Ministry of General and Vocational Education

Sverdlovsk region

State educational institution

primary vocational education

Vocational school for training trade workers

Economic-geographical

country characteristics

Great Britain

Essay

Executor:

Telitsyna M.M.

student of group No. 21

Supervisor:

geography teacher

Khorzova T.V.

Ekaterinburg

Introduction…………………………………………………………………….…3

1.Territory, borders, position of the country……………………………...4

2.Natural conditions and resources…………………………………………......5

3.Population…………………………………………………………….7

4. Economy and industry………………………………………...8

5.Agriculture…………………………………………………….11

6.Transport…………………………………………………………….12

7.Science and finance……………………………………………………….13

8.Recreation and tourism………………………………………………………......15

9.Security environment and environmental problems…………....18

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….19

Appendix 1…………………………………………………………….20

Appendix 2…………………………………………………………….21

Appendix 3…………………………………………………………….22

Appendix 4…………………………………………………………….23

Appendix 5…………………………………………………………….24

References………………………………………………………25

Introduction

I chose the topic “Economic and geographical position of Great Britain” because Great Britain is closest to me of all other countries, of course, not counting Russia. I would like to visit this country, its cultural places and learn more about it than my superficial knowledge.

To write an essay on this topic, you need to study four sources that fairly accurately describe the situation in Great Britain. And based on these sources, it is necessary, based on the questions posed, to show the current situation of the country and draw a conclusion about its condition.

1. Territory, borders, position of the country

Great Britain (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)- this is an archipelago irregular shape with a very diverse landscape and nature. The area of ​​Great Britain is approximately 240,842 sq. km. Most consists of land, and the rest is rivers and lakes. England's area is 129,634 square meters. km., Wales - 20,637 sq. km., Scotland - 77,179 sq. km. and Northern Ireland - 13,438 sq. km. The southern tip of the island of Great Britain, the Cornwall peninsula, is located at 50° N, and the northernmost part of the Shetland archipelago is at 60° N. The length of the island of Great Britain from north to south is 966 km, and its greatest width is half that. Great Britain has a complex administrative-territorial division. It consists of 4 historical and geographical regions: England (45 counties and a special administrative unit - Greater London). Wales (8 counties); Northern Ireland(26 districts); Scotland (12 regions); independent administrative units– Isle of Man and Channel Islands. Great Britain is washed from the west by waters Atlantic Ocean, and from the east - by waters North Sea. From the south, Great Britain borders on France - its closest and most developed neighbor, which shares water borders with it. Shortest distance to north coast France - the Strait of Dover, but the main communication between the states is through the English Channel, called the English Channel by the British, along the bottom of which a tunnel for high-speed rail transport was built at the end of the twentieth century. Before this, communication between the two countries was carried out by water or air. Also, the closest neighbors of Great Britain are Belgium and the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and Norway are located much further away. Thus, the UK EGP is both neighboring and coastal, which is extremely beneficial for economic development country, although it has some disadvantages in strategic and military terms.

2. Natural conditions and resources The climate of Great Britain is temperate, oceanic, very humid with mild winters and cool summers. The British Isles are characterized by frequent fog and strong winds. The moderate oceanic climate and the influence of the warm North Atlantic Current create favorable conditions for development Agriculture. average temperature the coldest month - January - does not fall below +3.5 degrees even in the extreme northeast of Great Britain, and in the southwest it reaches +5.5 degrees. Snow in winter time falls throughout the country, but very unevenly. In the mountainous regions of Scotland, snow cover lasts for at least 1-1.5 months. In the south of England, and especially in the southwest, snow falls very rarely and lasts no more than a week. Here the grass is greener all year round. High soil cultivation is important factor increasing crop yields. In the British climate, rivers are full of water. The largest are the Thames, Severn, Trent, and Mersey. Rivers are only used as a source of energy in the Scottish Highlands. The UK does not have a large variety of mineral resources. The importance is especially great coal, total reserves which amount to 190 billion tons. The largest reserves and production are distinguished by three basins: Yorkshire and South Wales. In addition to these three largest coal basins important role The basins of Scotland play, stretching in a chain from the western to the eastern edge of the Mid-Scottish Lowlands, as well as the Lancashire and West Midlands, consisting of a number of small deposits. There are small outcrops of coal seams on the coast of the Kimberland Peninsula and in the extreme southeast of England - the Kent Basin. In the 60s, oil and gas fields were discovered on the North Sea shelf. Large deposits are located off the coast of southeast England and northeast Scotland. Great Britain ranks sixth in the world oil producer. Oil reserves in Great Britain reach 770 million tons. In addition to large energy resources, the UK has significant reserves of iron ore. But their deposits are characterized by low metal content in the ore (22-33%). The most largest deposit East Midlands. Until recently, Great Britain supplied half of its needs for this type of raw material with its own iron ore, the rest was purchased through imports. Currently, the mining of low-quality ore has proven to be unprofitable, so production has been curtailed and switched to importing high-quality ores from Sweden, Canada, Brazil and a number of African countries. In the past, small deposits of copper and lead-zinc ores, as well as tin, were mined in the UK. Their deposits are severely depleted and production is now very small. They mine some tungsten. Uranium ores have been found in Scotland. Of non-metallic industrial raw materials, the extraction of kaolin or white clay is significant, as well as rock salt in Cheshire and Durham and potash salt in Yorkshire. IN soil cover The country is dominated by a variety of podzolic soils and brown soils. The meadow soils near the Wash Bay are the most fertile. In general, the soils in Great Britain are highly cultivated and produce high yields. Typical for Great Britain cultural landscape. Only in the mountainous regions of the country is natural vegetation preserved. The forests are dominated by broad-leaved species (oak, hornbeam, elm, beech) and only in Scotland - pine. Today, only 9% of the UK's territory is occupied by forests. However, the country gives the impression of being very wooded thanks to the hedges that surround the fields and meadows, as well as small forest areas and numerous parks. Only West Coast, exposed to westerly winds carrying salty sea spray, is almost devoid of vegetation. Thus, due to the temperate oceanic climate in the UK, the grass is green all year round, i.e. Soil productivity is high. Britain does not have a large variety of mineral resources, however, some of them have played a huge role in shaping its industrial areas, and the UK is now more of an importer than an exporter. 3. Population

