Leading industries in the UK. Branches of specialization and territorial organization of the UK economy. Britain's natural resources at a glance

Lecture 2

2.1. UK industry.

2.2. Agriculture Great Britain.

2.3. Transport and external economic relations.

The UK industry provides 1/3 of the gross national product, it accounts for more than 1/3 of all employees. It mainly uses imported raw materials and is increasingly oriented towards the foreign market. On the one hand, the UK is characterized by the rapid growth of modern industries using progressive production technology and labor organization, the latest equipment and sophisticated management methods, on the other hand, the old traditional industries lag behind. The first group includes electronics, the latest branches of general and precision engineering, most branches of the chemical industry; to the second - coal mining, cotton and wool industry, shipbuilding, ferrous metallurgy.

The process of concentration of production in the industry of Great Britain has led to the creation in many industries, especially modern, of the largest associations of industrialists. A small number of huge companies control almost all production in them. The country's largest industrial monopolies are Imperial Chemical Industries or ICI, Unilever, British Leyland, and General Electric Company, which each employ 200,000 people.

The main part of the industrial enterprises of Great Britain is concentrated in a densely populated industrial belt, including the counties from London to Lancashire and from West Yorkshire to Gloucestershire. The largest industrial areas outside this belt are south Wales, the northeast of England and the central part of Scotland.

Those areas in which old industries and traditional industries developed became lagging behind, or depressed. This is most of Scotland,

Northern Ireland, almost all of Wales, the extreme northeast and part of the southwest of England.

The main branch of the mining industry in Great Britain is coal mining. It has been going on for three centuries. Until 1910, British coal dominated the world market. However, since 1913, when a record amount of 287 million tons was mined, production has been steadily declining. Only from 1970 to 1977 did it decrease from 140 to 119 million tons.

Nevertheless, coal still remains one of the leading types of fuel in the country. It provides 1/3 of the energy consumed in the UK, second only to oil, which provides almost half of it. The largest coal basin in the British Isles is Yorkshire, where in 1975 28 million tons of coal were mined. It is followed by Northumberled Durham and North Western.

When natural gas fields were discovered in the North Sea in 1959, Great Britain was given the right to extract it in the western part. In 1965, 70 km east of Clinthorps, the first well gave gas, which marked the beginning of its commercial production. Through a gas pipeline laid on the bottom of the North Sea, the gas reaches the east coast of the island of Great Britain in the area of ​​Easington in Yorkshire. There are five main natural gas fields in the British zone, which provide 1/6 of the energy consumed in the country. Almost all gas now comes from natural sources.

The country's needs for electrical energy are fully satisfied from domestic sources. In 1975, 86% of electricity was produced by thermal power plants, 12% by nuclear and 2% by hydroelectric power plants. The vast majority of thermal power plants run on coal, but in last years some of them go to oil. The largest thermal power plants (with a capacity of more than 1 million kW) are located on the river. Trent and near London. In the last two decades, 13 nuclear power plants have been put into operation, the total output of which is more than 30 billion kW. h. Five more nuclear power plants are under construction. For the production of electricity at nuclear power plants, Great Britain ranks first in foreign Europe.

Hydro stations are usually small, located mainly in the Scottish Highlands. Back in the 1930s, the first electrical grid (“grid”) was created in the UK, which had great importance for the development of industry, especially in those areas where there were no coal deposits. And in 1970, in the UK, the construction of a unified power transmission system (“Supergrid”) was completed with b about more tension.

Most energy is consumed by one of the leading branches of British industry - ferrous metallurgy. Great Britain ranks eighth in the world in iron and steel smelting, which in 1977 amounted to 13 and 20 million tons, respectively. Almost all of the country's steel is produced state corporation British Style.

Leading metallurgical region Great Britain XIX in. was the "Black Country", located on the Midland coal plateau, where 170 blast furnaces worked simultaneously. Today, the championship has passed to South Wales, whose metallurgical plants provide 30% of the total production of iron and steel and provide almost all the country's need for sheet iron.

Until 1972, the British automotive industry developed very rapidly. She owned the third place in the world after the USA and Germany in terms of the number of cars produced. However, in recent years, production rates have been declining. Economic crisis of 1974-1975 threw the British automotive industry back several years: in 1977, about 1.7 million cars rolled off the assembly lines of car factories, that is, 400 thousand less than in 1972. On average, 2/5 of automotive products are exported . The UK is the world's largest exporter of trucks. A series of off-road vehicles of the Land Rover brand is widely known. The main buyers of British cars are the USA, New Zealand, Iran and South Africa.

