And the British Isles are archipelagos located. UK island

The British Isles are the only major archipelago off the coast of Western Europe. It consists of two large islands - Great Britain and Ireland - and a large number of smaller ones - Man, Anglesey, White, Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. The total area of ​​the archipelago is about 325 thousand km 2, of which 230 thousand km 2 falls on the island of Great Britain and 84 thousand km 2 - on the island of Ireland.

The depth of the coastal waters of the British Isles almost never exceeds 200 m. The shallow area is limited by a pronounced ledge, from which the ocean depths begin. On the surface of the bottom of the continental shoal, preserved hollows of river valleys and areas with dune relief were found, indicating relatively recent land subsidence under sea level in the British Isles. The final separation of the archipelago from the mainland and the formation of the modern outlines of its coasts occurred already in the postglacial period.

The island position and the pronounced influence of the Atlantic, the sharp dissection of the coasts, which further enhances this influence, the dissection of the relief and the widespread anthropogenic landscapes determine the main features of the nature of the British Isles. It should also be added that the islands, which have recently lost contact with the mainland, in many features of nature are very similar to its neighboring areas, however insular position left a certain imprint on both natural features and the living conditions of the population.

The folded Paleozoic structures of the British Isles underwent strong vertical dissection, which became especially intense at the end of the Neogene and the beginning of the Anthropogen. These processes created a mosaic relief with alternating blocky mountains and depressions filled with sedimentary deposits of various ages and origins.

In the first half of the Anthropogene, almost the entire archipelago, with the exception of the southern part of the island of Great Britain, was covered with ice, which left powerful moraine accumulations and had a great influence on the formation of the relief. The last glaciation had a local mountain character with centers in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

The coastline of the islands is very strongly dissected by tectonic faults and repeated ups and downs. Large bays protrude into the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland where the surface is flat. On the peninsulas, on the contrary, mountain ranges rise. In the structure of the coasts, in many places, a series of sea terraces, formed as a result of repeated changes in sea level, are clearly expressed. The northwest coast of Great Britain and the west coast of Ireland are especially indented. In the first case, the fjord type is well expressed, in the second, the rias type. The east coast of Great Britain is less dissected, where a straight low-lying coast dominates with several bays that flow deep into the land.

The Scottish Highlands rise in the north of Great Britain. A deep tectonic fissure, the Glen Sea, divides the highlands into two parts: the Northern Highlands and the Grampian Mountains, which contain the most high peak islands of the Ben Nevis massif (1343 m). The Caledonian Canal is laid along the Glenmore depression, connecting the Moray Firth on the northeast coast of Scotland with the Firth of Lorne on the west coast. extreme Northern part the highlands as a result of recent faults and fragmentation separated from the island of Great Britain, forming two groups of islands - the Inner and Outer Hebrides.

The North Scottish Highlands as a whole is a horst massif with a leveled surface and separately protruding peaks. In its relief, traces of the impact of glaciation are visible: heaps of boulders, "ram's foreheads", numerous trough valleys. The northwestern fjord coast of Scotland is rocky, with many islands around it. In the rocky shores of the islands, the surf has developed a variety of bizarre shapes. Particularly famous is the Fingal grotto on the small island of Staffa, formed in coastal basalt rocks. At high tide it is flooded with water, and at low tide it can be entered without getting your feet wet.

A smoother relief has the South Scottish Upland 500-600 m high, cut by wide valleys, it has tarns, accumulations of boulders and moraines. The northern margin of the upland, as well as the southern margin of the North Scottish Highlands, is formed by faults.

Between the Grampian Mountains and the South Scottish Highlands, in a wide graben, lies the Mid-Scottish Plain. Its surface is composed of red sandstones, clays and limestones of the Devonian and Carboniferous, containing coal. These deposits are intruded by outcrops of volcanic rocks that form dome-shaped uplands.

South of the South Scottish Highlands Northern England, stand out hills and rolling plains, fringing the coast. The middle part of Northern England is occupied by the anticline meridionally elongated uplift of the Pennines, composed of Carboniferous rocks. The crest of the anticline is eroded, and cuesta ledges are developed in the slopes, gently descending to the east and west. From the northwest, the ancient domed volcanic massif Cumberland, processed by glaciers, adjoins the Pennines. Its slopes are cut by large cirques, trough valleys diverge in radial directions and form extensions occupied by lakes. Due to the many lakes, the Cumberland massif received the name of the Lake District.

From the south to the foot of the Pennines adjoins the rolling plain of the Midland. Its hills are cut by valleys and ravines, in the slopes of which strata of red-colored Jurassic and Triassic rocks are exposed.

In the west, far into the sea, the Wales Peninsula juts out, almost entirely occupied by the Cambrian Mountains. The relief of the mountains is smoothed, the peaks are rounded, the slopes are gentle. Only the highest parts, like the Snowdon volcanic massif (1085 m), have mountainous relief formed under the influence of ancient glaciation. The peninsula is separated from the rest of Great Britain by the wide valley of the River Severn.

The Bristol Bay Graben separates the Wales Peninsula from the Cornwall Peninsula, which forms the southwestern tip of Great Britain. The highest height (500-600 m) on the Cornwall peninsula is reached by the crystalline massifs of Dartmoor Forest and Exmoor Forest. The recent subsidence of the land has caused the dissection of the coast and the formation of ingressive bays, as well as the separation of numerous rocky islands from the coast. The eastern part of the peninsula is occupied by the low plain Somersetshire, composed of Mesozoic rocks.

The southeastern part of Great Britain differs in geological structure and relief from all other parts of it. Folded structures do not come to the surface anywhere, and sedimentary deposits of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age are widespread throughout the area. main feature The relief of this area is the distribution of cuestas, stretching from the southwest to the northeast and turning with a steep edge towards the ancient mountain uplifts of Wales. Composed of Jurassic limestones and chalk, the cuesta ridges are karst. The first Jurassic limestone cuest range from the northwest borders the Midland Plain. Its high dissected edge is a hill

Cootswold Hills - reaches a height of 300-350 m. From the south of this bush stretches a lowered strip filled with sandy-argillaceous deposits of the Jurassic and Cretaceous age. In the south, the depression gives way to the chalk cuest plateau Chiltern Hills, reaching 250 m in height. It slopes gently south to an oblong depression of the Thames or London Basin filled with thick Cenozoic marine deposits. To the south of the Thames basin, chalk rocks again come to the surface, forming two ridges - the North and South Downs, abruptly breaking off to the north, towards the London Basin, and to the south - towards the English Channel. The South Downs forms a high, precipitous coast of southern Great Britain sparkling with white chalk, in the ingressive bays of which the most important ports of the country are located. The entire interior of the island of Ireland is occupied by the low Central Irish Plain. All forms of karst relief and karst hydrography are represented on the plain: deep wells, caves and galleries, underground rivers and lakes formed in the strata of Carboniferous limestones. On all sides, the Central Irish Plain is surrounded by mountain ranges no more than 1000 m high. In the north, this is the Donegal Massif, off the northeast coast, the Antrim Mountains, composed of basalt lavas, under which rocks of various ages are hidden. The northwestern protrusion of the coast of Ireland is filled with the heavily dissected Connaught Mountains; in the south-east along the coast rise the Wicklow mountains, in the south-west is the highest part of Ireland - the mountains of Kerry with the peak of Carrantuil (1041 m).

In addition to strong tectonic and erosional dissection, the relief of the mountains of Ireland shows traces of ancient glaciation, which at low altitudes create a sharp, almost alpine relief. This is especially noticeable in the Kerry mountains, composed of thick layers of ancient red sandstone. Huge circuses occupied by lakes have been preserved on their slopes. The Kerry Mountains drop in ledges to a deeply dissected coast. In the bowels of the British Isles, many minerals have been found and are being developed: in the Cumberland massif and the mountains of Ireland - lead-zinc ores, and in Cornwall - copper and tin, in the sedimentary rocks of the Midland - iron ores. The main mineral wealth of the island of Great Britain is coal. Its deposits are concentrated in three areas: on the Mid-Scottish Lowlands, on the outskirts of the Pennines and in South Wales. The rich reserves of oil and gas on the shelf of the North Sea have already been mentioned. Now it is the main oil production area for the UK. Ireland has large reserves of peat, the deposits of which are common both on the plain and on the flat surfaces of mountain ranges.

