Which ocean waters wash Great Britain? Water resources

Great Britain, which is surrounded on all sides by sea and ocean, still jealously guards its traditions and customs, which may seem eccentric to many foreigners. However, it is precisely this careful attitude to traditions that has made Great Britain one of the most famous and influential countries in the world, which also has amazing nature and even seaside resorts. At the same time, Foggy Albion still remains a mystery to many of us...

Geography

Great Britain is located in northwestern Europe in the British Isles. In the north, Great Britain borders on Ireland; in the southeast, the English Channel (“English Channel”), whose width is 35 km, separates this country from France. total area Great Britain - 244,820 km. sq. The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean as well as the North Sea. The most high peak Great Britain - Mount Ben Nevis in Scotland (its height is 1343 meters).

The capital of Great Britain

The capital of Great Britain is London, whose population now numbers more than 8.2 million people. London was founded by the Romans in 43 AD.

Official language

The official language of Great Britain is English, which is spoken by more than 95% of the population. Minority languages ​​include Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Gaelic and Cornish.

Religion

The state religion in Great Britain is the Anglican Christian Church, formed in 1534 under the influence of Protestantism. More than 10% of the UK population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. In addition, there are many Presbyterians and Muslims in the country.

UK government

Great Britain has been a constitutional monarchy for many centuries. The country consists of four provinces - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The head of state is the Queen, power is inherited. The head of government is the Prime Minister (he becomes the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons).

Legislative power belongs to the bicameral Parliament, which consists of the House of Lords (1200 seats) and the House of Commons (659 seats). Basic political parties- Conservative Party, Labor Party and Liberal Democrats.

Climate and weather

The climate in Great Britain is temperate maritime with high rainfall. The determining influence on the climate of Great Britain is the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Gulf Stream. The average temperature in winter is 0C, and in summer – +25C. The warmest months are July and August, and the coldest is February.

Note that although July and August are considered the warmest months in the UK, they are also the wettest, with the most rainfall.

Seas and oceans in Great Britain

Great Britain is washed by waters Atlantic Ocean And North Sea. The total coastline is 12,429 km. The English Crown Lands include the islands of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel, as well as the Isle of Man (located in the Irish Sea).

Rivers and lakes

There are more than 20 in the UK big rivers and more than 380 lakes (many of them artificial). The largest rivers are the Severn (354 km), Thames (346 km), Trent (297 km), Great Ouse (230 km), Wye (215 km) and Tay (188 km).

Note that in Great Britain there is an extensive network of canals, most of which were built in the Victorian era.

British history

Archaeologists have found evidence that people lived on the territory of modern Britain back in the Neolithic era. Many historical artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age have also been found.

In 43 AD Britain, after stubborn resistance from local tribes, was captured by the Roman Empire and became its province. Power Ancient Rome over Britain lasted until 410 AD, after which the island was alternately invaded by tribes of Angles and Saxons from Germany, and then by Vikings from Scandinavia. The spread of Christianity in the British Isles began at the end of the 6th century.

In 1066, the famous Battle of Hastings took place, consolidating the Norman victory in the conquest of Britain. William of Normandy (better known as William the Conqueror) became king of England on December 25, 1066.

In the Middle Ages, on the territory of modern Great Britain, numerous wars took place between the English, Scots, Irish and Welsh. In 1337, England began the Hundred Years' War against France over the French provinces of Guienne, Normandy and Anjou, which eventually ended in French victory in 1453.

Immediately after this, in 1455, a bloody internecine 30-year War of the Roses began in England between two branches of the royal seven (Yorks and Lancasters).

In 1534, King Henry III became head of the Church of England, which led to the English Reformation and the dissolution of many monasteries. The mid-17th century was marked by the overthrow of the monarchy, the reign of Oliver Cromwell, and then the restoration of monarchical power.

In 1707, England and Scotland signed an act of union, thus forming the Kingdom of Great Britain.

In the 18th century, Great Britain became the largest colonial power with a huge fleet. Trade and banking developed rapidly in the country. At this time, revolutionary changes took place in English industry and agriculture.

The development of Great Britain continued in the 19th century, during the so-called “Victorian era.”

Great Britain played a big role during the world wars of the 20th century. In 1921, the Irish Rebellion broke out, leading to the formation of an independent Ireland. As for Northern Ireland, then it is still part of Great Britain. Now Great Britain is an active member of the NATO military bloc and is also part of the EU.

Culture

Since Great Britain consists of several “provinces” (England, Scotland, Wales and, of course, Northern Ireland), which were previously independent countries, it is clear that its culture is multi-ethnic.

Traditional English folk legends about the semi-mystical King Arthur and his knights, as well as semi-historical legends about Robin Hood, are known all over the world. Many historians claim that such personalities really existed in Medieval England, but we know about them only from folk legends.

In general, it should be noted that in Great Britain traditions play a greater role than in many other countries of the world. Residents of Foggy Albion are proud of their traditions, many of which seem strange and eccentric to us. Thus, in Great Britain, theaters have been closed on Sundays for more than 300 years.

Alone English tradition– in the Tower of London, according to the decree of King Charles II, 6 crows must permanently live. The British are confident that as long as these birds live there, nothing threatens the royal power.

