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England
Great Britain
• Countries
– England
– Scotland
– Wales
– Northern Ireland
England’s Physical Characteristics
• The Highlands
– Band of rolling hills
– Old rock formations have weathered down over the
years
– Some peaks rise over 3,000 ft.
– Farming is poor
• The Midlands
– Coal fields are common
– Factory towns include Birmingham, Manchester, and
Stoke-on-Trent
– Highest population densities are found here
Physical Characteristics contd.
• The Lowlands
– Soft rocks lie beneath the ground providing
fertile soil
– Area contains England’s most productive
farms
• Farmers grow wheat and vegetables
– Cool, moist climate is perfect for raising sheep
and cattle
– Agricultural goods are shipped throughout
Great Britain and Europe
Rise of London as a Trade Center
• England has always produced goods for export
and trade
• London’s Relative Location
– London’s location on the Thames River makes it a
better port than those on the southern shore
– London sits on a wide estuary which makes shipping
easier
• Global Trade Patterns
– Changes in settlement towards the west in the 14 and
1500s due to people exploring the Americas
– London was the perfect location for Atlantic trade
Economic Activities
• England mainly shipped agricultural
products
• Business owners built factories to cash in
on international trade
• The Rise of Heavy Industry
– The first advances in technology came in the
textile factories
• Factories used water and coal to power their
spinning mills
Economic Activities contd.
• Heavy Industry contd.
– Coal fields lay in the northeast
– Discovery of iron ore lead to new advances in
steel production
– Cities near these deposits flourished
• Newcastle, Birmingham, and Sheffield
– The Industrial Revolution had a negative
impact on the environment
• Pollution from factories hurt the landscape
– Gypsy Moth
Economic Activities contd.
• Challenges to British Industry
– Germany and the US began to challenge England for
trade superiority
– British industry is now in trouble because the coal
supply was exhausted during the Industrial Revolution
– Britain has turned to oil and gas deposits in the North
Sea for fuel
– The economy is now based in tertiary or service
activities
• Finance, Insurance and Tourism
– The United Kingdom has not switched to the Euro
which is the currency of the European Union