Land Formations

Session 2A

When was Great Britain created? 

This session provides a whirlwind tour through the long history of what is now the ninth-largest island in the world. From a piece of Pangaea to a land mass in the North Atlantic Ocean, this remarkable place has seen everything from ice sheets to hippo hot tubs.

Understanding how Great Britain came to be requires understanding the geological theory of plate tectonics. Read the brief article about how early ideas of continental drift have been refined over years of study, and then watch the short video explaining what we know about tectonic plates.

Fun fact: the Scottish Highlands and the American Appalachians are part of the same mountain range, originating when the supercontinent Pangaea was formed. Plate tectonics explains why they are now so far away from each other. Watch these two animations to see how Great Britain has moved around over the past several millennia.

Even after the Caledonian Orogeny and the split of Pangaea, Great Britain remained physically connected to Europe via a large land bridge. A variety of animals - including early human species - were able to easily come and go. Read the article below for a glimpse into the history of life on the British Isles.

Great Britain’s status as an island is very recent, in geological terms. Read the article below to learn why Great Britain became its own geographic entity - rather than remaining just another part of the European continent.