2Gb rivers, lakes, mountains

Though England cannot be considered a very hilly country still it is far from being flat. The most important range of mountains is the Pennine range regarded as the 'backbone of England*. It stretches from the Tyne Valley in the north to the Trent valley in the south — a distance of about 250 km.the highest point Cross Fell (893 m), Being an upland region, the Pennines form a watershed separating the westward- flowing from the east ward-flowing rivers of northern England, also a barrier between the industrial areas of Lancashire and Yorkshire on their opposite. Today the area is used for water storage: reservoirs in the uplands supply water to the industrial towns on each side of the Pennines.

Across the north end of the Pennines there are the grassy Cheviot Hills. The highest point is the Cheviot (816 m).The Cheviot Hills a natural borderland between England and Scotland. The region is noted for sheep-breeding.

In north-west England the Cumbrian mountain, form a ring round the peak of Helvellyn (950 m). The highest peak of the Cumbrians is Scafell (978 m). The valleys, which separate the various mountains from each other, contain some beautiful lakes (Windermere,Grasmere, Ullswater and others).Lake District, the favourite place of holiday-makers and tourists. This region is sparsely populated and sheep raising is the main occupation of fanners, westerly winds and rainfall is exceptionally high, the wettest part of the British Isles.

The south-west region is essentially an agricultural area because there are many fertile river valleys on the lower land between the moors, both in Cornwall and Devon.

The westernmost point of the English mainland is Land's End, a mass of granite cliffs. The most southerly point of Great Britain is Lizard Point, a mass of serpentine greenish rock.

Wales a country of hills and mountains deeply cut by river valleys. The mountains cover practically all the territory of Wales – the Cambrian mountains. The highest peak, Snowdon (1,085 m),the whole surrounding area is a National Park noted for its beauty. In the south the Cambrian mountains an important coalfield, on which an industrial area has grown, the most densely populated part of Wales. Two relief divisions may in South Wales: a coastal plain in the south-eastern part around Cardiff, the capital and the Upland areas of the coalfield proper.

Scotland 3 major physical regions: the Highlands, the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands.

• The Highlands to the west of a line from Aberdeen to the mouth of the river Clyde. The mountains are separated into two parts by the long straight depression known as Glen More, running from north-east to south-west. To the south are the Grampian mountains, including the loftiest summits on the British Isles such as Ben Nevis (1,344 m) and Ben Macdhui (1,309 m).

Glen More contains several lakes, including Loch Ness. In the early 19th century the lochs (lakes) were joined to form the Caledonian Canal which connected two coasts.

• The Central Lowlands of Scotland(the Midland Valley), between the Highlands and the Southern Uplands. The Central Lowlands have the most fertile soil, the most temperate climate, the best harbours, the only supply of coal and the major oil pipelines transport the North Sea oil to the terminals of the region: Edinburgh(the industrial giant), Glasgow(major industries of engineering and ship-building). The region is also a major farming area of the country.

• The Southern Uplands extend from the Central Lowlands of Scotland in the north to the Cheviot Hills and the Lake District in the south.(agriculture, sheep pastures of the uplands, farming areas of the lowlands).

In N.I(Ulster) the chief mountains are in the extreme north-east: the Antrim mountains(above 400 metres and are composed of basalt). Off the north coast is Giant's Causeway(a major natural spot of beauty).

The Sperrin mountains (500 m) are located in the central part of N.I, and the Mourne mountains in the extreme south-east.

Lowland Britain to the south of the Pennines, offers a striking contrast in many ways. One of the most extensive plains is in the English Midlands(the Midland Plain), consisting of river valleys and plains interspersed with hills. Here and there you can come across hilly country such as the Cotswolds, the Chiltern Hills, the North and South Downs, Salisbury Plain. Lowland Britain affords best conditions for the development of agriculture, as well as for human settlement.

Wide network of rivers(short in length,but navigable).The mild maritime climate keeps them free of ice throughout the year.

The_ largest river in GB the Severn (350 km) follows from central Wales and flows into the Bristol Channel. The Thames (332_km) and the Trent (274 km) flow into the North_Sea.

Flow eastwards to the North Sea: the Ouse,Humber,Tees and Tyne in England, and the Tweed, Forth, Dee and Spey in Scotland.

