Geography of the United Kingdom

General UK is located at the north-western coast of Europe Total area of nearly 242,000 square kilometres (+ overseas territories with area of approximately 1,730,000 km2) Between latitudes 49°N and 59°N, and longitudes 8°W and 2°E Prime Meridian lies in the Greenwich Park in London Occupies most of the British Isles archipelago Only neighbor is the Republic of Ireland

Isles UK is made up of over 1,000 islands Most of them located off the north and west coasts of Scotland The biggest are Great Britain and Ireland Others include the Lewis and Harris, Mainland or Skye

Lewis and Harris Mainland Ireland Great Britain Skye

Mountains and hills Tees-Exe line roughly divides the UK into lowlands and uplands Scotland is the most mountainous Highest peak is the Ben Nevis with 1,344 meters, lies in the Grampian Mountains in Scotland Second highest is the Snowdon with 1,085 meters in Wales The lowest point is in the Fens, with 4 meters below sea level

Ben Nevis Tees-Exe line The Fens Snowdon

Rivers and lakes All water drains to Atlantic Ocean The longest river is the River Severn with 350 km Second longest is the River Thames with 346 km The largest lake is the Lough Neagh with 381 km2 (3.5 km3) Loch Ness has the biggest water volume (7,5 km3)

Lough Neagh

Coastline Nearly 12,500 kilometres long Peninsulas Fife, Llŷn or Pembrokeshire Bays Bristol Channel, Cardigan Bay, Moray Firth or Solway Firth Isles Great Britain, Ireland, Lewis and Harris, Skye,... Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, North Sea, Atlantic Ocean English Channel

Fife Moray Firth North Sea Solway Firth Atlantic Ocean Llŷn Irish Sea Pembrokeshire Celtic Sea English Channel Cardigan Bay Bristol Channel

Political system of the UK

Political system UK is a constitutional monarchy The Monarch is the head of state The Prime Minister is the head of government Executive power is exercised by Her Majesty’s Government Legislative power by the Parliament of the UK, which divides into the House of Commons (lower house) and the House of Lords (upper house) Judiciary is independent The highest court is The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom One of a few countries to have uncodified constitution

Political parties Conservative Party (“Tories” in the 19th century) Leader of the Conservative Party is Theresa May, who is also the Prime Minister of the UK Labour Party Liberal Democrats (“Whigs”)

Elizabeth II Born in 1926 in London (90 years old) Queen of the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand On the throne for 64 years -> the longest reigning monarch in the history Head of the Commonwealth of Nations (international organisation of states that used to be territories of the former British Empire)