Geography of great Britain

Here is a short geografical outline of Great Britain(1) a leading capitalist Power(2). Great Britain, which comprises England, Wales and Scotland, is situated on the British Isles. The west coast of the country is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea(3), the east coast is washed by the North Sea.

Great Britain is separated from the continent of Europe by the English Channel(4) and the Strait of Dover which is as narrow as 21 miles.

England and Wales form the southern part of Great Britain, Scotland occupies its northen part. The country in the main has a sloping surface, but in Scotland and in the west of England there are mountains and hills. The highest mountain - Ben Nevis - is in Scotland. In some parts there are valleys and plains. The islands generally speaking, can be divided into Highland and Lowland. Of all the rivers, which are plentiful(5) in Britain, the Severn is the longest. The Thames on which London, the capital of Britain, is situated, flows into the North Sea and is very deep.

The climate in Britain is mild and damp. There are many foggy and rainy days. The flora of the British Isles is much varied and the fauna is similar to that of north-western Europe. The country is rather rich in natural resources.

England, once "the workshop of the world", was the first to become a highly developed industrial country. The following are industrially important areas: the Clydeside (Scotland) which is noted for shipbuilding; Yorkshire with its woollen industry; Lancashire which is famous for its cotton textile and heavy engineering; Midlands which is known for metals manufacturing and coal mining; Wept and South-West England and Greater London - the

main centre oflight industries.

Great Britain is a monarchy. The Queen of Great Britain is not absolute, but constitutional. Her powers(6) are limited by Parliament. The power is hereditary, and not elective. The British Parliament consists of the sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The population of the country is over 58 million.

Notes

1 Great Britain - Великобритания (полное название: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

2 Power – держава Запомните также: Great Powers - великие державы.

3 The Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea, the Severn, the Baikal. С названиями океанов, морей, рек, озер, проливов, а также цепей гор и стран света употребляется определенный артикль. Запомните также: the USA, the Crimea (Крым), the Caucasus (Кавказ), the Hague (Гаага).

4 the English Channel - пролив Ла-Манш. Channel может означать канал (естественный, природный) в отличие от canal [ka'nsel] (искусственный канал, прорытый человеком).

5 which are plentiful - которых много

6 her powers - ее права

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