Geography of England

England comprises most of the central and southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain, in addition to a number of small islands of which the largest is the Isle of Wight. England is bordered to the north by Scotland and to the west by Wales. It is closer to continental Europe than any other part of mainland Britain, divided from France only by a 33 km (21 mi) sea gap, the English Channel.^[3] The 50 km (31 mi) Channel Tunnel,^[4] near Folkestone, directly links England to mainland Europe. The English/French border is halfway along the tunnel.^[5]

Geography of England

Satellite image including England
Continent	Europe
Region	British Isles
Area
• Total	132,930 km^2 (51,320 sq mi)
Coastline	3,200 km (2,000 mi)
Borders	Scotland 96 km (60 mi) Wales 257 km (160 mi)
Highest point	Scafell Pike 978 m (3,209 ft)
Lowest point	Holme Fen, −2.75 m (−9 ft)
Longest river	River Severn (shared with Wales) 354 km (220 mi) Longest river entirely within England is the River Thames. 346 km (215 mi)
Largest lake	Windermere 14.73 km^2 (5.69 sq mi)
Climate	Oceanic "British" climate with small areas of Subarctic climate
Terrain	Mostly low hills and plains, especially in the south, Midlands and east. Upland or mountainous terrain prevails in the north and parts of the west.
Natural resources	Iron, zinc, potash, silica sand, fish, timber, wildlife, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower, wind power, lead, tin, copper, china clay, arable land, and coal
Natural hazards	European windstorms, floods, few and small tornadoes
Environmental issues	climate change, rising sea levels, renewable energy, waste disposal, water pollution, population density
References
^[1]^[2]

Most of England consists of low hills and plains, with upland and mountainous terrain in the north and west. Uplands in the north include the Pennines, an upland chain dividing east and west, the Lake District, containing the highest mountains in the country, the Cheviot Hills across the Anglo-Scottish border, and the North York Moors near the North Sea. Uplands in the west include Dartmoor and Exmoor in the south west and the Shropshire Hills near Wales. The approximate dividing line between terrain types is often indicated by the Tees–Exe line. To the south of that line, there are larger areas of flatter land, including East Anglia and the Fens, although hilly areas include the Cotswolds, the Chilterns, and the North and South Downs.

The largest natural harbour in England is at Poole, on the south-central coast. Some regard it as the second largest harbour in the world, after Sydney, Australia, although this fact is disputed (see harbours for a list of other large natural harbours).

Climate

England 1971–2000^[6]
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     84     7 1     60     7 1     67     9 2     57     12 4     56     15 6     63     18 9     54     21 11     67     21 11     73     18 9     84     14 7     84     10 4     91     7 2 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.3     44 34     2.4     44 34     2.6     49 36     2.2     53 38     2.2     60 43     2.5     65 48     2.1     69 53     2.6     69 52     2.9     64 49     3.3     56 44     3.3     49 38     3.6     45 36 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Main article: Climate of the United Kingdom

England has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round. It has a milder climate than many places at similar latitudes: for example Newfoundland in Canada, and Sakhalin in Russia. The seasons are quite variable in temperature; however temperatures rarely fall below −5 °C (23 °F) or rise above 30 °C (86 °F). The prevailing wind is from the south-west, frequently bringing mild and wet weather to England from the Atlantic Ocean. It is driest in the east and warmest in the south, which is closest to the European mainland. Snowfall can occur in winter and early spring, although it is not very common away from high ground. England has warmer maximum and minimum temperatures throughout the year than the other countries of the UK, though Wales has milder minima from November to February, and Northern Ireland has warmer maxima from December to February. England is also sunnier throughout the year, but unlike Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, the sunniest month is July, totalling around 192.8 hours on average.

 

British Isles hardiness zones

The highest temperature recorded in England is 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) on 19 July 2022 at Coningsby.^[7] The lowest temperature recorded in England is −26.1 °C (−15.0 °F) on 10 January 1982 at Edgmond, Shropshire. The climate of south-west England is rather distinct and somewhat milder than the rest of England. Crops, flowers and plants can be grown earlier there than in the rest of England and the UK.

England mainly lies within hardiness zone 8, but the Pennines and Cumbrian Mountains lie in the colder zone 7, and south west England, the Irish Sea coast, South coast and London lie in the warmer zone 9. A very small area, the Isles of Scilly, lies in the warmest zone in the British Isles, zone 10 which is close to subtropical.

