United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of
continental Europe. With a total area of approximately 248,532 square kilometres (95,960 sq
mi), the UK occupies the major part of the British Isles archipelago and includes the island of
Great Britain, the north-eastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland and many smaller
surrounding islands. It is the world's 7th largest island country. 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 Observatory, Greenwich, in south-east London, is the defining point
of the Prime Meridian.
The UK lies between the North Atlantic and the North Sea, and comes within 35 km (22 mi)
of the north-west coast of France, from which it is separated by the English Channel. It shares
a 499 km international land boundary with the Republic of Ireland. The Channel Tunnel
bored beneath the English Channel now links the UK with France.
The British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are covered in their own
respective articles, see below.
Area
The total area of the United Kingdom according to the Office for National Statistics is
248,532 square kilometres (95,960 sq mi), comprising the island of Great Britain, the
northeastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland) and many smaller islands.
This makes it the 7th largest island country in the world.[2] England is the largest country of
the United Kingdom, at 132,938 square kilometres (51,330 sq mi) accounting for just over
half the total area of the UK. Scotland at 80,239 square kilometres (30,980 sq mi), is second
largest, accounting for about a third of the area of the UK. Wales and Northern Ireland are
much smaller, covering 21,225 and 14,130 square kilometres (8,200 and 5,460 sq mi)
respectively.

The area of the countries of the United Kingdom is set out in the table below. Information
about the area of England, the largest country, is also broken down by region.

Physical geography

UK's topography
The physical geography of the UK varies greatly. England consists of mostly lowland terrain,
with upland or mountainous terrain only found north-west of the Tees-Exe line. The upland
areas include the Lake District, the Pennines, North York Moors, Exmoor and Dartmoor. The
lowland areas are typically traversed by ranges of low hills, frequently composed of chalk,
and flat plains. Scotland is the most mountainous country in the UK and its physical
geography is distinguished by the Highland Boundary Fault which traverses the Scottish
mainland from Helensburgh to Stonehaven. The faultline separates the two distinctively
different regions of the Highlands to the north and west, and the Lowlands to the south and
east. The Highlands are predominantly mountainous, containing the majority of Scotland's
mountainous landscape, while the Lowlands contain flatter land, especially across the Central
Lowlands, with upland and mountainous terrain located at the Southern Uplands. Wales is
mostly mountainous, though south Wales is less mountainous than north and mid Wales.
Northern Ireland consists of mostly hilly landscape and its geography includes the Mourne
Mountains as well as Lough Neagh, at 388 square kilometres (150 sq mi), the largest body of
water in the UK.

The overall geomorphology of the UK was shaped by a combination of forces including

tectonics and climate change, in particular glaciation in northern and western areas.

The tallest mountain in the UK (and British Isles) is Ben Nevis, in the Grampian Mountains,
Scotland. The longest river is the River Severn which flows from Wales into England. The
largest lake by surface area is Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland, though Scotland's Loch Ness
has the largest volume.

Physical Geography
See also: Geology of Great Britain and Geology of Ireland
The geology of the UK is complex and diverse, a result of it being subject to a variety of plate
tectonic processes over a very extended period of time. Changing latitude and sea levels have
been important factors in the nature of sedimentary sequences, whilst successive continental
collisions have affected its geological structure with major faulting and folding being a
legacy of each orogeny (mountain-building period), often associated with volcanic activity
and the metamorphism of existing rock sequences. As a result of this eventful geological
history, the UK shows a rich variety of landscapes.

Precambrian
The oldest rocks in the British Isles are the Lewisian gneisses, metamorphic rocks found in
the far north-west of Scotland and in the Hebrides (with a few small outcrops elsewhere),
which date from at least 2,700 Ma (Ma = million years ago). South and east of the gneisses
are a complex mixture of rocks forming the North West Highlands and Grampian Highlands
in Scotland. These are essentially the remains of folded sedimentary rocks that were
deposited between 1,000 Ma and 670 Ma over the gneiss on what was then the floor of the
Iapetus Ocean.
Palaeozoic
At 520 Ma, what is now Great Britain was split between two continents; the north of Scotland
was located on the continent of Laurentia at about 20° south of the equator, while the rest of
the country was on the continent of Gondwana near the Antarctic Circle. In Gondwana,
England and Wales were largely submerged under a shallow sea studded with volcanic
islands. The remains of these islands underlie much of central England with small outcrops
visible in many places.

About 500 Ma southern Britain, the east coast of North America and south-east
Newfoundland broke away from Gondwana to form the continent of Avalonia, which by 440
Ma had drifted to about 30° south. During this period north Wales was subject to volcanic
activity. The remains of these volcanoes are still visible, one example of which is Rhobell
Fawr dating from 510 Ma. Large quantities of volcanic lava and ash known as the
Borrowdale Volcanics covered the Lake District and this can still be seen in the form of
mountains such as Helvellyn and Scafell Pike.

