Great Britain :: History

Great Britain Great Britain is made up of three countries, England, Scotland and Wales. It is an island off the coast of north ­west of Europe. Britain is part of the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland. The capital is London. Relief There are many different landscapes in Britain, from high mountains to rolling hill sand valleys. Places like Wales, the Lake District and northwest Scotland have high mountains and steep slopes made out of solid rocks. This landscape was made millions of years ago during the ice ages, when moving glaciers of ice made deep valleys, steep mountain slopes and long lakes. The southern and eastern parts of Britain are made up of smaller rocks that have weathered and become fertile farmland. The highest point is Ben Nevis  ­ 1343 metres above sea level and the lowest point is Holme Fen  ­ 3 metres below sea level. The population is 57,970,200 people, the population density at 239 people per square km. 92% of British people live in urban areas while only 8% live in rural areas. Great Britain is completely surrounded by sea, isolating it from the rest of Europe. No part of Britain is far from the sea, which is an important resource for fishing, tourism and ports. Britain’s rivers provide drinking water for towns, and irrigate farmers’ crops. However rivers can cause floods. England The northern and western portions are mountainous. The highlands - the Pennine Chain, forms the backbone of northern England. Rolling plains occupy most of central and eastern England. The western part of the central region is known as the Midlands. To the east lies The Fens, a marsh area. To the south, an elevated plateau slopes upward. Scotland The terrain of Scotland is mountainous but is divided into three regions, from north to south: the Highlands, the Central Lowlands, and the Southern Uplands. The Highlands occupy more than a half of Scotland, the most rugged region on the island of Great Britain. Wales Wales has an irregular coastline and many bays; the biggest is Cardigan Bay. Except for narrow and low coastal areas, mainly in the south and west, Wales is mostly mountainous. Area England  ­ 130,439km2 Scotland  ­ 78,772km2 Wales  ­ 20,768km2 Total  ­ 229,979km2 Climate Great Britain has quite cool summers and mild winters. The weather changes from day to day. The climate is temperate  ­ the country does not have long periods when it is hot or cold.