Geography of Great Britain

Great Britain is an island located within the British Isles and it is the ninth largest
island in the world and the largest in Europe. It is located to the northwest of
continental Europe and it is home to the United Kingdom which includes
Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland (not actually on the island of
Great Britain). Great Britain has a total area of 88,745 square miles (229,848 sq
km) and a population of about 60 million people (2009 estimate).
The island of Great Britain is known for the global city of London, England as
well as smaller cities like Edinburgh, Scotland. In addition, Great Britain is
known for its history, historic architecture and natural environment.

The following is a list of ten geographic facts to know about Great Britain:

1) The island of Great Britain has been inhabited by early humans for at least
500,000 years. It is believed that these humans crossed a land bridge from
continental Europe at that time. 

Modern humans have been on Great Britain for about 30,000 years and until the
about 12,000 years ago archeological evidence shows that they moved back and
forth between the island and continental Europe via a land bridge. This land
bridge closed and Great Britain became an island at the end of the last
glaciation.

2) Throughout its modern human history, Great Britain was invaded several

times. For example in 55 B.C.E., the Romans invaded the region and it became
a part of the Roman Empire. The island was also controlled by various tribes
and was invaded several times. 

In 1066 the island was a part of the Norman Conquest and this began the
cultural and political development of the area. Throughout the decades following
the Norman Conquest, Great Britain was ruled by several different kings and
queens and it was also a part of several different treaties between the countries
on the island.

3) The use of the name Britain dates back to the time of Aristotle, however the
term Great Britain was not officially used until 1474 when a marriage proposal
between Edward IV of England's daughter, Cecily, and James IV of Scotland was
written.

Today the term is used to specifically refer to the largest island within the United
Kingdom or to the unit of England, Scotland and Wales.
4) Today in terms of its politics the name Great Britain refers to England,
Scotland and Wales because they are on the United Kingdom's largest island.

In addition, Great Britain also includes the outlying areas of Isle of

Wight, Anglesey, the Isles of Scilly, the Hebridesand the remote island groups
of Orkney and Shetland. These outlying areas are considered a part of Great
Britainbecause they are parts of England, Scotland or Wales.

5) Great Britain is located to the northwest of continental Europe and east

of Ireland. The North Sea and the English Channel separate it from Europe,
however the Channel Tunnel, the longest undersea rail tunnel in the world,
connects it with continental Europe.

The topography of Great Britain consists mainly of low gently rolling hills in the

eastern and southern portions of the island and hills and low mountains in the
western and northern regions.

6) The climate of Great Britain is temperate and it is moderated by the Gulf

Stream. The region is known for being cool and cloudy during the winter and the
western parts of the island are windy and rainy because they are more
influenced by the ocean. 

The eastern parts are drier and less windy. London, the largest city on the
island, has an average January low temperature of 36˚F (2.4˚C) and a July
average temperature of 73˚F (23˚C).

7) Despite its large size the island of Great Britain has a small amount of fauna.
This is because it has been rapidly industrialized in recent decades and this has
caused habitat destruction across the island.

As a result there are very few large mammal species in Great Britain and
rodents like squirrels, mice and beaver make up 40% of the mammal species
there. In terms of Great Britain's flora, there is a large variety of trees and 1,500
species of wildflower.

8) Great Britain has a population of about 60 million people (2009 estimate) and
a population density of 717 persons per square mile (277 persons per square
kilometer). The main ethnic group of Great Britain is British - particularly those
who are Cornish, English, Scottish or Welsh.

9) There are several large cities on the island of Great Britain but the largest is
London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. Other large cities
include Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool and
Manchester.
10) Great Britain's United Kingdom has the third largest economy in Europe. 

The majority of the UK's and Great Britain's economy is within the service and
industrial sectors but there is also small amount of agriculture. 

The main industries are machine tools, electric power equipment, automation

equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles, electronics
and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper
products, food processing, textiles and clothing. Agricultural products include are
cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables cattle, sheep, poultry and fish.
________________________________________________________

Great Britain Geography includes information about the climate, culture,

population, and heritage of Great Britain.
Great Britain comprises England, Scotland and Wales, and is located between
Ireland and mainland Europe. 

