Industry of Great Britain

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. Main industries today are banking and finance, steel, transport equipment, oil and gas, and tourism. Another industries in this country are machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods.

London is the biggest city. It is important for products of all kinds including food, instrument engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, clothing, furniture and printing. It has some heavy engineering plants and several leading research establishments. London is a great port with many docks. It is also the centre of commerce.

North-west of London is a very important industrial center. In Birmingham, the centre of this area, and in the manufacturing towns nearby, various goods are produced: machine tools, tubes, domestic metalware, rubber products, etc. The largest coal and iron fields in Britain are located in the Midlands. Further north is Manchester, one of the main centers for electrical and heavy engineering and for the production of a wide range of goods including computers, electronic equipment, petrochemicals, dyestuffs and pharmaceuticals. East of Manchester is the city of Sheffield, well known for its manufacture of high quality steels, tools and cutlery. In Scotland, the richest part is that of the Lowlands. Here there are coal and iron fields. Glasgow is the largest city, seaport and trading centre of Scotland. North-east Scotland is now the centre of off-shore oil and gas industries.

Although Britain is a densely populated, industrialized country, agriculture is still one of its most important industries. Products of agriculture, such as cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish, contribute around 0.5% of GDP. Dairying is most common in the west of England, where the wetter climate encourages the growth of good grass.

The south of England is rural, with many fertile valleys.

The south-eastern coast is well-known for its picturesque scenery and mild climate and a number of popular resorts. On the southern coast of England there are many large ports, among them: Southampton, Portsmouth, Plymouth.