Total number population (according to 2008) - 61,113,205 people. Age structure: under 14 years old - 16.7%, 15-64 - 67.1%, from 65 and older - 16.2%. Average age men - 39 years old, women - 41 years old. Average composition family - 2 children and parents. Number rural population- 11%, rural population density - 242 people. per 1 sq. km. The total number of economically active population is 29 million people. In cities with the number of inhabitants of St. 100 thousand people Almost half of the country's population lives. The largest cities by population: London (6,803,000 people), Birmingham (935,000 people), Glasgow (654,000 people), Sheffield (500,000 people), Liverpool (450,000 people), Edinburgh (421 000 people), Manchester (398,000 people), Belfast (280,000 people). In Great Britain, the birth rate exceeds the death rate, the rapid birth rate can be seen in the table (Appendix 1) from 1976 to 2009. The country's indigenous people make up 92% of the population (2001, census), of which:

· English - 83.6%,

· Scots (mainly in Scotland) - 8.5%,

· Welsh (mainly in Wales) - 4.9%,

· Irish (mainly in Northern Ireland, Ulsterians) - 2.9%.

Immigrants and their children live mainly in conurbations Greater London, West Midlands and Merseyside. They make up about 8% of the country's population, including:

• people from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh - 3.6%,
• China - 0.4%,
• African countries - 0.8%,
• dark-skinned islanders Caribbean Sea - 1 %

The current monarch is Elizabeth II, who began her reign on February 6, 1952. Her eldest son, Prince Charles, is her heir. The Prince of Wales holds various ceremonial functions, as does the Queen's husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In addition, there are several other members of the august family: children, grandchildren and cousins. Thus, the population is growing due to labor immigrants from countries that have recently joined European Union, who, after EU enlargement in May 2004, were allowed free entry to work in the UK. However, the birth rate in the country still exceeds the death rate, although natural increase is no longer the dominant factor in the increase in the number of British people.

The peculiarities of the economic and geographical position of Great Britain include the location of the state on the islands, as well as the presence of a land border with only one power - Ireland. In addition, the UK includes 4 large regions: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Physico-geographical position of Great Britain

Great Britain or the United Kingdom is an island country located in northwestern Europe. It occupies the island of Great Britain, the northern part of the island of Ireland, as well as many smaller islands and archipelagos belonging to the British Isles. In addition, the state owns several island archipelagos located in Oceania, the Indian and Atlantic oceans.

Rice. 1. Island of Great Britain.

In ancient times British Isles were part of the Eurasian continent, but melting glaciers and flooding of lands led to the formation of the North Sea and the English Channel, which separated Great Britain from Europe.

Great Britain is located in the Atlantic Ocean, which is represented by several small seas: the North, Irish, Celtic and Hebrides.

The area of ​​the United Kingdom is 243.8 thousand square meters. km, of which inland waters I occupy 3.23 thousand square meters. km. The length of the state from north to south is 966 km, and the distance in its widest part is about 480 km. Most extreme point to the south is the Cornwall peninsula, and to the north is the Shetland Islands archipelago.

The entire coast is indented by numerous deltas, bays, bays and peninsulas, as a result of which the maximum distance of any point in the country from the sea does not exceed 120 km.

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Rice. 2. UK coast.

