United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands - Great Britain and Ireland, and a great number of small islands. The total area of Great Britain is 244,000 square km. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. Northern Ireland occupies one third of the island of Ireland. It borders on the Irish Republic in the south. The island of Great Britain consists of three main parts: England (the southern and middle part of the island), Wales (a mountainous peninsula in the West) and Scotland (the northern part of the island). Atlantic Ocean England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland

The highest mountain in Great Britain is Ben Nevis. Most of the rivers flow into the North Sea. The Thames is the deepest of the British rivers. Any point in Great Britain is no more than 70 miles from the sea. Some of the British greatest ports are situated in the estuaries of the Thames, Mersey, Trent, Tyne, Clyde and Bristol Avon. Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources, it has some deposits of coal and iron ore and vast deposits of oil and gas that were discovered in the North Sea.

The warm currents of the Atlantic Ocean influence the climate of Great Britain. Winter is not severely cold and summer is rarely hot.Thanks to climatic conditions, Britain looks like one great well-ordered park with its old trees and green meadows.

The population of the United Kingdom is over 58 million people. The main nationalities are: English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish. In Great there are many immigrants from former British Asian and African colonies. Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. New industries have been developed in the last three decades. The main industrial centres are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol.

Welcome to Great Britain!