2. Rivers and canals.
The most important rivers of England are the Thames, the Trent, the Yorkshire Ouse and the Severn.
The chief rivers in Scotland are the Clyde, the Тау, the Forth and the Tweed.
Ireland's chief river is the Shannon, with a course of 386 km (240 miles), the longest river in the British Isles.
Britain is rich in waterways. Almost every town stands on its river, every village upon its stream. We can sea it in the names: Burton-on-Trent, Stratford-on-Avon, Kingston upon Thames, Newcastle on Tyne and many others.
From the times of the Romans until the 17th century Britain's seas and rivers were more important than roads for the transportation of goods and people. Rivers such as the Thames, Lea, Severn and Wye, and the Great Ouse were of the utmost importance for transport.
As the growing population of the country required more food, and the industries more coal, the demand for new waterways became quite obvious. By the end of the 18th century three canals had been constructed across the Pennines to meet special needs. Today the system of inland waterways includes a network of canals, the largest and most important of which is the Manchester Ship Canal.
A part of inland water is preserved as lakes. Since most of the British lakes are rather small and remote, with no outlets, they provide only limited possibilities as navigable waterways.
The Lake District in the north-west of England is well-known for its scenic beauty. The lakes are of varying sizes. The biggest one here is Lake Windermere, over 16 km long. The loveliest of Cumbrian's lakes is Derwentwater, called the "Queen of Lakes".
The largest and most beautiful of Scotland's lakes are Loch Lomond (near Glasgow) and Loch Ness (near Inverness).
3. Natural Resources
Soils. Britain's soil quality varies greatly. In northern areas the soils are thin, lying right above rock formations, while the south possesses areas of rich loam and heavy clay soils. When handled carefully the soils of eastern and south central England are very productive. While 77 percent of the land in Britain is used for agriculture, only 25 percent of this land is used to grow crops. Almost all of the rest is used as grazing land.
Forests and Woodlands
Trees grow well and quickly in the heavy soils of England, and for a long time prehistoric settlers did not have tools strong enough to cut down the heavy oak forests. Over the centuries the expanding human population cut back the forests, so that today only 10 percent of the United Kingdom is forested, roughly 2 million hectares (6 million acres). In contrast, 25 percent of Europe is forested. Britain's forests produce about 15 percent of the total wood the country consumes, and Britain imports substantial amounts of wood and wood products. Efforts have been made in Britain to grow more trees and expand the managed forest areas. Local authorities have the power to protect trees and woodlands. It is an offense to cut down trees without permission, and when trees protected by the government die they must be replaced.
Mineral Resources
Britain's mineral resources were historically important, but today most of these resources are either exhausted or produced in small quantities. Britain currently relies upon imports from larger, cheaper foreign supplies. Before and during the Roman occupation, about 2000 years ago, Britain was noted for its tin mines, which were concentrated in Cornwall. The tin was mixed with copper to produce bronze, an important material in ancient times used for weapons and jewelry. Today nearly every tin mine in Britain has been exhausted and shut down.
Britain's small deposits of iron ore were critically important to the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly because iron ore deposits were located close to rich deposits of coal. When iron ore and coal are heated together, they produce iron alloys, such as wrought iron.
During the Industrial Revolution towns and cities sprang up close to these resources, and they remain among Britain's leading urban areas. Today Britain imports iron, along with most other minerals used for industrial production, although small amounts of iron, zinc, and copper are still produced. Raw materials for construction are still important, and many quarries producing limestone, sand, gravel, clay, chalk, salt continue to operate profitably.
Energy Resources
Britain has the richest energy sources in the European Union (EU), and its abundant resources of oil and natural gas are of vital importance to the British economy. Until the 1970s small amounts of oil were produced from onshore wells, but this amount was far less than Britain needed. In 1969 large supplies of oil and natural gas were discovered in the North Sea off the eastern coast of Britain, particularly off the coast of Scotland. Today Britain is the world's eighth largest producer of crude oil and natural gas liquids, with more than 60 offshore fields. Refined oil products are one of Britain's major exports today, most of which are sold to European nations.
For many years coal was mined extensively, providing the primary source of energy in Britain. It was also exported. Coal production reached its peak in 1913, when more than 300 million tons were mined. Today production is less than a sixth of that figure and coal is far less important to the British economy. Britain imports much more coal than it exports.
Britain also has a number of nuclear energy facilities. Britain meets 26 percent of its energy needs through nuclear energy. Recently much research has been devoted to developing bio-fuels-energy from wastes, landfill gas, and crops-as well as to developing solar energy, wind power, and waterpower.