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Topography
UNIT 3 Climate
AN OVERVIEW Icons & Symbols
OF ENGLAND London
Lead-in
" What are some of the typical things often
associated with England?
# How big is England in comparison with
other parts in Britain?
$ Name some English cities you know.
Two cities where two of the most famous
universities in the world are located are:

__ __ __ __ __ __ and __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Main text

E
ngland (Latin Anglia), political division of the island of Great Britain, the principal
division of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The English
Channel runs along England's southern border, and the North Sea forms England's
eastern border. Wales and the Irish Sea border England to the West. Scotland runs along
England's northwestern borders. Established as an independent monarchy many centuries
ago, England in time achieved political control over the rest of the island, all the British
Isles, and vast sections of the world, becoming the nucleus of one of the greatest empires in
history. The capital, largest city, and chief port of England is London.
As for English identity, most people who describe themselves as English usually make no
distinction in their minds between ‘English’ and ‘British’. There is plenty evidence of this.
For example, at international football or rugby matches, when the players stand to attention
to hear their national anthems, the Scottish, Irish and Welsh have their own songs, while the
English one is just ‘God Save the Queen’ – the same as the British national anthem.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF ENGLAND

Topography
England covers over 130,423 sq km and is the largest of the countries comprising the island

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of Britain, covering about two-thirds of the island. Overall, England can be divided into two
major regions: the highland zone of hills and mountains in the north and west and the
lowland zone of rolling plains in the south and east.
The parts of England in the highland zone include the Pennine Chain of mountains,
extending down into northern England and into the southwestern peninsula. The Pennine
Chain is sometimes called the backbone of England. It is a massive upland area extending
160 miles (260 km) north to south, starting at the Cheviot Hills on England’s border with
Scotland and ending in the Midlands of central England. It is made up of several broad,
rolling, windswept moorlands separated by deep river valleys. Many of England’s major
industrial areas lie on the flanks of the Pennine Chain, where there are many coalfields. To
the west of the northern Pennines are the Cumbrian Mountains, a mountainous dome of
ancient rocks deeply eroded by glaciers. This region contains the Lake District, famous for
its lakes and scenic beauty. The highest elevations of England are in Cumbria and the Lake
District. Scafell Pike, 978m, part of the Cumbrian Mountains, is the highest point in
England. The part of the highland zone in England’s southwest peninsula is often referred to
as the West Country. This peninsula, which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, contains the
counties of Devon and Cornwall. It features hilly, rough areas, the moorland plateaus of
Dartmoor and Exmoor, and many picturesque valleys. Its sheltered areas are noted for their
mild climate. Generally, the Highland is cooler than the Lowland, and gets more rainfall and
less sunlight. In many places in the Highlands it’s impossible to farm. The soil is often too
thin and stony, with hard rock formation below the ground.

Quick facts: ENGLAND

Area 130,423 sq km
Population 49,181,000 (2004 est)
Population 337 persons per sq km
density (2001 est)
Capital city London
Major cities Birmingham, Leeds,
Liverpool, Manchester,
Sheffield
Official language English
Currency Pound Sterling (£)
Highest point Scafell Pike (978 m)
Longest river The Thames (346 km)
Largest lake Windermere (14.7 sq km)

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The lowland zone contains mostly rolling plains. It receives less rain and more sunshine than
the highland zone and much of the soil in the zone is fertile. Most of the lowland region is
less than 150 m (500 ft) above sea level, and the hills rarely reach more than 300 m (1,000
ft) above sea level. It has been extensively inhabited, farmed, and grazed for thousands of
years. Most of Britain’s population lives densely packed into the lowland zone, which covers
most of England. The metropolis of London and most of Britain’s large cities are located in
the lowland zone. The flattest lands in the lowland zone are in the east, particularly on the
large, hump-shaped area called East Anglia.