Some of you may know that in the House of Lords of the British Parliament the Chancellor sits on a sack of wool. This custom dates back to the times when sheep's wool made England a rich and powerful country.

Old English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish traditions may seem strange to modern Europeans, Asians or Americans, but the inhabitants of Foggy Albion adhere to them with enviable tenacity.

The Canterbury Tales by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, published in 1476, had a decisive influence on the development of literature in Great Britain. In the Middle Ages, England gave the world such talented poets, writers and playwrights as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Wyatt, John Milton and, of course, William Shakespeare.

Subsequently, Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, John Keats, William Blake, George Byron, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf, Wodehouse, Eliot, Graham Greene, Iris Murdoch and Iain Banks appeared.

However, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can also boast “big” literary names. The most famous of them, perhaps, are the Scottish poets William Dunbar and Robert Burns.

The most famous artists in Great Britain are George Gower, Samuel Cooper, Joshua Reynolds, George Stubbs, John Constable, Joseph William Turner and David Hockney.

If we talk about music, then, of course, in the UK there were quite talented classical composers, however, this country, first of all, gave the world the legendary “Liverpool Four” - the rock group “The Beatles”.

UK cuisine

Each region of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) has its own traditional cuisine. In general, it can be said that British food is based on meat (beef, lamb, pork, chicken), fish, eggs and flour. Meat and fish are usually served with potatoes or some other vegetable.

English cuisine has traditionally been "bland", with no seasoning. However, after Great Britain captured numerous colonies (we are, of course, talking about India), various Indian seasonings began to be used more in English cuisine.

Traditional English dishes - Yorkshire pudding, Christmas pudding, roast beef, Cornish paste, pudding and Battenberg cake.

Traditional Scottish dishes– “haggis”, oatmeal, pickled herring “rollmops” and dessert “Cranachan”.

Traditional Welsh dishes include bara brith yeast bread, sorrel soup, beef in beer and Welsh flatbreads.

Traditional Irish dishes include Irish stew, coddle (sausage, bacon, potatoes and onions), barmbrack and potato pancakes called boxties.

We advise tourists in the UK to try the famous English cheeses. In general, more than 400 varieties of cheese are now produced in England. The most popular of these is cheddar (a hard cheese with a strong nutty flavor). In addition, we note such varieties of English cheese as Stilton, Red Leicester and Cheshire.

Traditional British drinks are beer, cider, tea, gin and Pimm (made from gin with the addition of lemonade, fruit and mint).

Sights of Great Britain

There are so many attractions in the UK that we will highlight only the 10 most interesting of them (in our opinion):

Cities and resorts

The most big cities Great Britain - London (more than 8.2 million people), Birmingham (more than 1.1 million people), Glasgow (about 600 thousand people), Belfast (more than 600 thousand people), Manchester (more than 500 thousand people) , Edinburgh (more than 500 thousand people) and Liverpool (about 500 thousand people).

Most of us associate Great Britain with constant rain and fog. However, this country turns out to have excellent seaside resorts. Moreover, the UK even has the English Riviera (Torbay). The most famous seaside resorts of Foggy Albion are Newport, Eastbourne and Brighton. There are approximately 760 beaches in the UK that are tested annually to meet European standards.

Also note that in the UK there are many balneological resorts, among which the most popular are Bath, Leamington, Builth, Harrogate Llandrindod, Buxton and Llanurthyd. By the way, the resort of Bath is included in World Heritage UNESCO, because It has the best preserved Roman baths, created during the reign of Ancient Rome.

Souvenirs/shopping

In Great Britain, tourists will be offered a huge number of different souvenirs. Traditional ones include tea, T-shirts, balls, dishes, handicrafts, and toys. We advise tourists visiting Scotland to bring home traditional Scottish macaroons, Glenfiddich single malt whiskey and a kilt.

Office hours

In the UK, most shops are open on weekdays from 9.00 to 18.00, and banks - from 09.30 to 16.30.

Pub opening hours:
Mon-Fri: from 11:00 to 23:00, although many now prefer to work later.

Visa

The British Isles, the northern part of the island of Ireland, plus dozens of small pieces of land scattered in the Atlantic Ocean - this is Great Britain. It can safely be called a maritime power, not only because the seas of Great Britain are important in many areas of its life, but also due to its past achievements in the conquest of countries and continents.

Geographical details

The answer to the question of what seas are in Great Britain implies a fairly impressive list. Almost 18,000 km coastline formed by several reservoirs at once. The Celtic Sea washes the coast of the United Kingdom in the southwest. The Hebrides is located along the Scottish coast in the northwest. The Irish Sea separates the British Isles and the island of Ireland, and the English Channel forms the border with France in the southern part of the country. The North Sea is responsible for the mood and climate along the entire east coast of Great Britain. All seas of the United Kingdom belong to the Atlantic Ocean.