Harsh and damp westerly winds throughout the year bring a lot of moisture to the British Isles. Especially a lot of precipitation falls on the western slopes of the mountains, where annual amounts exceed 1500 mm, and in some places even 2000 mm. Precipitation falls predominantly in the form of a light seeding rain, with some areas experiencing almost daily rainfall during the winter. In the south-west of Ireland and Cornwall there is no snow throughout the winter, and in other places there are only 10-20 days with snow (in Greenwich about 14 days, and Edinburgh 20). The eastern and southeastern regions receive 700-800 mm of precipitation per year.

The clouds are less there, the winds are not so harsh.

The annual amplitude of temperature fluctuations in the south-west of Ireland is approximately 7-8 ° С (with an average temperature of the coldest month -) -6, + 7 ° С), in the east of Ireland up to 10-11 ° С, in the south-east of England - 14 ° C. Almost frost-free winters and relatively cool summers are characteristic of the entire region, but frosts are more frequent in the east and southeast and summers are hotter than in the northwest. In the London area, summer temperatures can rise to +30°C, summer temperatures in the north of Scotland rarely rise to +20°C. The number of sunny days in the southeast reaches 40%, while in the west it is only 17-20%.

In some years there are sharp deviations from the average weather conditions. In winter, they are caused by arctic air intrusions, which are accompanied by frosts and snowfalls; in summer, by the spread of tropical air masses that cause drought. However, such anomalies are extremely rare.

One of the features of the nature of the British Isles is thick fogs, which are especially common in winter in the area. big cities, where there is a lot of dust and smoke in the air, which serve as condensation nuclei. The main reason for their formation is the contact of relatively cold waters with the warmer waters of the North Atlantic Current and the air temperature contrasts created by this. The fogs in large cities sometimes reach such a density that they become impenetrable even for the most powerful lighting; they last for several days without interruption, obstruct traffic and are the cause of many accidents.

The river network of the islands is very dense due to the peculiarities of the relief and climate. Large rivers - Severn (310 km), Thames (334 km), Shannon (368 km) - are significantly inferior in length to many rivers on the mainland, but they are full-flowing all year round, do not freeze and are therefore very convenient for navigation. Almost all rivers end in deep and wide estuaries, into which large ocean-going vessels freely enter during high tides. This favors the construction of ports at some distance from the sea, in convenient and well-defended places. In the lower reaches of the Thames, 60 km from the sea, there is one of the largest ports in the world - London. In the lower reaches of the Avon River, which flows into the Severn Estuary, is Bristol, at the confluence of the Mereey River with the Irish Sea - Liverpool, in the lower reaches of the Clyde - the most Big city and the port of Scotland - Glasgow.

The natural waterways are complemented by a dense network of canals, favored by the low altitude and weakly defined watersheds between individual river systems. Most of them were built back in the 18th century; at present, many of them are outdated and are hardly used or are suitable only for small ships. Now there are projects to use canals for tourism purposes.

On the island of Ireland in the formation of the river network play an important role karst processes. Many rivers disappear into underground voids and then reappear. Their nutrition is largely due to karst springs and lakes.

The water energy reserves of the rivers of Great Britain and Ireland are relatively small. Several hydroelectric power plants have been built in Scotland and Wales. In Ireland, a large hydroelectric power plant has been built on the Shannon River.

There are no large lakes in the British Isles, while small ones are numerous and picturesque. Most big lake- Lough Neagh - located in Ireland, its area is about 400 km 2. A significant part of Ireland's lakes is of karst origin. In the highlands of Scotland, in the Cumberland Massif and in Wales, there are many glacial lakes.

The British Isles are part of the range of broad-leaved forests, but, obviously, have never been completely covered with them. In the north of Great Britain, pine and birch forests on podzolic soils prevailed, in the southern regions - oak, and in some places beech-hornbeam forests on forest brown soils. Currently, forests occupy only 4-5% of the area of ​​the islands. In most cases they are exterminated, but in some places the absence of forests should be considered the result of natural conditions.

A significant part of modern woody vegetation is secondary and, as a rule, consists of artificial plantations. large areas occupy meadows, heaths and swamps. The upper limit of forest vegetation lies on average at an altitude of 200-300 m and nowhere rises above 600 m, since on the surface of mountain ranges strong winds and excess moisture make it difficult for trees to grow.

Currently, the most forests are in the eastern part of Great Britain and in the south-east of Ireland. Pure oak forests or with an admixture of other broad-leaved species (beech, ash) predominate. Conifers, including some North American and East Asian species, play an important role in artificial plantations. Scotch pine groves are found mainly in the eastern part of Scotland.

In some areas, the landscape of the islands gives the impression of woodland due to artificial plantations along roads, around fields and settlements. In many places, only individual tall and sprawling oaks, elms and beeches have survived from the former forests. Large areas are occupied by meadows that turn green all year round. There are especially many of them in the southern part of Ireland, for which it received the name of the green island. In some cases, they occupy areas that were once under forests, in others they represent the original type of vegetation. There are also many sown meadows.

Along the western coasts and on the surface of mountain ranges above 200-300 m, heathlands dominate with a predominance of ordinary and Western European heather, with an admixture of ferns, blueberries and some cereals. In many places, moorlands are specially preserved as hunting grounds.

In the past, there were many sedge and especially peat bogs in the British Isles. Large swampy areas existed on the island of Great Britain around the Wash (fen) and in the western part of the Central Irish Plain. In some parts of Ireland, peatlands still dominate the landscape, giving it a characteristic dull brown color.

However, large, previously swampy areas are now drained and used for arable land. Previously barren fens have been completely transformed, turning into one of the country's largest areas of wheat and sugar beet cultivation. Due to the mild winters in the British Isles, some evergreens grow. As part of the flora, it is found, for example, in the form of an undergrowth of oak forests, an evergreen shrub, holly, or holly (jlex aquifolium). In the south and especially in the southwest, many cultivated Mediterranean plants planted in the ground tolerate winter well without losing their foliage. The fauna of the British Isles is severely depleted. Large animals in their natural state are now almost nowhere to be found. Only in some places deer and fallow deer are under special protection. Foxes, hedgehogs, shrews are widespread. Lots of rodents everywhere. Wild rabbits and hares are especially common in dry meadows. There are a lot of squirrels in the forests and parks.

The avifauna is still quite rich. In the less populated areas of Scotland, wild pigeon and turtle doves, several species of partridges, and black grouse are found. There are birds of prey: peregrine falcon, hawk, harrier, etc. There are many waterfowl on the banks of reservoirs - gulls, herons, ducks.

The main commercial species of coastal waters are herring, cod, flounder.

In general, the British Isles are characterized by a very high degree of human alteration of nature. An important role in this was played by early industrial development, the abundance of cities, and the development of transport. Nature was especially hard hit in areas adjacent to the Pennines, in the Midland ("Black Country"), in South Wales. Suffering from air and water pollution, from overpopulation and other consequences of their activities, the people of the British Isles carefully protect those few corners in within Great Britain and Ireland, which have not yet lost the Attractive features of their nature: the Lake District, the mountain ranges of Cornwall, North-West and South-West Ireland.

Introduction

1. Geographic location. Geological structure, relief, minerals

2. Climate. Inland waters. Soils

3. Natural areas. Animal and plant world.

4. Environmental problems and protected areas

Conclusion

List of sources used

Introduction

The object of studying the physical geography of continents and oceans is the natural territorial complexes of the Earth, planetary patterns and morphostructural features of their origin, development and change under the influence of economic activity person.

The formation of natural complexes takes place in a geographical shell (geosphere), which is a complexly built integral, continuously developing material system, consisting of four qualitatively different, interpenetrating and interacting spheres: atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.

Central Europe includes a physical and geographical country - the British Isles. It is located on the territory of a young epipaleozoic platform, mainly in that part of it, the basement is represented by structures created as a result of the Hercynian folding. The exception is the northern regions of Great Britain and most of Ireland, belonging to the epipoleozoic platform with a basement formed mainly by the Caledonian folding.

