England

The United Kingdom is very small compared with many other countries in the world. However there are only nine other countries with more people, and London is the world’s seventh biggest city. When you travel about the country you can see how the scenery changes right in front of your eyes. Highlands turn into lowlands; forests and hills turn into meadows and plains very quickly. It’s hard to believe, but in Great Britain one you can find practically any type of scenery. Britain is unusually beautiful country! England can be divided for four parts: the Southeast, the Southwest, East Anglia, the Midlands and the North of England. The Southeast is a highly populated region of England. London, the capital of the UK, and such historical cities as Windsor, Dover and Brighton are situated here. When people travel to Britain by sea or by air they usually arrive in the Southeast, for this is where the main passenger ports and airports are. Heathrow airport, one of the world’s busiest airports is about 33 km west of central London. The Southwest is the region where the main activity is farming. The Southwest used to be known for its pirates. The two principal cities of the region are Bristol and Bath. If you want to see the famous Stonehenge you should also come here. The most westerly point of Great Britain “Land’s End” is also in the Southwest. East Anglia is very flat and it is another farming region. It has beautiful cities with fine historic buildings such as Cambridge. It is more that half surrounded by the sea. The Midlands, known as the heart of England, is the largest industrial part in the country. The most important industrial cities are Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool which is one of Britain’s big ports, and Birmingham. The two famous Midlands cities are Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford. Stratford is the birthplace of William Shakespeare and Oxford is famous for its university. The North of England has some of the wildest and loneliest parts in the country. Here you can find deep valleys, rivers and waterfalls, hills and mountains. This part of the country is rich in coal. The main attractions of the North of England are certainly the Lake District, the cities of York and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.