French sleeve

The North Sea is connected to the Atlantic by the famous Anglo-French English Channel. It is famous for the many records of desperate swimmers who risked crossing it, and for the tunnel at its bottom that connected Calais and Dover. The English Channel stretches for more than 570 km, and its width at its narrowest point barely exceeds 30 km. That is why the strait received its name, which means “sleeve” in French.
The Eurotunnel was put into operation in 1994. Its length is just over 50 km, and it is the third longest in the world after Seikan in Japan and Gotthard in Switzerland. The Eurotunnel under the English Channel is double-track, and most of it - 39 km - is laid under water. Trains travel the entire underwater underground route in about half an hour, and the Eurotunnel itself is included in the list of modern wonders of the world.

• The Hebrides Sea divides the archipelago of the same name into the Outer and Inner Hebrides. From a tourist point of view, the islands are of interest to ornithologists. Here you can observe birds that are not found elsewhere in the UK.
• The Celtic Sea only received its name in 1921 through the efforts of explorer Ernest William Lyons Holt. Previously, this sea of ​​Great Britain was called the “southwestern approaches” to it.
• When asked what sea washes Great Britain from the east, fishermen answer - the sea of ​​luck. It is here that the most important sources of commercial production are located - shallows or banks, from where fishing vessels deliver most of their catch.

One of the amazing features of Great Britain is the presence of many islands in the west and their almost complete absence in the east. Although the main island measures more than 965 km from north to south and 508 km from west to east at its widest point, the total length of the coastline, including islands and small bays, reaches almost 8,000 km, most of which is on the west coast. The eastern coast of England accounts for only 1030 km, and the western coast, together with Wales, accounts for 1970 km. The differences in the length of the western and eastern coasts of Scotland are even greater.

The British Isles are at the edge of the shelf, and the depths are east coast much smaller than the Western one. Therefore, despite the strong waves, harbors on the west coast are more convenient than on the east, where slow-moving rivers carry a lot of sediment into the estuaries. But western rivers less suitable for inland navigation. Even the rivers Clyde and Mersey mostly use estuaries rather than riverbeds for navigation. There are good natural harbors on the south coast, but the best of them, such as Falmouth and Plymouth, are located too far from major cities to become shipping centers.

To the north of Scotland lies the Pentland Firth, separating the Orkney Islands from the main island. Further to the northeast, approximately 485 km from Norway, are the Shetland Islands. These island groups for a long time served as transit bases for the Norwegians, who through them reached the Hebrides and even Ireland and the island. Maine.

In addition to natural waterways, significant work has been carried out to improve access to seaports, in particular the dredging of the lower Clyde and Mersey, and the construction of a wide network of canals, especially in England - between the north Midlands and the Thames Valley. The Caledonian Canal connects Inverness and Fort William in the Great Glen, and another canal links the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth in Scotland. In England, canals were built between the rivers Dee and Mersey, Mersey and Aire, Trent and Mersey, Avon (a tributary of the Severn) and Welland and the Thames and Severn.

Main ports of Northern Ireland- Belfast, approached by Belfast Lough, and Londonderry, approached by Lough Foyle. Other coastal bays - Strangford Lough, Dundrum and Carlingford Lough - are located in County Down. The main rivers are the Foyle with its tributaries, the Erne, which drains Upper Lough Erne and Lower Lough Erne, the Bann, the lower reaches of which separate Antrim and Londonderry, and the Lagan, which separates Antrim and Down. Navigation is feasible only in small areas in the lower reaches of the Foyle and Lagan.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or Great Britain is a sovereign state located off the north-eastern coast of continental Europe. It occupies the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), one sixth of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland), as well as many nearby small islands. The main territory of the country is located between 49°N. and 59°N. (Shetland Islands are located near 61°N latitude) and 8°W longitude. and 2°E. Greenwich Observatory, located in southeast London, is the origin of geographic longitude; the prime meridian passes through it.

Great Britain is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. The minimum distance to Europe is 35 km. The country is separated from France by the English Channel and Pas de Calais. Northern Ireland has a 360 km land border with the Republic of Ireland. A tunnel has been built between the UK and France under the Pas de Calais Strait. Great Britain, which includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and a number of nearby small islands, has an area of ​​243,610 square meters. km. England Square - the most big country within the UK - 130,410 sq. km, the area of ​​Scotland is 78,772 sq. km. Wales and Northern Ireland are significantly smaller in area - 20,758 sq. km and 13,843 sq. km respectively.

Relief of Great Britain

Based on the relief features, the territory of the United Kingdom can be divided into two main areas. The Highlands of Britain (including Northern Ireland), located in the north and west of the country, are underlain by resistant ancient bedrock and consist mostly of highly dissected uplands and much less widespread lowlands. To the south and east lies Low Britain, characterized by rolling terrain, low elevations and several mountainous areas; younger sedimentary rocks lie at its base. In a south-west direction from Newcastle at the mouth of the Tyne River to Exeter at the mouth of the Exe River in south Devon there is a border between High and Low Britain. This boundary is not always clearly defined, and often the transitions between High and Low Britain are smoothed out.

At the base of the mountains throughout Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales lie Lower Paleozoic folded structures, and in southern Wales and southern Cornwall - Hercynian ones. These ancient mountain structures were subjected to intense erosion and destruction for a long time, which led to the leveling of their surface.