The country has very clear boundaries in the south, west and north, where it is washed by the seas, as well as in the areas of contact of the epihercynian platform with the structures of the Alpine geosynclinal region.

1. Geographic location. Geological structure, relief, minerals

The British Isles are located off the northwestern coast of Europe, between 60o 52" and 49o 10" north latitude and 1o 46" east and 8o 10" west longitude, and are separated from the mainland by the English Channel and the North Sea

The British Isles are the only major archipelago off the coast of Western Europe. It consists of two large islands - Great Britain and Ireland - and a large number of smaller ones - Man, Anglesey, White, Skye, Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. The British Isles are the largest archipelago in Europe. The total area of ​​the archipelago is about 325 thousand km2, of which 230 thousand km2 is on the island of Great Britain and 84 thousand km2 on the island of Ireland (Figure 1).

The whole region is located at a small distance from the mainland, within the continental shelf, which is especially wide in the east, where the North Sea lies within it. The northern and western coasts are washed directly Atlantic Ocean, between Ireland and Great Britain is the Irish Sea.

Most of the British Isles belong to the structures on the Kaledinsky folded base. In the extreme northwest, in the Hebrides and in Northern Scotland, there are remains of fragmented Precambrian sites, while Hercynian folded structures are common south of the Bristol-London line. All the folded structures of the British Isles have undergone a strong vertical division, which was especially intense at the end of the Neogene and the beginning of the Anthropogen. These processes have created an extremely fragmented topography with alternating ancient folded basement protrusions and depressions filled with sedimentary deposits of various ages and origins (Figure 2).

In the Quaternary period, almost the entire region, with the exception of the southern part of the island of Great Britain, was covered with glaciation, which left powerful moraine accumulations and had a great influence on the formation of the relief. The last glaciation had a local mountain character with centers in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

The depth of the coastal waters of the British Isles almost nowhere exceeds 200 m. The shallow area is limited, sharply expressed by a ledge from which the oceanic depths begin. On the surface of the bottom of the continental shoal, preserved hollows of river valleys and areas with dune relief were found, indicating relatively recent land subsidence under sea level in the British Isles. The final separation of the archipelago from the mainland and the formation of the modern outlines of its coasts occurred already in the postglacial period.

The island position and the pronounced influence of the Atlantic, the sharp dissection of the coasts, which further enhances this influence, the dissection of the relief and the widespread anthropogenic landscapes determine the main features of the nature of the British Isles. To this it should also be added that the islands, which have recently lost contact with the mainland, are very similar in many features of nature to its neighboring areas, but the insular position has left a certain imprint both on natural features and on the living conditions of the population.

The relief of the British Isles is dominated by leveled mountain ranges of small height and area, alternating with hilly basins and plateaus. The highest height is only slightly higher than 1,300 m. The coastline of the islands is very strongly dissected. This is due to tectonic faults and repeated uplifts and subsidences of land that occurred in the course of the geological development of the islands. Large bays protrude into the coast of Great Britain and Ireland where the surface is flat. On larger peninsulas, on the contrary, mountain ranges rise. In the structure of the coasts, in many places, a series of sea terraces are clearly expressed, the formation of which is the result of repeated changes in sea level.

The northwest coast of Great Britain and the west coast of Ireland are especially indented. In the first case, the fjord type is well expressed, in the second, the rias type. The east coast of Great Britain is less dissected, where it is dominated by a straight low-lying coast with several bays deeply protruding into the land.

The northwest coast of Great Britain and the west coast of Ireland are especially indented. In the first case, the fjord type is well expressed, in the second, the rias type. The east coast of Great Britain is less dissected, where it is dominated by a straight low-lying coast with several bays deeply protruding into the land.

In the north of Great Britain rises the North Scottish Highlands, stretching from northeast to southwest from one coast of the island to the other. The deep tectonic fissure of the Glen More highlands is divided into two parts: the Northern Highlands and the Grampian Mountains, in which the highest peak of the islands, the Ben Nevis massif (1,343 m), is located. The Caledonian Canal is laid along the Glen More depression, connecting the Mary Firth on the northeast coast of Scotland with the Firth of Lorne on the west coast. The extreme northern part of the highlands, as a result of recent faults and fragmentation, separated from the island of Great Britain, forming two groups of islands - the Inner and Outer Hebrides.

The North Scottish Highlands as a whole is a horst massif with a leveled surface and separately protruding peaks. In its relief, traces of the impact of Quaternary glaciation are visible: heaps of boulders, "ram's foreheads", numerous trough valleys. The northwest fjord coast of Scotland is rocky and is accompanied by a mass of islands. The activity of the surf in the rocky shores of the islands has developed a variety of bizarre forms. Particularly famous is the Fingal grotto on the small island of Staffa, formed in coastal basalt rocks. At high tide, this grotto fills with water, and at low tide, it can be entered without getting your feet wet.

A smoother relief has the South Scottish Upland 500-600 m high with a gently undulating surface, cut through by wide valleys. Its western part is higher and more dissected than the eastern part, it has tarns, accumulations of boulders and moraines. The northern margin of the upland, as well as the southern margin of the North Scottish Highlands, is formed by normal faults.

Between the Grampian Mountains and the South Uplands lies the Mid-Scots Plain in a broad ridge. Its surface is composed of red-colored sandstones, clays and limestones of the Devonian and Carboniferous, containing coal. These deposits are intruded by volcanic outcrops that form numerous dome-shaped uplands.

South of the South Scottish Highlands, in Northern England, there are uplands and rolling plains that border the coast. The middle part of Northern England is occupied by the Pennine Alps stretching in the meridional direction - an anticline uplift composed of Carboniferous rocks. The arched part of the anticline is eroded, and cuesta ledges are developed in the slopes, gently descending to the east and west.

From the northwest, the ancient domed volcanic massif Cumberland adjoins the Pennines. During glaciation, a complex of mountain-glacial forms formed on the slopes of the massif. Its slopes are cut by large cirques, trough valleys diverge along the slopes in radial directions and form extensions occupied by lakes. Due to the many lakes, the Cumberland massif received the name of the Lake District.

From the south, the foot of the Pennines adjoins the rolling Midland Plain, composed of Triassic and Jura deposits. The hills are cut by numerous valleys and ravines, in the slopes of which strata of red-colored rocks are exposed. For the predominance of red tones in the landscape, Midland is called the Red Plain.

In the west, far into the sea, the Wales Peninsula juts out, almost entirely occupied by the Cambrian Mountains. The relief of the mountains is smoothed, the peaks are rounded, the slopes are gentle. Only the highest parts, like the Snowdon volcanic massif (1,085 m), have mountainous relief, formed under the influence of ancient glaciation. The peninsula is separated from the rest of Great Britain by the wide valley of the River Severn. In the extreme south of Wales, sections of Hercynian structures are traced, forming low uplifts in the Cardiff region.

The Bristol Bay Graben separates the Wales Peninsula from the Cornwall Peninsula, which forms the southwestern tip of Great Britain. This peninsula is occupied by peneplanated uplands protruding from younger sedimentary rocks. The highest height (500-600 m) on the Cornwall peninsula is reached by the crystalline massifs of Dartmoor Forest and Exmoor Forest. The recent subsidence of the land has caused the dissection of the coast and the formation of ingressive bays, as well as the separation of numerous rocky islands from the coast. The eastern part of the peninsula is occupied by the low plain Somersetshire, composed of Mesozoic rocks.

The southeastern part of Great Britain differs in geological structure and relief from all its other parts. Folded structures do not come to the surface anywhere, and sedimentary deposits of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age are widespread throughout the area. The main feature of the relief of this area is the distribution of cuestas, stretching from the southwest to the northeast and turning with a steep edge towards the ancient mountain uplifts of Wales. From the south, the foot of the Pennines adjoins the rolling Midland Plain, composed of red sandstones, as well as limestones and shales of the Triassic and Jura. Its high dissected edge - the Cotswold Hills - reaches a height of 300-350 m. From the south of this cuesta stretches a lowered strip filled with sandy-argillaceous deposits of the Jurassic and Cretaceous age. In the south, the depression gives way to the chalk cuest plateau Chiltern Hills, reaching 250 m in height. It slopes gently southward to an oblong depression of the Thames Basin, or London Basin, filled with thick Cenozoic marine deposits. To the south of the Thames basin, chalk rocks again come to the surface, forming two ridges - the North and South Downs, abruptly breaking off to the north, towards the London Basin, and to the south, towards the English Channel.