Climate data for England Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.6 (43.9) 6.9 (44.4) 9.3 (48.7) 11.7 (53.1) 15.4 (59.7) 18.1 (64.6) 20.6 (69.1) 20.5 (68.9) 17.5 (63.5) 13.6 (56.5) 9.5 (49.1) 7.4 (45.3) 13.1 (55.6) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.1 (34.0) 1.0 (33.8) 2.4 (36.3) 3.6 (38.5) 6.3 (43.3) 9.1 (48.4) 11.4 (52.5) 11.2 (52.2) 9.3 (48.7) 6.6 (43.9) 3.5 (38.3) 2.0 (35.6) 5.6 (42.1) Average rainfall mm (inches) 84.2 (3.31) 60.1 (2.37) 66.5 (2.62) 56.8 (2.24) 55.9 (2.20) 62.9 (2.48) 54.1 (2.13) 66.7 (2.63) 73.3 (2.89) 83.6 (3.29) 83.5 (3.29) 90.4 (3.56) 838.0 (32.99) Average rainy days 13.4 10.4 12.1 10.1 9.8 9.8 8.5 9.4 10.2 11.8 12.5 13.1 131.2 Mean monthly sunshine hours 50.5 67.7 102.5 145.2 189.9 179.4 192.8 184.1 135.0 101.3 65.2 43.9 1,457.4 Source: Met Office^[6] (1971–2000 averages)

Geology

See also: Geology of England

The Geology of England is mainly sedimentary. The youngest rocks are in the south east, progressing in age in a north-westerly direction. The Tees–Exe line marks the division between younger, softer and low-lying rocks in the south east and older, harder, and generally a higher relief in the north-west. The geology of England is recognisable in the landscape of its counties, for instance Cumbria, Kent and Norfolk all have very distinct and very different looks from each other. The geology of Northern England and Western England tends to be somewhat closer to that of its near neighbours, Wales and Scotland, with the geology of Southern England and Eastern England being more aligned with that found across the North Sea and English Channel in Northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Geological features Cheddar Gorge – the largest gorge in Great Britain Jurassic Coast – a UNESCO World Heritage Site Salisbury Plain Tees–Exe line Whin Sill London Basin Hampshire Basin London-Brabant Massif Dartmoor – one of a series of moors in the South West of England developing tors on a granitic batholith Lizard Complex – an ancient piece of oceanic crust, onshore (i.e. an Ophiolite).

Geological resources Coal North Sea oil Sand and Gravel China Clay Copper and Tin Stone North Sea gas Potash^[8] and less abundantly, Geothermal energy Onshore oil

Major towns and cities

Main article: List of towns in England

London is, by far, the largest urban area in England and one of the largest and busiest cities in the world. Other cities, mainly in central and northern England, are of substantial size and influence. The list of England's largest cities or urban areas is open to debate because, although the normal meaning of city is "a continuously built-up urban area", this can be hard to define, particularly because administrative areas in England often do not correspond with the limits of urban development, and many towns and cities have, over the centuries, grown to form complex urban agglomerations.^[9][10] For the official definition of a UK (and therefore English) city, see City status in the United Kingdom.

According to the ONS urban area populations for continuous built-up areas, these are the 15 largest conurbations (population figures from the 2001 census):

Rank	Urban area^[11]	Population (2001 Census)	Localities ^[clarification needed]	Major localities
1	Greater London Urban Area	8,278,251	67	Croydon, Barnet, Ealing, Bromley
2	West Midlands Urban Area	2,284,093	22	Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall
3	Greater Manchester Urban Area	2,240,230	57	Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport, Oldham
4	West Yorkshire Urban Area	1,499,465	26	Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield
5	Tyneside	879,996	25	Newcastle upon Tyne, North Shields, South Shields, Gateshead, Jarrow
6	Liverpool Urban Area	816,216	8	Liverpool, St Helens, Bootle, Huyton-with-Roby
7	Nottingham Urban Area	666,358	15	Nottingham, Beeston and Stapleford, Carlton, Long Eaton
8	Sheffield Urban Area	640,720	7	Sheffield, Rotherham, Chapeltown, Mosborough/Highlane
9	Bristol Urban Area	551,066	7	Bristol, Kingswood, Mangotsfield, Stoke Gifford
10	Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton	461,181	10	Brighton, Worthing, Hove, Littlehampton, Shoreham, Lancing
11	Portsmouth Urban Area	442,252	7	Portsmouth, Gosport, Waterlooville, Fareham
12	Leicester Urban Area	441,213	12	Leicester, Wigston, Oadby, Birstall
13	Bournemouth Urban Area	383,713	5	Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, New Milton
14	Reading/Wokingham Urban Area	369,804	5	Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham, Crowthorne
15	Teesside	365,323	7	Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham

