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 1500s 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