Climate
The overall climate in England is called temperate maritime. This means that it is mild with
temperatures not much lower than 00C in winter and not much higher than 320C in summer.
It also means that it is damp and is subject to frequent changes.
England has four seasons
• Spring - March to May
• Summer - June to August
• Autumn - September to November
• Winter - December to February
In winter, the temperature drops below
freezing point. It is cold, wet and windy
and it sometimes snows between
December and March. However, the
temperatures rarely get much below 00C.
Around the coasts February is normally
the coldest month, but inland there is little
to choose between January and February
as the coldest month.
In summer, it can be as hot as 320C but
mostly the temperature only reaches 260C.
The average high in London from June
through August is around 210C and the
average low is around 120C. July is
normally the warmest month in England.
Probably the best months to travel in
England are May, June, September and
October. These months generally have the
most pleasant temperatures and less rain.

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July and August are the warmest months, but they are also the wettest.
Precipitation averages about 76 cm (about 30 in) annually in most of England. The Lake
District is England's wettest region, receiving and average of 330 cm of precipitation each
year. The western and northern hills receive about 102 cm of rain, while the east coast
receives about 51 cm. Fogs, mists, and overcast skies are frequent, particularly in the
Pennine and inland regions.
As it can be observed, different parts of England have different types of weather. Variations
in the weather can be significant even within a relatively short geographical distance.
Temperatures in the north of England tend to be lower than in the south. The further south
you go the warmer it gets. Northeast England is the coolest in the country. It is relatively dry
all year. Northwest England has cool summers, mild winters, and heavy rain. Southern
England offers the best weather with mild winters. The south coast of England is the
sunniest part of the country. The southeast has more temperature variations with warmer
summers and cooler winters. In the southwest, it rains all year especially winter.

ICONS & SYMBOLS OF ENGLAND

River Thames
River Thames is the most important
river in southern England. It rises in
four headstreams—the Isis, the Churn,
the Colne, and the Leach—on the
southeastern slope of the Cotswold
Hills, in Gloucestershire, near
Cheltenham. The Thames is the main
source of the water supply of London.
The part of the river immediately
below London Bridge is called the
Pool, and the part between the bridge
and Blackwall is called the Port.
Big Ben
Big Ben is the great bell in the clock
tower on the eastern end of the Houses
of Parliament in London. The booming
13.5-ton bell first rang out in 1859. Officially Big Ben is only the name of the biggest of the
five bells in the clock tower also known as St Stephen's Tower.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey is the most famous church in Great Britain, enshrining many of the
traditions of the British people. Located in London and officially known as the Collegiate
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Church of Saint Peter in Westminster, it was built in stages between the 11th and 19th
centuries. The tombs of famous citizens—among them the poet Geoffrey Chaucer, the
physicist Isaac Newton, and the naturalist Charles Darwin—are located in the main church
of the abbey. The abbey also contains monuments to prominent political figures and, in the
four bays and aisles comprising the Poets' Corner, tributes to Shakespeare and other
outstanding literary personages.
Houses of Parliament
Houses of Parliament, also New Palace of Westminster, is the seat of the British legislature,
a great mass of buildings on the east bank of the Thames River in London. It was built
(1840-60) after plans by Sir Charles Barry, on the site of the medieval royal residence, the
Palace of Westminster, which was largely destroyed by fire in 1834. The buildings cover an
area of more than 3 hectares (8 acres) and contain 1100 apartments, 100 staircases, and 11
courts.
Bobbies
Bobby (nickname for policeman) is named after Sir Robert Peel, the politician who created
London's police force in the 19th century. Bobby is a familiar form of 'Robert'.
Double-decker buses
Double-decker buses can be seen all over Britain but only red ones are seen in London.
Buses in London are not as popular as the Tube because they get stuck in traffic. London
traffic now moves at an average of 6 miles per
hours, the same speed as when there were
horse-drawn carriages.
The Rose
The national flower of England is the rose. The flower has been adopted as England’s
emblem since the time of the Wars of the Roses – civil wars (1455-1485) between the royal
house of Lancaster (whose emblem was a red rose) and the royal house of York (whose
emblem was a white rose).
The Oak
The oak is sometimes depicted as the traditional tree of England,
partly for its connotation of strength and endurance, and partly
for its royal associations. Not only is it regarded as the ‘monarch
of the forest’ but it also has specific historic links with
individual English kings.
Cricket
Cricket has been played since the 1500’s. It is considered the
national game of England not in terms of its popularity- interest
in it is confined mainly to the middle classes- but in a symbolic