As a result of recent uplifts, which occurred in several stages and were accompanied by discontinuous movements, the mountains were fragmented into a number of massifs and acquired a mosaic structure. Leveled surfaces of different heights are very characteristic. The tops of mountains often have a flattened shape. The UK's mountains are relatively easy to access, with numerous roads along low watersheds and wide passes.

UK statistics
(as of 2012)

Quaternary glaciation intensified the smoothing of the mountains, as a result, in the most elevated areas, an alpine-type relief with sharp jagged ridges and peaks, glacial cirques and typical valleys was formed. Erosion processes, which are actively occurring at the present time, played a significant role in modeling the relief. In many lowland areas, erosion has severely, and in some places completely, erased glacial-accumulative landforms formed during the era when ice sheets descended from the mountains to the plains. It is known that, for example, during the maximum glaciation, ice approached the Thames Valley, but the extreme south of England was never covered with ice.

UK climate

The climate of Great Britain, due to the influence of the Gulf Stream, is temperate oceanic, humid, with mild winters and cool summers, strong winds and fogs. Thanks to the North Atlantic Current and warm winds blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean, the UK tends to have mild winters.

But these same winds explain cloudy weather, frequent rain and fog. The average annual temperature is about 11°C in the south and about 9°C in the northeast. The average July temperature in London is about 18° C, average temperature January - about 4.5° C. The average annual precipitation (the heaviest rain falls in October) is about 760 mm. The coldest region in the UK is Scotland, although the climate there is generally quite mild. The average January temperature is about 3°C, and snow often falls in the mountains in the north. The average July temperature is about 15° C. The greatest amount of precipitation falls in the west of the Highlands region (about 3810 mm per year), the least in some eastern regions (about 635 mm per year).

The climate of Wales, like that of England, is mild and humid. The average January temperature is about 5.5°C. The average July temperature is about 15.5°C. The average annual precipitation is approximately 762 mm in the central coastal region and more than 2540 mm in the Snowdon massif. Northern Ireland has a mild and humid climate. The average annual temperature is about 10°C (about 14.5°C in July and about 4.5°C in January). Precipitation in the north often exceeds 1016 mm per year, while in the south it is about 760 mm per year.

The main reasons for the increased rainfall in the UK are the presence of an area of ​​low pressure that extends across the Atlantic Ocean to the east; southwesterly winds prevailing throughout the year; and the fact that most of The mountains are located in the west of the country. Frosty weather sets in for a long time with the invasion of cold air from the east and northeast.

Snow falls throughout the country, but very unevenly. In the mountainous regions of Scotland, snow cover lasts for at least 1-1.5 months. In the south of England and, especially in its southwest, snow falls very rarely and lasts no more than a week. Here the grass is green all year round. The west of Britain typically receives twice as much rainfall in winter as in summer. In the eastern regions, winter is colder and less humid.

The weather in the British Isles has become notoriously variable and treacherous due to the following: climatic conditions. In these latitudes summer days long, and winter ones are very short. Even on long July days South coast On average, there is only seven hours of sunshine per day, and the northern part of the country receives less than five hours a day. The lack of sunlight is due to increased cloud cover, and not due to fog, as is commonly believed. London's famous fogs in the past were due to thick smoke from burning coal for heating purposes, rather than due to meteorological conditions. However, damp, damp fog still occurs in London on average 45 days a year, predominantly in January and February, and most ports experience between 15 and 30 foggy days each year, with fog able to paralyze all traffic for a couple of days or more .

Meteorologists often get their predictions wrong, which is why British people often hear the vague word "variable" or "unsettled" in weather forecasts. Unpredictable weather has long been a national treasure of the British, a topic of daily conversation, and for some, a determining factor in the character of the nation. Brits tend to think they live in a milder climate than they actually do, but many escape abroad in both summer and winter.

UK water resources

Great Britain is rich in water resources. Almost throughout the entire territory of the country, except for some southeastern regions, the amount of precipitation exceeds evaporation, and therefore a dense network of deep rivers is developed. The largest of them are the Severn, with a length of 354 km, and the Thames, 338 km long, the basins of which border each other. The Thames is of greatest importance to the UK economy. Its basin is home to 1/5 of the country's total population.

There are many rivers, they are short, but come close to each other and with low watersheds they are easily connected by canals, which at one time made it possible to create on their basis a dense network of waterways that were widely used before the development railway transport, and now – more for sporting purposes. The importance of river estuaries that extend far into the land, as well as the generally large ruggedness of the coastline, is very important. This allowed for the creation of many ports; some have grown into large industrial hubs. For island country especially important good accessibility for sea transport.

The rivers of the lowland part of the country are calm. In the mountainous regions of Scotland and Wales, the sources of the rivers are at significant altitudes, so the rivers flow quickly and often overflow their banks, especially in the rainy season. The fast-flowing rivers of north-west Scotland and Wales are used to generate electricity. More than 60 hydroelectric power stations have been built here.

Estuaries largest rivers Great Britain - Thames, Severn, Humber, Mersey, Clyde and Forth - these are wide, artificially deepened and straightened bays. They are home to the largest seaports and industrial hubs. At high tide salty water penetrates through estuaries far upstream, so the population of most seaports is supplied with drinking water from upper rivers, underground reservoirs and mountain lakes.