Between 425 and 400 Ma Avalonia had joined with the continent of Baltica, and the
combined landmass collided with Laurentia at about 20° south, joining the southern and
northern halves of Great Britain together. The resulting Caledonian Orogeny produced an
Alpine-style mountain range in much of north and west Britain.

The collision between continents continued during the Devonian period, producing uplift and
subsequent erosion, resulting in the deposition of numerous sedimentary rock layers in
lowlands and seas. The Old Red Sandstone and the contemporary volcanics and marine
sediments found in Devon originated from these processes.

Around 360 Ma Great Britain was lying at the equator, covered by the warm shallow waters
of the Rheic Ocean, during which time the Carboniferous Limestone was deposited, as found
in the Mendip Hills and the Peak District of Derbyshire. Later, river deltas formed and the
sediments deposited were colonised by swamps and rain forest. It was in this environment
that the Coal Measures were formed, the source of the majority of Britain's extensive coal
reserves.

Around 280 Ma the Variscan orogeny mountain-building period occurred, again due to
collision of continental plates, causing major deformation in south-west England. The general
region of Variscan folding was south of an east–west line roughly from south Pembrokeshire
to Kent. Towards the end of this period granite was formed beneath the overlying rocks of
Devon and Cornwall, now exposed at Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor.
By the end of the Carboniferous period the various continents of the Earth had fused to form
the super-continent of Pangaea. Britain was located in the interior of Pangea where it was
subject to a hot arid desert climate with frequent flash floods leaving deposits that formed
beds of red sedimentary rock.

Mesozoic
As Pangaea drifted during the Triassic, Great Britain moved away from the equator until it
was between 20° and 30° north. The remnants of the Variscan uplands in France to the south
were eroded down, resulting in layers of the New Red Sandstone being deposited across
central England.

Pangaea began to break up at the start of the Jurassic period. Sea levels rose and Britain
drifted on the Eurasian Plate to between 31° and 40° north. Much of Britain was under water
again, and sedimentary rocks were deposited and can now be found underlying much of
England from the Cleveland Hills of Yorkshire to the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. These include
sandstones, greensands, oolitic limestone of the Cotswold Hills, corallian limestone of the
Vale of White Horse and the Isle of Portland. The burial of algae and bacteria below the mud
of the seafloor during this time resulted in the formation of North Sea oil and natural gas

1815 Geological by William Smith.

The modern continents having formed, the Cretaceous saw the formation of the Atlantic
Ocean, gradually separating northern Scotland from North America. The land underwent a
series of uplifts to form a fertile plain. After 20 million years or so, the seas started to flood
the land again until much of Britain was again below the sea, though sea levels frequently
changed. Chalk and flints were deposited over much of Great Britain, now notably exposed at
the White Cliffs of Dover and the Seven Sisters, and also forming Salisbury Plain.

Cenozoic
Between 63 and 52 Ma, the last volcanic rocks in Great Britain were formed. The major
eruptions at this time produced the Antrim Plateau, the basaltic columns of the Giant's
Causeway and Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel.

The Alpine Orogeny that took place in Europe about 50 Ma, was responsible for the folding
of strata in southern England, producing the London Basin syncline, the Weald-Artois
Anticline to the south, the North Downs, South Downs and Chiltern Hills.
During the period the North Sea formed, Britain was uplifted. Some of this uplift was along
old lines of weakness left from the Caledonian and Variscan Orogenies long before. The
uplifted areas were then eroded, and further sediments, such as the London Clay, were
deposited over southern England.

The major changes during the last 2 million years were brought about by several recent ice
ages. The most severe was the Anglian Glaciation, with ice up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) thick that
reached as far south as London and Bristol. This took place between about 478,000 to
424,000 years ago, and was responsible for the diversion of the River Thames onto its present
course. During the most recent Devensian glaciation, which ended a mere 10,000 years ago,
the icesheet reached south to Wolverhampton and Cardiff. Among the features left behind by
the ice are the fjords of the west coast of Scotland, the U-shaped valleys of the Lake District
and erratics (blocks of rock) that have been transported from the Oslo region of Norway and
deposited on the coast of Yorkshire.

Amongst the most significant geological features created during the last twelve thousand
years are the peat deposits of Scotland, and of coastal and upland areas of England and
Wales.

At the present time Scotland is continuing to rise as a result of the weight of Devensian ice
being lifted. Southern and eastern England is sinking, generally estimated at 1 mm (1/25
inch) per year, with the London area sinking at double the speed partly due to the continuing
compaction of the recent clay deposits.

