Editing United Kingdom (section)

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of the United Kingdom|Fauna of Great Britain|Flora of Great Britain and Ireland}}
[[File:MODIS - Great Britain and Northern Ireland - 2012-06-04 during heat wave (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Satellite image]] of the United Kingdom (excluding [[Shetland]])]]
The total area of the United Kingdom is approximately {{Convert|244376|km2|sqmi|order=flip}},{{efn|name=ONSArea}}<ref name="ONS Standard Area Measurement"/> with a land area of {{convert|242741|km2|sqmi|order=flip}}.<ref name="ONS Standard Area Measurement"/> It occupies the major part of the [[British Isles]]<ref>Oxford English Dictionary: "British Isles: a geographical term for the islands comprising Great Britain and Ireland with all their offshore islands including the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands."</ref> [[archipelago]] and includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland and [[List of islands of the United Kingdom|some smaller surrounding islands]], meaning it comprises [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and [[Northern Ireland]].<ref name="ONS Geography Guide">{{cite web |url=https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/d1f39e20edb940d58307a54d6e1045cd/about |title=A Beginner's Guide to UK Geography (2023) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=4 February 2025 |website=Open Geography Portal |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=14 May 2025 }}</ref> It lies between the [[North Atlantic Ocean]] and the [[North Sea]] with the southeast coast coming within {{Convert|35|km|mi|0|order=flip}} of the coast of northern France, from which it is separated by the [[English Channel]].<ref name="factbook">{{Cite web |title=United Kingdom |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-kingdom |access-date=21 January 2007 |website=[[The World Factbook]] |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |archive-date=9 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109221834/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-kingdom |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Royal Observatory, Greenwich|Royal Greenwich Observatory]] in London was chosen as the defining point of the [[Prime Meridian]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=ROG Learning Team |date=23 August 2002 |title=The Prime Meridian at Greenwich |url=http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/astronomy-and-time/astronomy-facts/history/the-prime-meridian-at-greenwich |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107023957/http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/astronomy-and-time/astronomy-facts/history/the-prime-meridian-at-greenwich |archive-date=7 November 2015 |access-date=11 September 2012 |website=Royal Museums Greenwich }}</ref> at the [[International Meridian Conference]] in 1884.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 August 2015 |title=Greenwich Royal Observatory: How the Prime Meridian line is actually 100 metres away from where it was believed to be |work=Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/greenwich-royal-observatory-how-the-prime-meridian-line-is-actually-100-metres-away-from-where-it-10452386.html |access-date=13 December 2018 |archive-date=23 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323081414/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/greenwich-royal-observatory-how-the-prime-meridian-line-is-actually-100-metres-away-from-where-it-10452386.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The UK lies between latitudes [[49th parallel north|49°]] and [[61st parallel north|61° N]], and longitudes [[9th meridian west|9° W]] and [[2nd meridian east|2° E]]. Northern Ireland shares a {{Convert|499|km|mi|0|adj=on|order=flip}} land boundary with the Republic of Ireland<ref name="factbook" /> and has a {{Convert|650|km|mi|0|adj=on|order=flip}} coastline.<ref name="NI coastline">{{Cite web |title=Northern Ireland Coastal and Marine Forum |url=https://library2.nics.gov.uk/pdf/dard/2014/EEUD.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241123094028/https://library2.nics.gov.uk/pdf/dard/2014/EEUD.pdf |archive-date=23 November 2024 |access-date=13 March 2025 |publisher=Northern Ireland Costal and Marine Forum}}</ref> The length of coastline of Great Britain plus its principal islands is about {{Convert|31368|km|mi|0|order=flip}} long, with the coastline of the main island Great Britain being {{Convert|17820|km|mi|0|order=flip}} of that,<ref name="UK coastline">{{Cite web |last=Darkes |first=Giles |date=January 2008 |title=How long is the UK coastline? |url=http://www.cartography.org.uk/default.asp?contentID=749 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522042745/http://www.cartography.org.uk/default.asp?contentID=749 |archive-date=22 May 2012 |access-date=24 January 2015 |publisher=The [[British Cartographic Society]]}}</ref> though measurements can vary greatly due to the [[coastline paradox]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weiner |first=Sophie |date=3 March 2018 |title=Why it's Impossible to Accurately Measure a Coastline |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a19068718/why-its-impossible-to-accurately-measure-a-coastline/ |access-date=29 June 2024 |website=Popular Mechanics |archive-date=29 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240629025825/https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a19068718/why-its-impossible-to-accurately-measure-a-coastline/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is connected to continental Europe by the [[Channel Tunnel]], which at {{Convert|50|km|mi|0|order=flip}} ({{Convert|38|km|mi|0|order=flip}} underwater) is the longest underwater tunnel in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Channel Tunnel |url=http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcTunnelInfrastructure/ukcInfrastructure |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218114514/http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcTunnelInfrastructure/ukcInfrastructure |archive-date=18 December 2010 |access-date=8 March 2015 |publisher=Eurotunnel}}</ref>

