1. Geography and Basic Facts of
the United Kingdom

2. Basic Facts

3. Royal coat of arms

4. Capital: London
Official language: English (de facto)
Recognised regional languages: Irish,
Ulster Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh,
Cornish
Ethnic groups: 92.1% White
4.0% South Asian
2.0% Black
1.2% Mixed
0.4% Chinese
0.4% Other
Area: 244,820 km2
Population: 61,113,205

5. Government: Parliamentary democracy
and constitutional monarchy
Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II
Prime Minister: David Cameron
Legislature: Parliament
Upper House: House of Lords
Lower House: House of Commons
Formation:
• Magna Carta
• Petition of Rights
• Bill of Right

6. • The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom,
the UK, or as Britain) is a sovereign state located off
the north-western coast of continental Europe.
• It is an island country including: Great Britain, the
north-eastern part of Ireland, and many small islands.
• The UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North
Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
• The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by
the Channel Tunnel.

8. • The UK has fourteen overseas territories
• All remnants of the British Empire, which at its
height in 1922 encompassed almost a quarter
of the world's land surface, the largest empire
in history.
• British influence can continue to be observed
in the language, culture and legal systems of
many of its former colonies.

9. The UK is a developed country, with the Sixth
largest economy.
It was the world's first industrialised country
The decline of its empire in the latter half of the
20th century diminished its leading role in
global affairs.
The UK remains a major power with strong
economic, cultural, military, scientific and political
influence.
It is a nuclear power.
It is a Member State of the European Union.

10. Geography of the UK

11. • The physical geography of the UK varies
greatly.
• The geography of England consists of lowland
terrain, with mountainous terrain north-west of
the Tees-Exe line.
• The geography of Scotland is distinguished by
the very large mountainous regions in the north
and lowlands in the south.
• Most of Scotland’s population lives in the south.
• The geography of Wales is mostly mountainous.
The geography of Ireland is also mostly
mountainous.

13. Rivers of the UK

14. River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern
England
It is the second largest river in the UK
Best known river in the UK
– Flows directly through London
Total length: 346 km
Been a major source of life for all
civilizations that have lived in Britian.

16. River Severn
Largest River in the UK
– 354 kilometers
Flows from Wales to Britain.
– Ends in the Bristol Channel

18. Mountains of UK

19. The Scottish Highlands
Very few people live in this area
Highest section of land in the UK
Includes the highest mountains in UK
– Ben Nevis: Highest mountain in UK
1,344 metres High

20. Review Questions
Where is the highest part of the UK
What is the longest river in UK? Where is
it? How long is it?
Tell me about the River Thames
Describe the physical geography of UK.
Describe the Economy of the UK.
Compare the UK geography to Ukraine’s.
Do you feel the Geography of the UK had
a role in how powerful it became?

22. In-class activities
Matching activity
– Match descriptions with parts of geo
Vocabulary Review/test
Fill in the blank/table
– They have to fill in a sheet with the
information they learned
Pictionary
– Using geo of UK
WE USED-Jeperdy

23. Homework
Compare the physical geography of
England with Ukraine’s.
– What are similarities and differences.
– What role did physical geography play in the
formation of how the country is today?
Ex. How did physical geography affect the power
of the country today… how did it affect its
economy?