3. Geographical position of Great Britain, climate, general characteristics. Mountains, rivers, lakes

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland covers an area of some 244 thousand square miles. It is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles are separated from Europe by the Strait of Dover and the English Channel. The British Isles are washed by the North Sea in the east and the Atlantic Ocean in the west.

The population of Great Britain is about 60 million. The largest cities of the country are London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The territory of Great Britain is divided into four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

England is in the southern and central part of Great Britain. Scotland is in the north of the island. Wales is in the west. Northern Ireland is situated in the north-eastern part of Ireland.

England is the richest, the most fertile and most populated part in the country. There are mountains in the north and in the west of England, but all the rest of the territory is a vast plain. In the northwestern part of England there are many beautiful lakes. This part of the country is called Lake District.

Scotland is a land of mountains. The Highlands of Scotland are among the oldest mountains in the world. The highest mountain of Great Britain is in Scotland too. The chain of mountains in Scotland is called the Grampians. Its highest peak is Ben Nevis. It is the highest peak not only in Scotland but in the whole Great Britain as well. In England there is the Pennine Chain. In Wales there are the Cumbrian Mountains.

There are no great forests on the British Isles today. Historically, the most famous forest is Sherwood Forest in the east of England, to the north of London. It was the home of Robin Hood, the famous hero of a number of legends.

The British Isles have many rivers but they are not very long. The longest of the English rivers is the Severn. It flows into the Irish Sea. The most important river of Scotland is the Clyde. Glasgow stands on it. Many of the English and Scottish rivers are joined by canals, so that it is possible to travel by water from one end of Great Britain to the other.

The Thames is over 200 miles long. It flows through the rich agricultural and industrial districts of the country. London, the capital of Great Britain, stands on it. The Thames has a wide mouth, that's why the big ocean liners can go up to the London port.

Geographical position of Great Britain is rather good as the country lies on the crossways of the see routes from Europe to other parts of the world. The sea connects Britain with most European countries such as Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway and some other countries. The main sea route from Europe to America also passes through the English Channel.

4. National Economy. Main industries

Britain lives by its industry and trade. With a population representing only 2 per cent of the world total, it is one of the largest trading nations in the world, providing about 10 per cent of world exports of manufactured goods.

Britain is a highly industrialized country and today 28 people work in manufacturing, mining and building for every one engaged in agriculture. Britain's major industries include iron and steel engineering, including motor vehicles and aircraft, electrical and electronics manufacturing, textiles, chemicals, etc. The textile industry is considered to be the most extensive one: immense quantities of cotton and woolen goods and artificial silk are produced and exported. But great disadvantage of its economy is that it possesses very few of the raw materials necessary for its industry. Most of them must be imported.

The heart of England’s industry are the Midlands. The textile and metal working industries have grown up there in and near the iron ore and coal mining districts. Birmingham is an important industrial centre in the Midlands. One can find any type of production here, from steel smelting to manufacturing the most delicate articles: from motor cars & railway engines to pins and buttons.

Britain is also a big market for food and other consumer goods, British agriculture, though highly efficient, produces just about two-thirds on the country's food requirements. The main grain crops are wheat, barley, oats and rye potatoes and vegetables are grown in all parts of Britain. A wide over the country.

In order to pay for the food and other materials it needs, Britain relies not only on the sales of manufactures. The City contains probably the greatest concentration of financial expertise in the world. The London Stock Exchange, with its vast experience and world wide network of communications, is one of the world's markets in securities. Other important financial institutions in the City include the Bank of England as well as hundreds of commercial banks, British and foreign, and several large international commodity markets, for example for metals, rubber, grain, cocoa, coffee and tea.

There are also a few hydro-electric schemes, especially in Scotland. The main centre of coal-mining is Wales. With the discovery and exploitation of oil and natural gas from the bed of the North Sea, Britain has become self-sufficient in these kinds of energy. Nuclear power stations produce about 10 per cent of Britain's electricity although most electricity is produced by coal-fired or oil-fired power stations.

After Britain joined the European Economic Community, its foreign trade expanded substantially. Britain imports huge quantities primary products and exports about a third of its manufactured goods. Nowadays, there appeared additional opportunities tо ехpаnd the volume of British trade after signing wide-scale trade agreements with the republics of CIS. The Republic of Belarus is a_reliable partner аnd wide-scale, trade contacts would be beneficial for both sides.