GEOGRAPHY OF THE UK

The UK (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is an island nation in Western Europe and is made up of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and numerous smaller islands. The UK is bordered by four seas: to the south by the English Channel, to the east by the North Sea and to the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Great Britain is divided in four countries: England, Scotland and Wales.

The UK's climate varies greatly according to season and location, but on the whole can be described as mild with few extremes. The overall climate in England is called temperate maritime. This means that it is mild with temperatures not much lower than 0ºC in winter and not much higher than 32ºC in summer. It also means that it is damp and is subject to frequent changes. We have such a variable climate changing from day to day, it is difficult to predict the weather.

England is the southern part of Britain bounded by Scotland to the North and Wales to the West. Much of England is flat but in the north there is a range of limestone hills, known as the Pennines and permitted to have good dairy farming and a rugged coastline. First the region was covered with woodland, but then it was deforested to obtain a mixture of farmland, pastures, an industrial belt and the massive cities. It is the most populous region of the Britain and it was also more influenced by Roman culture. Indeed we can see some army camps that contain names ending of old towns.

Wales lies west of England and has a varied geography with strong contrasts. In the south, flat coastal plains gives way to valleys, then to ranges of hills and mountains in mid and north Wales. There are three national parks and five areas of outstanding natural beauty, which cover a quarter of the land mass of Wales. 80% of the land is dedicated to agriculture, ranging from crops to livestock. The language "Welsh" remains in Wales by the Celts.

Scotland occupies the northern third of the islands of Great Britain. It has three main land regions. They are, from north to south, the Highlands, the Central Lowlands, and the Southern Uplands. The Highlands covers the northern of Scotland and it comprised the major mountains of the UK. There are also a lot of lakes and the coast is surrounded by deep fjords. Indeed the region is unpopulated. The language "Gaelic" remains in Scotland by the Celts.

Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom and it is situated in the northeast of the island of Ireland. It is, exactly , a part of the historic region of Ulster and is often called Ulster. The capital is Belfast.

The terrain consists of rounded hills and low mountains separated by broad valleys and the coasts are marked by cliffs and steep slopes.