England

The Largest Part of the UK • Population • Location • The Sea in the History of England • Rivers • 'Dales'¹ 'Industries

Of the four parts which make up Great Britian England is the largest, the industrial and most densely populated part of the United Kingdom, Over 46 million people of the popu­lation of the UK live in England.

The greatest concentrations of population are in Lon­don, Birmingham and northwest industrial cities. The coasts A Suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire of England are washed by the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the English Channel and the Strait of Dover. j^o part of England is more than 120 kilome­tres from the sea.

It is interesting to note that the sea has be­en important in the his­tory of England. It was a good protection against the attacks of outside peoples. Fishing has always been an important industry, especially in the east. The sea also has a great effect on England's climate.

There are many rivers in England. The longest and the most important is the Thames. The rivers are of great importance for communication and especially for carrying goods.

England is mostly a lowland country. There are upland regions in the north and the southwest, but the rest of England is almost flat.

Northern England Midlands and Southern England each part of England is different. The Lake District in Northern England with its lakes, mountains and valleys is а favourite holiday area. On either side of the Pennines the plains of Yorkshire² and Lancashire³ stretch о the sea. In Yorkshire swift rivers flow down from the hills into valleys called ‘dales’.

The wool industry is centred m Leeds and Bradford⁴, the cotton industry in Manchester, iron ore goes to the steel, heavy machinery and shipbuilding industries of Newcastle and other cities. The industries of the Midlands, with Birmingham as its chief city, produce metal goods, from motor cars and railway engines to pins and buttons. The Mid land plain makes good farmland. In Southern England are found some of the oldest British settlements and traces of ancient monuments such a Stonehenge⁵.

London

Location • Population • Its Importance m the Life of Britain • The City • West End and the East End • The Best-Known Streets and Sights.

When we think of Paris, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon and other European capitals, we think of them as 'cities'. When ve think of the whole of modern London, the capital city Of England and the United Kingdom, that great area cove­ring several hundred square kilometres, we do not think of it as 'a city', not even as a city and its suburbs. Modern London is not one city that has steadily become larger through the centuries; it is a number of cities, towns, and villages that have, during the past centuries, grown to­gether to make one vast urban area.

London is situated upon both banks of the River Thames, it is the largest city in Britain and one of the larg­est in the world. Its population is about 7 million people.

London dominates the life of Britain. It is a big port and most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre. There is little heavy industry in London, but there is wide range of light industry in Greater London². The City extends over an area of about 2.6 square kilometres in the heart of London. About half a million people work in the City but only less than 6000 live here. It is the financial centre of the UK with many banks? Offices and the Stock Exchange . But the City is also a market for goods of almost every kind, from all parts of the world.

The West End can be called the centre of London. Here are the historical palaces as well as the famous parks. Hyde Park with its Speaker’s Corner is also here. Among other parks are Kensington Gardens , St. James’s Park . In the West End is Buckingham Palace which is the Queen’s residence, and the Palace of Westminster which is the seat of Parlament.

The best-know streets here are Whitehall with important Government offices, Downing Street , the London residence of the Prime Minister and the place where the Cabinet meets, Fleet Street where most newspapers have their offices, Harley Street where the highest-paid doctors live, and some others.

The name ‘West End’ came to be associated with wealth, luxury, and goods of high quality. It is the area of the largest department stores, cinemas and hotels. There are about 40 theatres, several concert halls, many museums including the British Museum , and the best art galleries.

It is in the West End that the University of London is centred with Bloomsbury as London’s student quarter.

Visitors with plenty of money to spend and who come chiefly for enjoyment are likely to pass most of their time in the West End.

The port of London is to the east of the all City. Here were kilometres and kilometres of docks, and the great industrial areas that depended upon shipping. This is the East End of London, formerly unattractive in appearance, but now changing because of the introduction of new industries and very expensive housing.

Date: 2015-01-11; view: 1064