Great Britain (its geographical position, climate, relief)

To begin with I’d like to say that Great Britain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK- for short), England, and the British Isles – different names used to denote the same thing. There is one more name: Albion. But they are sometimes used wrongly. Let’s start with some definitions, for which a map would be useful.

On the North West coast of Europe lie two substantial islands. The larger one, a straggling irregular triangle about 1,200 kilometers in length is called Great Britain. The other, to the west which is roughly rectangular is Ireland. Since 1922 most of Ireland has been an independent republic which took the name Eire in 1937. The north-east corner of Ireland, sometimes known as Northern Ireland, sometimes as Ulster, is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island. Officially it is not a country but a province or «constituent region». The capital of Northern Island is Belfast.

Great Britain, an island country in northwestern Europe, is divided into three countries: England, Scotland, and Wales with capitals London, Edinburgh, and Cardiff respectively. It is separated from mainland Europe by the North Sea on the east and by the English Channel on the South. It is a well-known fact that there is no place to be far from the sea in Britain.

The British Isles consist of the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of Ireland and a great number of small islands. Such as: Orkney Islands, the Hebrides, the Isle of Wight and many others.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The territory of the United Kingdom is about 244000 (two hundred and forty four thousand) square kilometers, that is the 75-th place among all other countries in the world.

Great Britain has a very good geographical position. The sea connects Britain with most European countries such as: Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Russia and some other countries. The surface of the British Isles varies very much. It is manly low-lying meadow and forests, but there are mountains in Scotland and Wales, so we can say that the northern and the western parts of the country are mountainous. All the rest is a vast plain. The mountains are not very high. The rivers are not very long. The biggest of them is Thames while the longest one is the Severn. It rises in the mountains of Wales and follows a circulation route for over 200 miles before reaching the Bristol Channel and the sea. There are many beautiful lakes in the mountainous part of the country in Scotland.

The climate of Great Britain is mild due to the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf Stream’ warm waters, and the mountains. The country weather often changes. The summers are not cool. The winters are cold, with plenty of snow.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland isn’t rich in mineral resources but it is known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of electronics and machinery, chemicals, and various aircraft and navigation equipment.

London

The capital of the United Kingdom, in southeastern England on the Thames River about forty miles from its mouth is London. London is a leading global city, with its strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is the largest city in Britain and one of the largest cities in the world. It is known as one of the largest sea ports in the world. London has the largest city GDP in Europe, and is home to the headquarters of more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies.

The Thames River has had a major influence on the development of the city. London began on the Thames' north bank and for a long time the main focus of the city remained on the north side of the Thames. For many centuries London Bridge was the only bridge in or close to the city.

London’s history goes back to its founding by the Romans, who called it Londinium. It was settled as a river port and trading centre shortly after the Roman invasion of AD 43 and has been a flourishing centre since the Middle Ages. It is divided administratively into the City of London, which is the country's financial centre, and 32 boroughs. The London boroughs are administered by London Borough Councils which are elected every four years. The boroughs are the principal local authorities in London and are responsible for running most local services in their areas, such as schools, social services, waste collection, and roads.

As far as I know in London one can see architecture of different centuries and styles. It is closely connected with the history of London. The Romans, the Saxons (West Germanic tribe), the Danes, the Normans settled in Britain. London survived the Great Plague - a serious outbreak of bubonic plague in England in 1665-1666, in which about one fifth of the population of London died. It was the last major outbreak in Britain.

The Great Fire of London is to be mentioned. During the Fire all wooden houses were completely ruined and a New London with bigger houses and wider streets was built.

Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. I’d like to start with the City.

The City of London is a small area within Greater London. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of the metropolis of London, though remains a notable part of Central London. It is often referred to as the City (often written on maps as "City") or the Square Mile, as it is just over one square mile (1.12 sq mi/2.90 km²) in area. These terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom's financial services industry, which has historically been based here. The City has a resident population of around 10,000, but around 330,000 people work there, mainly in the financial services sector. There are many banks, offices, and the Stock Exchange.

Greater London covers an area of 1,579 square kilometers (610 sq mi), an area which had a population of 7,172,036. The West End is the richest part of the city with its beautiful avenues, parks and gardens, grand hotels, theatres and fashionable shops. It is a symbol of wealth and luxury. Here one can see the Houses of Parliament, most governmental offices, such as Foreign Office, Home Office, etc. The East End is a vast area running eastward from the city. It is poor and crowded. It has all the main docks and a lot of factories. In the East End one can see numerous dirty houses and slums.

If you want to get some glimpses of London, you’d better start sightseeing with the Tower of London, which comes first among the historic buildings of the city. It was built as the fortress after the Norman invasion of England in 1066. It has been used as the Royal Palace, as an observatory, and a prison. For many visitors the principal attraction is the Crown Jewels, the finest precious stones of the nation.

Another historic building is St. Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of English churches. It was built by a famous English architect Sir Christopher Wren. St. Paul’s Cathedral, with its famous Whispering Gallery, is considered to be a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture.

