Lesson 4 islands, ri. Vers, la. Kes, Mo. Untains, cli. Mate and Po. PUlation
The following words which might be used to describe the landscapes • • • • desert - a large area of sand with little plant life plain - area of level country hill - natural elevation on the earth’s surface, lower than a mountain forest - large area of land covered with trees ( and often undergrowth) island - piece of land surrounded by water ocean - the great body of water that surrounds the land masses of the earth prairie – wide area of level land with grass but no trees canyon – deep gorge usually with a river flowing through it coast – land bordering the sea; seashore and land near it wood - a small forest mountain range – series of mountains more or less in a line valley –stretch of land between hills or mountains often with a river flowing through it lake – large area of water enclosed by land river – natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea or to the lake
Basic Facts • The UK is made up of: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland • Numerous smaller islands: the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, the Scilly, Orkney, Shetland, Hebridean archipelagos. • The UK is an island in Western Europe just off the coast of France, separated by the English Channel • The Channel Tunnel links the UK with France, it lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea
• The UK is bordered by four seas 1/ English Channel - separates it from continental Europe 2/ to the east by the North Sea 3/ to the west by the Irish Sea 4/ and the Atlantic Ocean
The Land • Scotland Wales are the most mountainous parts of the UK • the Pennine run down the centre of northern England • coastal areas are low-lying - regularly flood during heavy rain • Most of the UK is made up of gently rolling hills such as Dartmoor (south-west of England) or the Mourne Mountains (Northern Ireland)
England • the largest country of • Capital City: London the UK, covers over • Major Cities: 50, 000 square miles Birmingham, Leeds, • only 35 km from France Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield • mostly low-lying land, with hills and agricultural land • the north is mostly covered in moorland mountains (Dartmoor, Exmoor)
• Highest point: Scafell Pike 978 m (part of the Cumbrian Mountains in North West England = known as Lake District) • Longest river: Thames (346 km) • Largest Lake: Windermere • a long coastline of 3, 200 km
Scotland • capital is Edinburgh • a mountainous country • south - border with England, east the North Sea, west - the Atlantic Ocean • Highest point: Ben Nevis (1, 343 m) • famous for its loch lakes, clans, kilts, medieval castles • Major Cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow • Famous Scots: Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, David Hume and the actor Sean Connery.
Wales • a mountainous country • borders – east: England, south: the Bristol Channel, west: St George's Channel, north: the Irish Sea • Capital City: Cardiff • Highest point: Snowdon 1085 metres • Longest river: Towy (Tywi) 103 km • Largest Lake: Bala
The Northern Ireland • Giant´s Causeway - the North East coast, • in the northeast of the interlocking basalt island of Ireland columns - result of an • Capital City: Belfast ancient volcanic • Highest point: Slieve eruption Donard mountain 848 m • Longest river: River Bann 129 km • Largest Lake: Lough Neagh
Lakes • the largest lake – Lough Neagh Other major lakes: • Windermere in the English Lake District • Loch Lomond in Scotland - famous for sightings of a mythical monster 'Nessie'
UK Rivers • not very long, the longest river The Severn (338 km) - beginning in Wales and entering the Atlantic Ocean near Bristol in England Other major rivers: • the Thames which flows through Oxford and London • the Trent and Mersey rivers
MOUNTAINS There are no high mountains on these islands. • The highest mountain in Scotland – Ben Nevis (1, 343 meters high) • The highest mountain in Wales – Snowdon (1, 085 meters high)
Climate • the surrounding sea gives England a varied climate, in general mild • the Gulf Stream (a warm current of the northern Atlantic Ocean • difficult to predict the weather- climate changing from day to day • In general warm summers and cool winters. • Summers are cooler than on the continent, but the winters are milder. • July and August are normally the warmest month in England. • February is normally the coldest month
POPULATION There are four nationalities which have their own language and culture: the english, the irish, the Welsh, the scottish. The population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is over 57 mln.
POPULATION • Over 46 million people live in England • Over 3 million people live in Wales • A little over 5 million in Scotland and • About 1, 5 million people live in Northern Ireland • London’s population is more than 7 million London’s population people.