The United Kingdom occupies a substantial part of the British Isles.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or UK, is in Western Europe. It comprises the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and the northeastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland), together with many smaller islands. The mainland areas lie between latitudes 49°N and 59°N (the Shetland Islands reach to nearly 61°N), and longitudes 8°W to 2°E. The Royal Greenwich Observatory, near London, is the defining point of the Prime Meridian. The United Kingdom has a total area of approximately 245,000 km². Download high resolution version (934x1284, 2270 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: British Isles Geography of the United Kingdom Wikipedia:Wikiportal/United Kingdom Template:Wikiportal:United Kingdom/Header Categories: NASA images ... Download high resolution version (934x1284, 2270 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: British Isles Geography of the United Kingdom Wikipedia:Wikiportal/United Kingdom Template:Wikiportal:United Kingdom/Header Categories: NASA images ... Location of the British Isles Great Britain, Ireland and several thousand smaller surrounding islands and islets form an archipelago off the northwest coast of continental Europe which is most commonly known as the British Isles. ... A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in... Motto: (French for God and my right)2 Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (De facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (De facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, NI Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First... The Shetland Islands, also called Shetland (archaically spelled Zetland) formerly called Hjaltland, comprise one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Royal Observatory, Greenwich The original site of the Royal Greenwich Observatory (RGO), which was built as a workplace for the Astronomer Royal, was on a hill in Greenwich Park in Greenwich, London, overlooking the River Thames. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Location of the Prime Meridian Prime Meridian in Greenwich The Prime Meridian, also known as the International Meridian or Greenwich Meridian, is the meridian (line of longitude) passing through the Royal Greenwich Observatory, Greenwich, England — it is the meridian at which longitude is 0 degrees. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ...

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 ("Chunnel") bored beneath the English Channel, now links the UK with France. The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... km redirects here. ... A mile is the name of a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... Map of the English Channel Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: La Manche (IPA: ), the sleeve) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... Map of the Channel Tunnel. ...

Physical geography

UK's topography

As this geological map of Great Britain demonstrates, the geology of the UK is varied and complex.

The physical geography of the UK varies greatly. It includes the chalk cliffs of Kent and Dorset, the rolling hills and fields of southeast England, the granite cliffs of Cornwall, the mountains of Wales, the uplands of the Peak District and the Pennines, the lakes and mountains of Cumbria, the Scottish lowlands, highlands and islands, and the fields, lakes and mountains of Northern Ireland. The country can be roughly divided into highland and lowland along the Tees-Exe line. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1400x1670, 597 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1400x1670, 597 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1036x1614, 368 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of the United Kingdom Geology of the United Kingdom Talk:Geography of the United Kingdom Southern England Chalk Formation Categories: Author died more than 100 years ago public domain images | NowCommons ... Download high resolution version (1036x1614, 368 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of the United Kingdom Geology of the United Kingdom Talk:Geography of the United Kingdom Southern England Chalk Formation Categories: Author died more than 100 years ago public domain images | NowCommons ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... True-color image of the Earths surface and atmosphere Physical geography (also know as geosystems or physiography) is a subfield of geography that focuses on the systematic study of patterns and processes within the hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere. ... The Needles, part of the extensive Southern England Chalk Formation. ... The Trango Towers in Pakistan have the highest cliffs in the world In geography, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation). ... Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county in South West England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... Mount McKinley (Denali) in Alaska (USA) has the highest visible base-to-summit elevation on Earth (approximately 5400 metres). ... The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, mainly spanning Derbyshire, but also covering bits of Cheshire, Staffordshire and South and West Yorkshire. ... Typical Pennine scenery. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ... The Scottish Lowlands ( an Galldachd in Gaelic ), although not officially a geographical area of the country, in normal usage is generally meant to include those parts of Scotland not referred to as the Highlands (or Gàidhealtachd), that is, everywhere due south and east of a line (the Highland Boundary... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... The Tees-Exe line is an imaginary line that can be draw on a map of the British mainland which roughly divides the lowland and upland regions of the country. ...

The overall geomorphology of the UK was shaped by the combined forces of tectonics and climate change, in particular glaciation. Surface of the Earth Geomorphology is the study of landforms, including their origin and evolution, and the processes that shape them. ... The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years Climate change refers to the variation in the Earths global climate or in regional climates over time. ... A glaciation (a created composite term meaning Glacial Period, referring to the Period or Era of, as well as the process of High Glacial Activity), often called an ice age, is a geological phenomenon in which massive ice sheets form in the Arctic and Antarctic and advance toward the equator. ...

The exact centre of the island of Great Britain is disputed. Depending upon how it is calculated it can be either Haltwhistle in Northumberland, or Dunsop Bridge in Lancashire. Map sources for Haltwhistle at grid reference NY7064 Haltwhistle is a town in Northumberland, England, situated ten miles east of Brampton, near Hadrians Wall. ... Northumberland is a county in northern England. ... Dunsop Bridge is a village in Lancashire, England. ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ...

Geology

Main article: Geology of the United Kingdom

The geology of the United Kingdom is varied and complex. This gives rise to the wide variety of landscapes found across the UK. This variety, coupled with the early efforts of UK based scientists and geologists to understand it, has influenced the naming of many geological concepts, including many of the geological periods (for example, the Ordovician period is named after the Ordovices, a people of early Britain; the Devonian period is named after the county of Devon in south-west England). Geological map of Great Britain. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The geologic time scale is used by geologists and other scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth. ... The Ordovician period is the second of the six (seven in North America) periods of the Paleozoic era. ... The Ordovices were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Islands, before the Roman invasion of Britain. ... Disambiguation: Devonian is sometimes used to refer to the Southwestern Brythonic language, and the people of the county of Devon are sometimes referred to as Devonians The Devonian is a geologic period of the Paleozoic era. ... Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ...