The most large lakes Great Britain - Loch Tay (about 400 sq. km) in northern Ireland, as well as Loch Lomond and Loch Ness in Scotland. The numerous lakes of the Scottish Highlands and the Circle of Lakes are very picturesque and attract many tourists. They serve as a flow regulator and are used as local transport routes. Thus, Loch Ness and Loch Lomond, located in the Great Glen and connected by a canal, form a direct waterway between the east and west coasts of Scotland. The Lake Circle has long been a supplier fresh water for Manchester, which receives it via two aqueducts more than 100 km long. In the lowland parts of Great Britain there are many artificial reservoirs created on the site of former peat mining, sand and gravel quarries.

Underground reservoirs have long been the main source of high-quality water for the population of lowland England. Currently, underground reservoirs supply 2/5 of all water consumed in England and Wales. In addition to natural waterways, significant work was carried out to improve access to seaports, particularly dredging of the lower Clyde and Mersey, and a wide network of canals was built, especially in England between the north Midlands and the Thames Valley. The Caledonian Canal connects Inverness and Fort William in the Great Glen, and another canal links the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth in Scotland. In England, canals were built between the rivers Dee and Mersey, Mersey and Aire, Trent and Mersey, Avon (a tributary of the Severn) and Welland and the Thames and Severn.

UK soils

Podzolic and brown forest soils are widespread in the country's soil cover, and humus-carbonate soils are found on limestones. In terms of mechanical composition, clayey and loamy soils predominate. Due to the abundance of precipitation, the soils are highly leached. In general, the soils of Great Britain have long been cultivated and produce high yields.

In the swampy coastal lowlands - marshes - and in some other flat areas of England that have undergone reclamation, podzolized brown forest soils have been preserved under natural and perennial pastures. Fertile, peaty alluvial soils are common in the drained maritime lowlands of the Fenland, as well as in the Trent Valley.

Here, more than in other regions of the country, they sow wheat, plant orchards and berry fields, and engage in intensive gardening. On the hills and cuesta ridges, thin humus-carbonate and soddy-carbonate soils are developed. In the western and northwestern regions of Great Britain, acidic brown podzolic soils predominate; grass grows better here, and among grains - oats and barley, which determines livestock specialization. In the mountainous regions of Cornwall, the Pennines, the Circle of Lakes and Scotland, where the climate is damp and cool, soddy-podzolic soils are developed, which are easily subject to waterlogging, leading to the formation of peat bogs. It is dominated by pastures with coarse grass.

UK Minerals

Great Britain has significant mineral reserves. It is especially rich in coal, the total reserves of which are 189 billion tons, including recoverable reserves of 45 billion tons. Its deposits are found in all economic regions of the country, except for the three southern and Northern Ireland. The largest are concentrated in three coal basins: Yorkshire and Northumberland-Durham, located in the foothills of the Pennines, and South Wales, on the southern slope of the Welsh Mountains. Many coal basins came close to sea ​​coast, and coal could be easily transported. Currently, the role of hard coal is no longer so great, its production has decreased, the best seams have been exhausted, and the use of deep mines has become unprofitable.

In the 60–70s, new large energy resources were discovered on the North Sea shelf - oil and natural gas. The deposits are located off the coast of southeast England and northeast Scotland. Oil reserves – 2 billion tons, natural gas – 2 trillion. m3. Their intensive development has changed the overall assessment of the UK's energy supply and placed it in a more favorable position compared to its EU partners. The largest offshore fields are Fortis and Brent, and on the mainland - Witchfarm in Dorset. The main coal deposits (substantially depleted) are Yorkshire - Derby - Nottinghamshire basin in the eastern Midlands, Northumberland - Durham basin in northeast England.

The UK also has significant reserves of iron ore (reliable and probable - 4.6 billion tons). The main deposit is in the east of Northamptonshire, but, with the exception of the now mined rich Cumberland hematite ores, most of the rest are of low quality (22–33% metal). Currently, mining has ceased; the industry uses rich imported ore. As for other minerals, it stands out large deposit kaolin in Cornwall, also rock salt in Cheshire and Durham, potash in Yorkshire and in very small quantities some non-ferrous metals (including tin in the west of Cornwall). Uranium ores were found in Scotland.

Flora of Great Britain

England's vegetation is rather poor; forests occupy less than 10% of the region's territory. They are mainly preserved along river valleys and in the lower parts of mountain slopes. In Scotland, woodland is more common, although the region is dominated by moorland. The forests in the southern and eastern Highlands are primarily composed of oak and coniferous trees (spruce, pine and larch). In the lower mountain belt of England and Wales grow oak, elm, hornbeam, beech and ash. The upper limit of the forest reaches 500-600 m, and deciduous forests usually do not rise above 400 m.

The perennial meadows of England and Wales are home to wild daffodils (the emblem of the Welsh), lilies, purple orchis and primroses, which have long been used to make wine in English villages. Above the forest line in the mountains of England and Wales, cereal-forb meadows and heathland with juniper, blueberry and crowberry predominate. In the south of the country, evergreen Mediterranean plant species are found. Plants grow all year round.

