Abstract: Economic and geographical characteristics of Great Britain. Characteristics of the economic and geographical position of Great Britain Position of Great Britain relative to other countries

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 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.

Great Britain (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is an irregularly shaped archipelago with a very diverse landscape and nature. The area of ​​Great Britain is approximately 240,842 sq. km. Most of it is 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 counties); Scotland (12 regions); independent administrative units - the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Great Britain is washed from the west by waters Atlantic Ocean, and from the east - by the waters of the 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, UK EGP is both neighboring and seaside, which is extremely beneficial for economic development country, although it has some disadvantages in strategic and military terms.

The total population (according to 2008 data) is 61,113,205 people. Age structure: under 14 years old - 16.7%, 15-64 - 67.1%, 65 and older - 16.2%. The average age of men is 39 years, women - 41 years. The average family composition is 2 children and parents. The rural population is 11%, the rural population density is 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 the Greater London, West Midlands and Merseyside conurbations. 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 the European Union, who, after the EU enlargement in May 2004, were allowed free entry to work in the UK. However, the country's birth rate still exceeds death rates, although natural increase is no longer the dominant factor in the increase in the number of Britons.

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, the 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 internal waters 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. The warm Gulf Stream maintains a fairly high water temperature on the shelf, making the climate on the islands much milder even taking into account their northern location.

UK borders

The United Kingdom has a land border with only one state - the Republic of Ireland, which occupies the southern part of the island of Ireland, while the 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.

egp japan

1.not profitable, because there are no neighbors

2. profitable, because it is a leader among port states and many trade routes pass through it

3. not profitable, poor in mineral resources, rich in polymetallic ores and copper ores, agricultural areas are not developed

4. profitable EGP

5. Trade relations with other countries of the world have intensified. From the end of the 12th century until 1867, the feudal state that existed on the islands of Japan was ruled by shoguns. Feudal rulers imposed a ban on almost all contacts with foreigners, fearing their expansion and the spread of Christianity. The "closure" of Japan prevented the country from being colonized. However, a long period of its isolation led to the fact that until the 20th century it was, as it were, hidden from the eyes of Europeans. Severe isolation greatly affected the country's economic development. At a time when all of Europe was moving by leaps and bounds towards scientific and technological progress, Japan was still at the agrarian stage of development. In the 20th century, Japan took part in three major wars (Russian-Japanese, 1st and 2nd World Wars). In World War II, it was an ally of Nazi Germany and Italy. In 1945, in accordance with the secret Yalta agreements of the victorious countries, all the Kuril Islands were transferred to the Soviet Union as a war trophy. Since the Second World War, Japan has not had a peace treaty with Russia and makes claims to Russia on the islands of the Kuril chain: Kunashir, Shikotan, Habomai. Almost 50 years later, the Kuril Islands belonged to the USSR and Russia, the socio-economic situation on the islands remains extremely difficult, the islands remained undeveloped. Based on the principles of justice, we must admit that Japan has the moral and legal right to lay claim to at least the Southern Kuril Islands. It is necessary to support in every possible way the emerging trend towards rapprochement, resolve the territorial issue and make peace with Japan, putting an end to the Second World War.

6.favorable influence, increased production area

egp great britain

1.favorable

2.favorable, there is access to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

3.favorable, average amount of minerals

4. favorable

6.egp has a positive effect on the production sector

In the country, the leading role belongs to maritime transport (86% of cargo turnover), it provides international and domestic connections. On automobile transport accounts for 75% of domestic traffic (the main London-Manchester-Glasgow highway), and rail about 20%.

With the opening of the railway tunnel, the role of this transport in international transport has increased. High-speed trains cover the distance between London and Paris in 3 hours.

River routes are used for recreational purposes, and the role of pipeline transport is increasing.

Since the country is an island, the role of air transport. There are 150 in the country passenger airports, which provide communication with 120 countries of the world. Transportation is carried out transnational company British Airways. The largest airports are located in London (Heathrow and Gatwick).

Since the UK is an island state, all its external transport and trade is associated with sea and air transport.

About 90% of total cargo turnover comes from sea ​​transport, including 25% for cabotage.

The UK maritime fleet is 9.6 million reg. b.t. All areas of the country, except the West Midlands, are, to one degree or another, directly connected with seaports, which serve as the main transport hubs. The largest of them are London, Southampton, Liverpool, Goole and Harwich. The ports of London and Liverpool handle about half of all cargo (by value).

In the past, more passengers arrived in the UK by sea than by air.