The oldest rocks in the UK are gneisses which date from at least 2,700 Ma ("Ma" means "millions of years ago") in the Archaean Period, which are found in the far north west of Scotland and in the Hebrides, with a few small outcrops elsewhere. South of the gneisses are a complex mixture of rocks forming the North West Highlands and Grampian Highlands in Scotland, as well as the Connemara, Donegal and Mayo mountains of north Ireland. These are essentially the remains of folded sedimentary rock, deposited over the gneiss, from 1,000 Ma, with a notable 7 km thick layer of Torridon Sandstone being deposited about 800 Ma, as well as the debris deposited by an ice sheet 670 Ma. Gneiss Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from preexisting formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. ... The Archean is a geologic eon; it is a somewhat antiquated term for the time span between 2500 million years before the present and 3800 million years before the present. ... The Hebrides The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, and in geological terms are composed of the oldest rocks in the British Isles. ... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... Grampian (Roinn a Mhonaidh in Gaelic) was a local government region of Scotland from 1975 to 1996. ... Connemara (Irish Conamara), which derives from Conmhaicne Mara (meaning: descendants of Con Mhac, of the sea), is a district in the west of Ireland (County Galway). ... Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall) is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Connacht County Town: Castlebar Code: MO Area: 5,397 km² Population (2006) 123,648 Website: www. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... In geology, Torridonian describes a series of proterozoic arenaceous sedimentary rocks, extensively developed in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, and particularly in the district of upper Loch Torridon, a circumstance which suggested the name Torridon Sandstone, first applied to these rocks by James Nicol. ... Moraine at Mono Lake, California, United States Moraines clearly seen on a side glacier of the Gorner Glacier, Zermatt, Switzerland. ... An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² (19,305 mile²). The only current ice sheets are Antarctic and Greenland; during the last ice age at Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) the Laurentide ice sheet covered much of Canada...

The remains of ancient volcanic islands underlie much of central England with small outcrops visible in many places. Around 600 Ma, the Cadomian Orogeny (mountain building period) caused the English and Welsh landscape to be transformed into a mountainous region, along with much of north west Europe. Volcano 1. ... World map showing Europe Political map (neighbouring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ...

The Welsh Skiddaw slate deposits formed at around 500 Ma, during the Ordovician Period. At about this time, around 425 Ma, north Wales (and south Mayo in Ireland) experienced volcanic activity. The remains of these volcanoes are still visible, for example Rhobell Fwar, dating from 510 Ma. Large quantities of volcanic lava and ash known as the Borrowdale Volcanics covered both Wales and the Lake District, still seen in the form of mountains such as Helvellyn and Scafell Pike. Skiddaw is a mountain in the Lake District National Park in the United Kingdom. ... Slate Slate is a fine-grained, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low grade regional metamorphism. ... The Ordovician period is the second of the six (seven in North America) periods of the Paleozoic era. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in... Statistics Province: Connacht County Town: Castlebar Code: MO Area: 5,397 km² Population (2006) 123,648 Website: www. ... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ... Look up lava, Aa, pahoehoe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Borrowdale Volcanics or, more correctly, in modern terminology, the Borrowdale Volcanic Group are a development of volcanic rocks named after the Borrowdale area of the Lake District, in England. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Helvellyn, at 950 metres (3,117 feet) above sea-level, is the third highest peak in England. ... At 978 metres (3,208 feet), Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England. ...

In the Silurian Period, between 425 and 400 Ma, the Caledonian fold mountains formed (the Caledonian Orogeny), covering much of what is now the UK to perhaps 8,000 feet (2,500 m) thick. Volcanic ashes and lavas deposited during this period are still found in the Mendip Hills and in Pembrokeshire. The Silurian is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Ordovician period, about 443. ... The Caledonian orogeny is a hypothetical series of events in geologic history explaining a group of highland formations that are very similar in composition, stratigraphy and fossils: the mountains and hills of northern England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and west Norway. ... Cheddar Gorge The beautiful Mendip hills The Mendip Hills are a range of limestone hills (karst) situated to the south of Bristol and Bath in north Somerset, England. ... Pembrokeshire (Welsh: Sir Benfro) is a county in the southwest of Wales in the United Kingdom. ...

Volcanic deposits formed Ben Nevis in the Devonian Period. Sea levels varied considerably, with the coastline advancing and retreating from north to south across England, and with the deposition of numerous sedimentary rock layers. The Old Red Sandstone of Devon gave the period its name, though deposits are found in many other places. Location of Ben Nevis NN166713 Ben Nevis (or Beinn Nibheis in Scottish Gaelic) is the highest mountain in the British Isles. ... Disambiguation: Devonian is sometimes used to refer to the Southwestern Brythonic language, and the people of the county of Devon are sometimes referred to as Devonians The Devonian is a geologic period of the Paleozoic era. ... The Old Red Sandstone is a rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. ... Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ...

During the Carboniferous Period, around 360 Ma, the UK was lying at the equator, covered by the warm shallow waters of the Rheic Ocean, during which time the Carboniferous limestone was deposited, still found in areas such as the Mendip Hills and the Pennines. The coal measures were formed at this time, in river deltas, swamps and rain forests. Coal can be found in many areas of the UK, as far North as Sutherland and as far south as Kent, though it has largely been mined in the Midlands, northern England and Wales. Also formed were the Millstone Grits. The Carboniferous is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Devonian period, about 359. ... The Rheic Ocean was an ocean in the Paleozoic Era that existed between the continent of Baltica (northern Europe) and number of terranes broken up from Gondwana, including the future southern Europe. ... Cheddar Gorge The beautiful Mendip hills The Mendip Hills are a range of limestone hills (karst) situated to the south of Bristol and Bath in north Somerset, England. ... Typical Pennine scenery. ... A coal measure (stratigraphic unit) is the name given to any rock sequence that occurs in the upper part of the Carboniferous System in Europe. ... Nile River delta, as seen from Earth orbit. ... A freshwater swamp This article is about the wetland type (a landform). ... A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... In general, the midlands of a territory are its central regions. ... Gritstone is a sedimentary rock composed of coarse sand grains and is a coarser version of sandstone. ...

During the Permian and Triassic Periods, much of the UK was beneath shallow seas, leading to the deposition of sedimentary rocks such as shale, limestone, gravel, and marl. The seas finally receded to leave a flat desert with salt pans. The Permian is a geologic period that extends from about 299. ... The Triassic is a geologic period that extends from about 251 to 200 Ma (million years ago). ... Shale Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. ... Gravel being unloaded from a barge Gravel is rock that is of a certain grain size range. ... Marls are calcium carbonate or lime rich muds or mudstones which contain variable amounts of clays and calcite or aragonite. ... Salt pans can refer to: Salt pan (geology), a flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals, usually found in deserts. ...