The entire interior of Ireland is occupied by the low-lying Central Irish Plain. Its surface is composed of Carboniferous limestones, which are covered in places by a thin layer of clay deposits. On the plain there are all forms of karst relief.

On all sides, the Central Irish Plain is surrounded by highly fragmented mountain ranges with a height of no more than 1,000 m. In the north is the Donegal Massif, off the northeast coast are the Antrim Mountains, composed of basalt lavas, under which rocks of various ages are hidden. The strongly dissected Connaught Mountains fill the northwestern ledge of the coast of Ireland, the Wicklow Mountains stretch along the coast in the southeast, and the highest part of Ireland, the Kerry Mountains with the peak of Carrantowhill (1,041 m), is located in the southwest.

In addition to tectonic and erosional dissection, the relief of the mountains of Ireland shows traces of ancient glaciation, which at low altitudes create a sharp, almost alpine relief. This is especially true in the Kerry Mountains, composed of thick layers of ancient red sandstone. Huge circuses occupied by lakes have been preserved on their slopes. The Kerry Mountains drop in ledges to a deeply dissected coastline.

In the course of the complex geological history of the islands, a variety of minerals were formed in their bowels. They are confined mainly to the outskirts of ancient mountain structures and to volcanic processes of various ages. Coal is the main wealth of the island of Great Britain. Particularly rich are the coal deposits in the Pennines, on the Mid-Scottish Lowlands, in the foothills of South Wales, whose industrial reserves amount to 4 billion tons.

The largest iron ore deposit is in the East Midlands: 60% of all reserves are concentrated here. Significant reserves of rock and potash salts found in Cheshire and Durham.

Iron ores of sedimentary origin occur along the outskirts of the Peniny Mountains. The iron content in the ore is no more than 28%.

In the granite intrusions of the Cornwall peninsula, deposits of copper and tin ores were concentrated, but at present they are already heavily depleted and have lost their significance.

Lead-zinc and hematite ores were found in the Cambedlen massif, and lead-zinc and tin ores were found in Cornwall. Much hope is placed on the oil and gas of the North Sea, the total reserves of which are respectively 2.6 billion tons and 1,400 billion cubic meters. m.

Non-ferrous metal reserves associated with volcanism in the Neogene are found in the north of Ireland (Figure 2).

Ireland has large reserves of peat, distributed both on the plain and on the flat surfaces of mountain ranges.

2 Climate. Inland waters. Soils

Harsh and damp westerly winds throughout the year bring a lot of moisture to the British Isles. Especially a lot of precipitation falls on western slopes mountains, where annual amounts exceed 1,500 mm, and in some places even 2,000 mm. Precipitation falls predominantly in the form of a light seeding rain, with some areas experiencing almost daily rainfall during the winter. In the south-west of Ireland and Cornwall there is no snow throughout the winter, and in other places there are only 10-20 days with snow (in Greenwich about 14 days, and Edinburgh 20). The eastern and southeastern regions receive 700-800 mm of precipitation per year. The clouds are less there, the winds are not so harsh.

In spring, cold northerly winds blow, significantly delaying the growth of crops in the east of Scotland, and sometimes dry easterlies. This time of year is usually the least rainy. Spring in the British Isles is cooler and longer than at the same latitudes on the continent.

In the UK, as in other countries with a maritime climate, the summer is relatively cool: the average temperature of the warmest month - July - is 1-2 degrees lower than at the same latitudes of the mainland. In the summer months, cyclonic activity decreases, and the distribution of average temperatures in July is more consistent with latitudinal zoning: +16 degrees in the southeast of the country, and +12 degrees in the extreme northwest. The maximum temperature in the south-east of England sometimes rises above +27 degrees, and sometimes up to +32 degrees. The maximum precipitation here occurs in the second half of summer.

With warm and humid winds blowing from the Atlantic, there is an abundance of rain in the western regions of Great Britain. On average, 2,000 mm of precipitation falls there per year, while in eastern England, located in the "rain shadow", - only about 600 mm, and in some places even 500 mm. The mountains thus serve as a natural barrier to trap moist air on the western side. The abundance of precipitation adversely affects the growth of many crops, especially wheat and barley. In general, grains in the British Isles do well in drier years, but then the grasses often burn out.

In autumn, cyclonic activity intensifies, the weather becomes cloudy and rainy, sometimes with severe storms, especially in September and October. When warm air is vented onto the chilled surface of the islands, fogs often occur along the coasts.

The annual amplitude of temperature fluctuations in the south-west of Ireland is approximately 7-8 ° С (with an average temperature of the coldest month +6, +7 ° С), in the east of Ireland up to 10-11 ° С, in the south-east of England -14 ° C. Almost frost-free winters and relatively cool summers are characteristic of the entire region, but frosts are more frequent in the east and southeast and summers are hotter than in the northwest. Summer temperatures in the north of Scotland rarely rise to +20°C. The number of sunny days in the southeast reaches 40%, while in the west it is only 17-20%.

In some years there are sharp deviations from the average weather conditions. In winter, they are caused by arctic air intrusions, which are accompanied by frosts and snowfalls; in summer, by the spread of tropical air masses that cause drought. However, such anomalies are extremely rare (Figure 3).

One of the peculiarities of the nature of the British Isles is thick fogs, which are especially common in winter in the area of ​​​​big cities, where there is a lot of dust and smoke in the air, which serve as condensation nuclei. The main reason for their formation is the contact of relatively cold waters with the warmer waters of the North Atlantic Current and the air temperature contrasts created by this. The fogs in large cities sometimes reach such a density that they become impenetrable even for the most powerful lighting; they last for several days without interruption, obstruct traffic, and are the cause of many accidents.

The river network of the islands is very dense due to the peculiarities of the relief and climate. Almost throughout the country, except for some southeastern regions, the amount of precipitation exceeds evaporation, and therefore a dense network of full-flowing rivers is developed. The largest are the Severn, which is 354 km long, and the Thames (338 km), whose basins border each other, and the Shannon (368 km) - significantly inferior in length to many rivers on the mainland, but they are full of water all year round, do not freeze and are therefore convenient for shipping. The Thames is of the greatest importance for the UK economy. 1/5 of the total population of the country lives in its basin. Here is the capital conurbation - Greater London.

The rivers of the lowland part of the country, located east of the main watershed, are calm. In the mountainous regions of Scotland and Wales, the sources of the rivers are at significant heights, so the rivers flow quickly, they often overflow their banks, especially during the rainy season. The short but deep and fast rivers of northwestern Scotland and Wales are used to generate electricity. More than 60 hydroelectric power plants have been built here. Estuaries largest rivers Great Britain - Thames, Severn, Humber, Mersey, Clyde and Fort - these are wide, artificially deepened and straightened bays. They house the largest seaports, the largest port and city of Scotland - Glasgow, and industrial hubs. At high tide, salt water penetrates the estuaries far upstream, so the population of most seaports is supplied with drinking water from the headwaters of rivers, underground reservoirs and mountain lakes.

The natural waterways are complemented by a dense network of canals, favored by the low altitude and weakly defined watersheds between individual river systems.

On the island of Ireland, karst processes play an important role in the formation of the river network. Many rivers disappear into underground voids and then reappear. Their nutrition is largely due to karst springs and lakes.

The largest lakes in Great Britain are Loch Neagh (about 400 sq. km) in northern Ireland, as well as Loch Lomond and Loch Ness in Scotland. The numerous lakes of the Highlands of Scotland and the Lake Circle are very picturesque and attract many tourists. They serve as a flow regulator and are used as local transport routes. So Loch Ness and Loch Lochy, located in the Great Glen and connected by a canal, constitute a direct waterway between the east and west coasts of Scotland. The Lake Circle has long been a supplier of fresh water to Manchester, which receives it through two aqueducts over 100 km long. There are no large lakes in the flat part of Great Britain, but there are many artificial reservoirs created on the site of former peat extraction, sand and gravel pits.

