EASTERN
Economy
 Courtesy of the East of England Development Agency |
Parts of the region, notably the Cambridgeshire Fens and parts of Norfolk have some of the most fertile land in the UK The East has the third largest economy in the UK. Almost every type of industry is represented here, including manufacturing, engineering, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, financial services, agriculture, tourism, the film industry, and technology. |
The East is known for its innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. Cambridge, for example, boasts the largest cluster of biotech firms outside the US. The region also has one of the largest concentrations of new and growing businesses in the country. And business survival rates for new companies are considerably above average.
Transport
The East has superb transport links. There are two rapidly growing airports Luton and Stanstead from where many of the low-budget airlines fly. Residents can also reach Gatwick and Heathrow - two of the world's busiest and best-connected airports - fairly easily. Smaller airports in the region include Norwich Airport, which has daily flights to Amsterdam and domestic destinations, and Southend airport.
 Courtesy of the East of England Development Agency |
The region as a whole enjoys good transport links to London and the Midlands. The A1, M1, M11, A14, A47 all run through the region. It is also relatively easy to get onto the M4, which runs westwards, and the M23, to head to the south west, thanks to the M25. |
There are good mainline train services too, with connections to almost every part of the country. Anglia Railways, WAGN, Silverlink, Thameslink, Central Trains, Great Eastern all provide frequent and rapid services. Much of Essex and Hertfordshire is less than an hour by train from London.
And there are many of the UK's main ports in the East, including Tilbury, Great Yarmouth, King's Lynn, Ipswich, Lowestoft, and Felixstowe, which is the fastest growing large port in the country.