Westminster Abbey was founded by Edward the Confessor in 1050. The best part of the Abbey is a wonderful chapel, dating back to the 16^th century. It is famous for its magnificent architecture. There are many monuments there. Many English kings and queens are buried there. One of the greatest treasures of the Abbey is oaken Coronation Chair made in 1300. On the south side of Westminster Abbey is Poet’s Corner, where the greatest English writers are buried. Here also are memorials to Shakespeare, Burns, Byron, Scott and so on. Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace, which is spread magnificently on the north bank of the Thames. It is a remarkable example of Gothic architecture.

Arkhangelsk

To begin with I’d like to say a few words about history of Arkhangelsk. In 1584, Ivan IV ordered the founding of New Kholmogory (which would later be renamed after the nearby Archangel Michael Monastery).

In 16 century, establishing of trade between Russia and West European states, as we all know, gave rise to development of Arkhangelsk. Local inhabitants, called Pomors, were the first to explore trade routes to Northern Siberia as far as the trans-Urals city of Mangazeya and beyond. In 1693, Peter I ordered the creation of a state shipyard in Arkhangelsk.

Arkhangelsk Region (oblast) is a federal subject of Russian Federation, part of North-West Federal District. The administrative center and capital city is Arkhangelsk. The region includes large Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya islands. It embraces a vast area of 589,900 sq. km. In terms of territory the Arkhangelsk Region is one of the largest in Russia. Arkhangelsk Region shares land borders with the Komi Republic, Karelian Republic, Kirov Region, Vologda Region, and Tyumen Region. Arkhangelsk oblast has the population of about 1,300,000 (2010).

Administratively, the Arkhangelsk Region comprises 19 districts, 7 towns, 24 urban and 179 rural areas. It also incorporates the Nenets Autonomous Area, and the Solovetski Archipelago. Solovetski Islands located in the White Sea are a World Heritage Site now. The historical centers of Arkhangelsk oblast of Russia are Kargopol, Kholmogory and Solvychegodsk. There are a number of Russian Orthodox monasteries, including the Antoniev Siysky Monastery there. Together with the Vologda and Murmansk Regions, the Komi and Karelian Republics, the Arkhangelsk Region makes up the area known as Northern European Russia which occupies the territory of 1.48 million square km. (8.8% of the whole territory of the Russian Federation). 6 million people live here.

Severodvinsk city located in Arkhangelsk oblast is one of the Russian Navy bases (mostly nuclear submarines). Russian spaceport Plesetsk is situated in Arkhangelsk oblast.

The seas of the Arctic Ocean, rich in biological resources, wash the Region in the North. Four major rivers (Severnaya Dvina, the Pechora, the Onega and the Mezen), all flow into these seas. Broad and deep, Severnaya Dvina creates favorable conditions for navigation and is the main water route. It is the largest river of the European Russian North, though it is not the longest one. The length of Severnaya Dvina is 744 km, while that of the Pechora is 1,809 km.

Seas, rivers, lakes, tundra and taiga are inhabited by various kinds of fish (cod, plaice, herring, salmon, etc.), birds (hazel-hen, wood-grouse, ptarmigan) and animals (seal, deer, elk, polar fox, hare, wolf, bear, etc). Fish, game and sea animals are priceless natural wealth that brought the first settlers to the Northern land centuries ago.

The Arkhangelsk Region is rich not only in natural but in mineral resources too. Commercial deposits of natural gas and oilfields have been discovered in the Nenets tundra, coal-fields, and massive reserves of peat. Arkhangelsk diamonds are better in quality than Australian and equal to South-African ones. There are numerous deposits of building materials, big reserves of gypsum, semi­precious stones, manganese, various abrasives, ceramic raw materials, and minerals.

Over many years Arkhangelsk has accumulated a unique experience of fruitful cooperation with Russian and foreign partners form the Barents Region, European Union, and the USA. Coastal location of the Arkhangelsk region has made it closer to the industrially developed countries. Arkhangelsk has always been international and Russia’s first «window to Europe». Before the Revolution hundreds of foreigners lived there. Consulates-general of six European countries functionated in Arkhangelsk. I think it is to be noted that the capital of the Pomor Land opened Honorary Consulate of Kingdom of Norway in 2010. This is the first Norwegian Honorary Consulate in Russia.

Archangelsk is home to various educational institutions: First of all the Northern Arctic Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov (founded in 2011) is to be mentioned. NArFU mission is to be a centre to train high qualified specialists for Arkhangelsk and Murmansk Regions, Nenets Autonomous Area and other regions bordering on RF continental Arctic shelf. The shelf has long been a priority for the Russian oil and gas industry. The Shtokman gas condensate field development project is of strategic importance for Russia. The field will become a resource base for supplies of the Russian gas, both pipe gas and LNG, to the Atlantic markets.

I love Arkhangelsk which is full of history. But I think the air is not so clean. It’s quite polluted and I really do miss the fresh country air.

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