Underground reservoirs have long served as the main source of high quality water for the population of the lowlands of England. The largest underground pool, whose area reaches almost 30 thousand square meters. km, located under the Cretaceous limestones in the south-east of England. Currently, underground reservoirs provide 2/5 of all water consumed in England and Wales (Table 1).

Table 1 - Water resources of Great Britain and Ireland

The most fertile soils in Great Britain are found in its warm and

relatively dry southeastern part, where they formed mainly on calcareous rocks. Relatively high summer temperatures here contribute to increased biological activity and accumulation of humus in the upper soil layer. Initially, this whole area was covered with broad-leaved forests, under which brown forest soils formed. Currently, the soils are heavily cultivated as a result of long-term use for crops of barley, wheat and sugar beets, as well as grasses. Podzolized brown forest soils have been preserved under natural and perennial pastures on marshy coastal lowlands - marshes - and in some other flat areas of England that have undergone reclamation. On the drained sea lowlands of Fenland, as well as in the valley of the Trent River, fairly fertile peaty alluvial soils are common. In these areas, more than in other regions of the country, wheat is sown, orchards and berries are planted, and intensive horticulture is practiced. Thin humus-calcareous and soddy-calcareous soils are developed on the uplands and kuest ridges. In the western and northwestern regions of Great Britain, acid brown podzolic soils predominate. These lands are used for grass-sowing and as natural pastures. In the highlands of Cornwall, the Pennines, the Lake Circle and Scotland, where the climate is humid and cool, sod-podzolic soils are developed, which are easily subject to waterlogging, leading to the formation of peat bogs.

The soils of South Britain can be divided into types according to the features of the topography. In the north and west, the soils are acidic and relatively infertile, since intense leaching occurs during heavy rainfall. In the south and east, the soils are neutral or alkaline. The texture of the soils of South Britain varies greatly from stony on bouldered moraines to fine-grained on the heavy clays of Staffordshire. The differences in the thickness of the soil profile are also significant, from denudation mountains to river valleys with alluvium.

The soils of Ireland are infertile. In the west, where limestones come to the surface, barren limestone heaths and heaths are common. But in the Central Plain, dry areas are dominated by light podzolic soils with a significant content of humus, and swampy peatlands become fertile after drainage. Acid soils are also observed, the development of these soils is characterized by high moisture saturation and a constant lack of lime. In addition, phosphorus deficiency is characteristic. Therefore, in order to obtain fertile soil, soil liming and the application of phosphate fertilizers are necessary (Figure 4).

3 Natural areas. Animal and plant world. Internal differences

The British Isles are part of the range of broad-leaved forests, but, obviously, have never been completely covered with them. Pine and birch forests on podzolic soils predominate in the north of Great Britain, oak forests in the southern regions, and in some places beech-hornbeam forests on forest brown soils. Currently, forests occupy only 4-5% of the area of ​​the islands. In most cases they have been exterminated, but in some places the absence of forests should be considered the result of natural conditions.

Now the country is carrying out afforestation. Exotic species of trees (Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, thin-scaled larch) were imported from other countries and widespread. Currently, forests cover only 10% of the area of ​​Great Britain. They are mostly preserved along the river valleys and in the lower parts mountain slopes. Oak, elm, hornbeam, beech and ash grow in the lower belt of the mountains of England and Wales. In the north of Scotland, in the Grampian Mountains and in the Northwest Highlands, the lower mountain belt is occupied by mixed oak-spruce-pine forests, and pine and birch forests are common above. The upper limit of the forest reaches 500-600 m, and broad-leaved forests usually do not rise above 400 m.

On the natural perennial meadows of England and Wales grow wild pale yellow daffodils (the emblem of the Welsh), lilies, purple orchid and primrose, from which wine has long been made in English villages. Above the forest line in the mountains of England and Wales, cereal-forb meadows and moorlands with juniper, blueberry and crowberry predominate.

The vegetative cover of southern Britain is more characteristic not of trees, but of shrubs. Here attention is paid to hawthorn in rural hedges, honeysuckle, hazel, dog rose, holly, and in elevated areas on the heaths - gorse and heather. Among the most common herbaceous plants are forest anemone, bluebell, primrose, marigold, hyacinth, foxglove, clover, columbine, iris, vetch, hop alfalfa, gray left, woodruff, strawberry, buttercup, parsley, dandelion, geranium, poppy, meadowsweet, mother -and-stepmother, veronica and shieldwort. There are also white mistletoe, nettle and mustard. Grains are very diverse. In addition to them, ferns and sedges grow in humid places, among the latter, reeds are the most striking. On mountain wastelands with more rugged terrain, cereals have to withstand strong competition from gorse, heather and bracken.

Although favorable conditions for tree growth prevail in much of southern Britain, the number of tree species is limited. Here, apparently, the destruction of forests during continental glaciations (maximum glaciation extended to the Thames Valley) and the predominance of Arctic conditions in ice-free areas played a role. Most of the trees that have managed to settle in this country belong to the category of deciduous species, with a notable exception being the yew. Among hardwoods, oak, beech, birch, ash, willow, aspen, alder and plane tree are especially common. On the plains, the British oak impresses with its size, but in the elevated regions it cannot compete with beech or birch, and in wet hollows with alder or willow. On Cretaceous limestones, it gives way to ash, beech and birch. Poplar is also very characteristic of the British plains. Among the introduced tree species, walnut, noble chestnut, pine and boxwood stand out.

The soil and climatic conditions of Ireland are unfavorable for the growth of trees. Treelessness is a characteristic feature of the Irish landscape. Forested lands occupy less than 2% of the country's area. Grasses grow well throughout, providing fodder for livestock, Ireland's leading agricultural sector. The cultivation of fodder grasses is widespread. Of the grain crops, preference is given to those that tolerate a cool, humid climate well. Wheat yields the most in the lower Liffey Valley. Flax is also grown in the Bann Valley. Root crops such as fodder beets, turnips and potatoes are cultivated in many parts of Ireland, but forage crops and natural hayfields predominate. Pastures and hayfields form the main background of the surface of Ireland, with the exception of the most elevated areas and marshes. Ferns, heather and squat shrubs grow in the mountains.

Along the western coasts and on the surface of mountain ranges above 200-300 m, heathlands dominate with a predominance of ordinary and Western European heather, and an admixture of ferns, blueberries and some cereals. In many places, moorlands are specially preserved as hunting grounds.

Due to the mild winters in the British Isles, some evergreens grow. In the composition of the flora, for example, in the form of an undergrowth of oak forests, an evergreen shrub, holly, or holly, is found. In the south and especially in the southwest, many cultivated Mediterranean plants planted in the ground tolerate winter well without losing their foliage (Figure 5).

The fauna of the British Isles is very poor. Large animals in their natural state are now almost nowhere to be found. For example,

many large mammals, such as the bear, the wild boar and the Irish red deer, have long been extirpated in the British Isles as a result of intense hunting, and the wolf has been extirpated as a pest. Now only 56 species of mammals remain, 13 of which are introduced. The largest representative of mammals - the red deer lives on the hills of Cornwall, in the Scottish Highlands. There are quite a few roe deer that are found north of Yorkshire and in the south of England. Wild goats live in mountainous areas. At the islands and coastal rocks The gray seal is found in Cornwall and Wales, while the common seal prefers the coasts of Scotland, the eastern coasts of Northern Ireland and the islands adjacent to them. There are no large predatory animals in Great Britain. Throughout the country, except for the highlands, foxes and badgers are found on the edges of forests and in groves. The otter is widespread and heavily hunted. Of the small predators, the ermine and weasel are the most numerous, ferrets are found in Wales, and wild European cats and American martens are found in the mountains of Scotland.

The British Isles are home to 130 species of birds, including many songbirds. The national symbol of England is the red-breasted robin. Millions of birds migrate along the coast of Great Britain from south to north and back.

In connection with the large work on the implementation of swamps in the country, the population of ducks, geese and other waterfowl has significantly decreased. Therefore, in recent years, special areas have been allocated for the protection and breeding of these species. The organization of reserves contributed to a significant change in the animal world of the British Isles.

In the waters off the British Isles are found different kinds fish: in surface layers sable fish are found in sea waters, from May to October there are a lot of herring, sprat feed in the bays and estuaries of rivers, and sardines and mackerel appear off the coast of the Cornish Peninsula. The most important commercial fish of far and near waters are cod, haddock and whiting.