However, since the beginning of the 60s of the 20th century, the number of air passengers began to grow rapidly and is now several times higher than the number of those arriving in the country by sea.

Great Britain egp. Britain's position in relation to neighboring countries.

In total, the country has about 150 airports, through which it is connected by regular airlines to more than 100 countries of the world.

Almost all transport is carried out by British Airways. Five largest airports The London area countries of Heathrow and Gatwick, as well as Manchester, Luton and Glasgow, account for 75% of all passenger and air cargo traffic.

The UK is connected to the continent by two railway ferries (Dover - Dunkirk and Harwich - Ostend), the English Channel and numerous sea car and passenger ferries - with Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Holland and France.

To attract passengers on ferries, duty-free trade has been opened.

In domestic freight transport, road transport plays the largest role. It is more than 3 times inferior to railway and coastal transport. In connection with the development of motor transport, more than 12 thousand km of railway tracks were removed. Now the length of the railway tracks is about 17 thousand km. At the same time, the network of highways is expanding (371 thousand km) and their reconstruction is taking place.

In this case, the main attention is paid to connecting the main conurbations of the country with the shortest routes.

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Characteristics of Great Britain

(England) 1 position in relation to neighboring countries 2 Provisions against the main land and sea transport routes 3 Rules in relation to the main fuel resource bases, industrial and agricultural areas 4 positions in relation to the main areas of product sales 5 Change in EGP in time 6 General conclusion The influence of EGP on the development and deployment of the country's economy

(England)1 Position in relation to neighboring countries 2 Position in relation to
to the main land and sea transport routes 3 Regulations
in relation to the main fuel raw material bases, industrial and
agricultural areas 4 Position in relation to the main
product sales areas 5 Change in EGP over time 6 General conclusion about
influence of EGP on the development and location of the country's economy

• 1) Great Britain borders only Ireland.
  2) The island state is an important point for cargo transportation from Europe to America and Africa.

  Land transport is important only in domestic transport.
  3) near Great Britain there is one of the largest fuel bases in Europe - the North Sea. Great Britain, across the narrow English Channel, neighbors large economic countries in Europe - France and the Netherlands and Belgium.
  4) Sales areas for the UK are Europe, America, Asia and Africa
  5) EGP has not changed significantly over time since the 80s of the 20th century (formation of the EU).
  6) Thanks to its favorable geographical location (access to the Atlantic, close to Europe, direct connection with the USA), Great Britain is actively developing its economy and international trade.

  The largest economic centers of Great Britain are located on the coast, near major ports.

Most easy way transportation in central London is the underground. You can buy tickets for one or two trips, but if you use the metro often, then travel cards will be very convenient.

These cards can be for one day, for a week, or for a month, and they allow unlimited use of the metro, bus and train in the areas of your choice.

One-day travel cards can be purchased at metro ticket offices. They are valid for travel on the metro and buses at any time. They are not valid for travel on airport buses or for special excursions.

Weekly travel cards are valid for travel on the metro and buses at any time, but are not valid for travel on airport buses or for special excursions.

The cost varies depending on the number of zones selected.

How to get to the city center from Heathrow Airport

TAXI. The taxi rank is located next to the airport exit.

BUS. Airport buses go to central London (A1 to Victoria Station and A2 to Euston Station). The fare is about 6 pounds. Tickets can be purchased at the airport building or on the bus.

Buses leave every 20 minutes.
METRO. The Piccadilly Line runs from Heathrow to central London and links an extensive underground network.

But if you have a lot of luggage, the trip may be difficult. Trains depart every 5 minutes and the journey takes 55 minutes.
HIGH-SPEED TRAIN. To the center of London, to PADDINGTON railway station, every 20 minutes. walk high speed trains, travel time 20 min.
TAXI Black cabs are a feature of London's streets and are safe and orderly.

A taxi can be stopped on the street when the yellow light is on, indicating that the taxi is free. There are taxi ranks in many places, including main train stations. Doormen and hotel receptionists will order a taxi for you. Be careful and do not accept offers from drivers of cars that do not have special taxi signs.

Many of them do not have a legal work permit, driving in such cars is unsafe because they are not insured, and the drivers often do not have the necessary experience.

Urban transport

London is one of the cities in the world where transport has become a legend.

The world's first subway and the famous double-decker buses make up business card English capital. Of course, Londoners who are faithful to traditions try to maintain their appearance with the least changes. True, London's public transport has long gone beyond the metro and red double-decker Double Decker buses.

