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England

Great Britain • Countries – England – Scotland – Wales – Northern Ireland

England’s Physical Characteristics • The Highlands – Band of rolling hills – Old rock formations have weathered down over the years – Some peaks rise over 3, 000 ft. – Farming is poor • The Midlands – Coal fields are common – Factory towns include Birmingham, Manchester, and Stoke-on-Trent – Highest population densities are found here

Physical Characteristics contd. • The Lowlands – Soft rocks lie beneath the ground providing fertile soil – Area contains England’s most productive farms • Farmers grow wheat and vegetables – Cool, moist climate is perfect for raising sheep and cattle – Agricultural goods are shipped throughout Great Britain and Europe

Rise of London as a Trade Center • England has always produced goods for export and trade • London’s Relative Location – London’s location on the Thames River makes it a better port than those on the southern shore – London sits on a wide estuary which makes shipping easier • Global Trade Patterns – Changes in settlement towards the west in the 14 and 1500 s due to people exploring the Americas – London was the perfect location for Atlantic trade

Economic Activities • England mainly shipped agricultural products • Business owners built factories to cash in on international trade • The Rise of Heavy Industry – The first advances in technology came in the textile factories • Factories used water and coal to power their spinning mills

Economic Activities contd. • Heavy Industry contd. – Coal fields lay in the northeast – Discovery of iron ore lead to new advances in steel production – Cities near these deposits flourished • Newcastle, Birmingham, and Sheffield – The Industrial Revolution had a negative impact on the environment • Pollution from factories hurt the landscape – Gypsy Moth

Economic Activities contd. • Challenges to British Industry – Germany and the US began to challenge England for trade superiority – British industry is now in trouble because the coal supply was exhausted during the Industrial Revolution – Britain has turned to oil and gas deposits in the North Sea for fuel – The economy is now based in tertiary or service activities • Finance, Insurance and Tourism – The United Kingdom has not switched to the Euro which is the currency of the European Union