Almost all mass-produced cars and trucks are produced by several major British Leyland automobile companies, factories of the international American company Chrysler U.K. and subsidiaries of the American firms Vauxhall and Ford.

In terms of aircraft production, Great Britain is second only to the United States in the foreign world. It produces about 20 types of vehicles: military, passenger, cargo and several types of small aircraft for special purposes. Together with the French government, the first supersonic passenger liner in the capitalist world, the Concorde, was created at public expense. Produced and sold Various types missiles and hovercraft.

The English say that they have been shipbuilders almost since the formation of the British Isles. Until 1955, the United Kingdom was the world's largest ship supplier, but in subsequent years, Japan took the lead, and the UK was already in fifth place.

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Great Britain is one of the four countries that determine the economic power of Europe. UK industry includes many industries, some of which are of global importance. Midland is the main industrial region of Great Britain.

Metallurgy

Metallurgy in the UK is one of the most developed industries. It employs more than 582 thousand people. Moreover, the first place in terms of the number of employment belongs to the ferrous metallurgy (332 thousand people). The rest falls on non-ferrous metallurgy. The main centers of steel and iron production are Cardiff and Swansea (Wales), Leeds (England). Annual steel production is more than 15 million tons. Aluminum smelters are located mainly in Scotland and Wales.

The consumers of ferrous metallurgy products are mainly machine-building plants.

mechanical engineering

Engineering is one of the leading industries in the UK. It includes many directions, each of which is characterized by its location. So high-tech engineering (aeronautics, electronics) are located mainly around London. The machine tool industry is concentrated in the Birmingham area. Shipbuilding is a specialization of the Glasgow region, and textile engineering is developed mainly in the Manchester region.

Fuel and energy complex.

The main energy sources are coal and oil, and to a lesser extent natural gas. The coal mining industry is one of the oldest industries in the UK. At the beginning of the century, British coal dominated the world market, but now more than 80 million tons of coal are mined annually in the UK. The main areas of coal mining are Cardiff, South Wales and Central England (Sheffield). Oil is produced on the shelf of the North Sea off the east coast of England and Scotland. The annual production is more than 94 million tons. The main oil refineries are located in Southampton, Cheshire, Yorkshire. Income from oil exports reaches 150 million pounds. Gas production is 55 billion cubic meters. m. per year and grows annually. The electric power industry is based on thermal and hydroelectric power stations. Numerous hydroelectric power plants are located in the mountainous regions of Scotland and Wales, and thermal power plants are located in coal mining areas. The share of nuclear power plants is small, although in recent years there has been an increase in their construction.

Chemical industry

The chemical industry is concentrated mainly in Birmingham and Middlesbrough. This is mainly the production of plastics, detergents and disinfectants, dyes, fertilizers. The UK is one of the largest dye exporters in the world. The pharmaceutical industry has reached a high level of development. Demand for medicines manufactured in the UK is growing every year

Light industry

Light industry is one of the oldest industries in the UK. About 690 thousand people are employed in this area, more than half of them are women. Main areas lung development industries are Lancashire, Yorkshire, Liverpool, Manchester. On the Isle of Lewis, the production of woolen fabrics is concentrated, mainly the world-famous "plaid". The UK is one of the world leaders in the production of woolen fabrics. Knitwear production is developed mainly in Scotland and the Midlands. The production of linen fabrics is concentrated mainly in Northern Ireland. The UK has a long history of leather dressing and is a global exporter of leather products. Factories engaged in leather production are located everywhere, but a significant part of them are concentrated in Lancashire, Yorkshire, the Midlands, and around London. The UK is the world's third largest pop shoe manufacturer. More than 200 million pairs of shoes are sold annually. The UK clothing industry is the largest in Europe. The UK is a major clothing exporter. The main centers of the clothing industry are London, Leeds and Manchester.

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It gives approximately 36% of GNP, it accounts for more than 35% of all employed. It mainly uses imported raw materials and is increasingly oriented towards the foreign market.

On the one hand, England is characterized by the rapid growth of modern industries using progressive technology (electronics, general and precision engineering,), on the other hand, the lagging behind of old industries (coal mining, cotton and wool industry, shipbuilding,).