In southern Britain, many species of animals have become extinct, red deer, foxes and hares are still found there. Rabbits and squirrels are common. The number of birds, especially waterfowl, has decreased due to the drainage of swamps; the destruction of the vegetation cover had a negative impact on some bird species. At the same time, thanks to human activities, the living conditions of sparrows, pigeons and, to a lesser extent, robins have improved. Other bird species in England include the cuckoo, meadow pipit, linnet, lemon and snow finches, chaffinch, wren, garden redstart and various species of finches and thrushes, including blackbird, robin and nightingale. There are still pheasants and grouse - partridge, common in the northern counties of England.

The differences between the individual parts of the British Isles are due to the diversity of natural conditions and the uneven distribution of natural resources.

To the south of the Pennines there is a slightly dissected relief, vast territories with fertile soils, full-flowing rivers and a favorable climate, the proximity of mineral deposits.

South of the Pennines are better preserved natural landscapes than in other areas. Here is the most picturesque nature and warm climate of the southern coast.

To the north, on both sides of the Peniny Mountains, there are fertile hilly lowlands, cut through by full-flowing rivers.

Northern England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have a mountainous terrain, poor soils. Compared to Southern England and Pripenninsky England, there is less sun in the warm season and much more rainfall throughout the year.

In Northern England, Scotland and Wales, coal production has sharply decreased.

The territory of Southern England to the south and south-west of the Thames is a mosaic of low chalk uplands and plateaus, interspersed with small lowlands. To the north of the Thames, the hilly terrain gradually merges into the vast Fens, or Fenland, which, as it approaches the Wash, becomes flat, so that the sea constantly threatens to overwhelm the neat rectangles of fields, separated by large and small channels and ditches. In the past, this area of ​​the ball was heavily swamped.

North of South England lies the Midlands. Its entire territory, except for the southern tip of the Peninsky Range in the north and the eastern spurs of the Cambrian Mountains in the west, is a vast hilly plain with two low plateaus: Central and Birgimgem. The climate of the Midlands is generally similar to southeastern part England. Within its limits, there is more precipitation in the western part and on the plateau. Midland is better than other areas of the British Isles, provided with its own mineral resources. Limestone is abundant here, and in Staffordshire there is a large deposit of refractory clay.

Pripenninskaya England. The geographical "axis" of the region is the Pennines, which rise from south to north from 550 to 720 m above sea level. The mountains are strongly flattened and intersected by valleys in many places. The middle part of the Penninsky Range is dissected by narrow valleys, turned into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The western and eastern slopes of the Pennines, gently dropping in both directions, pass into the rolling lowlands - Lancashire and Cheshire in the west, Yorkshire in the east.

Northern England. Located in the north-east of the region, the Cheviota Mountains and the entire area north of them to the border with Scotland are included in the Northumberland National Park, the attraction of which is Hadrian's Wall, a 120 km long wall built "across" England by the Romans for protection northern borders the lands they conquered from the Celts and Picts. To the west, a wide valley of the Eden River separates the Pennines from the Cumberland Massif, or Lake District, where another national park is located. From the top of the dome-shaped massif, river valleys diverge radially, on which many narrow long lakes are “strung”.

Wales is a medium-sized mountainous peninsula and the island of Anglesey adjoining it from the north-west. The peninsula is shaped like a horseshoe, the concave part of which is the vast Cardigan Bay. Almost the entire peninsula of Wales is occupied by the Cambrian Mountains, rising from south to north, and the heights here are small - from 250 to 750 m above sea level. Only in the extreme northwest are there peaks reaching 1,000 m above sea level; the highest of them - Snowdon (1,085 m) is covered with snow for half a year. In the Snowdonia National Park created here, picturesque heaps of rocks alternate with beautiful green valleys and blue lakes. The central part of the mountains is leveled, plateau-like, and the southern part is a series of low ridges stretching in a wide direction. The highest ridge in this part of Wales - the Brecon Beacons - became his second national park.

Another of the largest regions is Scotland. This is a mountainous country, the mountains of northern Scotland reach a considerable height, rocky, cut by deep valleys; in the southern part of the mountain below, leveled plateaus and rounded hills with granite outcrops predominate. There are more wide river valleys and coastal lowlands. Granite is mined in the mountains of Scotland, uranium ore has been found. The Mid-Scottish Lowlands, composed mainly of ancient red sandstone, can only be called a lowland: in the center of it rises a chain of hills of volcanic origin and hundreds of smaller rocky ridges are scattered everywhere. Only along the rivers stretch strips of lowlands with fertile alluvial soils. The main resources of the area are located in the Mid-Scottish Lowland - several coal deposits. Thanks to the warming influence of the North Atlantic Current, the climate of Scotland is much more moderate and milder than at the same latitudes of the mainland. Winters are even warmer than in the southeast of the UK, and summers are on average 2-3○ cooler. The western slopes of the mountains, open to oceanic winds, are devoid of tree vegetation, and Scottish pines, spruces and larches grow on the eastern slopes. Above the forest line, moorlands, swamps and ferns dominate.

Territory of Northern Ireland (Ulster) according to its natural conditions closest to Scotland. The interior of Northern Ireland is a vast lowland with the large, shallow Lough Neagh in the center. In the northeast, the Antrim volcanic upland, covered by a basalt shield, protrudes into the sea. In the southwest, three spurs of the Sperry Mountains lead to the Erne River, in the valley of which two large lakes– Upper Lough Erne and Lower Lough Erne. Just like in Scotland, the lowlands are covered with sediments brought by a glacier. There are many peat bogs in the mountains. The climate of Northern Ireland is very humid and cool, the rivers are full-flowing, there are many small lakes.

4. Environmental problems and protected areas

In general, the British Isles are characterized by a very high degree of human alteration of nature. Industrial development, the abundance of cities, and the development of transport played a large role in this earlier. Nature was especially hard hit in areas adjacent to the Pennines, in the Midland ("Black Country"), in South Wales. Suffering from air and water pollution, from overpopulation and other consequences of their activities, the people of the British Isles carefully protect those few corners within Great Britain and Ireland that have not yet lost their attractive features of nature: the Lake Circle, the mountain ranges of Cornwall, the North-West and South -Western Ireland.

The inconvenience of smoke-shrouded cities at the time of the industrial revolution made the British appreciate and protect the rural landscape. In the British Isles, it is not uncommon to find hedges, "English" gardens, nurseries for the development of ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers. In the UK, there is a special category of "protected" areas. In such places, new construction is limited or prohibited. Protected areas include "green belts" around major cities and conurbations, nature reserves, animal reserves, national forest parks, scenic spots, fertile agricultural land, coastal paths, and mountain slopes above 250 m above sea level. There are 131 reserves for separately protected species of flora and fauna (Figure 6, 7). On the territory of England and Wales, 10 national parks have been created with a total area of ​​​​about 12 thousand square meters. km.

Figure 6 - Area of ​​protected areas in the UK

Figure 7 - Area of ​​protected areas in Ireland

On the territory of the British Isles, reserves account for 88% of protected areas and only 12% are sanctuaries (Figure 8).

Figure 8 - Structure of protected areas

The problem of combating environmental pollution has become more acute. Concerned about the level of environmental pollution, especially in cities. A fairly high level of air pollution, the question arises of the elimination of 20 million tons of various waste annually. The amount of emissions of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere is growing every year (Table 1).

Table 2 - The amount of carbon dioxide and methane emissions into the atmosphere

The problem of land resources is very acute. It is estimated that in England and Wales by the end of the century about 2.5 million hectares of agricultural land will be used for other purposes. Mining will destroy as many landscapes as in the previous two centuries, the most serious enemy of natural landscapes being sand and gravel pits. They cause more damage to the area than coal mining.

Conclusion

This course work gives the physical and geographical characteristics of the British Isles. The physical and geographical position, geology, relief, climate, soils, inland waters, flora and fauna, environmental problems and protected areas are considered.

From the text of the work it is clear that the British Isles have mainland origin. They are located near the continent of Europe, on the continental shelf. The separation of these islands by the strait was the result of the sinking of the land at the end of the Quaternary. The sinking land formed an underwater platform - a highly elevated section of the seabed, as a result of which the seas washing the British Isles from the east and south are shallow.