Into the Irish Sea: the Mersey and Eden of England, and the Clyde on which Glasgow stands.

The longest river in the BI is the river Shannon (384 km) flowing from north to south in the Republic of Ireland.

The largest lake in GB &the biggest inland loch in Scotland is Loch Lomond, the largest lake of the whole BI is Lough Neagh (381 sq. km) in Northern Ireland.

The weather of the BI is greatly variable. The geographical position of the BI within latitudes 50' to 61°. North is a basic factor in determining the main characteristics of the climate. Britain's climate is dominated by the influence of the sea. It is much milder than that in any other country in the same latitudes. This is due partly to the presence of the North Atlantic Drift(the Gulf Stream), and partly to the fact that north-west Europe lies in a predominantly westerly wind-belt. Marine influences warm the land in winter and cool it in summer. The prevailing winds in the BI are westerlies. They are moist, as a result of their long passage over the warm waters of the North Atlantic.

Relief is the most important factor controlling the distribution of temperatures and precipitation in Britain. The actual temperatures experienced in the hilly and mountainous parts are lower than in the lowlands. The average annual rainfall in_Britain_about 1,100 mm. The mountainous areas of the west and north have far more rainfall than the lowlands of the south and east.

The eastern lowlands are much drier and usually receive little precipitation. Rainfall is fairly well distributed throughout the year, although March to June are the driest months and October to January are the wettest.

In Ireland the rain-bearing winds have not been deprived of their moisture, much of the Irish plain receives up to 1,200 mm of rainfall per year in the form of steady and prolonged drizzle. Snow is rare owing to the warming effects of the Gulf Stream.

Because of the Gulf Stream and predominantly maritime air masses that reach the British Isles from the west, the range in t is never very great. The annual mean t in England and Wales is about +10 "C, in Scotland and Northern Ireland about +9 *C. July and August are the warmest months of the year, and January and February the coldest. The mean winter t in the north is +3C, the mean summer temper¬ature is +12C.The corresponding figures for the south are +5 'C in winter and +16C in summer. The mean January temperature for London is +4 C, and the mean July temperature is +17C. The south has much longer periods of sunshine than the north.

The British economy has become increasingly oriented towards a more sophisticated industry with the heavier coal-based industries of the past losing their former importance. Today the country continues to import rare metals such as manganese, chrome, nickel and others which are necessary for the industries.

Coal has been worked in Britain for 700 years. However, with the introduction of new sources of power and fuel the production of coal has decreased considerably and constitutes at present no more than 100 million tons. Yorkshire and the Midlands produce about 60 per cent of the country's output.

Up to the early 1960s over 99 per cent of Britain’s petroleum requirements were imported. Since then considerable discoveries of crude oil and natural gas have been made in the North Sea. Offshore oil fields are located off the eastern and northern coasts of Scotland and north-east England. Natural gas usually occurs with petroleum. The North Sea gas from the continental shelf accounts for about 80 per cent of the total natural gas consumption.

Great Britain has no large-scale resources of non-ferrous metals. Nearly all of them are imported. However, the country has a great variety of non-metallic minerals such as granites in Devon and Cornwall; clay, chalk, sand and gravel important for the building industry; different kinds of salt; kaolin, a fine white china-clay used in cotton, paper and pottery manufacture.

The resources of coal and iron ore served the country well during and after the Industrial Revolution. In modern times the North Sea oil and gas play a major role in boosting the development of the economy. Already in the south-western parts of the country where the winds are so prevalent, many wind farms where special installations operating like windmills of the pasti effectively generate power.

Today Britain is the sixth in terms of the size of the GDP (gross domestic product(nominal), and her share in the world trade is about 4 per cent, which means that she is also the 5th largest trading nation in the world. The country imports more than it exports, which results in a deficit in the balance of payments. This deficit is usually offset by transactions on the international market, which reflect Britain's position as the world's major financial centre.

GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate

- Total $2.247 trillion[7] (6th)

- Per capita $36,119[7] (22nd)

GDP (Purchasing power parity) 2010 estimate

- Total $2.172 trillion[7] (7th)

- Per capita $34,919[7] (21st)