Midterms

British isels—> consist of

more than 5.500 iseland.
Largest one is Great Britian
the second one is Irealnd.

Total area of UK is
243.000km. Almost half size
of France and 20 percent
samaller than Italy.

British iseles are seperated

from continental Europe by
the English channel

shortest strech of its water

between Dover in sothern
England- Calais in France
called Strait of Dover

The eastern coast reaches

the waters of the North sea.

Atlantic ocean west and

north-west of UK

Great Britain is seperated

from Northern ireland by the
Irish sea, North channel and
Saint Georges channel.

The British costlines are deeply indented with numerous bays, inlets,
estuaries. Consequently, no part of the country is more than 120km from some
tidal water. However, Tides along the coasts and inland rivers can couse
frequent flooding in many parts, particularly on the English east coast.

Midterms 1
 They are constructing defenses against this threat such as putting a flood
barrier along the river Thames in London.

Before, Britain was part of Europe but it got separated during the last ice age.
We know that because of fossils.

Climate
The climate of British Isles is generally mild, damp, and bracing. The warm
Atlantic current (Gulf stream) heals the sea water and air as it travels from the
Atlantic ocean across the shelf. This gives the British isles a more temperate
climate, for example, Edinburgh is the same latitude as Moscow but milder.

Gulf Stream also effects the fish industry by helping to the breeding of various
fish kinds.

The prevailing winds are south-westerly; they bring rain from Atlantic to the
hills and mountains of the west. This means the western parts of Britain are
wetter than eastern parts. For example London is drier than Hamburg.

Drought conditions are rare.

British weather has three dominant features mild, humid and equable.

Winters are extremely mild. Though Britain has warmer winters than the
changeability in weather is a problem.

Physical Relief
Great Britain is divided into two main regions;

1. Highlands

2. Lowlands

The highest land of Britain is Scotland.

Scotland

Scotland is divided into three regions;

1) North-west and Central Highlands

Central Highlands of Scotland consist of the greater parts of Britain

highest mountain.

Midterms 2
 These mountain called Grampains.

Among Grampains Ben Nevis (1343m) is the highest mountains

2) Central Lowlands (midland valley)

It is an area of flat plains in Scotland

Three quarters of scottish population lives in central lowlands

This part of the scottish land contain fertile farmlands and industrial
and commercial cities.

3) Southern Uplands

It contains hills and rivers

Its an agricultural and pastoral area.

Wales

Wales is mainly a highland country as well

wales’s highest peak is Snowden.

The plateaux are often broken by deep valley created by rivers Dee, Wye,
Severn. This upland mass contains the Cambrian Mountains.

England

England consists of undulating or flat lowland countryside.lowe hill ranges;

North Yorkshire Moors, Cotswolds, North downs and South downs, Lincolnshire
and Cambridge Fens, Norfok Breeds, Suffolk marshes. England’s upland areas
include major hilly region Pennies, Peak district, the north western mountain
region of the lake district rising Scafell pike (978m). The highest point in England
and the Cumbien mountain. Cheviot hills, Yorkshire deles, Cornwall Peneusula,
high moorlands of exmoor, Dartmor.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland or Ulster

the partition of Ireland in 1921

gradually to higher land on all sides: hills and mountainous areas of the
Spern mountains in the north-west and the mountains of Antrin in the

Midterms 3
 north-east.

The south eastern mourne mountains include highest peak, Slive Donard
(853)

Rivers and lakes

British isels have many rivers but they are short and most of them flow
eastward. The water lavel is always high. Important for transportation (bulk
products, coal, iron)

England

The largest river in England—>Thames

Longer/longest river—>Severn

other important rivers;Tyne, Wear, Tees, Mersy, Trent, Great Ouse, Bristol
Avon

Scotland

Largest river—> Tay (Tummel)

Ireland

Largest river—> Shannon

Lakes

lakes are rather small and remote

Scotlands lakes are usually called lochs.

Loch Lomond is the largest

Loch Ness is the most famous

Largest lake in Northern Ireland called Lough-Neagh.

Largest lake of Wales is Lake Bala.

Lake District (a number of lakes in beautiful mountain scenery). Largest of

them windermere, ullswater, Derwentwater, Conistonwater.

Midterms 4
 Vegetation
Common trees in England—>oak and ash

in the south—>beech

Wetter parts—> Alder

Wales—>Ferns

Scotland—>(not usual to grow trees but in sheltered places) Birch.

Environmental Protection
Britain is small and very densely populated country with great numbers of people
concantrated in large urban areas.

Environmental Protection is a major problem.

National parks;

Areas of outstanding beauty. ten national parks are established in England

and Wales, and their aim is to protect natural beauty. Lake District,
Snowdonia, Northumberland.

Total 41 Areas of outstanding beauty (AONBs), (England, Wales) 9 AONBs

in Northern Ireland. In scotland there are 4 regional parks 40 national
scenic areas 234 national reserves.

Britians atmospheric condition called Smog (smoke and fog) because of

industrulized.

Water pollutionwas also a problem (smell of river thames)

Green belts are an environmental degradation (to measure)

After ww2 people moved to countryside and that led to some problems;

cars began to be used by people a lot due to the distance between work
and home

Nature of village life changed. villagers couldn’t afford the house prices.
(prices went up),(change of occupancy).

Heavy use of National parks/protected places due to increasing

population.

Midterms 5
 Britain noticed the pollution rate because of 2 things; the first one is hundred seals
that died, and the second one was dumping toxic waste, people were afraid that
Britain was turning into a wasteland.
Government Bodies

Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions (DETR); Top body/
Architectural heritage of England (400 ancient monuments/buildings). The version
of this in Scotland is Historic Scotland (330 monuments), and in Wales Cadw:
welsh historic monuments (127 monuments)

Nature Responsible Agencies

England; English Nature

Wales; Countryside Council for Wales

Scotland; Scottish Natural Heritage

They protect nature and shit

Government bodies

Foresty commission—> manages nearly 1.6m hecteras of Britain. Biggest provider

of the countryside.

Her Majesty inspectorate pollution—> helps to control emissions, land, air and
water from harmfull industrial processes.

National Rivers authority—> in control of the water pollution in England and Wales.

Voluntary membership
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

National Trust Form—> a lot of voluntary society owns and protects (Lake District,
North Wales)
The Wildlife Trust

Worldwide fund for nature

friends of the earth

league against cruel sports

British Union for the abolition of vivisection

Midterms 6
 green peace

Major Islands
The Hebrides is a series of islands off the north-west coast of Scotland.

One of these islands called Iona that has a beautiful Abbey. Another large island is
Skye

The Orknay Islands—> north of Scotland

The Shetland Island—>situated further north. Center of the North Oil industry.

The Isle of Man—> Motorcycle races and Manx cats (Manx are short-tailed
animals), Manx sheep.
The Isle of Anglesey—>North Wales

The Isle of Scilly—>140 small islets of cornwall England, Britian’s warmest ıslands.
Bishop Rock Lighthouse

The Isle of Wight—> southern coast of England. Where Prince Albert died so did
the poets Swinburne and Tennyson.
The Channel Islands—> south east of Enngland

The Falklands—>group of small islands. The islands that is problematic with

Argentina.

Midterms 7