The UK contains four terrestrial [[Ecoregion|ecoregions]]: [[Celtic broadleaf forests]], [[English Lowlands beech forests]], [[North Atlantic moist mixed forests]], and [[Caledonian Forest|Caledonian conifer forests]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dinerstein |first1=Eric |last2=Olson |first2=David |last3=Joshi |first3=Anup |last4=Vynne |first4=Carly |last5=Burgess |first5=Neil D. |last6=Wikramanayake |first6=Eric |last7=Hahn |first7=Nathan |last8=Palminteri |first8=Suzanne |last9=Hedao |first9=Prashant |last10=Noss |first10=Reed |last11=Hansen |first11=Matt |last12=Locke |first12=Harvey |last13=Ellis |first13=Erle C |last14=Jones |first14=Benjamin |last15=Barber |first15=Charles Victor |display-authors=1 |year=2017 |title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm |journal=BioScience |volume=67 |issue=6 |pages=534–545 |doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014 |issn=0006-3568 |pmc=5451287 |pmid=28608869 |doi-access=free |last16=Hayes |first16=Randy |last17=Kormos |first17=Cyril |last18=Martin |first18=Vance |last19=Crist |first19=Eileen |last20=Sechrest |first20=Wes |last21=Price |first21=Lori |last22=Baillie |first22=Jonathan E. M. |last23=Weeden |first23=Don |last24=Suckling |first24=Kierán |last25=Davis |first25=Crystal |last26=Sizer |first26=Nigel |last27=Moore |first27=Rebecca |last28=Thau |first28=David |last29=Birch |first29=Tanya |last30=Potapov |first30=Peter |last31=Turubanova |first31=Svetlana |last32=Tyukavina |first32=Alexandra |last33=de Souza |first33=Nadia |last34=Pintea |first34=Lilian |last35=Brito |first35=José C. |last36=Llewellyn |first36=Othman A. |last37=Miller |first37=Anthony G. |last38=Patzelt |first38=Annette |last39=Ghazanfar |first39=Shahina A. |last40=Timberlake |first40=Jonathan |last41=Klöser |first41=Heinz |last42=Shennan-Farpón |first42=Yara |last43=Kindt |first43=Roeland |last44=Lillesø |first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow |last45=van Breugel |first45=Paulo |last46=Graudal |first46=Lars |last47=Voge |first47=Maianna |last48=Al-Shammari |first48=Khalaf F. |last49=Saleem |first49=Muhammad}}</ref> The area of woodland in the UK in 2023 is estimated to be 3.25&nbsp;million hectares, which represent 13 per cent of the UK's land area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/statistics-by-topic/woodland-statistics/|title=Woodland Statistics, Key findings|work=Forest Research |access-date=8 July 2023|archive-date=2 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230802030149/https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/statistics-by-topic/woodland-statistics/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Climate ===
{{Main|Climate of the United Kingdom|Climate change in the United Kingdom}}
{{see|Climate of England|Climate of Scotland|Climate of Northern Ireland|Climate of Wales}} 

[[File:Puffin (Fratercula arctica) with lesser sand eels (Ammodytes tobianus).jpg|thumb|left|An endangered [[Atlantic Puffin]] with its distinctive orange-striped beak feeding on the British coastline<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/puffin|title=Puffin Bird Facts|website=RSPB|access-date=6 January 2025}}</ref>]]
Most of the United Kingdom has a temperate climate, with generally cool temperatures and plentiful rainfall all year round.<ref name="factbook" /> The temperature varies with the seasons seldom dropping below {{Convert|0|C|lk=on}} or rising above {{Convert|30|C}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hottest day of each year from 1900 |url=https://www.trevorharley.com/hottest-day-of-each-year-from-1900.html |website=trevorharley.com |access-date=23 November 2019 |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616173152/https://www.trevorharley.com/hottest-day-of-each-year-from-1900.html |url-status=live }}; {{Cite web |title=Coldest day of each year from 1900 |url=https://www.trevorharley.com/coldest-days-of-each-year-from-1900.html |website=trevorharley.com |access-date=23 November 2019 |archive-date=9 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709173537/https://www.trevorharley.com/coldest-days-of-each-year-from-1900.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Some parts, away from the coast, of upland England, Wales, Northern Ireland and most of Scotland, experience a [[subpolar oceanic climate]]. Higher elevations in Scotland experience a [[Subarctic climate|continental subarctic climate]] and the mountains experience a [[tundra climate]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 August 2016 |title=English: A map of Köppen climate types in the United Kingdom (SVG version) |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UK_K%C3%B6ppen.svg |access-date=23 November 2019 |archive-date=9 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709202702/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UK_K%C3%B6ppen.svg |url-status=live }}</ref>

