UK: Geography, Food, and Newspapers

Posted on Feb 22, 2025 in Geography

Geography of the United Kingdom

Scotland

• Capital: Edinburgh
• Mountains: Ben Nevis (1344m), Ben Macdui (1309m) (Munro)
• Rivers: Tay (117 miles), Spey (107 miles), and Clyde (106 miles)

Wales

• Capital: Cardiff
• Mountains: Snowdon (1085m), Carnedd Llewelyn (1064m)
• Rivers: Severn (220 miles), Wye (135 miles), Teme (81 miles) (shared with England)

England

• Capital: London
• Mountains: Scafell Pike (978m) (Lake District National Park), Helvellyn (950m) (Lake District)
• Rivers: Thames (215 miles), Trent (185 miles), Great Ouse (143 miles)

Northern Ireland

• Capital: Belfast
• Mountains: Slieve Donard (850m), Slieve Commedagh (767m) (Mourne Mountains)
• Rivers: Bann (76 miles)

Seas Surrounding the British Isles: English Channel, North Sea, Irish Sea, and Atlantic Ocean.

Traditional Foods of the UK

Regional Specialties

• England:
  • Cambridge: Pork sausages, Stilton cheese
  • Cheshire: Cheshire cheese
  • Cornwall: Cornish pasties
  • Devon: Clotted cream, cider, pies
  • Essex: Colchester oysters
  • Gloucestershire: Cheddar cheese, ale
  • Kent: Sole, lamb
  • Lancashire: Tripe and onions, hotpot
  • Leicestershire: Melton Mowbray pie
  • Norfolk: Roast turkey
  • Shropshire: Gingerbread
  • Staffordshire: Black pudding
  • Worcestershire: Worcester sauce
  • Yorkshire: Ham, Yorkshire pudding
• Wales: Welsh rarebit
• Ireland: Irish stew
• Scotland: Porridge, haggis

Recipe: Welsh Cakes

Ingredients:

• 200g (8oz) self-raising flour
• 50g (2oz) butter
• 20g (2oz) lard
• 75g (3oz) caster sugar
• 75g (3oz) currants
• 1/4 tsp mixed spice
• 1 egg
• Pinch of salt
• Milk, to mix

Instructions:

1. Sift the dry ingredients together.
2. Rub in the butter and lard, then mix in the dried fruit.
3. Add the beaten egg and a little milk to make a soft dough.
4. Roll onto a floured surface to 5mm (1/4 inch) thickness.
5. Cut into 6cm (2 1/2 inch) rounds.
6. Cook on a lightly greased griddle on medium heat for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
7. Cool and sprinkle with caster sugar.
8. Serve alone or with butter. Store in an airtight tin.

Recipe: Scottish Haggis

Ingredients:

• 8oz sheep’s liver
• 4oz beef suet (fat)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 onions
• 1 cup of oatmeal

Instructions:

1. Boil the liver and onions in water for 40 minutes.
2. Drain and reserve the liquid.
3. Mince the liver finely, and chop the onions with the suet.
4. Lightly toast the oatmeal.
5. Combine all the ingredients, and moisten the mixture with the reserved liquid.
6. Turn into a greased bowl, cover with grease-proof paper, and stew for 2 hours.

Newspapers in Britain

In Britain, there are two main types of newspapers:

Tabloid Press (Popular Papers)

These newspapers focus on sensational stories with lots of photos and illustrations. They use simple language, sometimes including slang and puns, and feature large, dramatic headlines.

• The Daily Mirror (centre-left, informally “the Mirror”)
• Daily Express
• Daily Mail (second biggest daily newspaper after The Sun)
• Daily Star (centre-right, focuses on celebrity news, sports, and TV gossip)
• The Sun (right, tenth biggest newspaper in any language in the world, highest circulation in the UK)
• Morning Star
• Daily Sport

Sunday Tabloids:

• Daily Star Sunday
• The People
• Sunday Mirror
• The Sunday Sport
• News of the World

Quality Papers (Broadsheets)

These newspapers focus on issues of general importance, emphasizing national and international news. They are generally considered more upmarket.

• The Daily Telegraph (right, best-selling politically conservative newspaper)
• The Guardian (left)
• The Times (centre-right, 2nd best-selling)
• The Independent (centre, one of the youngest UK national daily newspapers, politically left-leaning but classically liberal)
• Financial Times-Independent (centre-right)

Sunday Broadsheets:

• Observer (oldest Sunday newspaper)
• The Sunday Times (centre-right, best-selling on Sunday, sister paper of The Times)
• Independent on Sunday