At the beginning of the Jurassic Period, the UK was under-water again, leading to the deposition of sedimentary rocks which now underlie much of England from the Cleveland Hills of Yorkshire to the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, including clays, sandstones, and the oolitic limestone of the Cotswold Hills. The burial of algae and bacteria below the mud of the sea floor during this time resulted in the formation of North Sea oil and natural gas. The Jurassic Period is a major unit of the geologic timescale that extends from about 200 Ma (million years ago), at the end of the Triassic to 146 Ma, at the beginning of the Cretaceous. ... The Cleveland Hills are (some grographical feature in England). ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Lulworth Cove The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site in south England. ... For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation). ... The Gay Head cliffs in Marthas Vineyard are made almost entirely of natural clays. ... An oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains composed of concentric layers. ... The Cotswolds are a range of hills in central England, sometimes called the heart of England, a hilly area reaching nearly 300 m or 1000 feet. ... A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... North Sea Oil Platforms North Sea oil refers to oil and natural gas (hydrocarbons) produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea. ... Natural gas is commonly referred to as gas. ...

In the Cretaceous Period, much of the UK was again below the sea and chalk and flints were deposited over much of Great Britain. These are now notably exposed at the White Cliffs of Dover, and form Salisbury Plain, the Chiltern Hills, the South Downs and other similar features. The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... The Needles, part of the extensive Southern England Chalk Formation. ... Pebble beach made up of flint nodules eroded out of the nearby chalk cliffs, Cape Arkona, Rügen Flint (or flintstone) is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline silica rock with a glassy appearance. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is about the plateau in southern England; Salisbury Plain is also an area on South Georgia Island. ... The Chiltern Hills are a chalk escarpment that stretches in a south-west to north-east diagonal from Goring-On-Thames to Luton, but is most prominent in Buckinghamshire. ... Near Beachy Head The South Downs is one of the two areas of chalk downland in southern England. ...

The last volcanic rocks in the UK were formed in the early Tertiary Period, between 63 and 52 Ma, with the major eruptions that formed the Antrim Plateau and the basaltic columns of the Giant's Causeway. Further sediments were deposited over southern England, including the London clay, while the English Channel consisted of mud flats and river deposited sands. Tertiary period was previously one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, from the end of the Cretaceous period about 65 million years ago to the start of the Quaternary period about 1. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Antrim Area: 2,844 km² Population (est. ... Basalt Basalt is a common gray to black volcanic rock. ... Basalt columns The Giants Causeway is an area of 40,000 tightly packed basalt columns resulting from a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. ... The London Clay is a marine deposit which is well known for the fossils it contains. ... Map of the English Channel Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: La Manche (IPA: ), the sleeve) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... Mudflats are relatively flat, muddy regions found in intertidal areas. ... Patterns in the sand Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter. ...

The major changes during the last few million years, during the Quaternary Period, have been brought about by several recent ice ages, leaving a legacy of U-shaped valleys in highland areas, and fertile (if often stoney) soil in southern England. The Quaternary Period is the geologic time period from the end of the Pliocene Epoch roughly 1. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ...

Mountains and hills

At 1,344 metres, Ben Nevis is the highest peak in the UK.

Main article: Mountains of the United Kingdom

The ten tallest mountains in the UK are all found in Scotland. The highest peaks in each part of the UK are: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 431 KB) Ben Nevis, Scotland. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 431 KB) Ben Nevis, Scotland. ... The metre, or meter (US), is a measure of length. ... Location of Ben Nevis NN166713 Ben Nevis (or Beinn Nibheis in Scottish Gaelic) is the highest mountain in the British Isles. ... This is a links page to the hills and mountains to be found in the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), and includes lists of the highest mountains in each of the constituent countries. ... Mount McKinley (Denali) in Alaska (USA) has the highest visible base-to-summit elevation on Earth (approximately 5400 metres). ...

• Scotland: Ben Nevis (Nevis Range, 1,344 metres)
• Wales: Snowdon (Cambrian Mountains, 1,085 metres)
• England: Scafell Pike (Cumbrian Mountains, 977 metres)
• Northern Ireland: Slieve Donard (Mourne Mountains, 852 metres)

The ranges of mountains and hills in the UK include: Location of Ben Nevis NN166713 Ben Nevis (or Beinn Nibheis in Scottish Gaelic) is the highest mountain in the British Isles. ... Nevis Range is a mountain resort, located near the town of Fort William in the Highlands of Scotland. ... The metre, or meter (US), is a measure of length. ... Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, and the highest British mountain south of the Scottish Highlands. ... The Cambrian Mountains are a mountain range in Mid Wales, reaching from the Brecon Beacons in South Wales to Snowdonia in North Wales. ... At 978 metres (3,208 feet), Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England. ... Crinkle Crags as seen from the adjoining fell of Cold Pike. ... Slieve Donard (Sliabh Domengard in Irish) is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland at 850 metres. ... The granite Mountains of Mourne are located in the first proposed national park of Northern Ireland. ... A hill in Hungary with a hillside vintage garden For the landform that extends less than 600 metres above the surrounding terrain and that is smaller than a mountain, see the mountain article. ...

• Scotland: Cairngorms, Cheviot Hills, Scottish Highlands, Southern Uplands, Grampian Mountains
• Wales: Brecon Beacons, Cambrian Mountains, Snowdonia
• England: Chilterns, Cotswolds, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, Malvern Hills, Mendip Hills, North Downs, Peak District, Pennines, Salisbury Plain, South Downs, Shropshire Hills
• Northern Ireland: Mountains of Mourne, Antrim Plateau, Sperrin Mountains

