| | Geographical information
Great Britain is divided into Scotland, Wales and England. Great Britain is surrounded by water, the North Sea in the east, The English Channel in the south en the Irish Sea and Atlantic ocean in the north and west. The westcoast of Scotland is known for its fjords, cliffs and deserted beaches. The western region and in the highlands of Scotland one can find hills and mountains. The highest mountain of Great Britain can be found in the Scottish highlands, the Ben Nevis (1343m). The lower south of Great Britain is covered with fields which are namely used for agriculture. In the north-western region, Lake District, there are mountains, rivers and lakes.
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Nature
| Flora | The country was once almost entirely covered with woodland, but tree cover is now the second lowest in Europe (after Ireland). Since early this century the government has been planting conifers to reverse this situation, but the pines have turned the soils around them acid and destroyed large areas of ancient peatland. Other common trees include oak, elm, chestnut, lime (not the citrus variety), ash and beech. Although there isn't much tall flora around, you'll see plenty of lovely wildflowers in spring - snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells, primroses, buttercups and cowslips all lend a touch of colour to the English countryside. On the moors there are several varieties of flowering heathers. | | Fauna | The red deer is the largest mammal in England, and there are plenty of them (as well as fallow and roe deer) around. Foxes prosper, and if you're lucky you may see a badger or hedgehog. Introduced American grey squirrels are forcing out the smaller local red variety. Rabbits are everywhere, while smaller rodents such as the shrew, harvest mouse and water vole are less common (but frightfully cute). England's only poisonous snake, the adder, is rare and protected. Birdwatching is a popular pastime in Britain; for example you can observe the stonechat, the cormorant, starlings, the marsh harrier and the sparrowhawk. | | National Parks | England's National Parks covers about 7% of the country and include Dartmoor, Exmoor, the Lake District, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors, the New Forest, the Broads and Northumberland. English National Parks are not wilderness areas, but they do include areas of outstanding national beauty - they also tend to be privately owned and provide an antidote to the hectic pace of many cities. We took a closer look at the following parks:NORTHUMBERLAND NATIONAL PARK is Northumberland's greatest scenic treasure. It stretches for over 60 miles from the rounded Cheviot hills which form the border with Scotland to Hadrian's Wall in the south. The Park's 398 square miles contain delightful wooded valleys and some of the finest stretches of open moorland in the country. The park is divided into two main sections: High Hills Country (the Cheviot Hills) and Reiver Country (Tynedale and Hadrian's Wall). High Hills Country is the northern part of the National Park and is dominated by the Cheviot Hills. Much of England is a crowded, cluttered land; but here a walk on the open hills without a living soul for miles around makes a profound impression. There are three main Cheviot valleys of interest to the visitor: The Harthope Valley, the Breamish Valley and Coquetdale.Reiver Country is named after the feuding border families who fought and raided each others homes in the 14th-16th centuries. The landscapes here are generally softer and more varied than in the Cheviots. Again there are three main areas of interest to the visitor: Redesdale, the North Tyne Valley, and Hadrians Wall. DARTMOOR was designated one of the National Parks of England and Wales in 1951. It is a beautiful moorland landscape with wooded valleys and wind swept Tors, 368 square miles (953-sq. km.) in area, with a population of about 33.000, and where about 10 million visits are made each year. Someone owns all the land and the public is able to roam freely on unenclosed, open moorland on both foot and horseback. There are also about 600 miles (966 km) of public rights of way. Dartmoor is a rich habitat for wildlife and has a wealth of archaeological remains. EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK is situated in the northern part of Devon and West Somerset and covers an area of 267 sq. miles (692 sq. km) extending from the Brendon Hills in the east to Combe Martin in the west. Exmoor offers peaceful, open spaces, spectacular coast, clean air, glorious scenery and a friendly welcome. It has one of the finest stretches of unspoilt countryside in England. Throughout the year, Exmoor offers variety: crisp Winter days and roaring log fires; February's drifts of snowdrops; picnics in cool shady woods beside clear streams; rock pools on a hot summers day; rolling moors cloaked in purple heather and yellow gorse. Exmoor is home to the largest herd of wild red deer in England, as well as the unique, rugged Exmoor ponies and wonderful bird life. THE YORKSHIRE DALES NATIONAL PARK is unique - this beautiful place offers a delightful range of things to do and places to visit amongst the stunning Dales limestone scenery. The Yorkshire Dales National Park is home to a rich collection of landscapes, from heather-topped moors to colourful hay-meadows. There are limestone crags and underground labyrinths of potholes and caves. Traditional stone-built villages are set amongst rolling farmland embroidered with stone barns and drystone walls. THE NEW FOREST - This most English of forests continues to be a living and working community where ponies and cattle still have the right of way as they freely graze the land. Deeper in the forest wild deer browse beneath the canopies of mighty oak and beech - natural scenes unchanged by the modern world. It is hard to imagine the New Forest without its famous ponies. The pony or horse was an important rural economy before the car, and the tradition of keeping them provided a valuable income. Today, rather than workhorses, the demand is for riding ponies. Less than half of the forest's 150 square miles is actually wooded. The term forest was originally taken to include not only woodland but open heathland, pasture land and small human settlements - in short, the habitat for the wild beasts of the Royal Chase. New Forest woodland is essentially of two main types, the timber Inclosures and the Ancient and Ornamental Woodlands. It is the Ancient and Ornamental Woodlands, mainly old oak and beech, that capture the imagination and evoke the timelessness and mystery associated with the New Forest. These magnificent woodlands have a truly medieval character. Their boundaries are irregular and difficult to define, interrupted by sunlit leafy glades, created by the collapse of decaying giants or the savage strength of winter gales. Ancient and Ornamental Woodlands are open to the deer and the commoners' animals.The Inclosures, on the other hand, date back to 1483 when commoning animals were first excluded from timber producing areas by enclosing them with stock-proof fences. For more information about the New Forest, click on the link given at the page Interesting Links. |
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Climate
Great Britain has a mild climate. Winters, December till February, are cool with temperatures not much below freezing. Summers, June till August, are warm with temperatures never above 30 degrees Celsius. Although cloudy weather and light drizzle can occur in any part of Great Britain at any time, rainfall is greatest in hilly areas and in the West Country. The east coast, particularly in the north, is colder and windier. Overall, the south-west has the mildest climate.
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Last modified: 14-02-2006
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