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sense. Cricket symbolizes a slow and peaceful rural life. Cricket is also quite popular in
countries that were formerly British colonies, such as India, Canada, Australia, and Pakistan.
Lake District
Lake District is the geographic term which refers to the region of mountains and lakes in
northwestern England. Here are several lakes, or metres, innumerable mountain tarns6 and
streams, and a series of mountains rising in four points to a height of over 900 m (over 3000
ft). The district extends about 50 km (about 30 mi) from north to south and about 40 km
(about 25 mi) from east to west. It became famous when a group of British poets (including
William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey) made it their home
about the beginning of the 19th century; they were described by unsympathetic critics as the
Lake School of poetry (or Lake Poets). In 1906, 304 hectares (750 acres) on Ullswater were
set apart as a national park. Lake District National Park now incorporates 2243 sq km (866
sq mi) of the region. The area is a popular tourist destination.
Stonehenge
Monuments that are made of great stones, called megaliths, can be found all over the world-
from England to Easter Island. Some megaliths were actually crude and simple structures
that may have served as tombs, or marked burial places. The question remains: who
laboured to transport and build these massive rock structures, and why did they build them?
Stonehenge in southern Britain is one of the most famous and interesting megalithic
monuments. First constructed in 2880 B.C., Stonehenge was used by prehistoric people for
about 1,700 years. Stonehenge consists of a ring of megaliths surrounded by a bank of dirt
and a ditch7. Within this large bank, many holes were dug, also in a circle.
There is no easily understood reason for this pattern. Archaeologists now believe that many
megalithic structures like Stonehenge were burial places, meeting places, temples, and even
stadiums. Stonehenge, however, has something about it that makes it special. At dawn in
midsummer (during the longest day of the year, or summer solstice) the sun shines directly
through a row of stone monuments. This particular row of megaliths divides the circle of
stones directly in half- it is the central axis of Stonehenge. This fact intrigues 8
archaeologists9 because it may show that these early builders knew more of the solar system
and even the universe than the historians had previously thought.
The peculiar10 spacing of the megaliths in a circle also fascinates scholars. Some think that
the builders of Stonehenge used the spacing in the circle to predict solar and lunar eclipses

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6 small lakes among mountains
7 a long channel dug at the side of a field or road to hold or take way water
8 makes somebody very interested and want to know more about something
9scientists who study the cultures of the past, and of periods of history by examining the remains of buildings and objects.!
10 strange, unsual

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by calculating angles of the light. Others theorize that Stonehenge was used to observe the
phases of the moon.

Is it possible that such wise and knowledgeable people lived 4,000 years ago? Were they the
first true astronomers? Scientists may never know the answers to these questions, but the
study of Stonehenge and similar stone monuments continues. Perhaps there is more for
modern society to learn from these seemingly simple and crude structures.

" Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F) based on the above text.
1. Much of the land in England is flat. ___
2. The landscape of England is more rugged in the south and east. ___
3. The surrounding sea gives England a varied climate. ___
4. England’s climate is rarely marked by extremes of heat or cold. ___
5. Temperatures in the north of England tend to be higher than in the south. ___

# Complete the table below with the most prominent characteristics of the Highland
Zone and the Lowland Zone in England.
Highland Zone Lowland Zone
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

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$ What is most special about the following items? Give the definition in the
corresponding right column.
Items Superlative definition
The Thames
January and February
Scafell Pike
July and August
Northeast
South coast of England
Windermere
Lake District

% Find the correct term for each of the following descriptions.

