1. Describe the geographical position of the British Isles, offering an explanation for its advantages and disadvantages. Define the term «continental shelf», its importance for the economy.

The British Isles are situated on the continental shelf off the north-west coast of Europe and comprise a group of over 5,000 islands (the Shetland Island, the Hebrides, the Orkney islands, the Isle of Man etc.).

Continental shelf is the zone of shallow water surrounding at present the continent and resembling a shelf above the deep water of the oceans. It’s very important for the economy because of exploitation of oil & natural gas from the continental shelf under the North Sea.

There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland. The total area of the British Isles is 322,246sq.km.

From the European continent the British Isles are separated by the English Channel and the North Sea. The English Channel in its widest part in the west is 220 km wide, and in the narrowest (the Strait of Dover) is only 32 km. So the islands have had an easy and mainly profitable contact with mainland Europe. So the islands have had an easy and mainly profitable contact with mainland Europe.

However, the separation of Britain from the continent has had a tremendous impact on the British nation. For centuries the British felt safe and secure protected by the Channel, and no foreign army has ever invaded the country since the Norman Conquest in the 11^th century.

The most important sea routes pass through the English Channel and the North Sea linking Europe with the Americans and other continents. The advantageous geographical position of GB created favorable conditions for the development of shipping, trade and economy. The British Isles form one of the most densely peopled areas in the world. With the present population =60 mln. Many problems emerge with land use, road construction and city sprawl.

The British Isles, apart from the two largest islands of GB and Ireland, include several other important islands and groups of islands. Off the north­western coast of GB there is a group of islands known as the Hebrides, which are divided into the Inner and Outer Hebrides. They are separated from each other by the Sea of Hebrides and the Little Minch. The main occupation of the peo­ple there is farming and fishing.

The Isle of Wight lies in the English Channel. It is diamond-shaped, 40 km from west to east and about half as much from north to south. The Isle of Wight lies across the southern end of Southampton Water, and is separated from the mainland by the Solent. The island forms one of the most important tourist resorts in the country. It is linked to London by ferry and rail services. Lying in the English Channel off the extreme south-western coast of GB is a tiny group of the Isles of Stilly, another resort area.

The Channel Islands lie to the south-west on the French side of the English Channel. They are known to the French as the Isles Normandes. The Channel Islands form an archi­pelago separated by shallow waters from northern France. The total area of the islands is 194 sq. km, but the population is over 130,000. The chief islands of the group are, Jersey and Guernsey. Moreover, the sheep are reputed for their high quality wool sent to the mainland. The coastline of the BrI is indented. Therefore there are many bays and harbours, peninsulas and capes on the coast. Due to its extreme indentity the coastline of GB, despite its relatively modest size, is 8,000 km long. The western coasts of Scotland and Wales are very much indented. This phe­nomenon offers economic advantages, giving the possibility to establish ports in these inlets, which are important to keep ships safe from storms and to give them access deep into the country. The east coast is less lofty and more regular than the west coast, and the coastal lowlands are flooded frequently.

2. Give an account of the physical geography of the British Isles, describing the varied relief features. Examine the main rivers and lakes of Great Britain. Outline the climate and weather of the British Isles. Account for the chief mineral resources of Great Britain

It’s strange, but been a small island, Great Britain has a remarkable variety of landscapes. England, which is the richest, the most fertile and populated part of the country, has beautiful valleys and plains, which are called the Lowlands. Ranges of chalk hills stretch across the south of England. In the north, England is separated from Scotland by the Cheviot Hills running from east to west. The Pennine Chain, which extends from the Cheviots to Derbyshire, is called the Backbone of England. West of the Pennines are the Cubrian Mountains. There are many picturesque lakes with wooded or grassy shores here. It’s the famous Lake District, the real tourist attraction. Here lies the largest lake in England- Windermere.

Wales and Scotland are mountainous areas. In Wales the mountains are rocky and difficult to climb. The mountains cover practically all the territory of Wales and are cold the Cambrian Mountains. The highest peak is Shadow (1,085m).

Geographically Scotland may be divided into three physical regions: The Highlands, The Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands. The Highlands of Scotland are among the oldest mountains in the world. But they are not very high. The highest of them is Ben Nevis (1,344 m).

The Central Lowlands sometimes known as the Midland Valley lie between the Highlands and the Southern Uplands. The Central Lowlands have the most fertile soil, the most temperate climate and the best harbours.

The Southern Uplands extend from the Central Lowlands of Scotland in the north to the Cheviot Hills and the Lake District in the south. The Uplands form a broad of pastoral country.

Geographically Ireland is an island and a single unit, but politically it is divided into Northern Ireland (capital Belfast) and the Irish Republic with the capital Dublin. Ireland forms a large extensive plain surrounded by a broken belt of mountains, or the uplands: the Antrim Mountains, the Sperrin Mountains and the Mourne mountains.

The longest rivers of Great Britain can’t be compared with the great rivers of the world, but few countries are better supplied with useful streams. The longest of them are the Severn, the Clyde and the Mersey. They flow into the Irish Sea. The Thames, the Trent and the Ouse keep the way to the Irish Sea.

A warm ocean current, the Gulf Stream, washes Britain shores. This water heats up and cools down very slowly. So the climate of Great Britain is temperate and mild and the country enjoys warmer winters and cooler summers than other countries at the same latitude. The climate is not the same in all parts of Britain. The western side is warmer than the eastern and it also has more rain. This is due to the form of the surface of the country. The western hills and mountains shut out some of the mild winds from the Atlantic. In Britain, there is much rain and fog in autumn and in winter, so it is a damp country.

Mineral wealth: 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 most important offshore oil fields are located off the eastern and northern coast of Scotland and north-east England. Today Britain is completely self-sufficient in oil, and also to a great degree in gas.