Geography of the United Kingdom

Overview

• The UK is primarily a pastoral land.
• 70% of its territory consists of pastures and farm fields.
• About one-tenth of the land is forested.

England

• Accounts for just over half of the total territory of the UK.
• Features small towns and grand country estates of the aristocracy in rural regions.
• Has an ancient Roman wall, Hadrian's Wall, running 84 miles from coast to coast to keep Scottish tribes out.
• The wall was built 1,900 years ago when England was known as the Roman province of Britannia.
• The landscape includes a rolling central lowland transitioning to a flatter eastern coastal plain along the North Sea.
• Major mountain ranges: Cumbrians and Pennines (highest peak is 3,200 feet).
• Southwestern England is hilly with a scenic coastline and fishing villages.

Scotland

• Makes up just under a third of the total area of the UK.
• Includes nearly 800 islands and 31,000 lakes.
• The Highlands are mountainous, featuring the tallest peak, Ben Nevis (4,400 feet).
• Much of the region consists of scrubby, treeless heathlands or moors.

Wales

• Occupies a peninsula to the west of central England.
• Accounts for less than a tenth of the total area of the UK and is the smallest region.
• Has a long coastline along the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel.
• The countryside is very hilly to mountainous, with 14 mountains over 3,000 feet high.

Northern Ireland

• The second smallest region in the UK.
• Separated from Great Britain by a narrow channel flowing into the Irish Sea.
• Consists mostly of hilly farmland and includes the largest lake in the UK.

Climate

• The UK has a temperate marine climate influenced by the Gulf Stream's warming Atlantic currents.
• Temperatures rarely fall below 12°F or exceed 95°F.
• Experiences plentiful rainfall throughout the year, with the heaviest in the western regions.
• Snow occurs occasionally in southern parts and can last 2-3 weeks in Scotland.