The United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. They lie to the north-west of the
continent of Europe. The total area of the UK is 240,940 km2.
The west coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea, its east
coast by the North Sea, and the south coast by the North Sea and the English Channel. The seas around Great Britain
are good for fishing. No place in Britain is far from the sea. The
largest islands of the British Isles are Great
Britain and Ireland.
The UK consists of 4 parts: England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland.
England is the southern and
central part of Great
Britain. Scotland
is in the north of the island and Wales in the west. Northern Ireland is situated in the
north-eastern part of Ireland.
Mountains are an
important part of the geography of a country. There are no high mountains in Great Britain. Scotland is a
mountainous country. Here the main chain of mountains is called the Grampians.
Its highest peak is Ben Nevis. It is 4,400 feet high and is
the highest in Britain.
The northern part of Scotland
is called the Highlands, and the southern part is called the Lowlands.
In England the Pennine Chain runs down from the north through the centre. In Wales there are the Cumbrian
Mountains. The highest peak is Snowdon.
It is 3,300 feet
high. Ireland
is covered with low mountains and green hills.
The British Isles have many rivers but they are not very
long. The longest of the English rivers is the Severn.
Scotland’s most important
river is the Clyde. Many of the English and
Scottish rivers are joined by canals. There are many beautiful lakes on the British Isles. They are mostly in Scotland. They
are mostly too small and too remote. There are no great forests in the British Isles. The characteristic English tree is the
oak. Ash and birch are also common in woods. The fauna of the British Isles is
similar to that of Europe. The wolf, the bear
have become rare. There are foxes, badges and others.
The
English Climate
Britain has a temperate
wet climate. It is much milder than the climate of the continental country
which lies at the same distance from the Equator. The sea keeps the islands
warm in winter and makes the air cold in summer. Even in the northern part of Scotland snow
never lies very long on the ground in winter. The rivers never freeze. There is
much rain and fog. It is a very damp country.
The weather in the British Isles
changes very quickly from day to day or even during the day. That’s why the
English people often talk about the weather. The driest period is from March to
June. The wettest months are from October to January. February is the coldest
month and August is the hottest. Fields can be worked all the year round.
But the worst thing about the climate in England is the thick fog which they
often have in autumn and in winter. In London
the fog is sometimes so thick that cars run into one another. The fog is one of
the typical features of London
and Londoners cannot imagine their capital without it.
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