Off the coast, the sea depth is about 90 m, since the British Isles are located on the continental shelf - an elevated seabed connected to the mainland. Warm current The Gulf Stream supports enough high temperature water on the shelf, making the climate on the islands much milder even taking into account their northern location.

UK borders

The United Kingdom has land border with only one state - the Republic of Ireland, occupying the southern part of the island of Ireland, while its northern part belongs to Great Britain.

All other borders of the country are maritime:

• in the south, Great Britain is separated from France by the English Channel;
• in the southeast Island state separated from Belgium and Norway by the shallow North Sea.

Large role in communication between Great Britain and the mainland European states plays the English Channel, which is often called the English Channel. At the end of the 20th century, a tunnel was built along its bottom for high-speed rail traffic. In addition, communication between the countries is carried out by air and waterways.

Characteristics of UK EGP

1) Great Britain (United Kingdom) is an island state, most of whose territory is located on two large islands separated by the waters of the Irish Sea.

It consists of four countries: England, Scotland and Wales, located on the island of Britain, and Northern Ireland. The UK shares a common land border only with Ireland.

From the south, Great Britain borders on France - its closest and most developed neighbor, which shares water borders with it.

Also, the closest neighbors of Great Britain are Belgium and the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and Norway are located much further away.

Thus, the UK’s EGP is both neighboring and coastal, which is extremely beneficial for the economic development of the country, although it undoubtedly has certain disadvantages in strategic and military terms.

2) To the southwest of the island of Britain are the Isles of Scilly, and to the north of Wales is the Isle of Anglesey. On the western and northern coasts of Scotland there are numerous small islands that are part of Great Britain. The most important of these are the Orkney Shetland Islands. From the west, Great Britain is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and from the east by the waters of the North Sea.

The shortest distance to the northern coast of France is the Strait of Dover, but the main communication between the states is through the English Channel, called the English Channel by the British, along the bottom of which a tunnel for high-speed rail transport was built at the end of the twentieth century. Before this, communication between the two countries was carried out by water or air.

3) The main sources of energy are coal and oil, and to a lesser extent natural gas. The coal mining industry is one of the oldest industries in the UK. The main coal mining areas are Cardiff, South Wales and Central England (Sheffield).

Great Britain has a temperate and fairly humid climate. Therefore, most of the used rural land is occupied by pastures (about 80%). A minority of the area is occupied by crops, which are mainly grown in East Anglia. One of the main crops is sugar beet, grown in East Anglia and Lincolnshire, where the main sugar refineries are located. Wheat, barley and oats are also important crops, grown in England, Northern Ireland and the east coast of Scotland.

Dairy farming also plays an important role in UK agriculture. Dairy cattle are raised primarily in the southwest of England.

Since Great Britain has been a maritime power since ancient times, fishing is considered a traditional industry. The main fisheries are cod, flounder, herring, whitefish, trout, oysters and crabs.

4) The administrative map of Great Britain has changed several times, because... the annexation of the countries that make up the United Kingdom took centuries. Each once independent state has its own capital or administrative center. The official capital of Great Britain is London, since the unification of the lands took place around England.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Great Britain, being in first place in the world in terms of economic development, created a colossal colonial power that occupied almost a quarter of the planet's territory. British colonies included India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and much of Africa. In the twentieth century English colonies became independent states, but many of them are part of the British Commonwealth, headed by the British monarch. In 1921 South part Ireland separated from Great Britain and became an independent state.

General economic and geographical characteristics of one of the countries Western Europe(Great Britain).

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of four large territories: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. For a long time(until the end of the 19th century) Great Britain dominated the world economy, because the industrial revolution took place here earlier than in other countries. The country owned huge colonies, which provided advantages for economic development; its central position at the crossroads of the most important maritime transport routes provided it with wide connections with all regions globe. The role of a favorable combination of natural conditions and resources (coal, iron ore, deep rivers) is also important.

Great Britain has a complex administrative-territorial division. It consists of 4 historical and geographical regions: England (45 counties and a special administrative unit - Greater London); Wales (8 counties); Northern Ireland (26 counties); Scotland (12 regions); independent administrative units - the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

To a certain extent, the rapid economic development of Great Britain was facilitated by its favorable geographical location. This sea ​​power, formerly a "great maritime power", is located on the continental shelf. The British archipelago is separated by the shallow North Sea from developed countries Western and Northern Europe (Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany), the narrow English Channel (20 km) and Pas de Calais (33 km) from France. Laid along the bottom of the English Channel railway tunnel connects Great Britain and France, it put an end to the country's maritime isolation.