UK fauna

Many large mammals, such as bear, wild boar and Irish red deer, have long been hunted to extinction in the British Isles, and the wolf has been eradicated as a pest. Today there are only 56 species of mammals left. The red deer, the largest mammal, lives in the highlands of Cornwall and the Scottish Highlands. There are quite a few roe deer found north of Yorkshire and in the south of England. Wild goats live in mountainous areas. Among the small mammals there are hare, rabbit, marten, otter, wild cat, a large number of partridges and wild ducks. Of the small predators, the most numerous are ermine and weasel; ferrets are found in Wales, and European wild cats and American martens are found in the mountains of Scotland.

There are many salmon and trout in the rivers and lakes of Scotland. Cod, herring, and haddock are caught in coastal waters. The fauna is almost the same as in England, with the exception of the black ferret and marten, which are not found in England. Different kinds fish are found in the waters off the British Isles: in the surface layers of sea waters - sablefish, herring, sprat feed in the bays and estuaries of rivers, and sardines and mackerel appear off the coast of the Kirkwall Peninsula. The most important commercial fish from distant and near waters are cod, haddock and marlan. Some cod weigh up to 20 kilograms. Also in rivers and lakes there are roach, chub, and barbel. The famous monster of Loch Ness, which could supposedly be a relict aquatic dinosaur, is most likely a fiction invented to attract tourists and various types of business.

The gray seal is found off the islands and coastal cliffs of Cornwall and Wales, and the common seal prefers the coasts of Scotland, eastern shores Northern Ireland and surrounding islands.

More than 200 species of birds can be seen in England, more than half of which come from other countries. The British Isles are home to 130 bird species, including many songbirds. Many species are able to adapt to changing conditions, and it is believed that there are more birds in suburban gardens than in any forest. The most common species are sparrows, finches, starlings, crows, kingfishers, robins, and tits. The national symbol of England is the red-breasted robin. Millions of birds migrate along the coast of Great Britain from south to north and back.

Great Britain is located in northwestern Europe. Consists of the island of Great Britain, on which are located England, Scotland And Wales, and the part of the island of Ireland which occupies Northern Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are dominions of the United Kingdom, but are not part of it. It is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the west and north, and the North Sea in the east. In the south it is separated from the mainland by the English Channel.

The name of the country comes from English Great Britain. Britain - according to the ethnonym of the Briton tribe.

Official name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Capital:

The area of ​​the land: 244 thousand sq. km

Total Population: 61.6 million people

Administrative division: Consists of four historical areas(England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), which are administratively divided into numerous counties.

England: 39 counties, 6 metropolitan counties and a special administrative unit - Greater London ( administrative center- London).

Wales: 8 counties (administrative center - Cardiff).

Scotland: 12 regions and 186 islands (administrative center - Edinburgh).

Northern Ireland: 26 counties (administrative center - Belfast). The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands have a special status.

Form of government: A constitutional monarchy.

Head of State: The monarch is the supreme bearer of executive power, the head of the judicial system, and the supreme commander in chief.

Population composition: 83.6% - English, 8.5% - Scots, 4.9% - Welsh, 2.9% - Irish, 0.7% also live (Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese and from African countries)

Official language: English. Accordingly, in Scotland they use Scots, and in Wales they use Scottish Gaelic and Anglo-Scottish (Scots).

Religion: 71.6% are Christians, 15.5% are atheists, 0.3% are Buddhism, 2.7% are Islam, 1% are Hinduism, 0.6% are Sikhism, 0.5% are Judaism.

Internet domain: .uk

Mains voltage: ~230 V, 50 Hz

Country dialing code: +44

Country barcode: 50

Climate

The climate of the United Kingdom is very mild. Although there have been extreme temperatures above 38° C or below -18° C, temperatures very rarely rise above 29° C on summer days or fall below -7° C on winter nights. The mildness of the climate is due mainly to the influence of the North Atlantic Current (an extension of the Gulf Stream ), bringing warm waters to the western coast of Europe. At these latitudes, westerly transport of winds predominates, and thus cool air comes from the Atlantic Ocean in summer and warm air in winter.

Although the temperature differences are very small, winters on the west coast of the United Kingdom are warmer than on the east. In the Isles of Scilly, in the far south-west of Great Britain, and in Holyhead in north-west Wales, the average January temperature is 7°C, in London - just 5°C, and on most of the east coast - below 4°C. Despite similar temperatures, winters become less favorable as you move north along the east coast, where chilly, wet winds blow from the cold North Sea.

Frost and snow are not unusual phenomena, especially at high altitudes, but in the lowlands in a normal winter, temperatures below 0 ° C last only 30–60 days a year, and snow only 10–15 days. In London there is only snow on the ground for about 5 days a year.

The highest summer temperatures are observed in the southeast. In London the average July temperature is 17°C, on the Isles of Scilly 16°C, in Holyhead 15°C, and on the north coast of Scotland - less than 13°C.

In normal years, all areas of the UK receive sufficient rainfall for farming, and in some mountainous areas it is even excessive. Seasonal and annual fluctuations in precipitation are slight, and droughts are rare.

