Bristol Flashcards
Describe the location of Bristol.
Bristol is located in South West England, approximately 2km northwest of Bath.
It is located across the Bristol channel from Newport, Wales (northwest).
The nearest rivers are the Severn and the Avon.
The motorways M4 and M5 run through the city.
Give an overview of the distribution of the UK population.
The areas of the UK with the highest population density are located in the South and the South East.
Major cities such as London and Birmingham are the most densely populated, with more than 200 people per square kilometre.
The UK population is distributed unevenly, with some places homing many more people than others.
How is the UK population unevenly distributed?
82% of the UK’s population live in urban areas; the rest live in rural areas.
25% of people living in urban areas live in London and other areas of South East England. These people contribute to 80% of the UK’s GDP.
Highland areas of Scotland and Wales are sparsely populated.
Population density
How crowded or spread out people are within an area.
Give human reasons as to why urban centres have grown in the UK.
(distribution of major cities in the UK)
-Growth of industry (factories)
-Financial centres (e.g. London)
-Administrative (government) centres (e.g. London)
-Scientific centres (with scientific advancements)
-Capital cities
Give physical reasons as to why urban centres have grown in the UK.
(distribution of major cities in the UK)
-Located near natural resources like coal (e.g. Newcastle) and iron ore (e.g. Sheffield)
-Located near rivers (natural trade routes)
-Located on the coast e.g. Bristol (so ports for travel and trade routes)
-Located in a central location e.g. Birmingham so accessible
What makes Bristol a major UK city?
It is the largest city in the south west of England, with a population of approximately 500,000 (predicted to reach this number by 2029).
It is one of the UK’s ten ‘core cities’ and is of regional, national, and international importance.
Social importance of Bristol - Education.
There are two universities in Bristol.
Due to the educational opportunities this provides, this means that the city is of importance both nationally and globally.
For example, Bristol University attracts students from all over the world, providing graduates for professional, managerial, and knowledge- based jobs.
Social importance of Bristol - Religion.
Bristol has two cathedrals - Bristol (Anglican) and Clifton (Roman Catholic).
This is regionally important because it helps Christians from different denominations feel welcomed in the City, making it attractive to stay.
Social importance of Bristol - Tourism
Bristol homes a number of museums, music venues and live gigs, a vast quantity of street art, a zoo, and theatres (including the famous Bristol Old Vic theatre and the Bristol Hippodrome).
It’s also the birthplace of the internationally renowned street artist Banksy.
It was named the most artistic city in the UK by a survey from Premier Inn.
This means that it is a very popular tourist destination both nationally and internationally (it’s the UK’s 8th most popular city for foreign visitors).
Additionally, the famous Clifton suspension bridge (designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel) is located here - a major landmark.
Social importance of Bristol - Connections
Bristol holds a strategic position on the M4 corridor, with good road and rail links.
This means easy access to London from the city, which increases the likelihood of people staying there.
Furthermore, there are ferry services to Europe from Bristol’s port, and Bristol airport links the city to major European centres and the USA.
This means that the city is important nationally and internationally, allowing people from the area to travel abroad and vice versa.
Environmental importance of Bristol
Bristol was named the UK’s first cycling city (despite its steep roads).
This means that many people who live here, particularly students at the Universities, cycle as their main form of transport which reduces the emission of polluting gases from cars (like CO₂).
It may well be for this reason that Bristol was awarded European Green Capital in 2015 and named the UK’s most environmentally friendly city in 2017.
This has placed Bristol on the global map as a leading city in terms of environmental sustainability.
Bristol is a fairtrade city, which sees it…
..trading fairly with nearly five million workers in 58 developing countries.
This makes the city of international importance by helping to improve the lives of workers in the developing countries, and also nationally through supporting the transport of ‘greener’ produce into the UK.
Economic importance of Bristol - Industry
Bristol has an important role in the global marketplace.
The city used to be dependent on traditional industry like tobacco and paper, but there has been a high level of inward investment.
This includes foreign direct investment in manufacturing, finance, and high-tech businesses.
This means that Bristol has now developed many global industries including in aerospace, media, and technology, alongside financial and business services.
For example, major companies such as Airbus, BMW and the BBC have significant bases in Bristol.
It also has the largest concentration of silicon chip manufacture outside of California.
Economic importance of Bristol - Trade
Bristol has two major docks (Avonmouth and Royal Portbury), alongside the UK’s most centrally - located deep sea container port.
This means that importing goods into the city is easy, which has led to it becoming an important centre for trade in the UK.
Around 7 million cars are imported each year from Japan, Germany, and Korea to Bristol’s docks.
The main exports from Bristol are batches of woollen cloth, sent to France, Spain, and Portugal.
Bristol is home to Aardman, who have made a name for the city internationally. Who are Aardman?
The animators who created Wallace and Gromit.
