The British Economy

Agriculture

British agriculture is very efficient. Livestock is based on dairy products, cattle, sheep, and pig. The output of poultry meat is particularly developed.

The crops includes cereals, wheat, barley, oilseed rape, sugar beet and vegetables. The use of glasshouses for cultivating is diffused

Industry

Great Britain was the first and most important industrial country. The largest industries are machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, motor vehicles and aerospace, electronic and electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and metal goods, food and drink, and textiles. Is very developed the steel and mechanical manufacturing. Also building industries are important.

Scotch whisky is a very exported product.

The chemical industry is the third largest in Western Europe and is Britain's biggest export earner, producing many different products.

In the Western world, the British aerospace industry is second only to the USA. British firm have made important advances in this sector.

British electronic manufacturing are very developed. The radar, the ultrasound scanners, the modem for portable computers and the palmtop are examples of electronic products developed in Great Britain, which today is active also in the manufacturing of new specialist products, as the optical fibre.

Also the computer and the telecommunications sector are very developed, sometimes with the aid of the government.

Service Industries

In Great Britain, spending on financial, personal and leisure services has risen since early 1980s.

In the "Square Mile", inside London, there is a high concentration of important British services industries: banks, insurances and other financial services. Also securities, shipping and computing service industry are developed. During 1980s, also business sector has expanded.

Similar to banks, in Great Britain there are also many building societies, which purchase houses.

The British Stock exchange is one of the most important in the world.

Great Britain has also a national bank, the "Bank of England", which acts as a banker for the Government.

Great Britain has five major food retailers, but also many supermarkets. Also tourism is quickly developing.