UK in 21st Century (OCR GCSE Geography B)

Physical Characteristics of the UK

Location

• Located in Western Europe, 35km (22m) off the coast of France and lies between latitudes 49°N and 59°N and longitudes 8°W to 2°E

• Has a coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the English Channel and the Celtic Sea

UK, GB or British Isles?

• The UK is the political union between the nations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland 

  • The full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  • The UK as a whole, is a sovereign state, but each nation is a country in its own right

• Great Britain (GB) is the term for England, Scotland, Wales and their associated islands

  • Northern Ireland is not included 

• The British Isles is purely a geographical term that refers to:

  • Great Britain

  • Ireland (Northern and the Republic)

  • All the smaller islands scattered around the coast

• The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not part of the UK but are Crown Dependencies

Physical features

• Scotland and Wales are the most mountainous regions 

• Northern Ireland has 3 main mountainous regions - the Sperrin and Mourne mountain ranges and the Antrim Plateau

• The Pennines are a ridge of mountains running down central northern England

  • These areas have few roads and settlements but beautiful scenery and are sparsely populated

• Coastal areas are low-lying, especially in the south and east of England where the land is flat and more suited to settlements, roads and railways

• The remainder of the UK is made up of gently rolling hills and isolated high grounds and moors

Map of the British Isles

Precipitation patterns

• Precipitation is highest in the north and west, where average annual precipitation is 2800mm

• Lowest precipitation rates are in the south and east, with an annual average of between 500mm and 749mm

Annual precipitation in the UK

• The UK has a number of rivers which transport the precipitation from the mountains to the sea

  • The longest river in the UK is the River Severn at 354 km with the River Thames second at 346 km

• The UK also has a number of natural lakes that act as storage for precipitation

  • The largest lake is Loch Neagh in Northern Ireland at 381 km2

  • Loch Ness contains the most water at nearly twice the amount of water of all the lakes of England and Wales combined

  • Loch Morar is the deepest at 310 m

  • Loch Awe is the longest at 41 km

• One of the reasons the UK has an annual average precipitation of between 800 mm to 1,400 mm is its position to the Atlantic Ocean and the prevailing southwesterly winds bringing warm, moist air to the region

• When the air reaches the British Isles, it is forced to rise up and over the mountain ranges in the western region

• As air rises, it cools, condenses and forms rain clouds. This is the reason why it rains so much in the mountains

• This leaves only dry air to carry on over the crest of the mountain, creating a dry area on the other side called a rain shadow

• This is called relief rainfall

Relief rainfall  

Frontal rainfall 

•  Again, because of the UK's position, the warm southwesterly winds meet the descending northerly cold Polar air

• The warm air is forced to rise over the cold air (the front), which cools, condenses and rains heavily

• This type of rainfall occurs across the British Isles and is the most common reason it rains in the British Isles

Convectional rainfall

• Convectional rainfall occurs when the ground heats the air above it 

• It happens in summer, particularly during a heatwave

• The sun heats the ground, which releases heat, and the air above is warmed

• Warm air rises rapidly, then cools and condenses to form dark rain clouds

• These clouds can produce heavy rainfall and thunderstorms

Water stress

• Although the British Isles receives a lot of rain, it is unevenly spread and this leaves parts of the nation under-supplied or water-stressed

• Most rain falls in the north and west, but the greatest water demand is in the east and south due to:

  • Higher population 

  • Agriculture

  • Industry

• Some solutions to these problems are:

  • Transfer water from wet areas to drier areas via a pipeline 

    • Water from North Wales is piped to Liverpool

  • Construction of new reservoirs to capture and store water in the east

    • Ardingly and Arlington reservoirs in Sussex supplies stores 8,300 million litres of water 

  • Water conservation through repairing leaking pipes, encouraging people to use less water and installing water meters in all new homes

Human Characteristics of the UK

Population density

• The population density of the UK is uneven

• The average population density is 281 people per km² 

• In urban areas, such as London, Brighton and Luton, this increases to over 5000 people per km² in 

• In most rural areas it decreases to fewer than 50 people per km²

Population density of the UK

• The most populous region is the South East of England, with cities, such as London, Birmingham and Manchester and areas with attractions, employment and entertainment

• The lowest density is found in Northern Scotland due to its mountainous landscape and unpredictable climate

• The rest of the UK has a high-density population due to its gentle hills, moderate climate and excellent transport links

Factors Affecting Population Densities

Land use in the UK

• Land is dynamic and is always changing and therefore, the use of land varies throughout the UK

• However, the majority of the UK is considered to be farmland and is divided into:

  • Grass 52%

  • Arable 20%

  • Forest 12%

• The remainder of the land use in the UK is:

  • Urban 14%

  • Water 1%

  • Other 1%

• Mountainous regions tend to have rough pastures and moorlands. The climate is harsh and the soil is poor, so crop growth is limited; the main farming is sheep

• Grasslands are dominant in the west of the UK as it has a mild, wet climate which is ideal for rich pastures for beef, dairy and sheep

• Over the higher lands of Wales, rough pasture dominates which is good for sheep farming

• Arable farming dominates in the east and south of England due to the warmer, sunnier and drier climate. Especially suitable for crop and flower growing

• Coniferous woodlands dominate northern England, Wales and Scotland, where the soils are poor and areas are remote and is used for timber production

• Urban areas are on the increase and growth is spiralling outwards. Some cities are contained within a 'green belt' such as London, but others such as Southampton, are spread over a greater distance

Housing shortage

• With the rise in population and the growth of urban areas, there is a shortage of housing

• At present the UK needs to build 250, 000 homes a year, but only half of that amount is built

• As a result, house prices are rising and becoming too expensive due to the high demand

• Other reasons for the housing shortage includes:

  • Local opposition to new planning of housing estates

  • Green belt areas prevent urban sprawl and therefore, reduce the opportunity to build new houses

  • The price of land keeps rising due to the demand