The process of industrial concentration in Great Britain has led to the creation of large monopolies in many industries, especially modern ones. The country's largest industrial monopolies are Imperial Chemical Industries (IKI), Unilever, British Leyland, and General Electric Company, which each employ 200,000 people.

The main part of the country's industrial enterprises is concentrated in a densely populated industrial belt, including the counties from London to Lancashire and from West Yorkshire to Gloucestershire. The largest industrial areas outside this belt are south Wales, northeast England and central.

Those areas in which old industries and traditional industries developed became lagging behind, or depressed. This is most of Scotland, Northern, almost all of Wales, the extreme northeast and part of the southwest of England.

The main branch of the mining industry is mining. It has been going on for over 300 years. Until 1919, the British dominated the world market. At this time, it was mined up to 300 million / t / year. Since then, its production has been steadily declining and now amounts to no more than 90 million / t / year. However, coal is still one of the leading fuels in the country. It provides about 30% of the energy consumed in the UK, second only to oil. The largest coal basin is Yorkshire (25-28 million/t/year). It is followed by Northumberland-Durham and Northwest.

The largest oil refineries are located at deep sea ports: at Southampton, in Cheshire, at the mouths of the Thames, Trent and Tees. The South Wales factories are connected to the port of Angle Bay by an oil pipeline. There is also a large plant in Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth. Oil pipelines were laid from the fields of the North Sea to oil refineries.

When deposits were discovered in the North Sea in 1959, Great Britain received the right to extract it in the western part. In 1965, the first well produced gas. Now it is produced more than 45 billion m / kb. Gas is supplied through the gas pipeline to the east coast in the Yorkshire region.

In the UK, it is almost never carried out; it is delivered from, and. But in recent decades, the UK has resumed the extraction of tin ore.

The country's electricity needs are fully met from domestic sources. Moreover, the UK has about 40 nuclear power units, which produce almost 22% of electricity. There are many thermal power plants in the country (large in the London area). Hydroelectric power plants are usually small, they are located mainly in the Scottish Highlands.

One of the leading branches of British industry, ferrous metallurgy, consumes the most energy. Almost all steel in the country is produced by the British Steel Corporation. The leading metallurgical region of Great Britain was the "Black Country", located on the Midland coal plateau. Currently, the championship has passed to South Wales and to the factories of the Yorkshire coal basin.

British non-ferrous metallurgy is one of the largest in. It works almost entirely on imported raw materials, so smelting gravitates towards port cities. In addition to the main metals (aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, tin), the UK is also one of the main suppliers of metals such as zirconium, beryllium, niobium, which are used in the nuclear industry, aircraft construction and electronics. The main area is the West Midlands. Other centers are South Wales, London and Tyneside.

In the largest branch of British industry, 25% of all employed in the manufacturing industry work. prevails. Now, in terms of car production, Great Britain ranks 8th in the world (1296 thousand cars and 273 thousand trucks). On average, 40% of automotive products are exported. The UK is the world's largest exporter of trucks. Some brands of British cars (Land Rover, Rolls-Royce) have become the standard of the automotive industry.

Almost all mass-produced cars and trucks are produced by several major British Leyland automobile companies, factories of the international American company Chrysler U.K. and subsidiaries of the American firms Vauxhall and Ford.

The first major automotive industry did not become the West Midlands, centered on Birmingham. The second area was the south-east of England (with centers in Oxford, Luton and Dagenel). In connection with the government measures to decentralize industry, three new car factories were built in Merseyside and two in Scotland (outskirts of Glasgow and Edinburgh).

One of the fastest growing branches of engineering is aircraft manufacturing. The dominant company here is British Airspace. Helicopters are manufactured by another large firm, Wesland Aircraft. Almost all the production of aircraft engines in the country is concentrated in the hands of the Rolls-Royce company, which has factories in Derby, Bristol, Coventry and the cities of Scotland.

In terms of aircraft production, Great Britain is second only to the world. It produces about 20 types of vehicles: military, passenger, cargo and small aircraft for special purposes. Together with the French, the Concorde supersonic passenger liner was created.

