orcades'', as did Tacitus in AD 98, claiming that his father-in-law Agricola had "discovered and subjugated the Orcades hitherto unknown"〔〔Tacitus (c. 98) ''Agricola''. Chapter 10. "''ac simul incognitas ad id tempus insulas, quas Orcadas vocant, invenit domuitque''".〕 (although both Mela and Pliny had previously referred to the islands.〔) Etymologists usually interpret the element ''orc-'' as a Pictish tribal name meaning "young pig" or "young boar".〔 Waugh, Doreen J. "Orkney Place-names" in Omand (2003) p. 116.〕 Speakers of Old Irish referred to the islands as ''Insi Orc'' ("island of the pigs").〔Pokorny, Julius (1959) '' Translated by Devra Kunin pp. 7–8〕 The Norse knew Mainland Orkney as ''Megenland'' (mainland) or as ''Hrossey'' (horse island).〔Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 354.〕 The island is sometimes referred to as ''Pomona'' (or ''Pomonia''), a name that stems from a sixteenth-century mis-translation by George Buchanan and has rarely been used locally.〔 Buchanan, George (1582) (''Rerum Scoticarum Historia: The First Book'' ) The University of California, Irvine. Revised 8 March 2003. Retrieved 4 October 2007. 〕〔 ("Pomona or Mainland?" ) Orkneyjar.com. Retrieved 4 October 2007. 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Orkney」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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