1. The most famous church in England: _________________________________
2. The seat of the British legislature: ____________________________________
3. The most important river in Southern England: _________________________
4. The national flower of England: _____________________________________
5. Nickname for a policeman in England: ________________________________
6. A popular form of transportation: ___________________________________
7. The traditional tree of England: _____________________________________

LONDON
Lead-in
" Compare the area and population
of London with that of Hanoi.
# Among the images of England
mentioned in the overview of
England (pp.51-53), which come
from London?
$ Can you name these London
landmarks?
A. The residence of the royal
family

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B. The cathedral that has the second biggest dome in the world
C. The world’s biggest ferris wheel
% How do you understand the saying “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”?
& Which of the following is NOT associated with London?
A. The Beatles.
B. Prime Meridian.
C. Parks.
D. Theatres.
' What is meant by “metropolitan”, “cosmopolitan”?

Main text

L
ondon is the capital of the United Kingdom. It is situated in southeastern England along
the Thames River. With a population of about 7 million, this vast metropolis is by far
the largest city in Europe, a distinction it has maintained since the 17th century. In the
19th century it was the largest and most influential city in the world, the center of a large and
prosperous overseas empire. London’s metropolitan area extends for more than 48.27 km
(30 mi) at its widest point, covering some 1610 sq km (620 sq mi). It is about seven times
larger than any other city in the country. About one fifth of the total population of the UK
lives in the Greater London area. Two other well-known areas of London are the West End
and the East End. The former is known for its many theatres, cinemas and expensive shops.
The latter is known as the poorer residential area of central London. It is the home of the
Cockney and in the twentieth century large numbers of immigrants have settled here.
There are many other parts of central London which have their own distinctive characters,
and central London itself makes up only a very small part of Greater London. In common
with many other European cities, the population in the central area has decreased in the
second half of the twentieth century. The majority of ‘Londoners’ live in its suburbs,
millions of them travelling into the centre each day to work. These suburbs cover a vast area
of land.
Like many large cities, London is in some ways untypical of the rest of the country in that it
is so cosmopolitan. Although all of Britain’s cities have some degree of cultural and racial
variety, the variety is by far the greatest in London. A survey carried out in the 1980s found
that 137 different languages were spoken in the homes of just one district.
In recent years it has been claimed that London is in decline. It is losing its place as one of
the world’s biggest financial centre and it no longer ranks among the world’s most populous
cities. Nevertheless, its popularity as a tourist destination is still growing. This popularity is
probably the result of its combination of apparently infinite cultural variety and a long
history which has left many visible signs of its richness and drama.

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" Choose the best answer based on the above text.

1. Which of the following statements is FALSE?
A. The majority of London’s population lives in central London.
B. The original walled city of London is now an important financial area.
C. London is Britain’s most cosmopolitan city.
2. According to the text, London___________
A. has lost its popularity as a tourist destination
B. is the most cosmopolitan cities in Britain
C. is the world’s biggest financial centre.
3. One of the evidence to show London’s cultural and racial variety is that_________
A. it is untypical of the rest of the country
B. many different languages were spoken in the homes of one district
C. London is densely populated.
4. The area surrounding the outer suburbs of London is densely populated
because________
A. it is the most developed area in the UK.
B. it has many large cities.
C. many people living there travel into London to work everyday
5. London is situated in the __________ of England.
A. southeast
B. southwest
C. northeast

# Decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F) based on the above text.
1. The West End is where large numbers of immigrants have settled. ___
2. A person who lives in the East End is called a Cockney. ___
3. In the second half of the 20th century, the population in central London has increased
considerably. ___
4. More Londoners live in the suburbs than in the central area. ___
5. In comparison with the rest of the UK, London is most multiracial and multicultural.
___
6. More immigrants live in London than in any other parts of the UK. ___
7. London is the most populous city in the world. ___

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