Great Britain is also known for its own. Shipbuilding is diverse and high quality products, but the British build ships slowly and they are very expensive. Tankers, passenger liners, barges, excavators, trawlers, submarines, icebreakers, seabed drilling rigs, and yachts leave the stocks of British shipyards. The largest shipbuilding center in the British Isles is the Clyde in Scotland. Two other major centers are located on the rivers Wear and Tyne. In Northern Ireland, Queens built the largest shipyard in Europe. However, this branch of the British economy is currently in crisis.

The electric power industry is one of the growing and developing industries. Products of "heavy" electrical engineering - electric motors, generators, transformers and turbines - are produced by almost one of the largest monopolies, General Electric. In the production of electronics, the monopoly place is occupied by International Computers.

Manufacturing is one of the fastest growing industries. 90% of all production of basic chemistry is controlled by the transnational concern IKI. He also owns 15 major research centers. Outside the UK, there are more than 350 IKI subsidiaries in 55 countries.

Inorganic chemical plants are located mainly in old industrial areas such as Lancashire, where chemical production was linked to the textile industry and local salt resources, and in the northeast, at the mouth of the River Tyne. Chemical plants use local rock salt, anhydrite and sea water, as well as coking products coming from local smelters. One of the world's largest centers for the production of ammonia, nitric and sulfuric acids has been created in the area of ​​the Tees River.

The oldest traditional industry in Great Britain is the textile industry. Woolen fabrics are produced mainly in western West Yorkshire, rayon production predominates in the Yorkshire city of Sisden, and cotton fabrics in Lancashire, in the small textile towns northeast of Manchester.

The production of artificial and synthetic fibers, yarn and fabrics is monopolized by three concerns. IKI manufactures the chemicals needed for fiber production and supplies them to Cartold, which manufactures fibres, yarns and fabrics. Nylon is manufactured by British Nylon Spinners. The enterprises of these concerns are scattered throughout the country, but there are especially many of them in Northern Ireland.

The production of six-piece fabrics, products, yarn is the oldest in the British Isles. The woolen products of British textile workers are still highly valued in foreign markets today. Cotton products are increasingly giving way to lower quality, but cheaper products of others. The British industry produces about 300 million meters of cotton fabrics, but on the whole this industry is also in decline.

As stated above, the coal mining industry has declined and the energy sector of the economy has been transformed by domestic deposits of natural gas and oil. Nuclear fuel has slightly increased the level of energy produced in the country, while hydroelectric power stations have maintained their positions, and in some places, for example, in Scotland, have remained the main source of energy. The vast majority of energy is produced in conventional power plants.

Overall, the manufacturing sector continues to shrink both in terms of workers employed in this sector and in terms of share (now less than one-quarter) of the gross national product (GNP). This sector of the economy was the main cause of the rapid increase in unemployment in the early 1980s. When production began to rise again, there was a significant increase in productivity and profits.

The most important sectors of industry are mechanical engineering, food industry (including the production of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages), tobacco and chemical industries, paper and printing industries, and light industry. The fastest growing sectors of industry were the chemical, timber, furniture, rubber and plastics industries. Within the chemical industry, the pharmaceutical industry began to develop especially actively. The food and light industries, as well as engineering in general, work below average.

In the 1980s, imports of industrial products increased significantly, but despite this, Great Britain continues to export a significant part of its goods, the balance still remains in favor of imports. However, the support of a competitive industry is considered of paramount importance for international trade, where it has more weight than the service sector.

centers of industry.

