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United Kingdom Travel Resource

Geography

The United Kingdom, consisting of Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland) and Northern Ireland, is twice the size of New York State. England, in the southeast part of the British Isles, is separated from Scotland on the north by the granite Cheviot Hills; from them the Pennine chain of uplands extends south through the center of England, reaching its highest point in the Lake District in the northwest. To the west along the border of Wales—a land of steep hills and valleys—are the Cambrian Mountains, while the Cotswolds, a range of hills in Gloucestershire, extend into the surrounding shires. Important rivers flowing into the North Sea are the Thames, Humber, Tees, and Tyne. In the west are the Severn and Wye, which empty into the Bristol Channel and are navigable, as are the Mersey and Ribble.

Climate and Weather

The British climate is a temperate climate. Situated about half way between the equator and the poles, it is usually characterised by pleasant if changeable weather conditions. Summers are normally not too hot with the highest temperatures rarely rising above 32°C except perhaps in the southeast. Winters are generally mild, influenced by the warm air that comes from the Atlantic Ocean. Frosts are common but the temperature rarely falls below -10°C. The difference between the average summer and winter temperature in most parts of Britain (including both day and night time temperatures) is only about 12°C. In some parts of Russia, for example Siberia, this difference can be as much as 40°C. Different parts of the British Isles receive different amounts of rainfall. More falls in the west and north, particular in Scotland, the Lake District and Wales, where hills and mountains increase the amount of rain received. In some parts of Scotland it can rain or snow on as many as 300 days in a year. In East Anglia by contrast, rainfall is much lower, and dry summers can receive very little rainfall indeed. The British Isles lie in the path of bad weather systems called depressions that come in from the Atlantic. These bring wind and rain, but usually mild air, unless this veers around to the north. For this reason, the climate of the British Isles can change from one day to the next.

Population

The population of the United Kingdom was 60.77 million. The size of the minority ethnic population was 7.9 per cent. Indians were the largest minority group, followed by Pakistanis, those of Mixed ethnic backgrounds, Black Caribbeans, Black Africans and Bangladeshis. The remaining minority ethnic groups each accounted for less than 0.5 per cent but together accounted for a further 1.4 per cent of the UK population.

Transportation

Overall, UK transport systems are well developed. A radial road network of 29,145 miles (46,632 km) of main roads is centred on London, Edinburgh and Belfast, whilst, in Great Britain, a motorway network of 2,173 miles (3,477 km) is centred on Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and London. There are a further 213,750 miles (342,000 km) of paved roads. The National Rail network of 10,072 route miles (16,116 route km) in Great Britain and 189 route miles (303 route km) in Northern Ireland carries over 18,000 passenger and 1,000 freight trains daily. Urban rail networks are also well developed in London and several other cities. Heathrow Airport is the world's busiest international airport, and the UK has a considerable network of ports which received over 558 million tonnes of goods in 2003-04.

Top Attractions

1. Buckingham Palace.
2. The Tower of London and the Crown Jewels.
3. York.
4. The British Museum.
5. Edinburgh and Edinburgh Castle.
6. Stonehenge.
7. Windsor Castle.
8. The Lake District.
9. Stratford-upon-Avon.
10. The London Eye.

Best Travel Time

The best months to travel to England are April, May, September and October as the places are less crowded with tourists during these months. As far as the climate is concerned, September is the ideal month to travel to England.


Food and Drink

Regional specialties:
• Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
• Game or venison pies.
• Apple crumble (slices of cooked apple with sweet crumble).
• Spotted dick (suet pudding with currants and raisins).
• Syllabub (a medieval dish consisting of double cream, white wine and lemon juice).
• English cream tea, particularly in south-coast seaside resorts, consisting of scones, jam, butter, clotted or double cream and, of course, tea.
• Regional varieties of baking such as Bakewell tart, a pastry base covered with jam, almond filling and topped with icing; and breads of all description.
• Cheddar and Stilton are the most famous British cheeses.

Regional drinks:
• Beer - bitter and lager are the most popular, but stout, pale ale and brown ale are also widely drunk.
• Cider.
• Tea.
• Gin.
• Pimm’s, a refreshing gin-based drink, usually mixed with lemonade, fruit and mint, and especially popular in summer.
• English wines are becoming increasingly popular.

Local Products/Shopping

A wide range of goods such as watches, cameras, wines and spirits, furs, ceramics and glass, jewelry and toys may be bought in Moscow and St Petersburg. Shops take payment in roubles and, occasionally, by credit card. It is necessary to allow extra time for souvenir hunting: shopping can be a time-consuming activity, owing to the relatively chaotic state of the retail trade in the Russian Federation. It is also advisable to shop around, as prices vary significantly. A good strategy is to choose your souvenirs in a department store such as GUM (on Red Square), and then buy them in a smaller, less centrally located shop. Kholui and Palekh lacquered boxes make attractive souvenirs. Traditional and satirical Matryoshka dolls (wooden dolls within dolls) are widely available. Khokhloma wooden cups, saucers and spoons are painted gold, red and black. Dymkovskaya Igrushka are pottery figurines based on popular folklore characters. Engraved amber, Gzhel porcelain, Vologda lace and Fabergé eggs and jewelry are highly sought after. A samovar makes a good souvenir. Antiquities, valuables, works of art and manuscripts other than those offered for sale in souvenir shops may not be taken out of the Russian Federation without an export license.

Travel Resource