Вивчаємо Великобританію

England is the heart of Britain. It is the largest, the richest,

the most fertile and the most important industrial part of the

United Kingdom. It is the most densely populated part. In England

people are crammed 575 to a square kilometre, more thickly than

in any other European country. The greatest concentrations of

population are in London and Birmingham.

The coasts of England are washed by the North Sea, the Irish

Sea, St George’s Channel, the English Channel and the Strait of

Dover. Cornwall is the only part in direct contact with the Atlantic

Ocean. No part of England is more than 120 km from the sea. The

sea has been important in the history of England. It was a good

protection against the attacks of outside enemies.

The sea also has a great effect on England’s climate. It is mild and damp

throughout the year. Snow is relatively rare in the South of England and sometimes

causes traffic chaos, but normal in the North of the country.

The sea gap to France is 34 km. The Channel Tunnel near Dover links England to Europe.

The coastal scenery of England is quite varied.

Most of the south coasts consist of high cliffs. The

chalk cliffs of Dover, Beachy Head and Dorset are

particularly well-known. Lancashire is famous for its

wide beaches where the tides are unusually high

for an open coast. These beaches are most often of

sand. The enclosed nature of the Irish Sea prevents

the occurrence of big waves.

There are many rivers in England: the

Tyne, the Wear, the Trent, the Don,

the Weaver, the Mersey, the Ribble,

the Lune, the Eden, etc. The longest

and the most important river is the

Thames (346 km).

The North and the West of

England are mountainous, but the

rest of the territory is a vast plain.

The North of England contains some

of the wildest and loneliest parts in

the country. In the Northwest there

are many beautiful lakes with green, wooded or

grassy shores and gray mountains all around. It

is called the Lake District.

Some of the busiest industrial centres are

in the Northeast. The South of England is the

most important region in the country in terms

of industry, agriculture and population. In

this part of England some of the oldest British

settlements and traces of ancient monuments

such as Stonehenge are found.

A county is the chief regional administrative unit in England. This part of the UK is

divided into 39 non-metropolitan and 7 metropolitan (including big cities) counties.