The largest cities in England are as follows (in alphabetical order):

• Birmingham
• Bradford
• Bristol
• Coventry
• Derby
• Kingston upon Hull
• Leeds
• Leicester
• Liverpool
• London
• Manchester
• Newcastle upon Tyne
• Norwich
• Nottingham
• Oxford
• Peterborough
• Plymouth
• Portsmouth
• Sheffield
• Southampton
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Sunderland^[12]
• Wolverhampton
• York

Physical geography

Extreme points

 

England and Wales from space

The extreme points of England are:

Location	Mainland only	Including islands
Northernmost point Northernmost settlement Southernmost point Southernmost settlement Westernmost point Westernmost settlement Easternmost point Easternmost settlement	Marshall Meadows Bay, Northumberland at 55°48′N 2°02′W / 55.800°N 2.033°W / 55.800; -2.033 Marshall Meadows, Northumberland at 55°48′N 2°02′W / 55.800°N 2.033°W / 55.800; -2.033 Lizard Point, Cornwall at 49°57′N 5°12′W / 49.950°N 5.200°W / 49.950; -5.200 Lizard, Cornwall at 49°57′N 5°12′W / 49.950°N 5.200°W / 49.950; -5.200 Land's End, Cornwall at 50°04′N 5°43′W / 50.067°N 5.717°W / 50.067; -5.717 Sennen Cove, Cornwall at 50°04′N 5°42′W / 50.067°N 5.700°W / 50.067; -5.700 Lowestoft Ness, Suffolk at 52°28.87′N 1°45.77′E / 52.48117°N 1.76283°E / 52.48117; 1.76283 Lowestoft, Suffolk at 52°28′N 1°45′E / 52.467°N 1.750°E / 52.467; 1.750	Marshall Meadows Bay, Northumberland at 55°48′N 2°02′W / 55.800°N 2.033°W / 55.800; -2.033 Marshall Meadows, Northumberland at 55°48′N 2°02′W / 55.800°N 2.033°W / 55.800; -2.033 Western Rocks, Isles of Scilly at 49°51′N 6°24′W / 49.850°N 6.400°W / 49.850; -6.400 St Agnes, Isles of Scilly at 49°53′N 6°20′W / 49.883°N 6.333°W / 49.883; -6.333 Crim Rocks, Isles of Scilly at 49°53′N 6°27′W / 49.883°N 6.450°W / 49.883; -6.450 St Agnes, Isles of Scilly at 49°53′N 6°21′W / 49.883°N 6.350°W / 49.883; -6.350 Lowestoft Ness, Suffolk at 52°28.87′N 1°45.77′E / 52.48117°N 1.76283°E / 52.48117; 1.76283 Lowestoft, Suffolk at 52°28′N 1°45′E / 52.467°N 1.750°E / 52.467; 1.750

Topography, mountains and hills

Main article: Mountains and hills of England

England is generally lower and flatter than the rest of the UK, but has two main divisions in its form – the lowland areas of the south, east, and midlands and the more rugged and upland areas of the north and west. East Anglia is the lowest area of England, having no high hills or mountains and hosting an area of the Fens, the lowest area of England. The highest area of England is the North West, which contains England's highest hills and mountains, including its highest – Scafell Pike.

In England, a mountain is officially defined as land over 600 metres, so most fall in Northern England. Some hill and mountain chains in England are:

• Lake District (Cumbrian Mountains) – the highest mountains in England, containing Scafell Pike.
• Cheviot Hills – sometimes considered as an extension of either the Southern Uplands in Scotland or the Pennines.
• Border Moors and Forests – uplands to the south of the Cheviot Hills.
• The Pennines which characterise much of Northern England and are often dubbed "the backbone of England".
  • The Peak District – uplands forming the southern end of the Pennines in central and northern England.
  • South Pennines - area of the southern Pennines between the Peak District, Forest of Bowland and Yorkshire Dales.
  • Forest of Bowland - a western spur of the Pennines in Lancashire.
  • Yorkshire Dales – an upland area of the northern Pennines.
  • North Pennines - uplands forming the northern end of the Pennines.
• Howgill Fells - uplands in Cumbria between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales.
• Orton Fells - uplands in Cumbria between the Lake District and Eden Valley.
• North York Moors – an area of hills and moorlands beside the North Sea.
• Exmoor – uplands beside the Bristol Channel.
• Dartmoor – an area of uplands in the heart of Devon.
• The Cotswolds – a quintessentially and stereotypical English rural area.
• Chilterns – a collection of low hills.
• South Downs – low hills close to the English Channel which form the white cliffs of the English South Coast.
• Shropshire Hills – uplands near Wales.

