Geography & environment — United Kingdom
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for United Kingdom: Europe
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Europe
- Geographic Coordinates
54 00 N, 2 00 W
- Total Area
94,058 Square Miles 243,610 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
93,409 Square Miles 241,930 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
649 Square Miles 1,680 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
224 Miles 360 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Ireland 360 km
- Coastline
7,723 Miles 12,429 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
- Highest Point
1,343 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Ben Nevis 1,343 m
- Lowest Point
-4 Meters
- Lowest Point Location
The Fens -4 m
- Natural Resources
coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
- Irrigated Land
880 Square Miles 2,280 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: the time statements apply to the United Kingdom proper, not to its crown dependencies or overseas territories
- Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate
- Climate
Prevailing southwesterly winds, influenced by the Gulf Stream, make Britain's climate temperate and equable year round. Weather patterns frequently change, but few temperature extremes occur. Temperatures range from a mean of 40°F in winter to about 60°F in summer. A low of 20°F sometimes occurs in winter, and a high of 90°F may rarely occur in summer. Average annual rainfall is 30-50 inches, usually distributed evenly throughout the year. Cloud cover is persistent, however, limiting sunshine to an average of about 6-7 hours a day in summer and 1-2 hours a day in winter.
- Terrain
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
- Location
Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France
- Total Area
94,058 Square Miles 243,610 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Ireland 360 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move toward a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010)
by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015
- Environment - International Agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements