However complicated the modern industrial state may be, land and climate
affect life in every country. They affect social and economic life, population
and even politics. Britain is no exception. It has a milder climate than much
of the European mainland because it lies in the way of the Gulf Stream, which
brings warm water and winds from the Gulf of Mexico. Within Britain there are
differences of climate between north and south, east and west. The north is on
average 5°C cooler than the south. Annual rainfall in the east is on average
about 600 mm, while in many parts of the west it is more than double that. The
countryside is varied also. The north and west are mountainous or hilly. Much
of the south and east is fairly flat, or low-lying. This means that the south
and east on the whole have better agricultural conditions, and it is possible
to harvest crops in early August, two months earlier than in the north. So it
is not surprising that southeast Britain has always been the most populated
part of the island. For this reason it has always had the most political power.
Britain is an island, and Britain's history has been closely connected
with the sea. Until modern times it was as easy to travel across water as it
was across land, where roads were frequently unusable. At moments of great
danger Britain has been saved from danger by its surrounding seas. Britain's
history and its strong national sense have been
shaped by the sea.