Mountains and hills

At 1,345 metres, Ben Nevis is the highest peak in the UK.

Main article: List of mountains and hills 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:

Scotland: Ben Nevis, 1,345 metres

Wales: Snowdon (Snowdonia), 1,085 metres
England: Scafell Pike (Cumbrian Mountains), 978 metres
Northern Ireland: Slieve Donard (Mourne Mountains), 852 metres
The ranges of mountains and hills in the UK include:
Scotland: Cairngorms, Scottish Highlands, Southern Uplands, Grampian Mountains,
Monadhliath Mountains, Ochil Hills, Campsie Fells, Cuillin
Wales: Brecon Beacons, Cambrian Mountains, Snowdonia, Black Mountains, Preseli Hills
England: Cheviot Hills, Chilterns, Cotswolds, Dartmoor, Lincolnshire Wolds, Exmoor, Lake
District, Malvern Hills, Mendip Hills, North Downs, Peak District, Pennines, South Downs,
Shropshire Hills, Yorkshire Wolds
Northern Ireland: Mourne Mountains, 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 metres below sea level.

Rivers and lakes

Main articles
List of lakes and lochs in the United Kingdom;
List of rivers of the United Kingdom;
List of waterfalls of the United Kingdom.
The longest river in the UK is the River Severn (220 mi; 350 km) which flows through both
Wales and England.

The longest rivers in the UK contained wholly within each of its constituent nations are:

England: River Thames (215 mi; 346 km)

Scotland: River Tay (117 mi; 188 km)
N. Ireland: River Bann (76 mi; 122 km)
Wales: River Tywi (64 mi; 103 km)
The largest lakes (by surface area) in the UK by country are:

N. Ireland: Lough Neagh (147.39 sq mi; 381.7 km2)

Scotland: Loch Lomond (27.46 sq mi; 71.1 km2)
England: Windermere (5.69 sq mi; 14.7 km2)
Wales: Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake) (1.87 sq mi; 4.8 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 achieves a
depth of 79 metres (259 feet).

Loch Ness is the UK's largest lake in terms of volume.

Artificial waterways
Main articles: Waterways in the United Kingdom, Canals of Great Britain, Dams and
reservoirs in 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.

Coastline
Main article: Coastline of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom maritime claims

The UK has a coastline which measures about 12,429 km.[14] The heavy indentation of the
coastline helps to ensure that no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters.

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 nmi (370.4
km; 230.2 mi), and territorial sea of 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi).

The UK has an Exclusive Economic Zone of 773,676 km2 (298,718 sq mi) in Europe.
However, if all crown dependencies and overseas territories are included then the total EEZ is
6,805,586 km2 (2,627,651 sq mi) which is the 6th largest in the world.

Inlets
Cardigan Bay
Lyme Bay
Bristol Channel
Thames Estuary
Morecambe Bay
Solway Firth
The Wash
Humber Estuary
Firth of Forth
Firth of Tay
Moray Firth
Firth of Clyde
Firth of Lorn
Headlands
The geology of the United Kingdom is such that there are many headlands along its coast. A
list of headlands of the United Kingdom details many of them.

Islands
Main article: List of islands of the United Kingdom
In total, it is estimated that the UK is made up of over one thousand small islands, the
majority located off the north and west coasts of Scotland. About 130 of these are inhabited
according to the 2001 Census.

The largest island in the UK is Great Britain. The largest islands by constituent country are
Lewis and Harris in Scotland (841 square mi), Wales' Anglesey (276 square mi), the Isle of
Wight in England (147.09 square mi), and Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland (roughly 6
square mi);

Climate
Main article: Climate of the United Kingdom
The climate of the UK is generally temperate, although significant local variation occurs,
particularly as a result of altitude and distance from the coast. In general the south of the
country is warmer than the north, and the west wetter than the east. Due to the warming
influence of the Gulf Stream, the UK is significantly warmer than some other locations at a
similar latitude, such as Newfoundland.
The prevailing winds are southwesterly, from the North Atlantic Current. More than 50% of
the days are overcast.[15] There are few natural hazards, although there can be strong winds
and floods, especially in winter.

Average annual rainfall varies from over 3,000 mm (118.1 in) 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 (23.6 in), although it typically rains on over 100
days per year. In some years rainfall in Essex can be below 450 mm (17.7 in), less than the
average annual rainfall in Jerusalem and Beirut.

The highest temperature recorded in the UK was 38.7 °C (101.7 °F) at the Cambridge
University Botanic Garden in Cambridge, on 25 July 2019.[16] The lowest was −27.2 °C
(−17.0 °F) recorded at Braemar in the Grampian Mountains, Scotland, on 11 February 1895
and 10 January 1982 and Altnaharra, also in Scotland, on 30 December 1995.