The lowest point of the UK is in the Fens of East Anglia, in England, parts of which lie up to 4 m below sea level. The Cairngorms: Ben Macdhui seen from Carn aMhaim This article is about the Scottish mountain range. ... The Cheviot Hills are a range of rolling hills straddling the England/Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. ... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... The Southern Uplands is the southernmost of Scotlands three major geographic areas (the others being the Central Belt and the Highlands). ... There are at least two ranges of mountains called the Grampian Mountains or The Grampians: Grampian Mountains, Scotland Grampians in Grampians National Park, Australia And at least one range of hills: The Grampians in Nelson, New Zealand This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share... Part of the Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point Pen y Fan, 886 m (2907 feet), to Corn Du, 873 m (2864 feet) The Brecon Beacons National Park is one of three national parks in Wales. ... The Cambrian Mountains are a mountain range in Mid Wales, reaching from the Brecon Beacons in South Wales to Snowdonia in North Wales. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Chiltern Hills are a chalk escarpment that stretches in a south_west to north_east diagonal across several counties of southern England, but is most prominent in Buckinghamshire. ... The Cotswolds is the name given to a range of hills in central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, a hilly area reaching over 300 m or 1000 feet. ... High Willhays, the highest point on Dartmoor and southern England at 621 m (2037 ft) above sea level, with Yes Tor beyond. ... Dunster Yarn Market (a covered market for the sale of local cloth, built in 1609) and Dunster Castle, Exmoor Exmoor National Park is a national park situated on the Bristol Channel coast of Devon and Somerset in South West England. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Malvern Hills in June, looking north. ... Cheddar Gorge The beautiful Mendip hills The Mendip Hills are a range of limestone hills (karst) situated to the south of Bristol and Bath in north Somerset, England. ... The North Downs in England are a ridge of chalk hills that stretch about 100 mi (160 km) from Hampshire through Surrey and Kent. ... The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, mainly spanning Derbyshire, but also covering bits of Cheshire, Staffordshire and South and West Yorkshire. ... Typical Pennine scenery. ... This article is about the plateau in southern England; Salisbury Plain is also an area on South Georgia Island. ... Near Beachy Head The South Downs is one of the two areas of chalk downland in southern England. ... The Shropshire Hills area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), in the English county of Shropshire, close to the border with Wales. ... View of the Mourne Mountains from St. ... Sperrins is a mountain range in Northern Ireland. ... Redgrave and Lopham Fen. ... Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ...

Rivers and lakes

Main articles

• Lakes of the United Kingdom;
• Rivers of the United Kingdom;
• Waterfalls of the United Kingdom.

The longest river in the UK is the River Severn (220 miles, 354 km) which flows through both Wales and England. The list of Lakes of the United Kingdom is a link page for the lakes of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales). ... This is a list of rivers of Great Britain. ... This is a links page to the waterfalls found in the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), and includes a list of the highest waterfalls. ... The source of the River Severn on Plynlimon, Wales. ...

The longest rivers in the UK are:

• England: River Thames (215 miles, 346 km)
• Scotland: River Tay (117 miles, 188 km)
• N. Ireland: River Bann (76 miles, 122 km)
• Wales: River Tywi (64 miles, 103 km)

The largest lakes in the UK are: The Thames (pronounced []) is a river flowing through southern England, in its lower reaches flowing through London into the sea. ... The River Tay looking eastwards from Perth The River Tay, in terms of flow (193 kilometres or 120 miles), is the longest river in Scotland. ... The River Bann is the largest river in Northern Ireland. ... Categories: UK geography stubs | Rivers in Wales ...

• N. Ireland: Lough Neagh (147.39 sq mi, 381.74 km²)
• Scotland: Loch Lomond (27.46 sq mi, 71.12 km²)
• England: Windermere (5.69 sq mi, 14.74 km²)
• Wales: Lake Vyrnwy (3.18 sq mi, 8.24 km²)

The deepest lake in the UK is Loch Morar with a maximum depth of 309 metres (Loch Ness is second at 228 metres deep). The deepest lake in England is Wastwater which descends to 79 metres (258 feet). Lough Neagh Lough Neagh (pronounced ; Irish Loch nEathach ) in Northern Ireland is the largest lough, or body of freshwater by surface area, in the British Isles, with an area of 388 square kilometres. ... Loch Lomond (IPA pronunciation: ), (Scottish Gaelic Loch Laomainn) is a Scottish loch (the Gaelic word for lake), located in both the western lowlands of Central Scotland and the southern Highlands. ... Windermere from the north. ... Lake Vyrnwy (Llyn Efyrnwy or Fyrnwy in Welsh) is a Victorian reservoir in North Wales built in the 1880s by the Corporation of Liverpool to provide fresh water for the city, over 70 miles away. ... Loch Morar is a body of fresh water on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands. ... This page is about the body of water in Scotland. ... Categories: English lakes | Cumbria | UK geography stubs ... The metre, or meter (US), is a measure of length. ... A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ...

Artificial waterways

Main articles: Waterways in the United Kingdom, Canals of the United Kingdom, Reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom Waterways in the United Kingdom is a link page for any river, canal, firth or estuary in the United Kingdom. ... For canals of Northern Ireland see the Canals of Ireland article // History See History of the British canal system for a more detailed history. ... Reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom is a link page for any reservoir or dam in the United Kingdom. ...

As a result of its industrial history, the United Kingdom has an extensive system of canals, mostly built in the early years of the Industrial Revolution, before the rise of competition from the railways. The United Kingdom also has numerous dams and reservoirs to store water for drinking and industry. The generation of hydroelectric power is rather limited, supplying less than 2% of British electricity mainly from the Scottish Highlands. The Canal du Midi in Toulouse, France. ... A Watt steam engine in Madrid. ... Scrivener Dam, in Canberra, Australia, was engineered to withstand a once-in-5000-years flood event A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. ... Gelmersee is a reservoir in Switzerland. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ...

Coastline

United Kingdom maritime claims

The UK has a coastline which measures approximately 12,429 km (although this is a somewhat arbitrary figure since, being a fractal, the length of the coastline will increase as the unit with which is it measured decreases). The heavy indentation of the coastline helps to ensure that no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters. Graphic by Keith Edkins File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of the United Kingdom Categories: GFDL images ... Graphic by Keith Edkins File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of the United Kingdom Categories: GFDL images ... It has been suggested that Fractal animation be merged into this article or section. ...

The UK claims jurisdiction over the continental shelf, as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries, an exclusive fishing zone of 200 n. miles (370 km), and territorial sea of 12 n. miles (22 km).  Sediment  Rock  Mantle The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent, which is covered during interglacial periods such as the current epoch by relatively shallow seas (known as shelf seas) andbbccvcnccccccccccccccccccccccccvvvvvvvvvvvvvvcggggggggggggggggyutu7ti8yukiyuiyutuiyuiytui gulfs. ... A nautical mile is a unit of length. ...