The country's role in the international arena is great. Great Britain has been a member of the UN since 1945, a permanent member of the Security Council, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) since 1949, a member of the European Union since 1973, the Western European Union since 1954. Head of the British Commonwealth, created in 1931 and includes 50 states, former British dominions and colonies, which maintain close economic and political ties with Great Britain. Great Britain has been a member of the military-political organization NATO since 1949 and has nuclear missile weapons. Playing big role in such international economic organizations as the Paris Club and the London Club, which regulate the monetary and financial problems of the West and largely determine the policy of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Now Great Britain remains one of the leading powers in the world. A highly industrialized power, a major exporter of capital, the creator and coordinator of the Commonwealth (formerly the British Commonwealth of Nations) - a unique form of association between Great Britain and its former colonies.

The structure of British industry is typical of the most developed countries in the world. The leading role belongs to complex and diverse mechanical engineering (London, Coventry, Birmingham, Clydeside, etc.). Well-developed ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy operates mainly on imported raw materials (Sheffield and coastal cities). After the discovery of oil and gas deposits on the North Sea shelf, the chemical industry received a new impetus for development.

Agriculture is highly productive, with the leading role played by livestock farming (cattle breeding, sheep farming, pig farming and poultry farming). Farms specializing in dairy farming predominate. The main direction of crop production is to provide livestock with feed; 2/3 of the sown area is occupied by feed crops. Fishing plays a significant role. The main fishing ports are located on the east coast.

Transport. The main cargo turnover in domestic transportation is accounted for by road transport. The main transport routes converge on London, Birmingham, Manchester and other industrial cities. Great Britain has a large maritime and passenger fleet. Air transport is developed. The importance of water and air transport is very great, given the island position of the country.

Within the UK there are five main areas. In the southern part is the capital - London, which is also one of the largest ports in the world. Active maritime trade and the capital's role are the “face” of the southern part of the country. The southeast is the main zone of grain and industrial crops. Livestock farming is developed. On the coast there are ports, military bases, resorts. Southampton is the UK's largest passenger port. The central part of the state is the birthplace of the world's coal and factory industries (metallurgical, metalworking, textile). Now it is an almost continuous strip of industrial cities with old, new and new industries. Old industries predominate in Wales. In Scotland there is shipbuilding, and the chemical industry is now rapidly developing as a result of the development of oil and gas fields in the North Sea. Sheep farming is developed in the mountainous part of Scotland, and dairy farming and fishing are developed in the eastern and coastal parts of Scotland. Ulster is the economically most backward part of the country. The basis of the economy there is agriculture.

The objectives of regional policy are to raise depressed old industrial areas and smooth out disproportions between them and highly developed areas; industrialization and general development the most backward areas; restriction of growth and “unloading” of some largest cities and urban agglomerations.

Natural conditions and resources. The natural resource factor had a great influence on the formation of the territorial structure of the economy.

Great Britain has a variety of landforms: mountainous terrain predominates in the north and west, and lowland - in the east. The country's highest point, Mount Ben Nevis (1343 m), is located in mountainous Scotland. The Pennine Ridge has the greatest extent, stretching from north to south. A vast, rolling plain occupies the south-east and center of the country, while the flattest lowland, the Fenland, surrounds the Wash. In Scotland, the Lowlands stretch between the Northern and Southern Highlands.

The climate of Great Britain is temperate, oceanic, very humid with mild winters and cool summers. The British Isles are characterized by frequent fog and strong winds. The temperate oceanic climate and the influence of the warm North Atlantic Current create favorable conditions for the development of agriculture (in the southwest, plants grow all year round). High soil cultivation is an important factor in increasing agricultural productivity.

In the British climate, rivers are full of water. The largest are the Thames, Severn, Trent, and Mersey.

The importance of river estuaries that extend far into the land, as well as the overall great ruggedness, is very important coastline. This allowed the creation of many ports. Rivers as a source of energy are used only in the highlands of Scotland and North Wales.

In general, the country does not have significant mineral reserves, with the exception of fuel and energy. Coal reserves are estimated at 190–200 billion tons. Total and recoverable reserves are about 50 billion tons (first place in Western Europe). The main deposits are located in the Lowlands of Scotland.

In the 60s, oil deposits were discovered on the North Sea shelf; proven reserves are estimated at 2.4 billion tons, which is approximately 35% of the oil reserves of the entire North Sea shelf (2% of world reserves). About 50 deposits have been found, the largest of which are Brent and Fortis, together accounting for 33% of the total production.

In 1959, large natural gas deposits were discovered in the western North Sea. In 1965, 70 km. Industrial gas production began east of Clinthorpes. Its total reserves are estimated at 1.2 trillion. cube m. Currently, 37 out of 60 natural gas fields are being developed.

Great Britain also has other mineral resources. Iron ores, mostly phosphorous, of low quality

The UK has minor reserves of tin in Cornwall, lead-zinc ores in Wales and uranium ores in Scotland.

Kaolin is mined in Cornwall; rock salt– in Cheshire and Durham; potassium salts - in Yorkshire.