...rea of England is 130,410 sq km 50,350 sq mi, 57 percent of the area of the island. This total, approximately the size of the state of North Carolina, includes the region of the Isles of Scilly, southest of Lands End in the Atlantic Ocean the Isle of ight, located off the southern coast and the Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea.IITHE LAND One of the principal physiographic features of England, as ell as of the entire island of Great Britain, is the deeply indented coast. Most of the indentations are excellent natural harbors, easily accessible to deepater shipping, a factor that has been decisive in the economic development and imperial expansion of England. By virtue of the high tides that prevail along the eastern coast, a number of rivers and their estuaries provide this region ith safe anchorages. The most important of these belong to such ports as Necastle upon Tyne, on the Tyne River Middlesbrough, on the Tees River Hull, on the Humber River Great Yarmouth, on the estuary of the Yare River and London, on the Thames River. The most important harbors on the southern coast include those of Dover, Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, and Plymouth. The estern coast, considerably more broken than either the eastern or southern coast, also has numerous anchorages. Of outstanding commercial importance are the harbor of Bristol, at the confluence of Bristol Channel and the Severn River and Liverpool Harbor, at the mouth of the Mersey River.The terrain of England is diversified. The northern and estern portions are generally mountainous. The principal highland region, the Pennine Chain or Pennines, forms the backbone of northern England. It is composed of several ranges extending south from the Cheviot Hills to the valley of the Trent River and numerous spurs and extensions that radiate in all directions. The extreme elevation of the Pennine Chain and the highest summit in England is Scafell Pike 978 m3,209 ft above sea level. A large portion of the area occupied by the Pennine Chain comprises the Lake District, one of the most picturesque regions in England. The terrain east of ales and beteen the southern extremities of the Pennine Chain and Bristol Channel is an extension of the rolling plain that occupies most of central and eastern England. Much of the estern part of this central region is knon as the Midlands it contains an area that is knon as the Black Country because of its intensive industrial development. To the east lies The Fens, a vast drained marsh area. To the south of Bristol Channel an elevated plateau slopes upard, culminating in the barren uplands and moors of Cornall and Devon. Dartmoor about 600 mabout 2000 ft above sea level, one of the ildest tracts in England, is situated in this region. Successive ranges of chalk hills, seen from the English Channel as hite cliffs, project eastard from Devon to the Strait of Dover.AClimate As a result of the relative armth of the nearby seas, England has a moderate climate, rarely marked by extremes of heat or cold. The mean annual temperature ranges beteen 11 C 52 F in the south and 9 C 48 F in the northeast. Seasonal temperatures vary beteen a mean of about 16 C 61 F during July, the hottest month of the year, and 4 C 40 F during January, the coldest month. The average January and July temperatures for the city of London are 4 C 40 F and 18 C 64 F, respectively. Fogs, mists, and overcast skies are frequent, particularly in the Pennine and inland regions. Precipitation, heaviest during October, averages about 760 mm about 30 in annually in most of England.BNatural Resources England has some agricultural and mineral resources but must rely on imports of both. Approximately to-fifths of the land area is arable, ith the richest soils found in the east. Substantial reserves of iron ore are concentrated in Cumbria, Staffordshire, and Lancashire. aterpoer resources are small and mostly concentrated in the highlands of Cumbria, in northern England.CPlants and Animals In early times, England, like most of the island of Great Britain, as heavily forested, chiefly ith oak and beech in the lolands and pine and birch in the mountainous areas. oodlands no constitute about 8 percent of the total land area. Various types of fruit trees are cultivated, including the cherry, apple, and plum. A common shrub is a species of furze knon locally as gorse. Numerous varieties of ildfloers are also found.Among the chief indigenous fauna of England are several species of deer, fox, rabbit, hare, and badger. The most idespread bird is the meado pipit, and sparros are abundant. Grouse are found in the northern counties. Other familiar species are the cro, pigeon, rook, starling, and several members of the thrush family. Reptiles, of hich only four species occur on the entire island of Great Britain, are rare in England. The most common freshater fishes found in England are trout and salmon.IIIPOPULATION The great majority of the people of England, like those of the British Isles in general, are descended from early Celtic and Iberian peoples and later invaders of the islands, including the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Danes, and Normans. After 1945 substantial numbers of blacks and Asians immigrated into the country. England, once a nation of small rural villages, has become highly urban since the early 19th century. For information on language and literature, see English Language English Literature.APopulation Characteristics The population of England 1996 as 49,089,000. The overall population density of about 376 persons per sq km about 975 per sq mi as one of the highest in the orld.BPolitical Divisions For local governmental purposes, England is divided into 34 counties, 46 unitary authorities, and Greater London established in 1965 as a separate administrative entity. The counties are subdivided into districts, hich together are further divided into parishes. Each level of local government is presided over by a council, the members of hich are elected to four-year terms. In districts that have the title of city or borough, the chairperson of the council is the mayor. The present counties and former counties of England are described in separate articles.CPrincipal Cities After London, Birmingham, population 1995 1,017,500, is the second largest city and is the center of an extensive industrial area that contains major concentrations of the automotive and other industries. Liverpool 470,800 is the second largest port and a major cargo export outlet for Britain it is also a great commercial and industrial center. Manchester 432,600 is the chief commercial hub of the cotton and synthetic-fiber textile industries, as ell as an important financial and commercial center and a major port. Among other important cities are Sheffield 528,500, the heavy engineering center famous for its high-quality steels, cutlery, and tools, and Bristol 400,700, a leading port and commercial center.DReligion The Church of England, a Protestan...
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