Inlets

• Cardigan Bay
• Lyme Bay
• Bristol Channel
• Thames estuary
• Morecambe Bay
• The Wash
• Humber estuary
• Firth of Forth
• Firth of Tay
• Moray Firth

The term Cardigan Bay, when used by itself, can refer to: A horse called Cardigan Bay A bay in Wales called Cardigan Bay A bay in Prince Edward Island called Cardigan Bay This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... Lyme Bay shown within Great Britain Lyme Bay is an area of the English Channel situated in the southwest of England between Torbay in the west and Portland in the east. ... The location of the Bristol Channel The Severn Bridge and Bristol Channel, looking northwestward from England towards Wales The Bristol Channel coast at Ilfracombe, North Devon, looking west towards Lee Bay The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from South West... The Thames Estuary is a large estuary where the River Thames flows into the North Sea. ... Morecambe Bay at low tide from Hest Bank, looking towards Grange-over-Sands. ... The Wash, as seen looking west from Heacham, Norfolk The Wash is also the name of a 2001 film. ... Humber is also the name of one of the ranges of cars manufactured by the Rootes Group Humber is also the name of a river in Newfoundland, Canada, as well as a river and a college, both in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... The Firth of Forth from Calton Hill The Forth Bridges cross the Firth Satellite photo of the Firth and the surrounding area The Firth of Forth (Abhainn Dhubh [Black River] in Scottish Gaelic) is the estuary or firth of Scotlands River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea... The Firth of Tay is a firth in Scotland between the regions of Fife and City of Dundee into to which Scotlands largest river in terms of flow, the River Tay empties. ... The Moray Firth is a roughly triangular area of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness. ...

Headlands

The geology of the UK is such that there are many headlands along its coast, here are some of the most notable ones: The bay at San Sebastián, Spain A headland is an area of land adjacent to water on three sides. ...

• Cornwall
  • Lands End
  • The Lizard
  • Cape Cornwall
• Cumbria
  • Furness
• Devon
  • Start Point
  • Berry Head
  • Hartland Point
• Dorset
  • Old Harry Rocks
  • St Alban's Head
  • Portland Bill
• East Sussex
  • Beachy Head
• Kent
  • North Foreland
• Sutherland
  • Cape Wrath
• Swansea
  • Gower Peninsula
• Wigtownshire
  • Rhins of Galloway
• Yorkshire
  • Flamborough Head

Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county in South West England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... For the clothing retailer, see Lands End. ... Lizard Point The Lizard is a peninsula of Cornwall, United Kingdom, and contains the most southerly point of the island Great Britain, Lizard Point. ... Cape Cornwall, Englands only cape Cape Cornwall is a small headland in Cornwall, England, four miles north of Lands End near the village St Just. ... Cumbria is a county in the North West region of England. ... Furness is a peninsula in north-west England. ... Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Start Point, Devon Start Point is a promontory in the South Hams distict, one of the most southernly points in Devon, England, grid reference SX832370. ... Berry Head is a coastal headland at the southern end of Torbay, to the southeast of Brixham, Devon, England. ... Hartland Point is a rocky outcrop of land on the coast of Devon in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Dorset (disambiguation). ... Old Harry Rocks peak A stack at Old Harry rocks Old Harry Rocks at Handfast Point are a small but characteristic set of coastal landforms off Ballard Down at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast world heritage site near Swanage in Dorset, England. ... Limestone cliffs at St Aldhelms Head St Albans Head (corruption of St. ... Chesil Beach from the hill above Fortuneswell, Portland Harbour is on the right. ... East Sussex is a county in South East England. ... Beachy Head (grid reference TV587955) is a chalk headland on the south coast of England, close to the town of Eastbourne in the county of East Sussex. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... The North Foreland and South Foreland are two chalk headlands on the Kent coast of southern England, overlooking the Strait of Dover. ... Sutherland (Cataibh in Gaelic) is a traditional county which is now within the Highland local government area of Scotland. ... Cape Wrath lighthouse Cape Wrath (, ) is a cape in Sutherland, Highland, in northern Scotland. ... Swansea (Welsh: , mouth of the Tawe) is a city and county in South Wales in the United Kingdom, situated on the coast immediately to the east of the Gower Peninsula. ... Rhossili Beach on the Gower peninsula of South Wales The Gower peninsula (Welsh: Gŵyr) is one of the UKs major tourist attractions and is the best-known district in Wales after Snowdonia. ... Wigtownshire is a small traditional county in the south west of Scotland. ... The Rhins of Galloway (known locally simply as The Rhins) is a hammer-head peninsula in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The chalk tower near Flamborough Head. ...

Coastal change

Some parts of the British coast are subject to rapid erosion, including Holderness (in the East Riding of Yorkshire), Norfolk and Suffolk. Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock and other particles) by the agents of wind, water or ice, by downward or down-slope movement in response to gravity or by living organisms (in the case of... Holderness is an area of England on the coast of Yorkshire. ... The East Riding of Yorkshire is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England, in the United Kingdom. ... Norfolk (pronounced IPA: ) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... Suffolk (pronounced SUF-fk) is a large traditional and administrative county in the East Anglia region of eastern England. ...

Settlements particularly affected include Dunwich, Covehithe, Happisburgh and Selsey. Dunwich (IPA: ) is a town in the county of Suffolk in England, the remnant of what was once a prosperous seaport and centre of the wool trade during the early middle ages, with a natural harbour formed by the mouths of the River Blyth and the River Dunwich. ... The Coastal hamlet of Covehithe lies around 5 miles North of Southwold. ... Happisburgh (pronounced Hays-bro) is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. ... Map sources for Selsey at grid reference SZ8593 Selsey is an English seaside town, about 7 miles (11 kilometres) south of Chichester, West Sussex. ...

A retreat of the sea, and land reclamation, have taken place on some parts of the coastline, including the Fens, the Somerset Levels and Romney Marsh. Land reclamation is either of two distinct practices. ... The Fens may also refer to the Back Bay Fens, park in Boston, Massachusetts. ... The Somerset Levels (or Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly, but more correctly, called) is a sparsely populated wetland area of central Somerset, England, between the Quantock and Mendip hills, consisting of marine clay levels along the coast, and the inland (often peat based) moors. The total... The Romney Marsh is a sparsely-populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. ...

Islands

In total, it is estimated that the UK is made up of over 1000 small islands, some being natural and some being man-made crannogs, which were built in past times using stone and wood and which were enlarged by natural waste building up over time. A crannog is the name given in Scotland and Ireland to an artificial island or natural island, used for a settlement and usually linked to shore with a timber gangway or stone causeway. ...