The prevailing wind is from the southwest and bears frequent spells of mild and wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean,<ref name="factbook" /> although the eastern parts are mostly sheltered from this wind. Since the majority of the rain falls over the western regions, the eastern parts are the driest. Atlantic currents, warmed by the [[Gulf Stream]], bring mild winters, especially in the west where winters are wet and even more so over high ground. Summers are warmest in the southeast of England and coolest in the north. Heavy snowfall can occur in winter and early spring on high ground, and occasionally settles to great depth away from the hills.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atlantic Ocean Circulation (Gulf Stream) |url=http://ukclimateprojections.metoffice.gov.uk/23152 |access-date=8 March 2015 |website=UK Climate Projections |publisher=Met Office |archive-date=17 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017162552/http://ukclimateprojections.metoffice.gov.uk/23152 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The average total annual sunshine in the United Kingdom was 1,339.7 hours between 1971 and 2000,<ref name="ukaverages">{{cite web |title=UK 1971–2000 averages |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/uk.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705140124/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/uk.html |archive-date=5 July 2009 |access-date=4 August 2007 |publisher=Met Office}}</ref> which is just under 30% of the maximum possible.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} The hours of sunshine vary from 1,200 to about 1,580 hours per year, and since 1996 the UK has been and still is receiving above the 1,981 to 2,010 average hours of sunshine.<ref name="met off climate series">{{Cite web|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-temperature-rainfall-and-sunshine-time-series|title=UK temperature, rainfall and sunshine time series|website=Met Office|access-date=31 December 2022|archive-date=17 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017203556/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-temperature-rainfall-and-sunshine-time-series|url-status=live}}</ref>

Climate change has a serious impact on the country. A third of food price rise in 2023 is attributed to climate change.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smeeton |first1=George |title=Families hit by £605 food bill as extreme weather and energy crisis bites |url=https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2023/families-hit-by-605-food-bill-as-extreme-weather-and-energy-crisis-bites |website=Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit |date=28 November 2023 |access-date=19 July 2024 |archive-date=16 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716124143/https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2023/families-hit-by-605-food-bill-as-extreme-weather-and-energy-crisis-bites |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2024, the United Kingdom ranked 5th out of 180 countries in the [[Environmental Performance Index]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Environmental Performance Index |url=https://epi.yale.edu/measure/2024/EPI |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=Environmental Performance Index |language=en}}</ref> A law has been passed that [[Greenhouse gas emissions by the United Kingdom|UK greenhouse gas emissions]] will be [[net zero]] by 2050.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK net zero target |url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/net-zero-target#:~:text=In%20June%202019%2C%20parliament%20passed,to%201990%20levels%20by%202050.&text=Prior%20to%20this%2C%20the%20UK,1990%20levels%2C%20also%20by%202050. |access-date=20 March 2024 |website=Institute for Government| date=20 April 2020 |archive-date=20 March 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240320042051/https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/explainer/uk-net-zero-target |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Update after|2050|01|01|category|reason=Hello from 2024! By the time you're reading this, that law will be a little older than 30 years old. Could you check if the UK ever ended up hitting that net zero GHG target?}}

