Upland and lowland areas
- The UK's uplands are mostly in the north and west: the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District, the Pennines, Snowdonia (Eryri) and Dartmoor. They are made of harder, older rocks, such as granite (igneous) and slate (metamorphic), which resist erosion.
- The lowlands are mostly in the south and east, such as East Anglia and the London Basin. They are made of softer, younger sedimentary rocks, such as chalk and clay.
- Ben Nevis (1,345 m), in the Scottish Highlands, is the UK's highest mountain.
Rivers and coasts
- Major rivers include the Severn (the UK's longest, at about 350 km), the Thames, the Trent, the Tees and the Tyne.
- The UK has a long, varied coastline with cliffs, bays, beaches, spits and estuaries.
What shapes landscapes
- Geology (the rock type and its structure), past glaciation (ice sheets shaped much of Scotland, northern England and Wales), the climate (weathering and erosion) and human activity (farming, forestry, settlement and quarrying) all shape landscapes.
- The UK's landscapes include coastal, river and glacial landscapes.
Key terms
- Upland
- High land, usually over about 600 m, such as mountains and moorland.
- Lowland
- Low, flatter land, often used for farming and towns.
- Relief
- The height and shape of the land.
- Geology
- The rocks that make up an area.
- Igneous rock
- Rock formed from cooled magma or lava, such as granite.
- Sedimentary rock
- Rock formed from layers of sediment, such as chalk and clay.
- Metamorphic rock
- Rock changed by heat and pressure, such as slate.
- Landscape
- The visible features of an area of land.