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February 09, 2005
Tim Gets Taken to Task
Andrew at Anomaly UK takes me to task for my repeated assertions that the UK is a small crowded island. His points are well argued and (deliciously) cynical, most definitely worth a read and I would even accept the rap on the knuckles he gives me. I would however want to point to one thing, a list of countries ranked by population density. Take out the micro- and city- states in that list and the UK is the 17th or 18 th most densely settled country on the planet (while 48th overall). We go even higher if we use England instead of the UK.
Still doesn’t, as Andrew points out, justify what the fuckwit is doing though.
Update. OK, OK. Maybe we aren’t a small island, but we are small, crowded and an island. Ok now?
February 9, 2005 in Weblogs | Permalink
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Just surfing around, getting ready to turn in and what do I find on Tim Worstall’s blog, but this really cool site. [Read More]
Tracked on Feb 10, 2005 4:20:50 AM
Comments
I've always been annoyed by that "small island" patronising crap.
If you check your copy of the Times Atlas of the World you'll find we are actually the seventh LARGEST island in the world.
Ha.
Yes I haven't read the link - maybe he says the same thing.
Posted by: Andrew Duffin | Feb 9, 2005 3:55:08 PM
Need more land? Time to reassert your ancient claim to Calais. Who's going to stop you?
Chirac? Yeah, right.
Tim adds: Well, yes, I suppose so Irene.
Plus Bourdeaux, Aquitaine and the rest of the Angevin Empire. In fact the Queen is still Duke of Normandy so we’ll have that as well. I believe there’s some land to the west that we used to have as well.....
Posted by: Irene Adler | Feb 9, 2005 4:16:20 PM
I accept the figures, but my point is that the averages are meaningless. The average population density of Australia or Canda is tiny, probably a hundredth of ours, but Australians don't have a hundred times as much space as we do -- they cram together like we do. To the extent that they do have more space (and I think they do), the reasons are political not geographical.
Posted by: Andrew McGuinness | Feb 9, 2005 4:46:53 PM
England's density (from the World Maps site) is 387 per square kilometer - take out the micro and city states and we're top 5 or thereabouts.
--------Pop (m)-----Size (,000 km2)
England---50.3------130
Wales------3.0-------20
Scotland---5.2-------79
N.I.--------1.7-------14
Posted by: Laban | Feb 9, 2005 5:36:42 PM
I visited England in 2001 (during 9/11 in fact), and on the rare occasions I could get a glimpse over the hedges in my tiny Vauxhall 'Speck' rental car, I always saw beautiful green hills rolling into the distance. Brits, and I suppose other Europeans, do a great job of cramming themselves into tight spaces and leaving lots of open land, living in even higher density than the statistics even imply. But the resulting benefit is still lots of open country. Good job!
Posted by: Mark | Feb 10, 2005 12:25:19 AM
Well that Nation site caused me a bit of sleep loss. Way cool. Thanks Tim.
Posted by: Kathianne | Feb 10, 2005 4:22:53 AM
