9. Give a general survey of the main 8 economic regions of the u.K., the main cities of each regoin. Expand on the role of the British economy.

Today Britain is no longer the leading industrial nation of the world, which it was during the last century. Today Britain is 5th in size of its gross domestic product (GDP) (валовый внутренний продукт). Britain's share in world trade is about 6%, which means that she is also the 5th largest trading nation in the world. Trade with the countries of the European Union, Commonwealth countries.

British economy based on private enterprise(инициатива). The policy of the government is aimed at encouraging & expanding the private sector. Result: 751 of the economy is controlled by the private sector which employs 3/4of the labour (рабочая) force. Less than 2% of working population is engaged in agriculture. Due to large-scale mechanization productivity in agriculture is very high: it supplies nearly 2/3 of the countries food. The general location of industry: 80% _Of industrial production –England. In Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland level of industry is lower than in England. This gap between England & the outlying regions increased because of the decline of the traditional industries, which are heavily concentrating in Wales, N. Ireland, Scotland.

GB may be divided into 8 economic regions: 1) the South industrial & agricultural region 2)the Midlands 3)Lancashire 4)Yorkshire 5)the North 6)Scotland 7) Wales & Northern Ireland THE SOUTH ECONOMIC REGION The most: important region in terms of industry & agriculture. Includes: all the South of England, both the South-East & the South-West. London -centre of everything (called the London City Region). Clothing, furniture-making & jewellery. London's industries: electrical engineering, instrument production, radio engineering, aircraft production, the motor-car industry, London -centre of the service industries, tourism. OXFORD: educational centre; a large motor works were built in its suburb. CAMBRIDGE: its industries connected with electronics & printing. LUTON: major centre of car production. The Thames valley is an area of concentration of electronic engineering/ microelectronics. The South -major agricultural region of GB. SCOTLAND S. is divided into 3 parts: the Scottish Highlands occupies the mountain area in the northern part of the country, the Southern Uplands, covers lower hill area in he south £ the Central Lowlands occupying the wide valley which separates the other two areas.

The Central Lowlands- industrial heart of Scotland. Glasgow- seaport(trade with North America). Textile and clothing production is important, food products, furniture(office equipment are manufactured, (blending at Scotch whisky. Edinburgh -textile, paper manufacture, printing and publishing. Aberdeen [ˌæbə'diːn]-North sea oil; fishing industry. The natural conditions of Scotland have affected agriculture. The Central Lowlands -suited for canning, arable ['ærəbl] (пахотный) farming -in the east (barley (ячмень), oats (овес) and wheat). In the Southern Uplands - sheep raising. NORTHERN IRELAND N. Ireland has one of the largest concentrations of man-made fibre ['faɪbə] (волокно) production in Western Europe. Textile manufacture -in Belfast. The manufacture of clothing and footwear is .developed. Londonderry ['lʌndənderɪ] (город в Северной Ирландии) specializes in the manufacture of shirts. Belfast -the province's main port. Belfast - textile manufacture, shipbuilding, aircraft production, electrical engineering & food processing. THE MIDLANDS

Situated in the centre of GB between the South region and Lancashire & Yorkshire. Leading industrial region. Engineering& finishing of metals. Often is called the Black Country due to its mass industrialization. Birmingham -tradition of making guns. Famous articles in gold & silver. Producer of consumer goods. Coventry ['kɔv(ə)ntrɪ] - motor industry. Wolver Hampton - heavy engineering, tyre ['taɪə] (шина)production. Leicester & Nottingham - the knitwear ['nɪtweə] (вязаные вещи).

Industry & manufacture of knitting machines. Derby-important railway engineering centre. In the south-west -the Potteries, famous for its pottery and ceramics industry. Much of the region under grass. Dairy cattle -in the wetter west, beef cattle in the drier east. Sheep breeding. Principal crops -wheat, barley, potatoes, sugar beet. Gardening. LANCASHIRE

2 major centres: Merseyside ['mɜːzɪsaɪd] (centre-

Liverpool): chemical industry, motor car industry) & Greater Manchester (Manchester - general engineering,) Due to extensive industrial development agriculture is less developed. YORKSHIRE Situated to the east of the Pennine mountains. 3 main industrial centres: Sheffield - a wide range of steel goods besides cutlery (столовые приборы); Leeds - manufacture of clothing, engineering); Scunthorpe - steel industry. Agriculture: sheep grazing (ей, пастись) ( on. the rough, ‘pastures of area.

THE NORTH

2 main centres: 1-in the north-east near the rivers Tyne, Hear and Tees (Newcaatle-upon-Tyne); 2-in the north-vest in Cumberland (Workington, Whitehaven). Most important is the North -East (electrical engineerings engineering connected with construction work for the production of North Sea oil). Industrial development in the North-West is less extensive than in the North-East. Abundance [ə'bʌndən(t)s] (изобилие) of water- building a nuclear power station, which needs plenty of water for cooling. Agriculture is affected by the wet climate. Sheep grazing. In the North-East --more beef cattle than dairy cattle. WALES South Hales -main area of industrial activity, centre for consumer & office electronics, automotive [ˌɔːtə'məutɪv] components, chemical & materials, aerospace, manufacture of optical(electrical equipment. Tourism. Cardiff (coalmining & iron industry).