There are many ways of contacting people in the modern world, including phones, email and social media. Despite this, postal services are still popular. Even though people no longer tend to send each other letters, postal services now have different uses. For example, in today's society online shopping is an enormous industry, allowing people from all over the world to order items online and get them delivered to their homes. Without postal services this wouldn't be possible, therefore they are important. Not only are they important but also very popular since millions of people make purchases online and wait for their deliveries. Another reason as to why they are popular is the fact that in countries like the U.K., many official documents come through the post, rather that electronically, this means that postal services, like Royal Mail, are well known among citizens and are frequently used.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland covers an area of some 244 thousand square miles. It is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles are separated from Europe by the Strait of Dover and the English Channel. The British Isles are washed by the North Sea in the east and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The population of Great Britain is about 60 million. The largest cities of the country are London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The territory of Great Britain is divided into four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England is in the southern and central part of Great Britain. Scotland is in the north of the island. Wales is in the west. Northern Ireland is situated in the north-eastern part of Ireland. England is the richest, the most fertile and most populated part in the country. The northwestern part of England there are many beautiful lakes. This part of the country is called Lake District. Scotland is a land of mountains. The Highlands of Scotland are among the oldest mountains in the world.The chain of mountains in Scotland is called the Grampians. Its highest peak is Ben Nevis. In England there is the Pennine Chain. In Wales there are the Cumbrian Mountains. There are no great forests on the British Isles today. Historically, the most famous forest is Sherwood Forest in the east of England, to the north of London. It was the home of Robin Hood, the famous hero of a number of legends. The British Isles have many rivers but they are not very long. The longest of the English rivers is the Severn. The most important river of Scotland is the Clyde. Glasgow stands on it. Many of the English and Scottish rivers are joined by canals, so that it is possible to travel by water from one end of Great Britain to the other.
