Geographical position and climate of Great Britain.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain:

1. England (London, English).

2. Scotland (Edinburgh, Scots or Scottish).

3. Wales (Cardiff, Welsh).

4. Northern Ireland (Belfast, Irish).

The British Isles:

• Great Britain.

• The Irish Republic.

The UK is separated from the continent by the English Channel and the Straits of Dover. Once the British Isles were a part of the continent. The nearest point to Europe is the Straits of Dover. The UK is also washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north and the North Sea in the east.Great Britain is separated from Belgium and Holland by the North Sea, and from Ireland - by the Irish Sea.

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

They say that the British love of compromise is the result of the country's physical geography. This may or may not be true, but it is certainly true that the land and climate in Great Britain have a notable lack of extremes. The mountains in the country are not very high. It doesn't usually get very cold in the winter or very hot in the summer. The insular geographical position of Great Britain promoted the development of shipbuilding, different training contacts with other countries.

The climate in Great Britain is generally mild due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The south-western winds carry the warmth and moisture into Britain. The climate in Britain is usually described as cool, temperate and humid. British people say: Other countries have a climate, in England we have weather. The weather in Britain changes very quickly. One day may be fine and the next day may be wet. The morning may be warm and the evening may be cool.

The average range of temperature (from winter to summer) is from 15 to 23 degrees above zero. During a normal summer the temperature sometimes rises above 30 degrees in the south. Winter temperatures below 10 degrees are rare. It seldom snows heavily in winter, the frost is rare. January and February are usually the coldest months, July and August are the warmest.

Foreigners are often surprised by the fact that much of the land in Britain is open country. There are many lonely hills, quiet rivers, deep lakes and farmlands especially in the south of the country.

Cities of Great Britain.

More than 56 million people live in Britain. Many of them live in big industrial cities like London. Manchester and Liverpool, for example, are big industrial cities in the centre of England.

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic, and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million.

London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End, and the East End.

The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices, and firms are situated there, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange, and the Old Bailey. Few people live here, but over a million people come to the City to work. There are some famous ancient buildings within the City. Westminster is the governmental part of London.

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It is the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs, and theatres are situated there.

There are a lot of factories, workshops, and docks in the East End.

Manchester is one of the English most important cities. It is located in the northern part of England, not far from Liverpool. Today the population of Manchester is 438,000.

In the early 19th century Manchester became world famous as a manufacturing centre. Wool, silk and cotton were manufactured and vast numbers of working people worked 12 hour days in the mills. There was also a paper making industry and iron foundries. Manchester University was founded in 1903. The central library was built in 1934.

In the second half of the century manufacturing industry declined and was, to a certain extent, replaced by service industries such as education and finance. Tourism also became an important industry in the late 20th century.

Oxford was first mentioned in recorded history in the tenth century and later became an important trade centre in medieval times, then it developed into leading educational centre. Cambridge is also best known for its ancient university. Its industries are mostly concerned with electronics which has an international reputation.

Bristol dominates South-west England, both as the region's largest seaport and as its largest city. It is a major centre of metallurgy, aircraft and chemical industries. Of the towns situated in the south of England the largest ones are Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton. Southampton is primarily a seaport, the most important on the south coast. In North Yorkshire the largest town is York. Its leading industries are engineering and manufacture of confectionery. York attracts many tourists because of its famous medieval city walls.

Brighton is one of the most popular seaside resorts of Britain.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Its main attractions are the Floral clock made of growing flowers, and the Edinburgh Art Festivals, the annual summer performances of operas, dancing, music and drama.

Glasgow is another great Scottish city. It is famous for its shipyards. Glasgow is a great industrial city and also the centre of Scottish culture.

Cardiff is the capital of Wales. It is a big port, and ships come here from all over the world.