NORTH SEA

a part of the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean. The North Sea has the Shetland Islands to the north of it, the United Kingdom and the Orkney Islands to the west, Norway and Denmark to the east, and France, Belgium, Holland and Germany to the south. It covers about 220 000 square miles (570 000 square kilometres), and is relatively shallow, mostly less than 300 feet (90 metres) deep. It has less salt in it than the North Atlantic, partly because a lot of fresh water flows into it from the Thames , the Rhine, the Elbe and other large rivers. There are large amounts of oil and gas under it which are being taken out for commercial use.