Coastal Development

1. Forts and castles were built on coasts to protect against invasion from the sea.

2. Many on headlands that gave good views in all directions.

3. In World War II concrete fortifications, with big guns were built on many coasts.

4. Many settlements have formed at the coast.

5. Some have developed into seaside resorts with beaches, hotels and amusements.

6. Others have developed into ports, used for fishing, or for the import and export of goods.

7. Many coastal regions have developed because tourism has increased.

8. Nowadays, people often go to warm, coastal areas abroad, where good weather is guaranteed.

9. The term, seaside, tends to refer to areas of the coast which are used by tourists for pleasure.

10. Seaside resorts provide a wide range of facilities in order to attract visitors.

11. These include beachfront shops and cafes, hotels, amusement arcades and funfairs.

12. At some resorts people can jet ski or surf.

13. Seaside towns are unusual in that they may be quiet in the winter, yet bustling with life in the summer months.

14. In the 19th century the new railways allowed people to travel cheaply to coastal resorts and many seaside towns developed.

15. In Victorian times, grand hotels were built in English seaside towns.

16. Entertainment such as donkey rides, theatre shows and funfair rides were provided at the resorts.

17. Piers were built out of wood and ironwork, stretching way out into the sea, with amusements and attractions on them.

18. Many visitors flocked to the seaside towns for their holidays, or on their days off.

19. Resorts abroad now provide a wide range of facilities in order to attract visitors.

20. When these resorts were first developed, they had long rows of high-rise, concrete hotels along the beachfront.

21. These days, the buildings are usually carefully designed and landscaped with palms and exotic plants.

22. Cafes line the seafront on many coastal resorts, and some even have cafes built onto the beaches themselves.

23. In some tourist resorts, artificial bays are created to provide safe, sheltered areas for paddling and swimming.

24. Piles of rocks are built up to form natural-looking sea walls and new sand is brought in to extend the beach and form the bay.

25. Marinas are develop in or near tourist resorts.

26. A marina is a sheltered harbour where boats and yachts, usually those used for recreation and pleasure, are kept.

27. The boats are moored on buoys or on fixed, or floating, walkways.

28. Nowadays, high-quality apartments, leisure facilities and places to eat can be found in, or around many marinas.