the northwestern coast of continental Europe, the British Isles, is a country which named the largest island of Great Britain is traditionally called.Britain called the historical part of the state.
Geography
British Islands are the largest archipelago, located in Europe.In its structure - two large islands (Ireland and the United Kingdom) and five thousand small.From Denmark and Sweden British archipelago separates the shallow North Sea, and from France - narrow straits of the Pas-de-Calais and the English Channel.Highly indented coastline has a total length of more than a hundred kilometers.
In connection with the existing numerous fjords and bays on the island is impossible to find such a point that would have been removed from the seas and straits of more than 120 km.Such is the geography of the UK in general.
Relief
whole territory of England can be divided into two parts.The first of these - High Britain.It is located in the west and north of the country.This particular relief and minerals UK in this area have their own characteristics.
fact that the territory of the High Britain are stable ancient bedrock.In general, the relief of a hill, dismembered less common lowlands.
Low Britannia is located in the east and south.It has a hilly terrain, which is a few mountain areas and small hills, which are based - the younger breed share.
Minerals
Currently British Isles can not boast a great variety of natural resources.Minerals UK, briefly listed, it is a natural gas and oil, coal, kaolin, fluorite and tin ore, potash, and Celestine, non-metallic building materials and refractory clay, shale and ore, zinc, copper, iron, lead, arteritis, andand barite.
Coal
total reserves of natural resources in the order of one hundred and ninety billion tons, and they are on the whole area of the state.The largest production is carried out in the pool, located on the southeastern slope of the Pennines (mine Yorkshire), in the north-east Pennii (Nortumblend), as well as on the southern slope of the Cambrian Mountains (South Welsh deposit).
Fewer coal available in Scotland.Where deposits are a chain of western to the eastern point of the Mid-Scottish lowlands.Small coal seams are on the peninsula, and Kimberly in the south-eastern region of England.It is said that in the past Britain was the world's largest coal exporting country.
Oil and Gas
Minerals UK mined not only on land.Oil and gas deposits in the 60s of the twentieth century.They were discovered in the offshore archipelago washing the British North Sea.Extraction of natural resources is carried out near the southeast coast of England and the north-east of Scotland.In the sector of Britain is about one-third of all the oil that is rich shelf.It is forty-five billion tons, which on a global scale is two percent.Swag lead to fifty fields, the largest of which - the Forties and Brent.
Already in the 90s of the 20th century.volume of oil obtained from these deposits was 130 million tons.Almost half of them are exported to the Netherlands, the USA and Germany.According to independent experts, in the XXI century Britain did not lose its status as a major oil producer.
on the shelf, which is located in the North Sea, produce gas.Currently, there is open 37 deposits.Half of the total production allowed seven of them.This energy is also exporting country.
Other natural resources
Minerals UK presented as iron ores.However, deposits of these resources in the country severely depleted.The deposits are sedimentary type and relate to Jurassic sediments.The largest deposits are pools located in Cumberland, near Scunthorpe and Northamptonshire.
Minerals UK presented and tin ores.In terms of their reserves in the country is located on the first place among the countries of Western Europe.The deposits are located in Cornwall.Placer tin ores are also found in areas of the sea shelf of the northern coast of Cornwall.
Minerals UK include lead-zinc and copper ores, but their reserves in the country are very limited.
fourth place in the list of countries in Western Europe, Britain is on stocks of fluorite.The deposits of this mineral are presented metasomatic deposits and veins in the Carboniferous limestone.Are they in the counties of Durham and Derbyshire as well as in North and South Pennines.
