Rivers and canals.

2. Rivers and canals.

The most important rivers of England are the Thames, the Trent, the Yorkshire Ouse and the Severn.

The chief rivers in Scotland are the Clyde, the Тау, the Forth and the Tweed.

Ireland's chief river is the Shannon, with a course of 386 km (240 miles), the longest river in the British Isles.

Britain is rich in waterways. Almost every town stands on its river, every village upon its stream. We can sea it in the names: Burton-on-Trent, Stratford-on-Avon, Kingston upon Thames, Newcastle on Tyne and many others.

From the times of the Romans until the 17^th century Britain's seas and rivers were more important than roads for the transportation of goods and people. Rivers such as the Thames, Lea, Severn and Wye, and the Great Ouse were of the utmost importance for transport.

As the growing population of the country required more food, and the industries more coal, the demand for new waterways became quite obvious. By the end of the 18^th century three canals had been constructed across the Pennines to meet special needs. Today the system of inland waterways includes a network of canals, the largest and most important of which is the Manchester Ship Canal.

    A part of inland water is preserved as lakes. Since most of the British lakes are rather small and remote, with no outlets, they provide only limited possibilities as navigable waterways.

   The Lake District in the north-west of England is well-known for its scenic beauty. The lakes are of varying sizes. The biggest one here is Lake Windermere, over 16 km long. The loveliest of Cumbrian's lakes is Derwentwater, called the "Queen of Lakes".

   The largest and most beautiful of Scotland's lakes are Loch Lomond (near Glasgow) and Loch Ness (near Inverness).



⇐ Предыдущая 10 11 12 13 141516 17 18 19 Следующая ⇒