The climate of the British Isles is temperate oceanic, with mild winters and cool summers. The nature of the islands is diverse, there are rare species of birds and animals; on the territory of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland there are many wildlife sanctuaries and reserves, some islands and archipelagos that are not inhabited are sanctuaries for birds and animals. On the territory of the British Isles, in the course of a complex geological history, useful minerals were formed in the bowels. Almost all known minerals have been found, except for diamonds. The problem of combating environmental pollution has become acute.

The British Isles are rich in water resources. A dense network of full-flowing rivers is developed. The largest of them are the Severn, which has a length of 354 km, and the Thames (338 km), whose basins border on each other.

The considered features of the British Isles are significant in area and length in the latitudinal and meridional directions, giving rise to some internal differences.

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Diagram illustrating the terminology associated with the British Isles

Geographic realities

• British Isles- an archipelago that includes the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as groups of the Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland Islands and the smaller islands of Anglesey, Man, etc. Sometimes the Channel Islands are also classified as British Isles, as belonging to Great Britain, but located off the coast of France.

• UK (island) is the largest of the British Isles. "Great" simply means "more" than Brittany (a historical region in northern France), and not the "greatness" of the state. The latter was settled by the Britons (from Cornwall) around the year 500 and was called "Britain Minor" by them. For example, in French "Brittany" would be Bretagne, and "Great Britain" - Grande-Bretagne.

• Ireland (island)- the second largest of the British Isles.
• channel islands- a group of islands in the English Channel off the coast of France. They are not directly part of the UK and do not represent a political unity, being divided into two crown lands: Jersey and Guernsey. Geographically they do not belong to the British Isles, but may be included in them for political reasons.

Political realities

4 Components of Great Britain

• Great Britain- the short name of the state that occupies the island of Great Britain and the north of the island of Ireland, exercises custody of the Channel Islands and about. Maine, which are not formally part of the country.
  • - full name of the same state
  • Britannia- in the modern sense - an unofficial synonym for the concepts of "Great Britain" and "British Empire"; historically Roman province (lat. Britannia), roughly corresponding to the territory of England and Wales.
  • United Kingdom- tracing paper from English. The United Kingdom- term abbreviation The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), rarely used in Russian and corresponding in Russian to the term "Great Britain".
  • England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - constituent administrative-political parts(Constituent countries) Great Britain.
    • England- the historical core of Great Britain, in colloquial speech can be used as a synonym for the latter.
  • crown lands- the name of three possessions of Great Britain, which are not directly included in its composition, but are not overseas territories. These include: Bailiwicks Jersey And guernsey(Channel Islands) and Isle Of Man in the Irish Sea.

• • In addition, in Russian there are no generally accepted terms for the following concepts:
    • England, Wales and Scotland as one en:Great Britain(lit. Great Britain). In most European languages, as well as in Russian (but with the exception of English), everything is directly called Great Britain United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland whole (eg. Grossbritannien, fr. Grande-Bretagne).
    • UK + crown lands in the British Isles (Maine, Jersey and Guernsey) - en:British Islands(≠ British Isles in the geographical sense). When used loosely in this sense, the term "Great Britain" is usually used.

• Ireland(full title - Republic of Ireland listen)) is another sovereign state in the British Isles, occupying most of the island of Ireland.
  • Northern Ireland(Ulster) - one of the four administrative and political parts of Great Britain (see above).
• Brittany- the name of the peninsula in France, once inhabited by the Britons from the south of Britain and gave it its name.

Map of the island of Great Britain.

The island of Great Britain (English version - Great Britain) is a large island in the archipelago of the British Isles, located off the northwestern coast of Europe in the Northeast Atlantic. The name of the island was found in ancient Roman sources of the 1st century BC, it extended to all the British Isles and meant "Land of the Britons", the tribes inhabiting the island at that time. Subsequently, part of the Britons moved to continental Europe on the Brittany Peninsula, which was originally called Little Britain, while the name Great Britain was attached to the island. The word "Great Britain" has become a Russian-language derivative of the old name.

The geographical coordinates of the island of Great Britain are taken from its approximate geographical center, given the decent size of the island: 54°04′00″ s. sh. 2°37′00″ W The northernmost point of the island is Dunnet Head with coordinates 58.666667°N. sh. 3.366667° W the westernmost - Cape Corrachadh Mòr (56.715611° N 6.227944° W), the southernmost - Cape Lizard (49.9591° N 5.2151° W), the most to the east, Cape Lowestoft Ness (52.481167° N 1.762833° E).

The area of ​​the island of Great Britain is almost 230 thousand square kilometers.

IN this moment Great Britain is the main island of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is sometimes abbreviated to the United Kingdom in literature. Since ancient times, the island has been divided into three historical regions - England, Wales and Scotland.

Satellite image of the island of Great Britain.

Story.

The history of the island of Great Britain is rich and multifaceted, so let's dwell on the most important and defining moments.

The first mention of the island of Great Britain among the ancient Romans appears in the third century BC. Over the next three centuries, the Romans try to capture the island. These wars began under Julius Caesar and continued with varying success for about 200 years. The Celtic tribes inhabiting the island courageously resisted the invaders, never allowing them to completely capture the island.

Under the pressure of the barbarian tribes that invaded the island, the Normans and numerous uprisings of the Celts in 407, the Romans left Great Britain.

In the future, stable state formations in England and Scotland began to form on the territory of the island of Great Britain. The turning point in the history of the island was the conquest of England in 1066 by the Duke of Normandy William, which marked the beginning of the establishment of the Anglo-Norman monarchy.

Over the centuries, the confrontation between England and Scotland in the form of numerous wars eventually ended in their unification under the rule of the British crown, which made Great Britain the most powerful power of that period.

After the Anglo-Spanish War of 1585-1604 and the defeat of the Invincible Armada, England finally becomes the leading power of that period.

By the end of the 19th century, the island of Great Britain became the center of the mighty British Empire, over which the sun never set.

During the First World War, Great Britain opposed the countries of the Triple Alliance on the side of the Entente coalition and made a decisive contribution to the overall victory in the war. Having a powerful fleet, the British managed to prevent the landing of enemy troops on the island of Great Britain.

Events unfolded similarly in World War II, when the landing of German troops on the island of Great Britain did not take place, contrary to forecasts and analyzes. On the contrary, along with the United States, Great Britain made a decisive contribution to the defeat of Germany and its allies.

In the post-war period, Great Britain, as a power, lost most of its colonies and possessions around the world, concentrating its efforts to develop the state on the islands of the metropolis, the main of which was and continues to be the island of Great Britain.

Currently, the island of Great Britain continues to be the main island of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The coast of the island of Great Britain near Yarmouth.

Origin and geography of the island.

By origin, the island of Great Britain, like other islands in the British, is a mainland. It was formed during the crushing of a massive pra-continent about 26-30 million years ago, as evidenced by the geological structure of the island. The descent of the last glacier finally formed modern look islands, forming numerous fjords and bays, especially in the north.

The island of Great Britain has a rather complex geometric shape. In Soviet times, in the then press, he was compared to a crying lady in a hat. Great Britain is separated from Europe by the English Channel (English Channel) and the Pas de Calais (Strait of Dover). In the east, the island is washed by the waters of the North Sea, which separates it from the peninsulas of Scandinavia and Jutland. In the west, the Straits of St. George and the North, as well as the Irish Sea, separate Great Britain from the large island of Ireland. The Hebrides Sea, as well as the straits of Little Minch and North Minch, separate the island from Hebrides in the northwest, and the Pentland Firth from the Orkney Islands in the north. The length of the island from north to south from Cape Dunnet Head to Cape Lizard is nearly 967 kilometers, with an average width of 470. The coastline of the island is strongly winding and forms several large bays, as well as peninsulas that protrude far into the sea. Significant bays include Bristol Bay, Cardigan, Morecambe, Loos, Solway Firth, Firth of Lorne, Moray Firth, Firth of Forth, Humber, Wash and Thames Bay. Among the major peninsulas, Wales and Cornwall stand out. The relief of Great Britain is represented by both plains and not high ancient mountain systems. In the south, the relief is mostly flat. In Wales, the Cambrian Mountains stretch with an average altitude of 1000 meters, the highest point of which is Mount Snowden, up to 1085 meters above sea level. In the northern part of England are the Pennines, the highest point of which is Mount Cross Fell, 893 meters high. The Pennines in the west pass into the Cumberland Mountains (the highest point is Mount Pike, 978 meters high) and in the north into the South Scottish Plateau (the highest point is Mount Merrick, 843 meters high). In the very north of Great Britain, the Lowlands are followed by the Scottish Highlands (Scottish Mountains) with the highest points of the island, Ben Nevis (1344 meters high) and Ben Macdui (1309 meters high). A large number of large and small rivers flow on the territory of the island of Great Britain, the largest of which are the Thames, Nin, Swale, Clyde, Severn and others. The island's largest lakes are Loch Ness and Loch Lomond.

