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Presenter: Welcome to this introductory lecture on the geography of
the United Kingdom. The UK, with a total population of over 60 million,
consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain comprises
England. Scotland and Wales. England is the largest country of the UK,      Q31
with some 52 million people. It is mainly a lowland country, with some
upland areas in the north and west. The capital is London with about 7      Q32
million people. There are many manufacturing industries and farming is
widespread, but the economy is increasingly service-based, and London is
one of the world’s leading centres for banking, insurance and other financial
services. High-tech industries have replaced many of the more traditional
ones. In Scotland, 5 million people live in an area not much smaller than
England. The country boasts vast open spaces and is one of the last areas
of unspoiled natural beauty in Europe, featuring mountains, lochs—that
is ’lakes’ —and glens—that is ’valleys’. Modern industries including oil,      Q33
electronics and biotechnology, as well as more traditional industries such as
fishing and forestry, drive the economy. The largest city is Glasgow, but the
capital is Edinburgh. Wales is home to 3 million people, and its geography
is characterised by coastline, mountains and lakes. Cardiff is the capital      Q34
and largest city. Key industries include electronics, auto components, food           Q35
processing, health care, and professional services. More Japanese companies
have set up shop in Wales than anywhere else in Europe. About 1.6 million
people live in Northern Ireland, the capital of which is Belfast, the largest
city. Residents enjoy beautiful countryside. Many new hotels are springing
up to cater for increasing numbers of tourists and business travellers.
  The climate in the UK is moderate: summers are fairly cool and winters
are quite mild. And despite what many foreigners believe, British weather          Q36
is not rain and fog—it is actually more comfortable, more varied and more
interesting than that. What you can look forward to in the way of rain, sun,
temperature and even daylight depends on where you will be living. Here are
some typical figures for London. January is the coldest month at 3℃ whilst
July is the hottest at 17℃. Rainfall varies from 56mm in April to 81mm      Q37
in December. Although the UK is quite small geographically, the climate
varies from one area to another. In general, the west is wetter and milder           Q38
than the east, and northern areas are noticeably cooler than southern ones.
For example, compare the following temperatures with the London figures:
Edinburgh 14℃ in July and Manchester 15℃ in the same month. Edinburgh:
4℃ in January and Manchester: 5℃ in the same month. Parts of Scotland
usually get snow in winter, whereas you might live in London for several      Q39
years without seeing a significant snowfall.
  International students who are used to tropical or equatorial climates are
often intrigued by the sheer variety of the weather in the UK. Weather in the
early spring tends to be especially changeable. You could be treated to rain,      Q40
snow, thunder and lightning, hail, and glorious spring sunshine—all in the
course of a single day.