Despite all the English conservatism, new types of transport regularly appear in the British capital. The steam underground became electrified long ago, the division of carriages into classes disappeared, and buses in London are no longer only double-decker. Nowadays, the main transport load is still carried by the metro and buses. However, the history of London transport (which began with omnibuses and the steam underground launched in 1863) is so great and interesting that a museum of urban transport has been created in the British capital.

The metro (Underground, Tube) has twelve lines. They were all created at different times and by different owners and therefore are still quite different from each other. Some trains run mostly underground, others on the surface.

Over time, many sections of the railways switched from subways to trains long distance and vice versa. At first glance, the metro layout, intertwined with the network of regular trains, leads to despair, especially after the coherent Moscow metro system. However, it is quite easy to understand. Lines often branch into separate branches to one or another area of ​​the city, so you should always pay attention to the train's destination.

In addition, trains of different routes can run on the same tracks. On the main lines, trains run quite frequently, with intervals of no more than five minutes; on outlying lines, you can wait up to half an hour.

The position of the country in relation to neighboring countries. Economic and geographical position of countries

The London Underground tariff system seems complicated, but in reality it is not a big problem to understand.
All of Greater London is divided into six zones, which radiate from the center in concentric circles.

Any ticket must be valid in all zones covered by the trip. Therefore, when choosing a travel route, you need to be careful not to inadvertently end up in an area where your ticket is not valid. In general, the London Underground usually allows you to get to your destination in several ways. Among them, you can choose the one that affects fewer zones. For example, if you need to travel from the second zone to the third at the opposite end of the city, you can easily bypass the first central zone and thus halve the cost of the trip.

The most expensive is the first zone, which includes the city center and the largest number of tourist attractions.
A single smart card (Oyster Card) is another way to pay for travel on the London Underground, buses and trams. It is also valid on some railway routes and on DLR (Docklands Light Rail) lines.

Oyster Card is a more economical payment system that allows you to link several travel cards to a magnetic card, or use the “pay as you go” mode.

You can top up your magnetic card balance at London Underground stations, some railway stations, at specialized points of sale of these cards, by phone or on the website www.tfl.gov.uk.
The tram has recently been restored in London. Everyone knows about double-decker buses, but few people know that fifty years ago double-decker trams ran around London.

London Tram currently has three routes in the southern part of the city. Thirty meter long double carriages serve the Croydon area. Tram tickets are sold separately from vending machines at stops. If you need to transfer to a bus after a trip by tram or vice versa, you can buy a “tram-bus” ticket for the same price. Bus tickets are not valid on the tram.
Another new (a little over ten years old) form of London transport is the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).

It owes its appearance to the collapse of the London docks, which lost orders after the modernization of the maritime freight transport. Large container ships began unloading at deep-water ports along the coast, leaving the vast London area desolate.

The program for bringing the dock area back to life included the appearance of high-speed transport there, which was launched in the late eighties. The DLR train consists of several driverless carriages that can accommodate about 250 people. Currently, four lines are already operating.

They provide connections between the former dock area and metro and railway stations, as well as the city centre. The DLR fare system is the same as the metro, metro tickets are valid on the DLR and vice versa.
Transport tickets can be purchased from vending machines located at metro stations and bus stops. ground transport. Besides, bus tickets can be purchased from the driver.

All children's tickets expire at 22:00.
In general, London transport operates from four to five in the morning until one in the morning. It is better not to travel during rush hours: 07:30-09:30 and 16:30-18:30. Night buses have an N index in front of their number, for example, N-23.

They all pass through Trafalgar Square. On Sunday, transport starts running after seven in the morning and stops by midnight. Traffic intervals on Sunday are approximately twice as long. At Christmas, many lines are not operational at all.
Another part of London's transport system are river boats, plying between the many piers on the Thames.

They are owned by several companies, and contain a total of twenty routes. The Thames has its own tariff system.

; 1°46` east longitude and 8°00` west longitude.

Great Britain is an island state; consists of the island of Great Britain and the northeastern part of the island of Ireland (they are separated by the narrow North Strait), as well as smaller islands (the most significant of them are Anglesey, White, Orkney, Hebrides, Shetland). Great Britain includes the internally autonomous Isle of Man in the Irish Sea and the Channel Islands, located in the English Channel off the coast of France. (as they usually call and) are washed by the waters of the North Sea. They are separated from mainland Europe only by the narrow straits of Pas de Calais (in the UK - the Strait of Dover) and the English Channel (English Channel). Great Britain is connected by a 48 km long tunnel, of which 37 km passes under. Coastline- 12,429 km - heavily indented, replete with bays and bays - convenient parking lots for sea ​​vessels. Most large bays- Bristol, Cardigan, Solway Firth, Firth of Clyde, Moray Firth, Firth of Forth, Wash. The UK shares a land border with the Irish Republic; its length is 360 km.

