Archive for the ‘Geography’ Category

Location: Western Europe, islands including the northern one sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 54 00 N, 2 00 W
Total area: 243,610 sq km
Land area: 241,930 sq km
Water area: 1,680 sq km
Notes: Includes Rockall and Shetland Islands; lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters.
Comparative area: Slightly smaller than Oregon.
Total land boundaries: 360 km
Border countries: Ireland 360 km
Coastline: 12,429 km
Maritime claims: Territorial sea 12 nm; exclusive fishing zone 200 nm; continental shel: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries.
Climate: Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than half of days are overcast.
Terrain: Mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast.
Lowest point: The Fens -4 m
Highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m
Natural resources: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
Land use: Arable land 23.23 percent; permanent crops 0.2 percent; other 76.57 percent (2005)
Irrigated land: 1,700 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: 160.6 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): Total 11.75 cu km/yr (22 percent/75 percent/3 percent); per capita 197 cu m/yr (1994)
Natural hazards: Winter windstorms; floods
Environment issues: Continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5 percent reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move toward a domestic goal of a 20 percent cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85 percent of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25 percent of household waste, increasing to 33 percent by 2015.
Environment agreements: Party to Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling.

England has a temperate and a moist ocean climate in general. The rain at every season. England has a temperate maritime climate meaning that it is mild with temperatures not much lower than 0 °C (32 °F) in winter and not much higher than 32 °C (90 °F) in summer. The weather is damp relatively frequently and is subject to change. The coldest months are January and February, the latter particularly on the English coast, while July is normally the warmest month. Months with mild to warm weather with least rainfall are May, June, September and October.
The biggest influences on the climate of England comes from the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, its northern latitude and warming of the waters around the Gulf Stream. England receives quite a significant proportion of rainfall during the year, with autumn and winter being the wettest time—geographically the Lake District receives more rain than anywhere else in the country. Since weather recording records began, the highest temperature received was 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) on 10 August 2003 at Brogdale in Kent, while the lowest was −26.1 °C (−15 °F) on 10 January 1982 in Edgmond, Shropshire. The rain at every season in England.