• Islands of England
  • Lundy
  • Isles of Scilly
  • Isle of Wight
  • Farne Islands
  • Lindisfarne
  • Isle of Portland

• Islands of Scotland
  • Orkney Islands
  • Shetland Islands
  • Inner Hebrides
  • Outer Hebrides
  • Rockall
  • Bass Rock
  • Fair Isle

• Islands of Wales
  • Anglesey
  • Skomer Island
  • Skokholm Island
  • Ramsey Island
  • Bardsey Island
  • Holy Island

• Islands of Northern Ireland
  • Rathlin Island

This is a list of the islands of England, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain, as well as a table of the largest English islands by area. ... The Old Light, Lundy Lundy is an island in the Bristol Channel of Great Britain, administered as part of Torridge district of the English county of Devon. ... The Isles of Scilly (Cornish: Ynysek Syllan) form an archipelago of islands off the Cornish coast. ... The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire. ... The Inner Farne seen from Seahouses harbour The Farne Islands (also referred to less formally as the Farnes) are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. ... Lindisfarne Castle Lindisfarne (Grid reference NU125421, , ), also called Holy Island (variant spelling, Lindesfarne), is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England, which is connected to the mainland of Northumberland by a causeway and is cut off twice a day by tides — something well described by Sir Walter... Chesil Beach from the hill above Fortuneswell, Portland Harbour is on the right. ... This is a list of the islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain, as well as a table of the largest Scottish islands. ... The Orkney Islands, usually called simply Orkney, are one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. ... The Shetland Islands, also called Shetland (archaically spelled Zetland) formerly called Hjaltland, comprise one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ... The Hebrides (Inner Hebrides in red) The Inner Hebrides are a group of islands off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. ... Western Isles redirects here. ... Rockall, a small, isolated rocky islet in the North Atlantic Ocean Rockall is a small, rocky islet in the North Atlantic, in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the United Kingdom. ... Bass Rock from North Berwick. ... West cliffs, looking southwest towards Malcolms Head. ... This is a list of the islands of Wales, the mainland of which is part of Great Britain, as well as a table of the largest Welsh islands by area. ... Anglesey (Welsh: , pronounced (IPA)), is an island and county at the northwestern extremity of north Wales. ... Skomer is an island off south west Pembrokeshire in Wales. ... Skokholm is an uninhabited island off south west Pembrokeshire in Wales, lying south of Skomer. ... Ramsey Island lies one mile offshore of St Davids in Pembrokeshire, Wales. ... Bardsey Island (Welsh: Ynys Enlli) lies off the Lleyn peninsula, in north Wales. ... More than one place has become known or formally named Holy Island. ... This is a list of islands of Ireland. ... Rathlin Islands location Bird sanctuary on Rathlin Island False-colour NASA Landsat image showing Rathlin, the Antrim coast, and Kintyre Rathlin Island, or Reachlainn, in Irish is an island off the coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland, and is the northernmost point of the region. ...

Climate

Main article: Climate of the United Kingdom

The climate of the UK varies, but is generally temperate, though significantly warmer than some other locations at similar latitude, such as central Poland, due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream. In general, the south is warmer and drier than the north. The current climate of the United Kingdom is classified as temperate, with warm summers, cool winters and plentiful precipitation throughout the year. ... In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. ... For the album by Ocean Colour Scene, see North Atlantic Drift (album) The Gulf Stream is orange and yellow in this representation of water temperatures of the Atlantic. ...

The prevailing winds are southwesterly, from the North Atlantic Current. More than 50% of the days are overcast. There are few natural hazards, although there can be strong winds and floods, especially in winter. The North Atlantic current is a powerful warm ocean current that continues the Gulf Stream northeast. ...

Average annual rainfall varies from over 3,000 mm (120 inches) in the Scottish Highlands down to 553 mm (21.8 in) in Cambridge. The county of Essex is one of the driest in the UK, with an average annual rainfall of around 600 mm (24 inches), although it typically rains on over 100 days per year. In some years rainfall in Essex can be below 450 mm (18 inches), less than the average annual rainfall in Jerusalem and Beirut. A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... Shown within Cambridgeshire Geography Status City (1951) Region East of England Admin. ... This article is about the county of Essex in England. ... Jerusalem (Hebrew:  , Yerushaláyim or Yerushalaim; Arabic:  , al-Quds (the Holy); official Arabic in Israel: أورشليم القدس, Urshalim-al-Quds (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names) is the capital and largest city[1] of the State of Israel with a population of 724,000 (as of May 24, 2006[2... For other uses, see Beirut (disambiguation). ...

The highest temperature recorded in the UK was 38.5 °C at Brogdale, near Faversham, in the county of Kent, on August 10, 2003. The lowest was -27.2 °C recorded at Braemar in the Grampian Mountains, Scotland, on February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982 and Altnaharra, also in Scotland, on December 30, 1995. Brogdale is a hamlet in Kent, England, located beside the M2 motorway two miles south of Faversham. ... Faversham is a town in Kent, England, in the district of Swale, roughly halfway between Sittingbourne and Canterbury. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Braemar (Scottish Gaelic, Baile a Chaisteil Bhràigh Mhàrr) is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around 58 miles west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. ... The Grampian Mountains or Grampians are one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Altnaharra (Ordnance Survey grid reference NC567352) is a small hamlet in Sutherland in the Highland region of northern Scotland. ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Human geography

The United Kingdom is divided into four parts: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Image File history File links Uk-map. ... Image File history File links Uk-map. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq... Motto: (French for God and my right)2 Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (De facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (De facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, NI Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in...

Political geography

Main article: Politics of the United Kingdom Politics of the United Kingdom take place in the framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic monarchy, in which the Prime Minister is the head of government. ...

National government

The UK is governed as a whole by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ...

The UK is divided into four areas: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Each of these has its own brand of government: Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq... Motto: (French for God and my right)2 Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (De facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (De facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, NI Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in...

• Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland Assembly (suspended but currently meeting as a "Virtual Assembly")
• Scotland - Scottish Parliament
• Wales - Welsh Assembly
• England - None overall - the current Labour government has stated that it believes England too large to host a single Assembly. Proposals for elected Regional Assemblies in England seem unlikely to progress in the short term following the rejection of an Assembly for the North East England in a referendum. See Government of England.

