1939: Orkney Isles

The Orkney Isles, a group of 67 islands off the northern coast of Scotland forming an administrative county of Great Britain and an important British naval base, are situated six miles north of the Scottish mainland, separated by the Pentland Firth. They have a total area of 240,847 acres. In 1938 their total population was estimated at 21,600 inhabitants, almost entirely of Scandinavian, Norse, Gaelic, and Scottish descent. Agriculture and fishing are the principal occupations. The chief crops are oats, barley, and turnips. Cattle and sheep are raised. A limited amount of sandstone is quarried. At Scapa Flow, on these islands, the Germans scuttled their entire fleet which they had surrendered to the Allies following the World War. In November 1939, during the European War, the Orkneys naval base was raided a number of times by German bombing planes, but no serious damage resulted and no ships were reported sunk.