Marcus Hildebrandt British Studies Miina Härma Grammar School 2008/9

THE BRITISH ISLES (from Let Us Explore the British Isles, ch. 1)

consist of

1. Great Britain (the largest island) consists of

- England mostly low hills and plains Pennine Chain (“backbone of England”): mountain-chain that divides northern England into western and eastern parts

Lake District in the north-west (Scafell Pike, 978 m)

Peninsula of Cornwall (the sunniest and warmest; Gulf Stream)

- Scotland Lowlands (hills, fields, wood, more densely populated) Northern Highlands (Ben Nevis, 1,373 m)

Great Glen (lochs and canals; Loch Ness; Loch Morar (310 m))

Loch Ness

- Wales

many mountains (Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons; mountains of Snowdonia: Snowdon, 1,085 m)

Snowdon Offa’s Dyke (8th century)

Severn (322 km; longest river in the UK)

Great Britain + Northern Ireland = the United Kingd om of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (United Kingdom; UK) capital: Lond on The UK: 350 miles from west to east; 600 miles from north to south 6,000 miles of coastline man-made scenery (Lancelot Brown, 1716-1783, garden designer)

2. Ireland (Republic of Ireland; capital: Dublin)

second largest island also called the “Emerald Isle” very green high mountains Liffey and Shannon are the main rivers Cliffs of Moher (major scenic attraction)

famous dairy products

3. several smaller islands (the Isle of Wight; Anglesey; the Channel Islands; the Isles of

Scilly, the Isle of Man; the Inner and Outer Hebrides; the Orkney Islands; the Shetland Islands)

Isle of Man

The Isle of Barra (Outer Hebrides)

The UK’s Climate mild and temperate, but unstable windy and damp most rain in the west and upland parts south-east and East Anglia much drier October to January the wettest period +15 - 20 C in summer -5 - +7 in winter sample diagram for London-Heathrow

Source: http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/cgi-bin/regframe?3&PRG=cityklima&LANG=en&WMO=03772&INFO=0&PAG=0

Videos to be presented: http://vodpod.com/watch/850265-pbss-rick-steves-british-isles-travel-videos?pod=britishstudies (if available) http://vodpod.com/watch/845157-visit-britain-podcast-history?pod=britishstudies http://vodpod.com/watch/845148-visit-britain-modern-cities-podcast?pod=britishstudies