1、Group Six,The UK Economy,History,By the 1880s the British economy was dominant in the world, producing one third of the worlds manufactured goods, half its coal and iron, half its cotton. The amount of British shipping was greater than that in the rest of the world put together.,Decline and Rebirth,

2、But even by 1900 this was no longer the case, the UK having been overtaken by both the United States and Germany; from 1945 until the present, the story of the UK economy is usually thought of as one of decline. This is understandable but rather misleading, as it has in fact been a period of steady

3、economic growth and rapidly increasing living standards. Britain remains one of the Group of Seven large industrial economies,The Current UK Economy,But even by 1900 this was no longer the case, the UK having been overtaken by both the United States and Germany; from 1945 until the present, the stor

4、y of the UK economy is usually thought of as one of decline. This is understandable but rather misleading, as it has in fact been a period of steady economic growth and rapidly increasing living standards. Britain remains one of the Group of Seven large industrial economies,Agricultural,Britains agr

5、icultural sector is small (producing 1.4% of the national wealth) but efficient, producing 58% of the UKs food needs with only 2% of its workforce. The best agricultural land is in the south-east of England. Three quarters of Britains land is used for agriculture, with about a quarter of that under

6、crops wheat and barley（小麥和大麥） are the two commonest. The rest is grazing for animals, including cattle (both dairy（乳牛） and beef（肉牛）), though sheep are the most numerous livestock.,Energy,Energy production is an important part of the UK economy, accounting for 5% of the national wealth. Since the 197

7、0s, when oil and gas were discovered under the North Sea, Britain has become a major oil and gas producer. Great Britain has aboundant of supplies of coal,oil,and natural gas. The country is self-sufficient in petroleum.,The Second Sector,In the secondary sector of the economy, manufacturing industr

8、y remains important, producing 22% of national wealth. Britain has a big electronics industry (the fourth largest in the world),The Current UK Economy,Tertiary or service industries,Tertiary or service industries which now produce 65% of national wealth. 70% of the UKs workforce are employed in the service sector. London is one of the top three financial centers in the world. It has the greatest concentration of foreign banks in the world, acc