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England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom
One of the principal physiographical features of England, as well as of the entire island of Great Britain, is the deeply indented coastline. This has created an abundance of excellent natural harbours, easily accessible to deep-water shipping, a factor that was decisive in the economic development and imperial expansion of England. The high tides that prevail along the eastern coast mean that a number of rivers and estuaries in this region provide safe anchorages. The most important historically include ports such as Newcastle upon Tyne, on the River Tyne; Middlesbrough, on the River Tees; and Hull and Grimsby, on the Humber Estuary and North Sea respectively, all on the north-east coast; Great Yarmouth, on the estuary of the River Yare and Harwich on the estuary of the rivers Stour and Orwell, both on the East Anglian coast; and London, on the River Thames in the south-east. Historically, the most important ports on the south coast include Dover, Folkestone, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Poole. The western coast, including the south-western peninsula, is considerably more broken than either the eastern or southern coasts, and has numerous anchorages, both large and small. The most important are Plymouth, on the estuary of the River Tamar on the southern coast of the south-western peninsula; Bristol, on the Bristol Channel; and the port of Liverpool, at the mouth of the River Mersey on the north-west coast.
The subdivisions of England consist of as many as four levels of subnational division controlled through a variety of types of administrative entites. They have been created for the purposes of local government in England. The highest tier of local government are the nine regions of England—North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East, South East, South West, and Greater London
England's weather remains the most frequent topic of conversation. Although England does have a reputation for wet weather all year round, it doesn't rain every day all year around. However it is impossible to guarantee good or bad weather in any given month - so be prepared for anything.
Currency
The United Kingdom has not yet joined the Euro but some stores do accept it, and there is a large number of banks and bureau de change outlets in London where you can cash travellers cheques and change currency.
Cash points (ATMs) are widely available
You can ask for 'Cashback' when making purchases with a debit card at supermarkets. Visa and Access (Mastercard) widely accepted, other cards often accepted.
Banking hours officially 09:30-15:30, but most banks open usually till about 17:00
Tourism Office
The BLVC is the main office for both London and throughout Great Britain is located in Regent Street, at number 1 in the heart of London's West End, right near the main attractions, including Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and Oxford Street
Electricity
The power supply in Britain is 230/240 volts. Sockets accept only three-(square)-pin plugs, so an adapter is needed for continental European and US appliances. A transformer is also needed for appliances operating on 110-120 v
Pharmacies
They are usually open from 09:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays and limited availability on Sunday. In big cities you will find a number of pharmacies open late during the week and on weekends. For more information and to find a pharmacy near you, visit the pharmacy information from the National Health Service (NHS)
Emergency
999 - Emergency Services (police, fire, ambulance)
Telephone
The traditional red phone boxes are now rare; instead kiosks come in a wide variety of designs and colours. Coin-operated phones take Most payphones accept 10p, 20p, 50p & £1 coins, but card-operated phones are often more convenient. British Telecom phone cards are available in most newsagents or grocers. Calls from hotels are expensive.
Dialling codes: The UK international dialling code is +44 and the area code for London is (0)20
(0)208 – Greater London
(0)151 – Liverpool
(0)161 – Manchester
(0)191 – Newcastle upon Tyne
(0)117 – Bristol
(0)113 – Leeds
(0)114 – Sheffield
(0)115 – Nottingham
(0)116 – Leicester
(0)131 – Edinburgh
(0)141 – Glasgow
(0)28 – Belfast
(0)1504 – Londonderry
(0)29 – Cardiff |
