The British Isles On The Map

THE BRITISH ISLES ON THE MAP
The official title of the UK is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The UK is made up of:
Great Britain (the formerly separate realms of England and Scotland, and the
principality of Wales. )
Northern Ireland (also known as Ulster)
Numerous smaller islands including the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, and the Scilly, Orkney,
Shetland, and Hebridean archipelagos.
Where is the UK?
The UK is an island nation in Western Europe just off the coast of France. The mainland areas lie
latitudes 49N and 59N and longitudes 8W to 2E.
The UK lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and comes within 35 km (22
miles) of the northwest coast of France, from which it is separated by the English Channel. Northern
Ireland shares a 360 km international land boundary with the Republic of Ireland. The Channel
Tunnel bored beneath the English Channel, now links the UK with France.
between
How big an area does the UK cover?

The UK has a total area of approximately 245,000 km, almost a quarter-of-a-million square
kilometres.
Interesting Fact
No one in the UK lives more than 120 km (75 miles) from the sea.
Seas surrounding the UK
The UK is made up of several islands. The only land border connecting the UK to another country
is between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The UK is bordered by four seas:
to the south by the English Channel, which separates it from continental Europe
to the east by the North Sea
The Land
The UK Landscape is very varied, ranging from the Grampian Mountains of Scotland to the lowland fens of England which are at or
below sea level in places.
Scotland and Wales are the most mountainous parts of the UK. A ridge of hills, the Pennine, runs down the centre of northern England.
Many coastal areas are low-lying, especially in the east and south of England. These include the wetlands of the Somerset levels, that regularly
flood during heavy rain.
Most of the UK is made up of gently rolling hills with isolated areas of high ground such as Dartmoor in the south-west of England or the
Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland.
Lakes
Northern Ireland is also home to the UK's largest lake, Lough Neagh, which covers an area of 396sq.km (153 sq miles). Other major lakes
include Windermere in the English Lake District and Loch Lomond in Scotland. Another of Scotland's lakes, Loch Ness is famous for sightings
of 'Nessie', a mythical monster!
Landscapes
The landscape is determined mainly by the different types of rock underlying it. In the south, chalk has produced the gently rolling hills of the
Downs, while hard granite is the basis for the mountains of the north and the high moorlands of Dartmoor and Exmoor in the south-west.
Much of the land in England is flat (low lying) - less than 1000m above sea level, forming meadowlands and pastures and less than 10 percent
of the area is covered by woodlands. Farmers raise animals or grow crops in the fields.
Upland areas are generally confined to northern England: the exceptions are the upland moors of Dartmoor and Exmoor in the south-west.
The landscape of England is more rugged in the north and the west. The highest elevations are in Cumbria and theLake District in the west.
The highest point in England is Scafell Pike, 978m, part of the Cumbrian Mountains in North West England. The area of the Cumbrian
mountains is the most rugged in England and is more commonly known as the Lake District after the many lakes there.
T h e P e n n i n e s , a large chain of hills with moorland tops rising to between 600 and 900 metres, splits northern England into northwest
and northeast sectors. They run down from the Scottish border to the river Trent about halfway down the country.
T h e S o u t h w e s t is a long peninsular with bleak moorlands and rocky outcrop. The wide expanse of
Salisbury Plain occupies most of the central part of southern England
I n t h e S o u t h e a s t , a horseshoe-shaped ring of chalk downs surrounds the formerly wooded
area of the Weald. The southeast corner, from Dover to Eastbourne, has dramatic chalk cliffs bordering
the English
channel.
The Borders of England.
The English Channel runs along England's southern border, and the North Sea forms England's
eastern border. Wales and the Irish Sea border England to the West. Scotland runs along England's
northwestern borders.
UK Rivers
Being a relatively small Island, the UK's rivers are not very long. The Severn, its longest river, is just 338
in length, beginning in Wales and entering the Atlantic Ocean near Bristol in England. Other major rivers
include the Thames, which flows through Oxford and London, and the Trent and Mersey rivers, which
drain rainfall from large areas of central England.
km
Climate
The UK's climate varies greatly according to season and location, but on the whole can be described as mild with few extremes.
Contrary to popular belief, it DOES NOT rain every day in England or in the rest of the UK! However, it is always advisable
to bring some type of waterproof clothing and keep yourself psychologically prepared!
B r i t a i n i s a n i s l a n d c o u n t r y a n d t h e s u r r o u n d i n g s e a g i v e s E n g l a n d a v a r i e d c l i m a t e . We never know
what the weather will be like from one day to the other. It can be sunny one day and rainy the next. As we have such a variable climate
changing from day to day, it is difficult to predict the weather. In general we have warm summers and cool winters. Our summers are
cooler than those on the continent, but the winters are milder.
Temperate Climate
The overall climate in England is called temperate maritime. This means that it is mild with temperatures not much lower than 0C in winter
and not much higher than 32C in summer. It also means that it is damp and is subject to frequent changes.
Warmest and coldest months
July and August are normally the warmest month in England.
Around the coasts, February is normally the coldest month, but inland there is little to choose between January and February as the coldest
month.
Best months to travel to England
Probably the best months to travel in England are May, June, September and October. These months generally have the most
pleasant temperatures and less rain. July and August are the warmest months, but they are also the wettest. The sunniest parts of the Britain
are along the south coast of England.
RainFall
Rain is fairly well distributed throughout the year, with late winter/spring (February to March) the driest period and autumn/winter (October
to January) the wettest.
The Lake District is England's wettest region, receiving and average of 130 inches (330 centimeters) of precipitation each year. The western
and northern hills receive about 40 inches (102 centimeters) of rain, while the east coast receives about 20 inches (51 centimetres).
What influences the weather?
The main influence on our climate is our close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, our northern latitude, and the warming of the waters around
the land by the Gulf Stream (a warm current of the northern Atlantic Ocean).
Our island is small compared with the other land masses in the northern hemisphere hence Britain is more influenced by the ocean
compared with other European countries, and the Gulf Stream helps to keep winters milder compared with other landlocked nations with a
similar latitude.
Sunshine
During June, July and August (the months of longest daylight) the mean daily duration of sunshine varies from five hours in northern Scotland
to eight hours in the Isle of Wight.
During the months of shortest daylight (November, December and January) sunshine is at a minimum, with an average of an hour a day in
northern Scotland and two hours a day on the south coast of England.
Facts
The capital of England is London. Sometimes referred to the capital of Britain. London is built along the River Thames
Three quarters of the land in Britain is used for farming.
Nine out of ten people live in towns and cities.
The highest mountains are in Scotland and Wales.
More than two-thirds of people own their own homes.
Bordered to the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean

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How big an area does the UK cover?

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