Things you didn't know about... the Isles of Scilly

The Isles of Scilly's phoney war

The Netherlands declared war on the Isles of Scilly in 1651, but never engaged in hostilities. However, the country forgot to declare peace formally and the war didn't end until 1986, when a historian discovered the anomaly and the two parties signed a peace treaty. Thus ended one of the longest-running wars in history (335 years), as well as the one with the fewest casualties (none).

They're sports mad on the Isles of Scilly

The residents of the Isles of Scilly are the most active in England in terms of sports and fitness, according to a survey carried out by Sport England in 2006.

You can see a gig without hearing music

The Isles of Scilly are the home of pilot gig racing. Gigs are similar to broad kayaks, and the islanders race them from island to island each week of the gig racing season. The Pilot Gig World Championships have been held around the Isles of Scilly since 1990. Crews from Cornwall, Devon and overseas compete.

A truly Scilly underground network

The Isles of Scilly are home to more burial chambers per square mile than anywhere else in Britain. In total, there are 83 Bronze-Age burial chambers on the islands.

The Isles of Scilly are home to flower power

Tourism may be the main provider of jobs on the Isles of Scilly, but the main export is flowers. The gentle climate means flowers bloom earlier here than in the rest of the UK.

The Isles of Scilly are not for sale

The Isles of Scilly have been owned by the Duchy of Cornwall since 1337. The exception is the island of Tresco, which has been leased to the Dorrien-Smith family since 1831.

The football league is always a two-horse race

The Isles of Scilly football league is the smallest in the world. Its two clubs, Woolpack Wanderers and Garrison Gunners, play each other repeatedly over the course of the season, competing for the league title and two cups.

Shipping is now safer, thanks to the Isles of Scilly

The Isles of Scilly have been a notorious site for shipwrecks, with over 900 recorded. The number of incidents led to the formation of the Board of Longitude, which offered a reward for anyone who could devise a reliable way of measuring longitude at sea. This in turn led to the invention of the marine chronometer, by John Harrison.