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The UK is situated off the northwest coast of Europe between the Atlantic Ocean and the North sea. It is separated from the Continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover The UK comprises the four countries of England, Scotland (including the Orkney and the Shetland Islands), Wales and Northern Ireland. It also includes "Dependencies" of the Crown, namely the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and some remnants of the Empire.
The UK has an area of 94,249 square miles (242,000 sq km) and occupies the greater part of the British Isles, the largest of which are Great Britain and Ireland.
The surface of England and N.I. is flat but Scotland and Wales are mountainous. The main mountain chains are the Cambrian Mountains (the Cambrians) and the Grampian Mountains (the Grampians). In the centre of England there is a range cf hills called the Pennines, which are also known as the "backbone of England". The highest mountains are in Scotland and Wales: Ben Nevis (1,343 m) and Snowdon (1,085 m high).
The chief rivers are the Thames, the Severn, the Clyde, the Trent, the Mersey. The longest is the Severn.
There are a lot of lakes in Great Britain, many of them are concentrated in the Lake District on the north-west side of the Pennine system.
The climate of G.B. is temperate and mild with almost no extremes of temperature The country is well watered and is rich in green meadows So agriculture is one of the major sectors of economy.
The UK is not very rich in mineral resources. The most important are coal and oil, other minerals are clays, chalk, iron ore, zink and some others The UK is one of the world's industrialized countries. Metallurgy, chiefly iron and steel, is vital to other key industries, such as shipbuilding, electrical and mechanical engineering and electronics The country is the fourth largest exporter of manufactured goods.
The population of G.В. is about 59 mln people The chief regional administrative units are called “counties” in England and Wales, "regions" in Scotland, and "districts” in Northern Ireland. The largest cities are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Cardiff, Glasgow.
The UK is a parliamentary monarchy. The head of the state is the Queen, the head of the government is the Prime Minister. The main political parties are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.
Great Britain is a high-tech country with world-famous research and educational institutions the most famous of which are Oxford and Cambridge Universities. It is a country of great history, culture and traditions. | 