=== Topography ===
[[File:uk topo en.jpg|thumb|right|The United Kingdom's topography]]
[[Geography of England|England]] accounts for 53 per cent of the UK, covering {{Convert|130395|km2|sqmi|order=flip|-1}}.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 February 2010 |title=England&nbsp;– Profile |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/7327029.stm |access-date=9 October 2010 |archive-date=15 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415064122/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/7327029.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Most of the country consists of lowland terrain,<ref name="Atlapedia">{{Cite web |last=Latimer Clarke Corporation Pty Ltd |title=United Kingdom – Atlapedia Online |url=http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/unitedki.htm |access-date=26 October 2010 |website=Atlapedia.com |archive-date=21 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321191308/http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/unitedki.htm |url-status=live }}{{better source needed|date=July 2023}}</ref> with upland and mountainous terrain northwest of the [[Tees–Exe line]] which roughly divides the UK into lowland and upland areas. [[Lowland]] areas include [[Cornwall]], the [[New Forest]], the [[South Downs]] and the [[The Broads|Norfolk Broads]]. Upland areas include the [[Lake District]], the [[Pennines]], the [[Yorkshire Dales]], [[Exmoor]] and [[Dartmoor]]. The main rivers and estuaries are the [[River Thames|Thames]], [[River Severn|Severn]], and the [[Humber]]. England's highest mountain is [[Scafell Pike]], at {{Convert|978|m|ft|0}} in the Lake District; its largest island is the [[Isle of Wight]].

[[Geography of Scotland|Scotland]] accounts for 32 per cent of the UK, covering {{Convert|78772|km2|sqmi|order=flip|-1}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scotland Facts |url=http://www.scotland.org/about/fact-file/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621045248/http://www.scotland.org/about/fact-file/index.html |archive-date=21 June 2008 |access-date=16 July 2008 |publisher=Scotland Online Gateway}}</ref> This includes nearly 800 [[List of islands of Scotland|islands]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Winter |first=Jon |date=1 June 2000 |title=The complete guide to the ... Scottish Islands |work=Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/the-complete-guide-to-the--scottish-islands-633851.html |access-date=8 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164423/http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/the-complete-guide-to-the--scottish-islands-633851.html |url-status=live }}</ref> notably the [[Hebrides]], [[Orkney]] Islands and [[Shetland]] Islands. Scotland is the most mountainous constituent country of the UK. The [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]] to the north and west are the more rugged region containing the majority of Scotland's mountainous land, including the [[Cairngorms]], [[Loch Lomond and The Trossachs]] and [[Ben Nevis]] which at {{Convert|1345|m|ft|0}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 March 2016 |title=Great Britain's tallest mountain is taller |work=Ordnance Survey Blog |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/blog/2016/03/britains-tallest-mountain-is-taller |access-date=9 September 2018 |publisher=Ordnance Survey |archive-date=9 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909000504/https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/blog/2016/03/britains-tallest-mountain-is-taller/ |url-status=live }}</ref> is the highest point in the British Isles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ben Nevis Weather |url=http://www.bennevisweather.co.uk/index.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510193022/http://www.bennevisweather.co.uk/index.asp |archive-date=10 May 2012 |access-date=26 October 2008 |publisher=Ben Nevis Weather}}</ref> 

[[Geography of Wales|Wales]] accounts for less than 9 per cent of the UK, covering {{Convert|20779|km2|sqmi|order=flip|-1}}.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 June 2010 |title=Profile: Wales |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/6233450.stm |access-date=7 November 2010 |archive-date=26 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826085704/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/6233450.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Wales is mostly mountainous, though [[South Wales]] is less mountainous than [[North Wales|North]] and [[mid Wales]]. The highest mountains in Wales are in [[Snowdonia]] and include [[Snowdon]] ({{Langx|cy|Yr Wyddfa}}) which, at {{Convert|1085|m|ft|0}}, is the highest peak in Wales.<ref name="Atlapedia" /> Wales has over {{Convert|1680|mi|0|abbr=off}} of coastline including the [[Pembrokeshire Coast]].<ref name="UK coastline" /> Several islands lie off the Welsh mainland, the largest of which is [[Anglesey]] (''Ynys Môn'').

[[Geography of Ireland|Northern Ireland]], separated from Great Britain by the [[Irish Sea]] and [[North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland)|North Channel]], has an area of {{Convert|14160|km2|sqmi|order=flip|-1}} and is mostly hilly. It includes [[Lough Neagh]] which, at {{Convert|388|km2|sqmi|order=flip|0}}, is the largest lake in the British Isles by area,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Geography of Northern Ireland |url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/ni/geog.htm |access-date=22 May 2006 |publisher=University of Ulster |archive-date=18 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118133131/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/ni/geog.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Lough Erne]], which has over 150 islands, and the [[Giant's Causeway]], which is listed by [[UNESCO]] as a [[World Heritage Site]]. The highest peak in Northern Ireland is [[Slieve Donard]] in the [[Mourne Mountains]] at {{Convert|852|m|ft|0}}.<ref name="Atlapedia" />