The UK (specifically, Northern Ireland) has an international land boundary with the Republic of Ireland of 360 km. There is also a boundary between the jurisdiction of France and of the UK on the Channel Tunnel. The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly is a six flowered linen or flax plant, chosen for the plants historical economic importance to the region. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly is a six flowered linen or flax plant, chosen for the plants historical economic importance to the region. ... The Scottish Parliaments logo in English and Gaelic. ... The National Assembly for Wales (or NAW) (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in 1998, following a 1997 referendum in which a small majority of voters (but not the electorate) voted in favour of the Labour Governments plans for devolution. ... Regional Assembly is a title which has universally been adopted by the English bodies established as regional chambers under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. ... North East England is one of the regions of England. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... There has not been a government of England since 1707. ...

Local government

Main article: Local government of the United Kingdom The subdivisions of the United Kingdom: Countries The United Kingdom is divided into four entities — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. ...

Each part of the UK is subdivided in further local governmental regions:

• England: Unitary Authorities, county councils, district councils, parish councils
• Wales: Principal areas, communities
• Scotland: Council areas, communities
• Northern Ireland: Districts

Historically the UK was divided into traditional counties or shires: administrative areas through which all civil responsibilities of the government were passed. There are eighty six traditional counties across the whole of the UK. Each county or shire had a county town as its administrative centre and was divided into individual parishes that were defined along ecclesiastic boundaries. A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... A parish council is a council of members of a particular parish or religious community who have a responsibility to administrate the affairs of that community. ... For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authorities. ... Community councils (CCs) are the most local official representative bodies in Scotland and Wales. ... For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as Council Areas which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as Councils. They have been in use since April 1, 1996, under the provisions of the Local Government etc. ... Community councils (CCs) are the most local official representative bodies in Scotland and Wales. ... Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes. ... The British Isles are divided into the following traditional counties (also vice counties or historic counties). ... A shire is an administrative area of Great Britain and Australia. ... Look up Civil in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The word Civil is derived from the Latin word civilis, from civis (citizen). Used as an adjective, it may describe several fields, concepts, and people: Civil death Civil defense Civil disobedience Civil engineering Civil law Civil liberties Civil libertarianism Civil marriage Civil... The British Isles are divided into the following traditional counties (also vice counties or historic counties). ... A county town is the capital of a county in Ireland or the United Kingdom. ... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... This article is about the Christian buildings of worship. ...

Between 1889 (1890 in Scotland) and 1974, the political boundaries were based on the traditional counties, but due to changes in population centres, the traditional counties became impractical as local government areas in certain highly urbanised areas. The Local Government Act 1972 created a new system of administrative counties, designed to take account of the widely differing populations across different parts of the country. 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c. ...

In the 1990s further population growth led to more political changes on a local level. Unitary authorities were formed across the entire of Scotland and Wales, and in larger cities in England. Many unpopular administrative counties were also abolished at this time, leading to a mixture of two-tier and single-purpose authorities. Further reorganisations are planned if and when regional assemblies in England are revisited in the future. See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from the very late 1980s and from 2000 and beyond. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... Chicago from the air. ...

SEX

Economic geography

Main article: Economic geography of the United Kingdom A lump of coal, surrounded by fish Halford John Mackinder, Britain and the British Seas, 1904 The Economic geography of the United Kingdom as well as reflecting its position in the current economic league tables, also reflects its long history as a trading nation and as a imperial power. ...

The economic geography of the UK reflects not only its current position in the global economy, but its long history both as a trading nation and an imperial power. The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ...

The UK led the industrial revolution and its highly urban character is a legacy of this, with all its major cities being current or former centres of all forms of manufacturing. However, this in turn was built on its exploitation of natural resources, especially coal and iron ore. A Watt steam engine in Madrid. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ... This heap of iron ore pellets will be used in steel production. ...

Primary industry

The UK's primary industry was once dominated by the coal industry, heavily concentrated in the north, the Midlands and south Wales. This is all but gone and the major primary industry is North Sea oil. Its activity is concentrated on the UK Continental Shelf to the north-east of Scotland. Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ... In general, the midlands of a territory are its central regions. ... Approximate extent of South Wales South Wales (Welsh: ) is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. ... North Sea Oil Platforms North Sea oil refers to oil and natural gas (hydrocarbons) produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1. ...

Manufacturing

At one time or another virtually every product that can be imagined has been made in the UK. In particular its heavy manufacturing drove the industrial revolution. A map of the major UK cities gives a good picture of where this activity occurred, in particular Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Manchester is a major city in North West England, historically notable for being the worlds first industrialised city, and its subsequent central role in the Industrial Revolution. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ...

Today there is no heavy manufacturing industry in which UK-based firms can be considered world leaders. However, the Midlands in particular remains a strong manufacturing centre. In general, the midlands of a territory are its central regions. ...

More recently, high technology firms have concentrated largely along the M4 motorway, partly because of access to Heathrow Airport, but also because of agglomeration economies. The M4 motorway is a motorway in England and Wales linking London and west Wales via Bristol. ... London Heathrow Airport (IATA airport code: LHR, ICAO airport code: EGLL, and often simply Heathrow) is the United Kingdoms busiest and best-connected airport. ...

Finance and services

Once, every great city had a stock exchange. Now, the UK financial industry is concentrated overwhelmingly in the City of London and Canary Wharf, with back office and administrative operations often dispersed around the south of England. London is one of the world's great financial centres and is usually referred to as a world city. Coat of arms The City of London is a small area in Greater London. ... HSBC Tower (left), One Canada Square (centre), Citigroup Centre (right) Canary Wharf in Tower Hamlets, London, England, is a large business development on the Isle of Dogs, centred on the old West India Docks in the London Docklands. ... London New York City Paris Tokyo A global city (also known as a world city or world-class city) is a city with a somewhat subjective set of traits, some of which are listed below. ...

Regional disparity

The combined effect of changing economic fortune has created the so-called North-South divide, in which decaying industrial areas of the north of England contrast with the wealthy, finance and technology led southern economy. In the United Kingdom the term North-South divide refers to an economic and cultural divide between the relatively wealthy South East of England and the less affluent industrial areas of Scotland, Wales and Northern England. ...

This has led successive governments to develop regional policy to try and rectify the imbalance. Regional policy is the means by which governments and international organisations seek to reduce spatial disparities in economic well being. ...

This is not to say that the south is uniformly wealthy: some of the worst pockets of deprivation can be found in London, especially east London.

Natural resources

Main article: Economy of the United Kingdom The United Kingdom has the fifth largest economy in the world in terms of market exchange rates and the sixth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates, while showing a high level of income inequality (Gini index), and the highest poverty rate amongst the large economies. ...

