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The
"United Kingdom"
consists of England,
Scotland, Wales,
Northern Ireland and some small islands
around the mainland.
"Great
Britain" is only England, Scotland
and Wales
England
Area:
129,720 square km (50,085 square miles)
Population: 51 million
Capital city: London
Language: English
Major industries: banking, insurance,
financial services, steel, transport equipment,
oil and gas, tourism
England
consist of the following:
South
East England: This is a large area
comprising the country's capital, London.
It is Europe's largest city and one of the
most cosmopolitan places in the world. The
South East of England covers the four counties
of Kent, Surrey, and East and West Sussex.
London:
itself
is one of the largest cities in the world
in terms of its sheer size. The M25 orbital,
which is a motorway that encircles London,
is 117 miles in length.
South
West England: The region has rich
and varied scenery with upland moors, steep
river valleys and a magnificent, rocky coastline
with sandy coves. The region tends to be
warmer than the rest of the country and
offers some of the cheapest accommodation
in the UK. Some of the well-known areas
in this region are Plymouth, Exeter, Bath
and Bristol.
Midlands:
The Midlands is the term people use
to describe central England. It is home
to some of the largest Asian communities
in the country. Some of the large cities
in this area are Birmingham, Coventry and
Leicester. The rest of Midlands has many
other attractive historic towns including
Stratford-upon-Avon.
North
England: The North is mix of mountainous
scenery and farmland, and industrial towns
and cities. The cost of living is generally
much cheaper in this region. Some of the
well-known areas in this region are Manchester,
Liverpool, Durham, Sunderland, Newcastle
upon Tyne, Lancaster and Leeds. Manchester
is often regarded as Britain's second city,
with a population of 2.6 million. There
is also a vast student population in this
region.
Scotland
Area:
78,772 sq. km (30,414 sq. mi)
Population: 5.1 million
Capital city: Edinburgh
Language: English, Gaelic
Major industries: Banking and finance,
steel, transport equipment, oil and gas,
whisky, tourism
The
country boasts vast open spaces and is one
of the last areas of unspoiled natural beauty
in Europe, featuring mountains, lakes and
glens valleys. Global enterprises including
microelectronics and biotechnology, as well
as fishing and forestry, drive Scotland's
economy. The largest cities are Glasgow
(about 610,000 people) and Edinburgh (about
450,000) which is also home to the annual
Edinburgh International Festival.
Wales
Area:
20,764 sq. km (8017 sq. mi)
Population: 2.9 million
Capital city: Cardiff
Language: Welsh, English
Major industries: Agriculture and
forestry, manufacturing, tourism.
Wales
geography is characterised by coastline,
mountains and lakes. Cardiff is the largest
city, with about 330,000 people. Key growth
industries in Wales include electronics,
auto components, food processing, health
care, and financial and professional services.
More Japanese companies have set up shop
in Wales than anywhere else in Europe.
Northern
Ireland
Area:
14,139 sq. km
Population: 1.6 million
Capital city: Belfast
Language: English, Irish
Major industries: Computer software,
information technology, food products, brewing,
textiles, clothing, pharmaceuticals, tourism.
Residents of Northern Ireland enjoy beautiful
countryside and a lower cost of living than
those on the mainland. Many new hotels are
springing up to cater for increasing numbers
of tourists and business travellers.
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