Great Britain is the largest island in Europe. The population of Great Britain is
58,845,700 (as in 2006). Over 1000 small islands and islets encircle Great
Britain. Great Britain covers a total area of 80,823 sq. mile. 

England, the biggest country of Great Britain, is located in the southeast region
of the British Isles. London is the largest city in Great Britain and the capital of
England. The longest river in Great Britain is Severn. Other rivers include
Thames, Tees, Tyne and Avon. The western part of Great Britain consists of
steep hills and valleys. The high peak mountains are located in Scotland and
Wales. 

About 25% of the overall land area in Great Britain is used for cultivation and
12% of Great Britain's total land area is covered by forests. 

Great Britain has a varied climate with frequent cloud and rain. In the winter
months, the average temperature remains between 5ºC in the month of January
to 7ºC in March. The highest average temperatures that Britain experiences are
in the months of July and August, when they remain at around 18ºC. Britain
experiences steady rainfall throughout the year. It varies between an average of
31 mm in the month of February to an average of 52 mm in the month of
September. The months of August and September receive the maximum rainfall. 

______
 The Geographical Position of Great Britain (3)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland covers an area of
some 244 thousand square miles. It is situated on the British Isles. The
British Isles are separated from Europe by the Strait of Dover and the English
Channel. The British Isles are washed by the North Sea in the east and the
Atlantic Ocean in the west.
The population of Great Britain is about 60 million. The largest cities of the
country are London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and
Edinburgh.
The territory of Great Britain is divided into four parts: England, Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland.
England is in the southern and central part of Great Britain. Scotland is in the
north of the island. Wales is in the west. Northern Ireland is situated in the north-
eastern part of Ireland.
England is the richest, the most fertile and most populated part in the country.
There are mountains in the north and in the west of England, but all the rest of
the territory is a vast plain. In the northwestern part of England there are many
beautiful lakes. This part of the country is called Lake District.
Scotland is a land of mountains. The Highlands of Scotland are among the
oldest mountains in the world. The highest mountain of Great Britain is in
Scotland too. The chain of mountains in Scotland is called the Grampians. Its
highest peak is Ben Nevis. It is the highest peak not only in Scotland but in the
whole Great Britain as well. In England there is the Pennine Chain. In Wales
there are the Cumbrian Mountains.
There are no great forests on the British Isles today. Historically, the most
famous forest is Sherwood Forest in the east of England, to the north of
London. It was the home of Robin Hood, the famous hero of a number of
legends.
The British Isles have many rivers but they are not very long. The longest of
the English rivers is the Severn. It flows into the Irish Sea. The most important
river of Scotland is the Clyde. Glasgow stands on it. Many of the English and
Scottish rivers are joined by canals, so that it is possible to travel by water from
one end of Great Britain to the other.
The Thames is over 200 miles long. It flows through the rich agricultural and
industrial districts of the country. London, the capital of Great Britain, stands on
it. The Thames has a wide mouth, that's why the big ocean liners can go up to
the London port.
Geographical position of Great Britain is rather good as the country lies on the
crossways of the see routes from Europe to other parts of the world. The sea
connects Britain with most European countries such as Belgium, Holland,
Denmark, Norway and some other countries. The main sea route from Europe to
America also passes through the English Channel.
 