Historically, much of the United Kingdom was forested. Since prehistoric times, man has deforested much of the United Kingdom. Eucalyptus Forest at Swifts Creek in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forest land use such as arable land, urban use, logged area or wasteland. ...

Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanised, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labour force. It contributes around 2% of GDP. Around two thirds of production is devoted to livestock, one third to arable crops. Intensive agriculture is an agricultural production system characterized by the significant use of inputs, and seeking to maximize the production. ... Mechanization refers to the use of powered machinery to help a human operator in some task. ... World map showing Europe Political map (neighbouring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... In geography, arable land is a form of agricultural land use, meaning land that can be (and is) used for growing crops. ...

In 1993, it was estimated that land use was: Land use is the pattern of construction and activity land is used for. ...

• Arable land: 25 %
• Permanent crops: 0 %
• Permanent pastures: 46 %
• Forests and Woodland: 12 %
• Other: 17 %
• Irrigated: 1,080 km²

The UK has a variety of natural resources including: To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Eucalyptus Forest at Swifts Creek in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. ... Limber Pine woodland, Toiyabe Range, central Nevada Biologically, a woodland is differentiated from a forest. ... High-altitude aerial view of irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara ( ) Irrigation is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops or plants. ...

• Geological: coal, petroleum, natural gas, limestone, chalk, gypsum,silica, rock salt, china clay, iron ore, tin, silver, gold, lead.
• Agricultural: arable land, wheat, barley, hill farms, sheep

The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Due to the island location of the UK, the country has great potential for generating electricity from wave power and tidal power, although these have not yet been exploited on a commercial basis. Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... Natural gas is commonly referred to as gas. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... The Needles, part of the extensive Southern England Chalk Formation. ... Gypsum is a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. // [edit] Chemical structure Heating gypsum to between 100°C and 150°C (302°F) partially dehydrates the mineral by driving off exactly 75% of the water contained in its chemical structure. ... The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is the oxide of silicon, chemical formula SiO2. ... Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with formula NaCl. ... Kaolin Kaolinite (Aluminium Silicate Hydroxide) Kaolinite is a mineral with the chemical composition Al2Si2O5(OH)4. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Atomic mass 118. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish white Atomic mass 207. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Species T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat (Triticum spp. ... Binomial name Hordeum vulgare L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family Poaceae. ... Binomial name Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758 The domestic sheep (Ovis aries), the most common species of the sheep genus (Ovis), is a woolly ruminant quadruped which probably descends from the wild mouflon of south-central and south-west Asia. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ... Natural gas is commonly referred to as gas. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... A developed country is a country that has achieved (currently or historically) a high degree of industrialization, and which enjoys the higher standards of living which wealth and technology make possible. ... Wave power refers to the energy of ocean surface waves and the capture of that energy to do useful work - including electricity generation, desalination, and the pumping of water (into reservoirs). ... Tidal power is a means of electricity generation achieved by capturing the energy contained in moving water mass due to tides. ...

Environment

Current issues

The United Kingdom is reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5 % reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target of a 20 % cut in emissions by 2010. By 2005, the government aims to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85 % of 1998 levels and to recycle or compost at least 25 % of household waste, increasing to 33 % by 2015. Between 1998-99 and 1999-2000, household recycling increased from 8.8 % to 10.3 %. A greenhouse in Saint Paul, Minnesota. ... Kyoto Protocol Opened for signature December 11, 1997 in Kyoto, Japan Entered into force February 16, 2005. ... This article is about the year. ... For the film, see 2010: The Year We Make Contact. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 2015 (MMXV) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Old Farts by the Sometimes-United Nations. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

International agreements

The United Kingdom is a party to many international agreements, including: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands and Whaling. The term nitrogen oxide is a general term and can be used to refer to any of these oxides (oxygen compounds) of nitrogen, or to a mixture of them: Nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen(II) oxide Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Dinitrogen monoxide (N2O) (Nitrous oxide) Dinitrogen trioxide (N2O3) Dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) Dinitrogen... General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, also known as the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. ... The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. ... The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. ... For the Antarctic Treaty from the Gundam anime, see Antarctic Treaty (Gundam) The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate the international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earths only uninhabited continent. ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of life. ... UNFCCC logo. ... Ship stranded by the retreat of the Aral Sea Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors including climatic variations, but primarily human activities. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ... The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch. ...

The UK has signed, but not ratified, the international agreement on Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants.

See also

• Conservation in the United Kingdom
• British overseas territories
• Extreme points of the United Kingdom
• Geography of Scotland
• Geography of Ireland
• Geography of Europe
• List of caves in the United Kingdom
• List of places in the United Kingdom
• List of United Kingdom-related topics
• List of conurbations in the United Kingdom
• City status in the United Kingdom
• Towns of the United Kingdom
• Transport in the United Kingdom
• Category:Geography of the United Kingdom

This page gives an overview of the complex structure of environmental and cultural conservation in the United Kingdom. ... Location of the British overseas territories (British Antarctic Territory and Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus not shown) A BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY is one of 14 (as of 2006) territories which are under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but not considered part of the United Kingdom itself. ... This is a list of the extreme points of the United Kingdom: the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location. ... Map of Scotland Although Scotland is a relatively small country, with a land area of 78 772 km², its geography is highly varied, from the rural lowlands, to the barren highlands, and from large cities to uninhabited islands. ... Ireland is sometimes known as the Emerald Isle because of its green scenery. ... Geographically Europe is a part of the larger landmass known as Eurasia. ... This is a list of caves in the United Kingdom, and information on the largest and deepest caves in the UK. The deepest cave in the UK is Ogof Ffynnon Ddu in Wales, 308 metres deep and containing around 50 km of passageways. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England List of burghs in Scotland List of towns in Wales List of towns in Northern Ireland Lists of places List of places in England List of places in Northern Ireland List of places in Scotland List of places... This is a list of topics related to the United Kingdom. ... A conurbation is formed when towns expand sufficiently that their urban areas join up with each other. ... Historically, city status was associated with the presence of a cathedral, such as York Minster. ... In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a town is any settlement which has received a charter of incorporation, more commonly known as a town charter, approved by the monarch. ... The transport system in the United Kingdom is well developed. ...

References

• CIA Factbook
• UK Government Statistics

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Geography of the United Kingdom

• UK climate averages provided by the Meteorological Office
• Ordnance Survey geofacts page