1.Geographical Features

Britain，or Great Britain，refers to the largest island of the British Isles，which consists of England，Scotland and Wales.It is often used incorrectly to include Northern Ireland that is correctly part of the United Kingdom.

England is the largest and most southerly portion of Britain，with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north.It has an area of more than 130，000 km².which takes up nearly 60%of the whole island.It is the most populous and rich section of the country.So people tend to use“England”and“English”when they mean“Britain”and“British”.This sometimes annoys the Scots and the Welsh，for they demand more recognition of their national distinctions.England，however，contains London，the capital of the United Kingdom，where the national government and the headquarters of many commercial bodies are.

The land features of England do not vary greatly.In the north，the Pennines，the so-called backbone of England，run from the Scottish border as far south as Dehyshire.The highest point of the Pennines is Cross Fell which is 893meters high.The mountain takes on a general dip towards the east and fades into the low ground bordering the North Sea.The bulk of the Pennines is moorland.On the west side of the northern Pennines lies the Lake District，which is a very famous touring spot in Britain.There is an immense variety of mountain，lake and valley scenery，and many high，rocky cliffs.The Lake Poets，William Wordsworth，Samuel Taylor Coleridge，and Robert Southey，made the region very famous，for they once lived in the Lake District in the 19th century and drew inspiration for much of their poetry from the scenery there.Other areas of high ground in England are the Yorkshire moors in the northeast，Exmoor¹ and Dartmoor² in the southwest.The southwest and west form a plateau，while the east and midlands are low-lying.

Scenery in Scotland

Scotland，with an area of 78，760km²，occupies the northernmost part of mainland Britain.It retained its own parliament until 1707when，by the Act of Union，Scotland and the kingdom of England and Wales were constitutionally joined as the Kingdom of Great Britain.Although Scotland is apart of the United Kingdom，she has her own legal and educational systems.With its many moors，lochs，mountains，islands and ancient castles，Scotland is rightly regarded as a beautiful country，and is popular with English tourists，especially those who enjoy sporting facilities such as skiing in winter，which is not possible in England.The Gaelic language is still spoken by some Scots mainly in the north and west of Scotland.

There are three natural zones in Scotland，the Highlands and Islands in the north，the central Lowlands and the southern Uplands.The Highlands and Islands refer to the region of northern Scotland，in particular the area north of the Grampians³，which comprises the Highlands and islands of the Hebrides.The most part of this region is rugged，bare and mountainous.Ben Nevis，the highest peak in Britain，towering 1，343meters，stands in this zone.The western part of Highlands and the islands of Hebrides are a very beautiful region.Great sea-lochs，or fjords，alternate with wild and empty hills.The islands of Outer and Inner Hebrides are now very popular with tourists seeking a remote summer holiday in Britain.

To the south of the Highlands lies the central Lowlands in the valleys of Clyde and the Forth⁴.This region is relatively flat.But even in the“Lowlands”much of the land is too high for easy cultivation，and most of the hillsides are covered with heather and bracken.Lowlands，however，is the most important region in Scotland，which contains most of the industry and population.Edinburgh，the capital of Scotland，and Glasgow，the chief center of commerce and industry，are situated here.

Still farther to the south bordering with England is the southern Uplands.It is a roiling moorland region with some fertile river valleys.Cheviot Hills，with a highest peak of 816m，stretch over 50km.along the border between Scotland and England.

Wales，on the western prominence between the Bristol Channel and the Dee estuary，was effectively united with England in the 14th century.Cardiff，the capital city of Wales，is in the southeast and an important industrial center and port.The area of Wales is about 20，700km²，which takes up less than 9%of the total area of Britain.Wales is divided geographieally into the industrial south，the central plateau and lakes，and the mountainous north of the farmers and tourists.The Wales massif is largely between 180and 600 meters，Snowdon，in northwest Wales，is the highest mountain in Wales，which is 1，085meters high.Twelve percent of Wales is arable，6%is covered by forest，and much of the land is pastureland for sheep and cattle.Slate is quarried in the north，and coal is mined in the south.Welsh coal is of very good quality and used to be exported all over the world.

Northern Ireland，with an area of 14，147km²，occupies the northern fifth of Ireland.Most of it is peninsular at the northeast corner.Before the early 20th century，it was part of Ireland as a whole，having developed in the middle ages as the Kingdom of Ulster，later the Province of Ulster.In 1920 Northern Ireland became part of the United Kingdom，with a separated parliament and self-government.Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland.There were originally six counties in Northern Ireland.But since 1973it has a single-tier system of 26administrative districts.

The land feature of Northern Ireland is in the shape of basin with mountains in the north and south，and Lough Neagh in the center.Northern Ireland is mainly agricultural，only 2%of the land is forested，and her industry is concentrated in the two ports of Belfast and Londonderry.