 Географическое положение Великобритании (3)
Объединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии
занимает территорию около 244 тысяч квадратных миль. Оно расположено
на Британских островах. Британские острова отделены от Европы
проливами Па-де-кале и Ла-Манш. Британские острова омываются
Северным морем на востоке и Атлантическим океаном на западе.
Население Великобритании около 60 миллионов. Самые большие города
страны — это Лондон, Бирмингем, Ливерпуль, Манчестер, Глазго и
Эдинбург.
Территория Великобритании разделена на четыре части: Англию,
Шотландию, Уэльс и Северную Ирландию.
Англия находится в южной и центральной части Великобритании.
Шотландия — на севере острова. Уэльс находится на западе. Северная
Ирландия расположена в северо-восточной части Ирландии.
Англия — самая богатая, плодородная и наиболее населенная часть
страны. На севере и на западе Англии есть горы, но вся остальная часть
территории — большая равнина. В северо-западной части Англии много
красивых озер. Эта часть страны так и называется — Район озер.
Шотландия —- земля гор. Плоскогорье Шотландии — одно из самых
древних в мире. Самая высокая гора Великобритании также находится в
Шотландии. Цепь гор в Шотландии называется Грампианскими горами.
Самая высокая их вершина — Бен Невис. Это самый высокий пик не только
в Шотландии, но и в Великобритании. В Англии есть Пеннины. В Уэльсе —
Камбрианские горы.
Сегодня на Британских островах нет больших лесов. Самый знаменитый
лес — Шервудский, он расположен на востоке Англии, к северу от Лондона.
По преданию, это — пристанище Робина Гуда, знаменитого героя легенд.
На. Британских островах много рек, но они не очень длинные. Самая
длинная река в Англии — Северн. Она впадает в Ирландское море. Самая
главная река Шотландии — Клайд. На ней стоит Глазго. Многие английские
и шотландские реки соединены между собой каналами так, чтобы по воде
можно было добраться из одного конца Великобритании в другой.
Длина Темзы — более 200 миль. Она течет через богатые
сельскохозяйственные и индустриальные районы страны. Лондон, столица
Великобритании, стоит на ней. Темза имеет широкое устье, именно поэтому
большие океанские лайнеры могут заходить в Лондонский порт.
Географическое положение Великобритании довольно удачно, так как
страна лежит на пересечении морских путей из Европы в другие части
света. Море соединяет Британию с такими европейскими странами, как
Бельгия, Нидерланды, Дания, Норвегия и некоторыми другими странами.
Главный морской путь из Европы в Америку также проходит через пролив
Ла-Манш.
 
The Geographical Position of Great Britain

There are two large islands and several smaller ones, which lie in the north-west coast of
Europe. Collectively they are known as the British Isles. The largest island is called Great
Britain. The smaller one is called Ireland. Great Britain is separated from the continent by
the English Channel. The country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Great
Britain is separated from Belgium and Holland by the North Sea, and from Ireland - by the
Irish Sea.

In the British Isles there are two states. One of them governs of the most of the island of
Ireland. This state is usually called the Republic of Ireland. The other state has authority
over the rest of the territory. The official name of this country is the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But it is usually known by a shorter name - "The
United Kingdom". The total area of Great Britain is 244,000 square km.

They say that the British love of compromise is the result of the country's physical
geography. This may or may not be true, but it certainly true that the land and climate in
Great Britain have a notable lack of extremes. The mountains in the country are not very
high. It doesn't usually get very cold in the winter or very not in the summer. It has no
active volcanoes, and an earth tremors which does no more than rattle teacups in a few
houses which is reported in the national news media. The insular geographical position of
Great Britain promoted the development of shipbuilding, different training contacts with
other countries.

Географическое положение Великобритании

На северо-западном побережье Европы расположены два больших и несколько

маленьких островов. Вместе они известны как Британские острова. Самый большой
остров называется Великобритания. Меньший - Ирландия. Великобритания отделена
от континента проливом Ла-Манш. Страна омывается водами Атлантического океана.
Великобритания отделена от Бельгии и Голландии Северным морем, а от Ирландии -
Ирландским морем.

На Британских островах два государства. Одно из них занимает остров Ирландию.

Это государство обычно называется Ирландская Республика. Другому государству
подчинена остальная территория. Официальное название этой страны - Соединенное
Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии. Но обычно она известна под
коротким именем "Соединенное Королевство". Общая площадь Великобритании
составляет 244 000 км2.

Говорят, что любовь британцев к компромиссам - результат географического

положения страны. Это может быть, а может и не быть правдой, но правда в том, что
рельеф и климат Великобритании отличаются отсутствием каких-либо контрастов.
Горы в стране не очень высокие. Зимой здесь не очень холодно, а летом не очень
жарко. В стране нет действующих вулканов. Землетрясения, о которых сообщается в
средствах массовой информации, вызывают разве что дребезжание чашек в
нескольких домах. Островное географическое положение Великобритании
способствует развитию кораблестроения, разнообразным торговым связям с другими
странами.