The development of industry started during the period of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and early 19th century. The development of industry has concentrated mainly in the north, in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Manchester used to be a major industrial and commercial centre as early as in the middle of 19th century. Now it has a variety of industries, particularly engineering. England has a very rich architecture. Many of the greatest cathedrals and churches were built between 1100 and 1500. They are mostly in towns which have preserved their old character. The English countryside is remarkable for its green fields and trees because there are no extremes in climate. Small villages and old market towns look beautiful with their well kept gardens and houses. England has a long coastline. Brighton, Bournemouth and Torquay are the most famous towns of the south coast. Now they are protected against any new building or development. The most beautiful natural scenery can be seen in the north-west of England in the Lake District which inspired so much the English romantic poets.

Wales

Wales is a largely mountainous country bounded on the north and west by the Irish Sea and on the south by the Bristol Channel. In the east it has its land boundary with England. The oldest son of the monarch and the successor to the English throne is given the title “Prince of Wales”.

Wales is famous for its long rivers, big lakes and high hills in the north of the country. The whole area of Wales can be divided into three regions – the Welsh Massif, the industrial South Wales and the Welsh borderland. The Welsh Massif is mainly a plateau with much moorland, well known for its cool and rainy climate. Settlement and farmland are largely concentrated in the valleys and along the coast. The highest mountain in the north, Snowdon, is 1100 metres above the sea level. This region is called Snowdonia. The population of Wales is about 2 800 000 people. The majority of people live in the coal-mining and industrial regions of the south around Cardiff, the capital of Wales, and Swansea. There are two languages spoken in Wales – English and Welch, which is a Celtic language. Welch is the first language in most of the western parts of Wales where it is equal with English as an official language. The Welsh National Opera Company, which has both an English and Welsh sections, belong to the companies in Britain.