ENGLAND

GOVERNANCE

LANDSCAPE AND RIVERS

Geographically England includes the central and southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain,
plus such offshore islands as the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly. It is bordered by two other countries of
the United Kingdomto the north by Scotland and to the west by Wales. England is closer to the European
continent than any other part of mainland Britain. It is separated from France by a 21-mile (34 km) sea gap,
though the two countries are connected by the Channel Tunnel near Folkestone. England also has shores
on the Irish Sea, North Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

The ports of London, Liverpool, and Newcastle lie on the tidal rivers Thames, Mersey and Tyne
respectively. At 220 miles (350 km), the Severn is the longest river flowing through England. It empties into
the Bristol Channel and is notable for its Severn Bore tidal waves, which can reach 2 metres (6.6 ft) in
height. However, the longest river entirely in England is the Thames, which is 215 miles (346 km) in length.
There are many lakes in England; the largest is Windermere, within the aptly named Lake District.

In geological terms, the Pennines, known as the "backbone of England", are the oldest range of
mountains in the country, originating from the end of the Paleozoic Era around 300 million years ago. Their
geological composition includes, among others, sandstone and limestone, and also coal. There are karst
landscapes in calcite areas such as parts of Yorkshire and Derbyshire. The Pennine landscape is high
moorland in upland areas, indented by fertile valleys of the region's rivers. They contain three national
parks, the Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland, and the Peak District. The highest point in England, at 978
metres (3,209 ft), is Scafell Pike in Cumbria. Straddling the border between England and Scotland are the
Cheviot Hills.

The English Lowlands are to the south of the Pennines, consisting of green rolling hills, including the
Cotswold Hills, Chiltern Hills, North and South Downswhere they meet the sea they form white rock
exposures such as the cliffs of Dover. The granite Southwest Peninsula in the West Country includes upland
moorland, such as Dartmoor and Exmoor, and enjoys a mild climate; both are national parks.

CLIMATE

England has a temperate maritime climate: it is mild with temperatures not much lower than 0 C
(32 F) in winter and not much higher than 32 C (90 F) in summer. The weather is damp relatively
frequently and is changeable. The coldest months are January and February, the latter particularly on the
English coast, while July is normally the warmest month. Months with mild to warm weather are May, June,
September and October. Rainfall is spread fairly evenly throughout the year.

Important influences on the climate of England are its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, its northern
latitude and the warming of the sea by the Gulf Stream. Rainfall is higher in the west, and parts of the Lake
District receive more rain than anywhere else in the country. Since weather records began, the highest
temperature recorded was 38.5 C (101.3 F) on 10 August 2003 at Brogdale in Kent, while the lowest was
26.1 C (15.0 F) on 10 January 1982 in Edgmond, Shropshire.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

TRANSPORT
HEALTHCARE

The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly funded healthcare system in England responsible
for providing the majority of healthcare in the country. The NHS began on 5 July 1948, putting into effect
the provisions of the National Health Service Act 1946. It was based on the findings of the Beveridge
Report, prepared by economist and social reformer William Beveridge. The NHS is largely funded from
general taxation including National Insurance payments, and it provides most of its services free at the
point of use, although there are charges for some people for eye tests, dental care, prescriptions and
aspects of personal care.

The government department responsible for the NHS is the Department of Health, headed by the
Secretary of State for Health, who sits in the British Cabinet. Most of the expenditure of the Department of
Health is spent on the NHS98.6 billion was spent in 20082009. In recent years the private sector has
been increasingly used to provide more NHS services despite opposition by doctors and trade unions. The
average life expectancy of people in England is 77.5 years for males and 81.7 years for females, the highest
of the four countries of the United Kingdom.

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