The British Isles and Nordic Nations England

 British Isles - islands clustered off north- west coast of Europe - largest island is Great Britain  Great Britain - England, Scotland, Wales  United Kingdom - England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

 England - the ‘core’ of the United Kingdom - 80 percent of region’s population lives here

 English landscape - Highlands - Midlands - Lowlands

 London - capital city - most important trade center - one of the greatest commercial and shipping cities in the world

 London’s Relative Location - Why isn’t the city of Dover the English capital of trade?  Global Trade Patterns - In 1400’s, Europeans pushed westward across the Atlantic Ocean for trade - Great Britain’s central location on Atlantic was ideal for trade

 The Rise of Heavy Industry - major coal fields and reserves existed throughout Britain. - coal supplies made the area a center for manufacturing.  Challenges to British Industry - much of coal supply used up during Industrial Revolution - In 1970’s, Britain turned to oil and gas as sources for fuel *What did Britain’s government encourage to offset the loss of heavy industry?