Great Britain: Geographical Position, Political System and
Ecological Problems
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on
the British Isles. The British Isles can be divided into two not only because of its
geography (two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five hundred
small islands) but also because of its climate and agriculture. If you draw a line from
about the Bristol Channel to the Wash, then to the south of this line there are
mainly low lands and hills, and to the north there are higher lands and mountains.
This includes the Welsh Mountains, the Highlands of north-west Scotland with
Ben Nevis as the highest mountain (1343 m), and the Pennines, which is a range of
mountains that runs north to south and is known as the backbone of England.
The United Kingdom is one of the world’s smaller countries. Its total area is
some 94,250 square miles. Its population is over 57 million. About 80 percent of the
population is urban.
The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland
and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast
respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and does not
include Northern Ireland. But in everyday speech Great Britain is used in the
meaning of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The capital of
the UK is London.
The British Isles are separated from the Continent by the North Sea and the
British Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean
and the Irish Sea.
Britain is comparatively small, but there is hardly a country in the world where
such a variety of scenery can be found in so small a compass. The South West of
England is famous for its beautiful countryside and dramatic coastline. The South
East is more gentle and there is a lot of fruit growing. East Anglia, being very flat is
rich in vast fields of wheat and potatoes. In the North West of England one can enjoy
the impressive Lake District. Scotland is famous for its lakes, of course, known as
lochs.
The rivers in Great Britain are of no great value as water ways. The Severn is
the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one. The
mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the
climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round.
The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It produces and exports
machinery, electronics, textile. One of the chief industries of the country is
shipbuilding.
The UK is a constitutional monarchy with a parliament and the Queen as
Head of State. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK)
is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch as Head of State. The
UK does not have a written constitution. Instead, it is made up of a combination of
Acts of Parliament.
The national flag of the UK, the Union Jack, is made up of three older flags:
the St. George's flag of England, the St. Andrew's flag of Scotland and the St.
Patrick's flag of Ireland.
The legislative power in the UK belongs to Parliament which comprises the
Monarch, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons
consists of 651 Members of Parliament (MPs), who are elected by citizens. The
main function of the House of Commons is to make laws. The House of Lords
consists of about 1200 hereditary and life peers and some senior bishops named by
the Queen.
The executive power in the UK belongs to the Government, the main function
of which is to put laws into effect and plan policy. The main political parties in the
UK are the Labour and the Conservative parties. The leader of the party which wins
the most seats in the Parliament at a general election becomes Prime Minister.
The judicial power in the UK belongs to Magistrates’ Courts, which deal with
minor criminal and civil cases; Crown Courts which deal with more serious criminal
cases and County Courts which deal with more serious civil cases; Courts of Appeal,
which deal with criminal and civil cases; House of Lords, which is the Final Court of
Appeal.
