The United Kingdom is an island nation composed of Great Britain and the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, along with many nearby islands. It is bordered to the east by the North Sea, facing countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Norway; to the west, it is adjacent to Ireland, separated by the Atlantic Ocean from the United States and Canada; to the north, it can reach Iceland across the Atlantic; and to the south, it is just 33 kilometers across the English Channel from France.
England covers an area of 130,000 square kilometers, which constitutes the majority of Great Britain. This region is divided into four parts from west to east: the Midlands centered around the Severn River basin; the highlands with an elevation of around 200 meters; the London Basin; and the Weald Hills.
Wales has an area of over 20,000 square kilometers, characterized by mountainous and rugged terrain. One-quarter of the land in Wales is designated as national parks and natural reserves.
Scotland and its surrounding small islands cover a total area of 78,000 square kilometers. The entire region is mountainous, with only the central part being relatively flat.
Northern Ireland has an area of 14,000 square kilometers, facing Great Britain across the Irish Sea. The region of Northern Ireland has many lakes, with Lough Neagh being the largest lake in the United Kingdom. The area along the lake is flat.
The climate is classified as a temperate maritime broadleaf forest climate. The average temperature during the hottest month (July) ranges from 19 to 25°C, while the coldest month (January) has an average temperature of 4 to 7°C. England has a lower elevation, with an average annual precipitation of 830 millimeters; the western and northern mountainous areas receive more rainfall, with amounts reaching up to 4,000 millimeters.
The main mineral resources in the United Kingdom include coal, iron, oil, and natural gas. The total reserves of hard coal are 170 billion tons. The iron ore reserves are approximately 3.8 billion tons. The southwestern Cornwall Peninsula has tin mines. Large deposits of rock salt are found in Cheshire and Durham. Staffordshire has high-quality clay. The Cornwall Peninsula produces white clay. The eastern slopes of the Pennines can be mined for dolomite. Near the Shire Hills in the southwest of Lancashire, quartz mines are located. The oil reserves on the United Kingdom's continental shelf in the North Sea are estimated to be between 1 to 4 billion tons. The natural gas reserves are approximately between 860 billion to 2,585 billion cubic meters.
