Physical relief
Britain is not a big country when compared with most Europe. But though the geographical features of this island are comparatively small, there is astonishing variety almost everywhere. Britain's physical relief can be roughly divided into two main regions - Highland Britain and Lowland Britain. The borderline between the two regions is roughly a line from the mouth of the river Exe in Devonshire, to the mouth of the Tyne on the north-east coast.
Highland Britain comprises the whole of Scotland (the hills and moors of southern Scotland as well as the mountains of the north); the Lake District, in the north-west of England; the broad central upland chain, known as the Pennines; almost the whole of Wales: and the south-west peninsula of England, coinciding with the counties of Devon and Cornwall. Lowland Britain comprises most of England, central lowlands of Scotland and some areas in south Wales.
Scotland may be divided physically into three main regions. The first is the North-West and the Central Highlands (Grampians). The highlands are divided by the Great Glen or Glen More, in which lies the world-famous Loch Ness. The Highlands contain the most ancient of the British geological formations and the majority of Britain's highest mountains - nearly 300 peaks over 900 m. The highest mountains are the Grampians, with Ben Nevis, at 1,343 m the tallest peak. The second region is the Central Lowlands that contain one-fifth of the land area but three quarters of the Scottish population, most of the industrial and commercial centres as well as fertile farmlands. The third is the Southern Uplands that mainly consists of ranges of rounded hills stretching towards the border with England (the Border Country) and is a largely agricultural and pastoral area with many rivers.
Wales is mainly a highland country. Two main mountain areas - the Brecon Beacons in the south, rising to 2,906 feet (886 metres), and Snowdonia in the northwest, reaching 3,560 feet (1,085 metres) at Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), the highest mountain in Wales. The upland mass also contains the Cambrian Mountains. The lowland zones of Wales are restricted to the narrow coastal belts and to the lower parts of the river valleys in industrial south Wales. Two thirds of the Welsh population lives in and around chief centres such as the capital Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Wrexham, located in the lowland east and south-east Wales.
England consists largely of flat lowland countryside. But lower hill ranges also stretch over much of the country, most important of these are: the North Yorkshire Moors, the limestone Cotswolds, the chalk North Downs and South Downs, and the Chiltern Hills. The east of the country is particularly low and flat. Some areas lie below sea level among them the Norfolk Broads, the Suffolk Marshes. England's upland areas include such major hilly regions as the broad central upland belt of the Pennines - the 890 km long backbone of Britain reaching the Peak District in the south; the north-western mountain region of the Lake District with the highest point in Britain - Scafell Pike (978 m) and the Cumbrian Mountains; the Cheviot Hills between England and Scotland; and the Yorkshire dales, running to the east coast of Yorkshire.
Northern Ireland (or Ulster, as it is smtms called) is situated in the north-west of the island of Ireland. Since the partition of the country in 1921, it has a 488-km border with the Republic of Ireland. In the centre there is a fertile plain surrounded by the mountains: in the north-west - the Sperrin Mountains, in the north-east - the Mountains of Antrim, in the south-east - Mourne Mountains with the highest peak, Slieve Donard, which is 853 m high, and in the north the country can boast of a rocky coastline with interesting geological formations such as the Giant's Causeway.
Rivers and lakes are numerous but they are short, and since the west coast is mountainous, most of them flow eastward. Because of the humid climate, the water level is always high. Their easy navigability made them important as part of the inland transport network in the 19th century for the transportation of bulk products such as coal, iron ore and steel. Although rivers are not now used much for navigation, their estuaries are making excellent ports. At present, many towns and cities, including London, draw all or part of their water supply from these rivers since they seldom freeze in the winter.
The largest river wholly in England is the Thames (with Churn) — 346 km. It originates in the Cotswolds and first flows eastward, turning south through the Chiltern Hills and then through London to the North Sea. The Severn (354 km) is considered longer than the Thames.
Other important rivers are in northern England: the Tyne, the Wear and the Tees, which all originate in the eastern Pennines and flow to the North Sea. The Mersey (112 km) in north-western England flows into the Irish Sea. The Trent(-Humber) (297 km) from the southern Pennines flows eastward, the Great (or Bedford) Ouse (230 km), originating in the Cotswolds, flows north-east into the Wash. The Bristol Avon (about 120 km) also rises in the Cotswolds, but flows south-west and at the ocean port of Bristol enters the Severn estuary called Avonmouth.
There are several Avons in England. The best known is the Shakespeare Avon on the banks of which Shakespeare's native town is situated. The word 'avon' is Celtic and means 'water'.
Scotland's chief river is the Tay(-Tummel) (188 km) long. The largest river in Scotland, it flows north-east through Loch Tay and then into the Firth of Tay, which empties into the North Sea. The Forth (about 183 km) is a river in south Scotland and flows into the Firth of Forth. The Clyde (170 km) in southern Scotland flows past Glasgow and expands into the Firth of Clyde.
The Shannon is the largest river of Ireland, but it flows through the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland proper, there are few rivers worth mentioning: the Lagan in the estuary of which Belfast is situated; the Foyle — famous for its eel fisheries; the Upper Bann and the Lower Bann, which are particularly good for salmon fishing.
The chief river of Wales is the Wye, the others are the Clwyd and the Conwy in the north, the Dwyryd, Mawddach and Teifi in the west, and the Taff in the south.
The Welsh living in England are often called by the nickname 'Tuffy'. Some say the name comes from the river Taff, which runs through the capital Cardiff, others think it comes from Dafydd, the Welsh form of David.
The British lakes are generally rather small and remote. Having no outlets, they afford limited economic possibilities as navigable waterways, though are attractive as areas for relaxation due to their special charm, beauty and peace. The long and narrow lakes of Scotland — usually called lochs - lie snugly among the steep slopes of the Highlands. Among sixteen major lakes of Scotland Loch Lomond is the largest, and Loch Ness is the most famous. The deepest lake is Loch Morar in the Highlands of Scotland, 310 meters deep.
Still, the largest lake of the United Kingdom is to be found at the centre of Northern Ireland - Lough Neagh with the water mirror of some 382 sq km.
The largest lake of Wales — Lake Bala is only 10 sq km. The scenic Lake District — a number of lakes in beautiful mountain scenery — on the north-west side of the Pennine system, also enjoys world fame, attracting many tourists. The lakes that occupy many of its ice-deepened valleys show a wonderful variety of character. The largest of them are Windermere, Ullswater, Derwentwater and Conistonwater.