Chapter 1　Geographical Features and Natural Resources

The British Isles are situated in the northwest of Europe.They are cut off from the continent by the English Channel.On the north and the east the Isles face the North Sea and on the west they face the Atlantic Ocean.Geographically，the United Kingdom consists of Scotland，Wales，England，and the northern part of Ireland.Therefore，the full title of the country is“the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.The total land area of the United Kingdom is 244，820km².It runs over 1，000km from south to north and extends，at the widest part，about 500km from west to east.Its coastline runs 12，429km，making it one of the countries with the longest coastline.