Cities

Cities with the highest urban elevation include Sheffield, Bradford, Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham. Low-lying cities near sea level include London, Liverpool, Norwich and York.

Islands

 

A map of British Isles EEZs and surrounding nations. Internal UK borders are represented by thin lines.

 

The Isle of Wight

Main article: List of islands of England

The main English islands by area and population are:

Rank	Island	Area (sq mi)	Area (km^2)
1	Isle of Wight	147.09	380.99
2	Isle of Sheppey	36.31	94.04
3	Hayling Island	10.36	26.84
4	Foulness Island	10.09	26.84
5	Portsea Island	9.36	24.25
6	Canvey Island	7.12	18.45
7	Mersea Island	6.96	18.04
8	Walney Island	5.01	12.99
9	Portland	4.44	11.5
10	Wallasea Island	4.11	10.65

English islands by population

Rank	Island	Population (2001 UK census)
1	Portsea Island	147,088
2	Isle of Wight	132,731
3	Isle of Sheppey	37,852
4	Canvey Island	37,473
5	Hayling Island	16,887
6	Portland	12,800
7	Walney Island	11,391
8	Mersea Island	about 7,200
9	Barrow Island	2,606
10	St Mary's	1,668
11	Thorney Island	1,079
12	Foulness	212
13	Tresco	180
14	Lindisfarne	162
15	St Martins	142
16	Roa Island	about 100
17	Bryher	92
18	St Agnes	73
19	Lundy	about 35

Rivers

Main article: List of rivers of England

The longest river in England is the River Severn which has its source in Wales, enters England at its confluence with the River Vyrnwy and flows into the Bristol Channel. The longest river entirely within England is the River Thames which flows through the English and British capital, London. The Vale of York and The Fens host many of England's larger rivers.

Coastline

England has 4,422 km (2,748 mi) of coastline,^[13] much less than the deeply indented Scottish coastline. The English coastline varies a great deal by the seas and regions it borders. The North Sea coast of England is mainly flat and sandy with many dunes and is similar to coastlines across the sea in the Netherlands. The English North Sea coast is an important area of bird life and is a habitat for many shore and wading birds. Along the English Channel, the South Coast builds up into steep, white cliffs at Dover, which are often seen as an iconic symbol of England and Britain.

 

The White Cliffs of Dover

The South Coast continues to the Isle of Wight, but eventually gives way to the Jurassic Coast of Dorset, a coastline rich in beauty, history and fossils.

 

Jurassic Coast.

In Devon and Cornwall, the coastline becomes more rocky and steep, with numerous cliffs and tiny fishing villages along the coastline. This stretch of coastline stretches from Devon to Land's End in Cornwall, the westernmost part of mainland England. The coastline of Devon and Cornwall has similarities to that of Brittany in France directly opposite.

Following the coastline northwards the coast remains much the same as in south Devon and Cornwall but is besides the Celtic Sea until it eventually reaches the Bristol Channel, an important shipping and docking area.

The English coastline re-emerges again in North West England. The coastline here is similar to the North Sea coast in that it is mainly flat and sandy, with the only notable cliffs along this stretch of coast being at St Bees Head in Cumbria. The English Irish Sea coast is an important area of estuaries and bird life, with Wirral being a peninsula bounded by two rivers, the River Dee and the River Mersey. Liverpool and Merseyside are areas of high population and important industry along this coast, with tourist resorts of Southport and Blackpool being further to the north. The English Irish Sea coast hosts two important geographic areas, Morecambe Bay, a large bay, and the Furness and Walney Island areas. Further north into Cumbria the Sellafield Nuclear Power Station lies along this coast. The English section of the Irish Sea coast ends at the border with Scotland in the Solway Firth.

