UK

GEOGRAPHY
AND CITIES
BASIC • UK is island country located off the northwestern coast

FACT of mainland Europe
• The United Kingdom comprises the whole of the island
of Great Britain—which contains England, Wales,

S
and Scotland
• The name Britain is sometimes used to refer to the
United Kingdom as a whole
• Other major cities include Birmingham, Liverpool,
and Manchester in
England, Belfast and Londonderry in Northern Ireland, 
Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland,
and Swansea and Cardiff in Wales.
 LAND
• The United Kingdom comprises four geographic and
historical parts—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern
Ireland.
• Together England, Wales, and Scotland constitute Great
Britain, the larger of the two principal islands, while
Northern Ireland and the republic of Ireland constitute the
second largest island, Ireland
• The UK has a total area of 94,058 square miles (243,610 sq
km)
• At its widest the United Kingdom is 300 miles (500 km)
across.
• From the northern tip of Scotland to the southern coast of
England, it is about 600 miles (1,000 km).
• Apart from the land border with the Irish republic, the
United Kingdom is surrounded by sea.
• No part is more than 75 miles (120 km) from the sea.
• To the south of England and between the United Kingdom
and France is the English Channel
 • The capital, London, is situated on the tidal River
Thames in southeastern England.

LAND • The archipelago formed by Great Britain and the

numerous smaller islands is as irregular in shape as
it is diverse in geology and landscape.
• UK is traditionally divided into a highland and a
lowland zone.
• Much of the topography of the UK consists of
rugged, undeveloped hills and low mountains but
there are flat and gently rolling plains in the eastern
and southeastern areas of the country
• The highest point in the UK is Ben Nevis at 4,406
feet (1,343 m) and it is located in the northern UK
in Scotland
• UK is known for being very cloudy and rainy
throughout much of the year
• Rivers: Severn – longest river – ends in Bristol
Channel ,Thames, Mersey, Clyde, River Lagan 
POPULATIO
N
• The current population of the United Ki
ngdom is 67,978,425 inhabitans
• The density is one of the highest in the
world
• People live mostly in urban areas
• In Britain we can find the following
ethnic groups: English, Scottish, Irish,
Welsh and others. 
• The majority of people speaks English.
There are minority languages that are of
Celtic origin – Welsh, Scottish and Irish
Gaelic.
 • The main industries are steel, metals,
vehicles, shipbuilding, shipping, banking,
insurance, textiles, chemicals,
electronics, aircraft, machinery
• The main agricultural products are grain,

ECONOMY sugar, beet, fruit and vegetables

• Worldknown is British sheep and cattle
breeding
• Britain’s natural riches are coal, tin, oil,
gas, limestone, iron, salt, clay, chalk
and lead
ENGLAND • England is the most populated country in the
United Kingdom
• The capital is London, which is among the world’
s leading commercial, financial,
and cultural centres
• The largest lake in England is named
Windermere.
• The highest mountain in England is Scafell Pike,
which stands at around 978 metres
• Outside of the cities, England is known for being
very green, and usually very cold
  Canterbury
• there was murdered Thomas Becket – a
archbishop of Canterbury and England’s most
famous martyr.
• Geoffrey Chaucer was inspired by this town and
he wrote Canterbury Tales.

CITIES Portsmouth
• there is Nelson’s flagship Her Majesty Victory in
the dockyard.
• The town reminds Admiral Nelson in the Battle of
Trafalgar in 1805.
Brighton
• is famous seaside town with Arab
architecture including the Royal
Pavilion
• Around the Pavilion there is a big
gardens.
• This town is near the sea and you can
go to the beach or walk on the
promenade.
Startford • is the second most visited town in
England.

upon • It is famous as the birthplace of well-

known dramatist William Shakespeare.

Avon 
• The top attraction is the house in Henley
Street where Shakespeare was born.
• There is the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
and church where Shakespeare is buried.
 • The docklands and several areas of the historic
centre of the city collectively were designated
a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004.

Liverpool
• Liverpool is ranked at No. 6 on the list of the
most visited UK cities
• The city is closely associated with the arts,
especially music; the popularity of the Beatles
• Football is the most popular sport in the city,
home to Everton F.C. and Liverpool F.C.
Oxford and
Cambridge 
• are the seats of the oldest English
universities. These universities were
founded in 13th centuries.
 • Is constituent unit of the United Kingdom that forms a
westward extension of the island of Great Britain

WALES • The capital and main commercial and financial centre

is Cardiff
• Wales has a population of 3 million people
• It has only 6 cities: Newport, Swansea, Bangor, St Davis,
St Asaph and Cardiff
• Language is Welch and English
• National symbols are dragon, daffodil and leek
• Biggest natural lake is Llyn Tegid
• Highest mountain is Snowdon  1,085m
• Longest placename
is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-
llantysiliogogogoch 
• Wales has three National Parks which cover 20% of the
country's land mass
Newport
• is a cathedral and university city and
unitary authority area in south
east Wales
• It is located on the River Usk
• Newport has been a port since medieval
times, when the first Newport Castle was
built by the Normans
Cardiff
• is the capital and largest city in Wales and the eleventh-largest
city in the United Kingdom
• The Cardiff metropolitan area makes up over a third of the
total population of Wales
• is reputedly home to more castles than any other city in
Europe – although most of those castles now lie in ruins
• The most famous of these is Cardiff Castle, which dominates
the city
SWANSEA
BANGOR
ST DAVIS
ST ASAPH
 SCOTLAND
• Scotland is a historically and culturally separate
country from England.
• Scotland is the land of many special traditions, which
cannot be found elsewhere in the world – playing the
pipes, wearing kilts made of tartan, Scotch whisky.
• The biggest city is Glasgow. It is culture centre and
heart of the arts in Scotland.
• n the North of the country there are many lakes as
Loch Lomond and Loch Ness, which is famous for its
“Loch Ness Monster”.
• In addition, Scotland includes more than 790 islands
• The Scottish Highlands with Ben Nevis (1643m) 
Glasgow
• is Scotland's largest city with a
population of around 600,000
• Glasgow's underground railway
system is the only one in Scotland,
and the 3rd oldest in the world.
• Glasgow is home to over 100
cultural and artistic organisations,
including The Scottish Ballet, Opera
and Symphony Orchestra.
Edinburgh
•  is dominated by its imposing 12th
century castle – Holy Roodhouse
• The city is full of attractive squares,
three-lined avenues and elegant
shopping centres