The greatest amount of precipitation falls in the west of the United Kingdom, and relatively little in the eastern part. In London, the average annual rainfall is only 610 mm, in most of Low Britain - up to 760 mm, and in parts of High Britain - up to 1020 mm. Central Wales receives an average of more than 1525 mm of rainfall per year, and parts of the Lake District and the western Highlands of Scotland (the highest damp places in the interior of the United Kingdom) - over 2540 mm.

Fairly cloudy weather prevails, as most precipitation falls in the form of constant drizzle rather than showers, and the sun does not appear many days of the year.

At these latitudes, summer days are long and winter days are very short. In January for a share south coast The UK receives an average of two hours of sunshine per day, with rarely more than an hour and a half north of Birmingham. Even on the long days of July, the southern coast receives only seven hours of sunshine on average, while the northern part of the country receives less than five hours a day. The lack of sunlight depends more on continuous cloud cover than on fog.

London's famous fogs in the past were due to thick smoke from burning coal for heating purposes, rather than due to meteorological conditions. However, damp, damp fog still occurs in London on average 45 days a year, predominantly in January and February, and most ports experience between 15 and 30 foggy days each year, with fog able to paralyze all traffic for a couple of days or more .

Geography

Great Britain is an island country in northwestern Europe. It occupies the island of Great Britain, part of the island of Ireland and a number of smaller islands (Man, White, Channel, Orkney, Hebrides, Shetland and others).

Great Britain consists of 4 historical and geographical regions: England, Scotland and Wales, located on the island of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland. The total area of ​​the country is 244.9 thousand square meters. km. Great Britain has a land border with only one country - Ireland. In the north and west the country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and in the east and south by the North Sea and the narrow straits of the English Channel and Pas de Calais. The entire coast is dotted with bays, bays, deltas and peninsulas, so most of Great Britain is located no more than 120 km from the sea.

Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Northern England are dominated by medium-height mountains and hills with deeply incised river valleys. The most high point The country is located in Scotland - this is Mount Ben Nevis with a height of 1343 m. The south-eastern and central parts of Great Britain are occupied by elevated plains and wastelands. In these areas, only a few places reach 300 m above sea level.

Great Britain has a dense network of rivers. In England and Wales the main rivers are the Tyne, Trent, Humber, Severn and Thames, in Scotland the Clyde, Forth and Tweed, and in Northern Ireland the Bann and Logan. All of them are short, deep and non-freezing in winter. There are many lakes in the mountains, mainly glacial origin. The largest of them are Loch Neagh, Loch Lomond and Loch Ness.

Nature conservation in Great Britain is carried out by a system of national parks, national nature reserves, forest reserves and waterfowl reserves, occupying about 7% of the country's territory. The uniqueness of British national parks is that these are not “wild” areas, but rather close to major cities areas that look more like huge city parks or botanical gardens. The largest National parks- These are the Lake District or Lake District and Snowdonia, Dartmoor and Brecon Beacons reserves.

Flora and fauna

Vegetable world

In prehistoric times, much of the United Kingdom had dense forests of oak, birch and other hardwoods, but now, after more than 20 centuries of development, the area is largely deforested. However, despite the absence of large forested areas, agricultural areas appear wooded due to hedgerows, protective forest belts in fields, game reserves and small forest plantations near farms and estates.

Forest areas are usually confined to areas with very rugged terrain or sandy soils that are unsuitable for agriculture. Huge old trees are preserved in the royal forests, i.e. in areas such as the New Forest, which were originally set aside for royal hunts, but some of them were never heavily forested. After 1919 and especially after 1945, the government began to encourage the creation of both public and private border forest belts from fast-growing coniferous trees. According to 1997 estimates, forest management was carried out in the country on an area of ​​approx. 2 million hectares. However, in Low Britain it is not forests that predominate, but fields and pastures.

The main vegetation formation in Great Britain is heathland, which predominates in High Britain at altitudes above 215 m, but is also found in other areas. Overall, they account for approximately 1/3 of the area of ​​Great Britain and most of Northern Ireland. In fact, there are four completely combined here. different types: proper heathland dominated by common heather (Calluna vulgaris), found on fairly steep slopes and well-drained, usually sandy soils; grassy heaths on well-drained soils with a predominance of bentgrass (Agrostis sp.) and fescue (Festuca sp.), and in less drained areas - blue molinia (Molinia coerulea) and white grass (Nardus stricta); sedge heaths represented by cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum), rush (Scirpus cespitosus) and rush grass (Juncus sp.) on more humid lands, and sphagnum bogs in the wettest areas.

Animal world

Many large mammals, such as bear, wild boar and Irish red deer, have long been hunted to extinction in the British Isles, and the wolf has been eradicated as a pest. Today there are only 56 species of mammals left. The red deer, the largest mammal, lives in the highlands of Cornwall and the Scottish Highlands. There are quite a few roe deer found north of Yorkshire and in the south of England.

Wild goats live in mountainous areas. Among the small mammals there are hare, rabbit, marten, otter, wild cat, a large number of partridges and wild ducks. Of the small predators, the most numerous are ermine and weasel; ferrets are found in Wales, and European wild cats and American martens are found in the mountains of Scotland.