Southwestern part of the island of Great Britain, Cambrian mountains.

Climate.

The climate of the island of Great Britain is defined by experts as temperate maritime. average temperature on the island is slightly higher than in other regions located at the same latitude, due to the significant influence of the warm Gulf Stream. The southern part of the island is somewhat drier and warmer than the northern part. Throughout the year, northwest winds prevail, which blow from the northern part of the Atlantic. Cloudy days on the island are not uncommon, in a year they are more than 50% of the total. The average annual amount of precipitation that falls on the island in the form of small but prolonged rains, snow and fogs ranges from 3000 millimeters in Scotland to 553 in the Cambridge area. The driest place on the island of Great Britain is Essex County, where on average up to 600 millimeters of precipitation falls per year, with 100 rainy days throughout the year.

Scottish Highlands (Scottish Highlands).

Population.

Currently, over 61 million people live on the island, making the UK the third most populated island in the world after Honshu. In ethno-racial terms, the population of the island is mostly represented by the British, Scots, Welsh and Irish. Recently, immigrants from former British colonies and emigrants from other countries began to arrive on the island, the total share of which has already exceeded 18% of the total number of islanders. The official and most common language on the island of Great Britain is English, but the Scots and Welsh often use their dialects of English in everyday conversation.

The largest settlement in Great Britain is the capital of the United Kingdom - the city of London, located in the southeast of the island, on the banks of the River Thames and inhabited by more than 9 million inhabitants. In addition to London, in terms of population and importance, it is worth noting such cities as Glasgow, Birmingham, Coventry, Sheffield, Hartford, Bradford, Leeds, Nottingham, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Manchester, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Bristol, Sunderland, Yarmouth, Bolton, Blackburn and others .

Currently, being the main island in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Great Britain is divided into three historical regions, which, in turn, are subdivided: England - into 9 regions, 6 metropolitan counties, 28 non-metropolitan counties, 55 unitary units and Greater London , Wales - into 9 counties, 3 cities and 10 city-counties, Scotland - into 32 regions.

The currency in circulation on the island of Great Britain is the pound sterling (British pound) (GBP, code 826), formally consisting of 100 pence. It is worth noting that on the territory of the island, as well as on the territory of the entire United Kingdom, the currencies of dependent British territorial entities, such as the Gibraltar, Manx, Jersey, Guernsey, Falkland pounds, as well as the pound of St. Helena, have parallel circulation.

City of London and the River Thames.

Flora and fauna.

The flora and fauna of the island of Great Britain are quite rich and abound in a variety of species. At the moment, forests on the island occupy only 10% of the total area. They mainly grow in river valleys and in the lower reaches of mountains. In the southern belt of mountains, in England and Wales, oaks, elms, hornbeams, beeches and ash trees grow. In the north of the island, in Scotland, mixed oak-spruce-pine forests grow, and with an increase in altitude - pine and birch forests. Natural perennial meadows in England and Wales are dominated by wild pale yellow daffodils, lilies, purple orchids and primroses. A little higher mountain border forests in the mountains of Wales and England, grasses and forbs predominate in mountain meadows, as well as numerous heathers and junipers, which are mixed with crowberries and blueberries.

Most large mammals such as bears, wild boars, wolves and Irish red deer have long been extirpated from Britain due to uncontrolled hunting in past centuries. At the moment, only 56 species of mammals remain, 13 of which were introduced by humans. About 130 species of birds live permanently in Great Britain, a significant part of which are songbirds. Millions of birds migrate, depending on the season, along the coast of Great Britain from north to south and vice versa.

The coastal waters of the island of Great Britain are unusually rich in fish, and marine mammals such as whales and seals are also found here.

Lake Loch Ness.

Tourism.

A huge historical heritage, numerous architectural monuments of different time periods and cultures have always attracted tourists to the island of Great Britain.

According to statistics, most tourists and guests of the island come here to study at the oldest educational institutions in England, which are famous for their level of education all over the world. In addition to higher educational institutions, recently immigrants from the countries of the former Soviet Union began to pay attention to primary educational institutions and colleges.

Also recently gained popularity and the so-called school tourism. Many travel companies now offer their clients an excellent vacation in England, guaranteeing comfort and a lot of impressions for schoolchildren. According to statistics, this type of tourism to the UK ranks second in terms of the number of tourists visiting the island.

The third largest number of tourists arriving on the island is occupied by the so-called shop tours, that is, tourist trips to buy certain goods and receive certain types of services.

And only in fourth place was the category of tourists who visit the island of Great Britain in order to get acquainted with its historical heritage, culture, ancient monuments and other attractions. Numerous museums hospitably open their doors for this category of tourists, art galleries, architectural monuments.

The famous Stonehenge in Wilshire.

Isle of Wight is insular territory in the south of Great Britain, which is a ceremonial non-metropolitan county of England and is part of the South East England region. The capital of the island and the most Big City- Newport.

The size of the Isle of Wight is small - 37 kilometers long and 21 kilometers wide. From the main British Isle to Wight and back can be reached using ferries and a ship on air cushion. The island rose to prominence during the Victorian era when it became a resort of outstanding natural beauty, scenic landscapes and the world-famous Cowes Yacht Club with its annual regatta.

The island has attractions for almost every taste: Saxon churches, Norman castles and even old medieval estates in the style of the Victorian era. All this is adjacent to the amazing nature. There are mysterious caves, cozy well-groomed beaches, and proud rocks. Separately allocated steam Railway that delight tourists of all ages.

IN different time the island was chosen for their holidays by various celebrities.

Saint Helena

Napoleon, being in exile on the island of St. Helena, wrote such gloomy lines: "On this accursed island, for most of the year you can not see either the sun or the moon, always rain or fog." The island has always belonged to the British Empire, but even the garrison was reluctantly stationed here. The island is away from mainland: up to almost 3000 km to South America, more than 2000 km to Africa and even up to nearest island sail for almost a day. Only a lone mail ship goes to St. Helena.

The main attractions of the island are Longwood House, where Napoleon lived, and his empty grave, since the remains of the emperor were transported to Paris in 1840. In the Plantation House, the home of the local governor, you can meet the Seychellois tortoise Jonathan, who recently turned 180 years old. Nearby is the old post office, where you can buy the rarest rare stamps. And if you go a little further, you will come to Jacob's ladder, which consists of 699 steps carved right into the rock. From above you can admire the rocks, the endless ocean and breathe in a distant land. Otherwise, you can safely believe the words of Napoleon: "There is nothing here but time."

Pitcairn Island

Pitcairn Island in the Pacific Ocean has only one locality- City of Adamstown. Only 47 people live in it. All the inhabitants of the island represent an isolated community, where everyone is related to each other. Almost everyone is engaged in the cultivation of corn and vegetables. All residents sacredly keep the traditions of the first settlers who sailed here in 1790.

In the distant past, the English ship Bounty sailed past the island. On board, there was a riot against the cruel William Bligh, who was eventually landed on the shore of a desert island with several assistants. Most of the current inhabitants of the island consider themselves their descendants. The local islanders represent a very good-natured community, speaking a mixture of English and local dialects.

This is one of the most isolated islands in the world. The nearest city is almost 3000 km. Young people go to New Zealand to get higher education and invariably come back. Life here is very measured and unhurried. Guests of the island are offered a beach holiday on the coast, walks through orange and banana groves, as well as an indescribable flavor of a secluded island life.