General Information
Area: 130,422 sq km (50,356 sq miles).
Population: 49,752,900 (1999).
Population Density: 381.5 per sq km.
Capital: London. Population: 7,285,000 (Greater London, 1999).
GEOGRAPHY: Much of the countryside is relatively flat, consisting of fertile plains and gentle hills. Mountains, moors and steeper hills are found mainly in the north and the west; the Lake District (Cumbria) and the northwest are divided from the Yorkshire Dales, and the northeast, by the (relatively) high-rising Pennines, ‘the backbone of England’. The eastern part of the country, particularly East Anglia, is the lowest lying. The coastline is varied, and ranges from long stretches of sandy beaches to steep cliffs and isolated rocky coves.
Language: English. The multiplicity of local dialects throughout the country, overlaid with class, and town and country accents makes English a language of astonishing diversity – words and forms of syntax which are obsolete in the southeast may often be found elsewhere. In the larger cities, particularly London, there are many communities who do not speak English as a first language (or who have a patois – originating outside of this country – which adds yet more variety to the English language).
Note: For information on Government, time, electricity and communications, see the main United Kingdom section.
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