There are many salmon and trout in the rivers and lakes of Scotland. Cod, herring, and haddock are caught in coastal waters. The fauna is almost the same as in England, with the exception of the black ferret and marten, which are not found in England. Various types of fish are found in the waters off the British Isles: in the surface layers of sea waters - sablefish and herring; sprat feed in the bays and estuaries of rivers, and sardines and mackerel appear off the coast of the Kirkwall Peninsula.

The most important commercial fish from distant and near waters are cod, haddock and marlan. Some cod weigh up to 20 kilograms. Also in rivers and lakes there are roach, chub, and barbel. The famous monster of Loch Ness, which could supposedly be a relict aquatic dinosaur, is most likely a fiction invented to attract tourists and various types of business.

The gray seal is found off the islands and coastal cliffs of Cornwall and Wales, while the common seal prefers the coasts of Scotland, the eastern coast of Northern Ireland and the surrounding islands.

More than 200 species of birds can be seen in England, more than half of which come from other countries. The British Isles are home to 130 bird species, including many songbirds. Many species are able to adapt to changing conditions, and it is believed that there are more birds in suburban gardens than in any forest. The most common species are sparrows, finches, starlings, crows, kingfishers, robins, and tits. The national symbol of England is the red-breasted robin. Millions of birds migrate along the coast of Great Britain from south to north and back.

Attractions

The territory of Great Britain is full of natural contrasts - ancient and dull peatlands, moorlands and incredibly blue lakes of Scotland in the north, picturesque coastal cliffs and crystal clear calm waters in the southern and west coast, hilly cultivated Central England with parks and lawns, majestic mountains and the green valleys of Wales to the west. Each region of the country has a characteristic appearance, its own original traditions, culture and customs.

• Beaumaris
• York Cathedral
• Canterbury Cathedral
• Tower
• Sherwood forest
• Edinburgh castle
• Westminster Abbey
• Loch Ness

Banks and currency

The UK currency is the pound sterling (GBP). There are 100 pence in one pound. There are notes in circulation in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 pounds and coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 pence and 1 pound. The provinces sometimes use the names of old British coins - "guinea", "shilling", "penny" and others, but the real unit of payment is the pound.

England, Scotland and Northern Ireland print slightly different banknotes. Although they are valid throughout the UK, it is best to leave them in stores in the parts of the country where you received them. If you did not have time to do this, such banknotes can be exchanged in banks, and without commission.

Banks are open from 9.00 to 15.30 without a break on weekdays, large banks are also open on Saturdays.

You can change money at any bank branch (commission 0.5-1%), in the evening - at exchange offices of large department stores and in some travel agencies. At airports, exchange offices operate 24 hours a day. A passport is required to exchange cash.

Visa, Master Card, American Express credit cards, as well as traveler's checks are widely used. Street ATMs are widespread, but cases of credit cards being blocked by mistake are not uncommon, so it is better to use ATMs in institutions.

Useful information for tourists

Shops are usually open from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 17.30, although many department stores are open until 18.00, and on Wednesdays or Thursdays until 19.00-20.00. Large stores can also accept customers on Sundays, but only for any six hours between 10.00 and 18.00. IN small towns and villages, shops often close for half a day after lunch once a week, as well as for an hour-long lunch break.

Hotels in many cases have a special service charge, usually 10-12%. Where this fee is not included in the bill, the staff and maids who serve you are usually given a tip of 10-15% of the bill.

Some restaurant bills include service. Where it is not taken into account, a tip of 10-15% of the bill amount is accepted.

Porters receive 50-75 pence per suitcase, taxi drivers - 10-15% of the fare.

One of the quirks you may encounter in the UK is that most hotels still don't have mixer taps above the washbasin. The British do not wash with running water, but fill a washbasin full of water, use it, then flush it.

On the day of departure you must vacate your room before 12.00. If there is a lot of time left before the plane departs, you can leave your things in the hotel storage room.

In England, good manners and table manners are very important, so you must follow the basic rules of the meal ritual. Never place your hands on the table, keep them on your lap. The cutlery is not removed from the plates, since knife stands are not used in England. Do not transfer cutlery from one hand to another; the knife should always be in the right hand, the fork in the left. Since various vegetables are served at the same time as meat dishes, you should proceed as follows: you put the vegetables on a small piece of meat using a knife; learn to hold them there with the back of a fork without piercing them. If you dare to prick even one pea on a fork, you will be considered ill-mannered.

You should not kiss ladies' hands or say compliments in public such as “What a dress you have!” or “This cake is so delicious!” - they are regarded as great indelicacy.

Individual conversations are not allowed at the table. Everyone should listen to whoever is speaking this moment and, in turn, speak loudly enough to be heard by those present.

Remember that the British have their own lifestyle, and they, like no other nation, sacredly honor traditions and customs.

When traveling to the UK - the land of fogs - we advise you not to forget that British weather is unpredictable! Winters are usually quite mild, with temperatures rarely reaching sub-zero. From March to May, days can be both sunny and windy, with rain. In June-August, temperatures can reach + 30 °C or more, but during the day, as a rule, they remain somewhere between + 20-25 °C. In London it rains 180 days a year, and the wettest cities are Liverpool and Manchester.