> island with a big population. Those parts of the UK that generate > trade > are, on the whole *very* crowded by US standards. This makes land > very
I would reckon the large majority of the population of England and Wales lives within 100 miles of Brimingham - and most of the industrial areas were built near sources of coal or water power, i.e. often in hilly areas. It's notable that the two aspects of water transport which weren't constrained by dimensions - the Manchester Ship Canal and the coastal trade - have also almost disappeared. I don't know whether it was the disruption of the coastal trade in WWII which accentuated its decline. > > Mike Stevens Sean
