GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS.—In order to realise the extent to which geographical conditions have contributed to establish the British Isles in the pre-eminent position which they occupy in the economic world of the present day, certain considerations of a general nature must be taken into account. In the first place, the posi tion of the British Isles upon the continental platform has been of importance in several ways. The islands were, at one time, connected with the Continent, and even after land connection ceased they were easily accessible from it. European flora and fauna entered during the earlier period, and European civilisation during the latter. But along with accessibility there was detachment, and even a certain amount of isolation, which allowed the island people to develop along lines of their own, free to a greater extent than most continental countries from the danger of foreign invasion. Again, the insular and indented character of Britain would, in any case, have made communication by sea relatively easy, but the high water in nearly every river estuary around the coast, caused by the heaping up of the tidal wave upon the continental platform, rendered many comparatively inland places, seaports of some importance in early times. With the increased size of ships, a number of these inland ports have decayed as such. On the other hand, some of the princi pal seaports of the country, which have grown up near the mouths of rivers, are only accessible to the larger vessels of the present day at times of high water.
In the second place, although the British Isles cover but a small area, geological structure and land form are exceedingly varied and climatic contrasts are well marked. The number of natural
regions is, therefore, large, and as many of them are well endowed with regard to soil and climate, or mineral wealth, the geographical conditions for a wide range of economic activities are present. Moreover, the actual distribution of natural regions has proved favourable to economic development. Those regions which are most suitable for agriculture, and, therefore, best fitted for man in the earlier stages of civilisation, lie nearest to the Con tinent, and are most accessible from it. Those, on the other hand, whose economic resources could only be utilised by a fairly advanced people, and whose topography would in some cases have actually retarded progress in its earlier stages, lie distant from the Continent, and were for long but scantily populated.
Lastly, account must be taken of the international position of Great Britain. Before the geographical renaissance of the fifteenth century the country practically lay upon the outer circum ference of the known world. But, after the discovery of the Cape route to India, and of America, its position became central rather than peripheral. By taking advantage of this relative change in position, especially during the critical period of the eighteenth century, Britain became a trading and colonial power. This not only gave it the profits of a great entrepOt trade, but aided the development of manufactures by facilitating the importation of raw material from, and the exportation of manufactured goods to, all parts of the globe.