 

Durdle Door on the Jurassic Coast

Seas bordering England are:

• North Sea
• English Channel
• Celtic Sea
• Bristol Channel
• Irish Sea

Largest lakes and reservoirs

Main article: List of lakes of England

Although the largest nation within the UK, England is relatively absent of large lakes, with many of its former wetlands being drained throughout the Middle Ages. Most of its largest lakes lie within the aptly named Lake District in Cumbria, Northern England.

England's largest lakes

	Lake	Area
1	Windermere	5.69 sq mi (14.7 km^2)
2	Kielder Reservoir	3.86 sq mi (10.0 km^2)
3	Ullswater	3.44 sq mi (8.9 km^2)
4	Bassenthwaite Lake	2.06 sq mi (5.3 km^2)
5	Derwent Water	2.06 sq mi (5.3 km^2)

Human geography

Land use

The total land area of England, excluding inland water, is 130,310 km² (50,313 sq mi).^[1] Crops and fallow land accounts for 30% of the land area, grasses and rough grazing 36%, other agricultural land 5%, forest and woodland 8%, and urban development 21%.^[14]

Neighbouring countries

England has two land borders: a 96 km (60 mi) border with Scotland that follows the Cheviot Hills and a 257 km (160 mi) border with Wales that loosely follows the route of Offa's Dyke. To the west, the Irish Sea separates England from Ireland and the Isle of Man; to the east, the North Sea separates England from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium and to the south, the English Channel separates England from France and the Channel Islands.

Economic geography

Main article: Economy of England

 

England boasts one of the largest economies in Europe and indeed the world, with an average GDP per capita of £22,907. England's economy is usually regarded as a mixed market economy, it has adopted many free market principles in contrast to the Rhine Capitalism of Europe, yet maintains an advanced social welfare infrastructure. The currency in England is the pound sterling, also known as the GBP. England prints its own banknotes which are also circulated in Wales. The economy of England is the largest part of the United Kingdom's economy.

Regional differences:

 

A map of England divided by the average GVA per capita in 2007 showing the distribution of wealth

The strength of the English economy varies from region to region. GDP, and GDP per capita is highest in London. Generally the Northern and Western areas of England are the poorest, with the Southern and Eastern areas being the richest. The following table shows the GDP (2004) per capita of England as a whole and each of the nine regions.

Rank	Place	GDP per capita in Euros
	England	26 904
1.	London	44 401
2.	South East	31 300
3.	East of England	27 778
4.	South West	27 348
5.	East Midlands	26 683
6.	West Midlands	25 931
7.	North West	25 396
8.	Yorkshire and the Humber	25 300
9.	North East	22 886

Two of the 10 economically strongest areas in the European Union are in England. Inner London is number 1 with a €71 338 GDP per capita (303% above EU average);Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire is number 7 with a €40 937 GDP per capita (174% above EU average).

Political geography

England, formerly a kingdom and independent country, united with Scotland to form what would eventually become the UK (Wales was treated as part of England at that time).

England is in a unique and controversial position of being a political entity within the UK and as of 2015 having no self-governance. England is represented by MPs in the British Parliament and matters relating only to England are also dealt with by the UK parliament. England was divided into a number of regions which also sent representatives to the European Parliament before Brexit.

See also

• North-South divide in England
• Geography of the United Kingdom
• Geography of Scotland
• Geography of Wales
• Geology of England
• Climate of England
• List of islands of England
• List of rivers of England
• List of lakes of England
• Economy of England
• Lake District
• Pennines
• Northern England
• Southern England
• North Sea

References

1. "Standard Area Measurements (Latest) for Administrative Areas in the United Kingdom (V2)". Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
2. "A Beginners Guide to UK Geography (2023)". Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
3. Dornbusch, U (October 2002). "CoastView – What happens offshore?". University of Sussex. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
4. . Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. . Archived from the original on 7 September 2008.
6. . Met Office. 2001. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2007.
7. "UK climate extremes".
8. "National park potash mine open by 2021". BBC News. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
9. "Religious centres recover city status", The Guardian, 8 July 1994.
10. Patrick O'Leary, "Derby's long road to city status", The Times, 29 July 1977, p.14
11. Pointer, Graham (2005). "The UK's major urban areas" (PDF). Focus on People and Migration. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
12. wikipedia
13. "England Coast Path: Frequently Asked Questions (June 2012)" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
14. National Statistics (2004). UK 2005. The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. London: The Stationery Office. p. 279. ISBN 0-11-621738-3.