• 1. Refining: Shell Haven, Foley, Grangemouth, Milford Haven, Pembroke, Barry, Coryton, Llandarcy, Stanlow-Carrington, Billingham-Wilton, Teesport.
• 2. Ferrous metallurgy: Sheffield Rotherham, Port Talbot, Llanvern, Scunthorpe, Skinningrow, Redcar, Llanelli, Carron, Clyde Iron, Middlesbrough, Ravenscrag, Cardiff.
• 3. Non-ferrous metallurgy: Swansea, London and its suburbs, Holyhead, Lynmouth, Avonmouth, Prescott.
• 4. Aluminum industry: Burntiland, Dolgarrog, Newport, Kinlohliven, Foyers, Fort William, Holyhead, Invergordon.
• 5. Lead-zinc industry: Avonmouth, Manchester, Northfleet, Glasgow.
• 6. Copper industry: Bootle, Liverpool.
• 7. Electrical and instrumentation: Greater London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Kilbright, Livingston, Birmingham, Coventry, Dundee, Newcastle upon Tyne, Liverpool, Manchester.
• 8. Machine tool industry: Birmingham, Greater London, Coventry, Leicester.
• 9. Automotive industry: Greater London, Birmingham, Coventry, Luton, Oxford, Derby, Sunderland, Liverpool.
• 10. Aviation and space industry: Greater London, Bristall with the suburbs of Filton, Derby, Gloucester, White, Yeovil, Luton, Manchester, Preston.
• 11. Shipbuilding: Clydeside, Barrow-in-Furness, Belfast, Sunderland, Birkenhead, Newcastle, Glasgow, Greenock, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Southampton.
• 12. Chemical Industry: Greater London, Foley Southampton, Stanlow Carrington, Billingham Wilton, North Tees, Grangemouth, Mossmoran, Bristol Suburbs, Immingham, Londonderry, Glasgow, Birmingham, Newcastle, Middlesbrough Suburbs, Aberdeen, Hythe, Liverpool, Manchester, Hull, Shell Haven.
• 13. Nuclear industry: Amersham, Harwell, Aldermaston, Springfield, Capenhurst, Risley, Wantage.
• 14. Textile industry: London, Nottingham, Leicester, Dundee, Leeds, Huddersfield, Bradford, Arbroath, Montrose, Macclesfield, Greenfield, Grimsby, Wolverhampton, Preston, Wilton, Coventry, Kilrud, Manchester, Belfast.

Despite the fact that England does not occupy such a large territory, its economic development has a significant impact on the situation not only in Europe, but throughout the world. For example, the industry of England makes up a third of the total GDP and is mostly export-oriented. The most developed industries in the country are:

• Oil industry

England is engaged in both the extraction of oil from its own sources and the processing of crude and is one of the ten main oil-producing countries in the world. In 1970, the first oil field was found, and today more than 130 have been discovered. The most famous oil fields in England are Fortis and Brent. As far as oil refining is concerned, this moment There are nine specialized factories in the country.

• Minerals

England is rightfully in second place in the list of countries involved in the export of kaolin - a white clay that is used in the manufacture of porcelain. Other types of clay are also mined, there are prerequisites for the extraction of gold, tungsten and copper.

• Gas industry

More than 80 gas fields have been discovered in the UK, the production of which began in the 60s of the last century. The produced gas is mainly supplied to the domestic market of the country.

• Metallurgy

Rich deposits of coal iron ore and limestone put England in eighth place in the world ranking for iron and steel smelting. The peak of the development of metallurgy occurred in the 70s of the 20th century. Non-ferrous metallurgy is considered one of the most developed in Europe, although it operates at the expense of imported raw materials.

• mechanical engineering

It is the largest industrial branch in the country. The first place is occupied by transport engineering - both civil and construction. For example, JCB is the world's leading manufacturer of construction equipment. England also leads the world in deliveries of trucks, selling products to the markets of the USA, Iran, South Africa and New Zealand. The country also produces passenger cars. famous brands Rolls Royce, Bentley, Land Rover. In recent years, the position of the machine tool industry has strengthened, due to which the country has risen to sixth place in the world rankings of this industry. At the moment, one of the fastest growing areas is called aircraft manufacturing and the space industry.

• Power industry

Thanks to a properly built economic system, ordinary consumers and large industries do not lack electricity. Most of the energy is generated in thermal power plants, and only a small part - in nuclear and hydroelectric power plants. Many thermal power plants run on coal, but in recent years, oil products have been the main fuel.

• Chemical industry

The basis of this industry is oil and gas products, so the range of goods produced is limited. Typically, these are pharmaceuticals, plastics used in electronics and aircraft rocketry, and chemicals for agriculture.

• Textile industry

The direction is considered traditional for England: the production of silk, wool and cotton fabrics is known for its high-quality products and is valued all over the world.

• Manufacturing industry

Here, a significant part of the capacity is allocated for printing and the food industry. Over the past half century, food has been one of the most popular options for export - English tea, whiskey and tobacco are known all over the world.

England has been actively developing since the beginning of the century before last - after the automation of production and the emergence of new industries, the country's economic indicators are only growing. According to experts' forecasts, in the future, British goods will definitely enter the top five ratings not only in terms of quantity, but also in terms of quality, which is a traditional feature of the national mentality.