Introduction to the British Isles

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Introduction to the British Isles

• Introduction and Geography

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Introduction a quiz to start you off

• What do we mean by a) Great Britain b) the
  United Kindom c) the British Isles?
• Which of these cities are not on the coast?
  Plymouth, Blackpool, Brighton, Norwich, Hull,
  Leicester, Aberdeen
• What is the name of the Welsh capital?
• What does devolution mean in the context of the
  UK?
• When was the last general election in the UK?
• What does IRA stand for?
• What is the significance of the date 1066?
• What is the government building in London called?
• In which century did the English Civil War take
  place?
• What is Oxbridge?
• What do the letters NHS stand for?

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• What do we mean by a) Great Britain b) the
  United Kindom c) the British Isles?

• Great Britain England, Wales and Scotland

• United Kingdom GB plus Northern Ireland

• British Isles GB, Ireland, Isle of Man,
  Channel Islands

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Which of these cities are not on the coast?
Plymouth, Blackpool, Brighton, Norwich, Hull,
Leicester, Aberdeen
Plymouth
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Which of these cities are not on the coast?
Plymouth, Blackpool, Brighton, Norwich, Hull,
Leicester, Aberdeen
Blackpool
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Which of these cities are not on the coast?
Plymouth, Blackpool, Brighton, Norwich, Hull,
Leicester, Aberdeen
Brighton
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Which of these cities are not on the coast?
Plymouth, Blackpool, Brighton, Norwich, Hull,
Leicester, Aberdeen
Norwich
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Which of these cities are not on the coast?
Plymouth, Blackpool, Brighton, Norwich, Hull,
Leicester, Aberdeen
Kingston upon Hull
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Which of these cities are not on the coast?
Plymouth, Blackpool, Brighton, Norwich, Hull,
Leicester, Aberdeen
Leicester
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Which of these cities are not on the coast?
Plymouth, Blackpool, Brighton, Norwich, Hull,
Leicester, Aberdeen
Aberdeen
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What is the name of the Welsh capital?

• Cardiff

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What does devolution mean in the context of the
UK?

• The process of decentralisation, removing
  (devolving) some parts of government from
  Westminster to give more autonomy to the regions.
• Wales Welsh Assembly (Senedd) In July, 2006,
  the Assembly became the first legislature in the
  world to have more women than men.
• Scotland Scottish Parliament (Holyrood)
• Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Assembly
  (Stormont) suspended since 2002

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When was the last general election in the UK?

• 2005
• 3rd term for the Labour Party under the
  leadership of Tony Blair

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What does IRA stand for?

• Irish Republican Army
• A so-called paramilitary organisation Irish
  nationalists who used military tactics to try and
  gain independence for Northern Ireland from the
  United Kingdom

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What is the significance of the date 1066?

• The Battle of Hastings the Norman Conquest of
  Britain under William the Conqueror

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What is the government building in London called?

• The Houses of Parliament or
• The Palace of Westminster

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In which century did the English Civil War take
place?

• 17th Century

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the
Commonwealth
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What is Oxbridge?

• The term used for the two elite universities in
  England, Oxford and Cambridge

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What do the letters NHS stand for?

• National Health Service
• Part of Britains Welfare State, with the aim
  of ensuring the welfare of people from the
  cradle to the grave

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Geography
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Mountains of the UK

• Highest Ben Nevis (Nevis Range)
• 1344 m

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Mountains of the UK

• Ten highest mountains of the UK are in Scotland
• Highest peak in Wales Snowdon (Cambrian
  Mountains) 1085 metres
• Highest peak in England Scafell Pike (Cumbrian
  Mountains) 977 metres
• Highest peak in N. Ireland Slieve Donard (Mourne
  Mountains) 852 metres

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Rivers and Lakes

• Longest river in the UK is the Severn (Wales and
  England) 354km
• Longest river in England Thames, 346 km
• Longest river in Scotland Tay, 188 km
• Longest river in N. Ireland Bann, 122 km
• Longest river in Wales Towy, 103 km

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Rivers and Lakes

• Largest lake in the UK
• Lough Neagh (147 sq. mile), Northern Ireland
• Largest lake in Scotland Loch Lomond (27 sq.
  mile)
• Largest lake in England Windermere (5.7 sq.
  mile)
• Largest lake in Wales Lake Vyrnwy (3.2 sq. mile)

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Climate

• Temperate, but warmer than other countries of
  similar latitude (eg Poland), due to Gulf stream
• Prevailing wind, southwest
• Rainfall from 553mm p.a. in Cambridge to
• 3000mm p.a. in the Scottish Highlands

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Demographics

• Ethnic groups in the UK
• White 92
• Mixed 1
• Asian or British Asian 4
• Black or Black British 2
• Chinese 0.5
• Other 0.5
• Population 2001 58,789,194

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Major cities
London (7.2 million) Birmingham Leeds Glasgow Shef
field Bradford Liverpool Edinburgh Manchester Bris
tol Nottingham Cardiff
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Economy

• Until mid 20th century, primary industry was
  based on coal (Wales, Midlands, Yorkshire,
  Scotland).
• Biggest industry is now North Sea Oil (centred on
  Aberdeen)

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Economy

• Manufacturing. Industrial revolution led to the
  growth of the major cities
• Now very little heavy manufacturing.
  Manufacturing mainly in the Midlands
• High tech proximity to M4 motorway (Heathrow
  airport) Silicone Glen in Scotland

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Economy

• Finance and services now concentrated in the
  City of London (The Square Mile) and Canary
  Wharf
• Administration around the rest of SE England
• North-South divide

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Economy

• Agriculture
• Intensive 60 of UK food needs produced by 1
  of the population
• 25 arable land
• 46 pasture
• 10 forest and woodland
• Other 19