Much of the UK is characterized by rugged terrain. It predominates in the north and west. In the northern part of the island, mountains rise from 840 to 1300 m above sea level (the highest high peak- Ben Nevis - 1340 m). The North Scottish Highlands are separated from the South Scottish Highlands by the Lowlands, less than 100 km wide. Mountain ranges cover almost all western part islands, especially Wales and Cornwall. The central part of Northern England is occupied by the Pennines, which separate the Lancashire Lowlands in the west from the Yorkshire Lowlands in the east. The southern half of Great Britain is composed of plains separated by hills and highlands.

The UK has significant reserves. Among them are oil, natural gas, coal, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, copper, silica. Offshore oil reserves are estimated at 1,430 million tons; most are located in, to the east and north-east of and to the east of Shetland and Orkney; the largest offshore fields are Fortis and Brent, on the mainland - Witchfarm in Dorset. Reserves reach 1,710 billion m3, the main deposits are located in the North Sea off the east coast of England. The main (significantly developed) are Yorkshire - Derby - Nottinghamshire basin in the eastern Midlands, Northumberland - Durham basin in northeast England.

The UK's soil cover is quite varied. Brown forest, podzolic soils predominate. Carbonate, alluvial, acidic soils, and peat bogs are widespread.

The climate of Great Britain is temperate, humid, and oceanic. Thanks to the North Atlantic Current and warm winds blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean, the UK tends to have mild winters. But these also explain the cloudy weather, frequent rains, etc. The average temperature in January is 3-7°C, in July 11 - 17°C, the amount of annual precipitation is 550-800 mm in the southeast, 3000 mm in the mountainous western and northern regions. The most precipitation falls from October to January, the least - in February-March.

In the UK there is a large number of rivers and lakes. The most - Severn (328 km) - originates in the mountains of Wales and flows into Bristol Bay (west coast). The Lancashire Lowlands are crossed by the Mersey, which flows into Liverpool Bay. Main river east coast - Thames (336 km) - flows through the most densely populated areas of south-eastern England. The Lowlands of Scotland are also rich in rivers. The longest of them is the Clyde (157 km), originating in the South Scottish Highlands and flowing into the Firth of Clyde (west coast), and Forth, flowing into the Firth of Forth ( East Coast). There are many lakes in the north of the country. The largest is Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland - 396 km2. The deepest is Loch Morir in the North Scottish Highlands (310 m).

The flora of Great Britain is diverse - 9% of the territory. Broad-leaved forests predominate - oak, beech, birch. There are many coniferous forests in Scotland - spruce and larch. Heather heaths are widespread. In the south of the country there are evergreen plant species. Plants grow all year round.

There are about 30 thousand species of animals in Great Britain. These include foxes, hares, red squirrels, otters, black rats, mink, reptiles and amphibians. Of the 200 bird species, the most common are sparrows, finches, starlings, crows, kingfishers, robins, and tits. In rivers and coastal sea ​​waters There are numerous species of fish - cod, haddock, whiting, herring, salmon, trout.

Characteristics of EGP

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. The total area of ​​Great Britain is 244,017 square meters. km. The population of Great Britain is 58,395 thousand people.

Officially the country is called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It consists of four countries: England, Scotland and Wales, located on the island of Britain, and Northern Ireland. The latter is located on the same island as the Independent Republic of Ireland. Thus, the UK shares a common land border only with Ireland.

The British Isles lie off the northwestern coast of Europe. The British Isles are surrounded by many small islands. 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.

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

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, undoubtedly, it has certain disadvantages in strategic and military terms.

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, the 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.

Modern Administrative division Great Britain

The UK is one of the most densely populated and highly urbanized countries in the world. On average, there are 230 people per 1 sq.m. of its area. However, the population is distributed very unevenly throughout the country. The bulk of the UK population is concentrated in England, which has the most convenient geographical location, favorable natural conditions and playing the presenter economic role throughout the history of the British Isles. Here the average density increases to 356 people per 1 sq. km. Within England itself, the country's main industrial belt, stretched along the London-Liverpool axis, is most densely populated: half of the total population of Great Britain lives in this belt. The most sparsely populated areas are in Scotland, with its harsh natural conditions compared to other parts of the country and a less developed economy. For 1 sq. km. It has an average population of 86 people, with the population concentrated mainly on the coasts, valleys and lowlands (especially around Glasgow and Edinburgh), while some highland areas are virtually deserted.

By the end of the nineteenth century. 3/4 of the population of Great Britain lived in cities, and the predominant type of population was already large conurbations. Since the beginning of the twentieth century. There is an intensive resettlement of rural residents to cities, where almost 4/5 of the country's population now lives. Drawing the line between urban and rural settlements in a highly urbanized country like the UK is difficult. Many villages have become the “bedrooms” of nearby cities: rural residents commute to the cities every day to work.

There are about a thousand cities in Great Britain. Half of the country's urban inhabitants are concentrated in seven conurbations. One of them - Central Clydessa (1.7 million people) - is located in Scotland, and the rest are in England. These are Tynesad, which is home to 0.8 million people, the West Midlands (2.4 million), South-East Lancashire (2.3 million), West Yorkshire (1.7 million), Mernsside (1.3 million) and Greater London (7 million). Over 1/10 of city residents live in cities with a population of more than 200 thousand people each, of which Sheffield and Edinburgh each have more than half a million inhabitants. Medium-sized cities in the UK include 75 cities with populations ranging from 50 to 100 thousand people. The five conurbations and half of all the country's large and medium-sized cities are concentrated in the industrial belt along the London-Liverpool axis, which is partly called the metropolis.

One of the consequences of the development of conurbations and especially their central cities is an unreasonably high overcrowding of the population. In this regard, measures are being taken to relieve them: part of the excess population is moving to the suburbs or to new expanding medium-sized cities.

In the "hierarchy" of British cities, London undoubtedly occupies a leading position as the capital, the main political and Cultural Center country, one of its largest industrial centers, the largest sea ​​port and a leading city in the UK's most important economic region, Southern England. In addition to London, many “capital” functions are performed by 10 other cities in the UK: Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast as the capitals of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively; Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds and Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool - as central conurbation cities and regional centers. In addition, over 150 cities are higher than the bulk of cities in terms of the number of inhabitants and the role they play in the life of nearby territories. These cities are called "City", all the rest are called "town".

There are few countries in the world in which seaside towns occupied such an important place as in Great Britain, in which out of 100 big cities 44 - seaside. London arose primarily as a seaport for trade with continental European states; Trade with the countries of the basin has long been carried out through Gul (Hull) Baltic Sea; Bristol and Liverpool served as "gateways to New World. Near large industrial centers there are seaside resort towns: Brighton and Margate - near London, Blacknul - near the Lanshire coalfield, Scarborough - on the Yorkshire coast. All the original development gravitated towards the sea. All the specialized apartments were built near the coast, and further on - housing.

Much faster than other cities, in the last two centuries the largest industrial centers grew near coal and iron ore deposits: Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Belfast, Middleborough, etc. The developing industry required more and more workers, and working-class neighborhoods were hastily built up by speculators , were often slums from the very beginning. Houses for workers were built according to a single standard. Most often these are monotonous “terraces” - rows of identical houses standing back to back. The monotony of working-class neighborhoods in industrial cities is broken only by the huge, smoky buildings of factories and factories, warehouses and gas distribution stations. Railway here, as a rule, it goes to the very center of the city and serves as its “skeleton”. The old quarters of industrial cities are being overgrown with new buildings, in which the industrial zone is separated from the residential one.

Until very recently, all UK cities grew predominantly in width, since low-rise buildings are cheaper and more in line with the tastes and traditions of the British. Until now, some are still reluctant to settle in apartment buildings, since this means living without their own, even tiny, garden. Cities are increasingly expanding their territory due to the growth of suburbs, absorbing already scarce land resources. Only in the last decade have multi-storey apartment buildings begun to appear in British cities, but housing is very expensive. Therefore, most Britons continue to live in old houses, many of which were built in the last century. The acute housing crisis, accompanied by rising rents, is one of the country's most serious socio-economic problems.

There are mainly two types of rural settlements in Britain. In the lowlands of eastern England, the population lives primarily in villages. The shapes of the villages are varied: more often with a star plan, less often with a row, street layout.

There are many medium-sized farms everywhere, where farming is carried out without the use of hired labor. Small farming is concentrated mainly in Scotland and Wales. The densest network of villages is in north-east Yorkshire, where they are often no more than 2.5 km away. from each other. The density of rural and semi-rural settlements is exceptionally high in the country's main industrial belt and around the Tynesad and Clydeside conurbations. Here, the villages in which workers employed at the industrial enterprises of the conurbations live, interspersed with villages, hamlets and individual farms.