Title: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1The United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland
2Official name the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern IrelandParts
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern
IrelandArea 244,820 sq kmPopulation
56 million peopleIs washed by the
Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea, the North Sea,
the English ChannelCapital
LondonLargest cities London, Manchester,
Liverpool, Birmingham, Coventry, Glasgow,
Edinburgh, CardiffOfficial languages English,
Welsh (about 26 of the population of Wales),
Scottish (as a form of Gaelic, about 60,000 in
Scotland)Main rivers the Thames, the Severn,
the Trent, the Tyne, the Tweed, the
ClydeThe highest mountain Ben
Nevis (1,343m, Scotland)Climate mild,
humidNatural resources coal, copper, natural
gas, tin, silver, iron , salt, clay, chalk,
lead
Key-facts
3Geographical position
- The British Isles lie to the north-west of
Europe. They consist of two large islands (Great
Britain and Ireland) and many smaller ones.
Great Britain is the largest island in Europe.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland consists of 4 parts (England, Scotland,
Wales, Northern Ireland). Great Britain includes
England, Scotland and Wales. England is in the
south-eastern part of GB. Scotland is in the
north of the island and Wales is in the west. The
total area of the UK is 244,820 sq km. Great
Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the
Irish Sea in the west, the North Sea in the east
and the English Channel in the south. There is
no place in the country which is more than 120 km
from the sea. The main rivers of the country are
the Thames, the Severn, the Trent, the Tyne, the
Tweed, the Clyde. The surface of England and
Northern Ireland is flat, and the surface of
Scotland and Wales is mountainous. The highest
mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland (1,343m).
4The flag of the United Kingdom is called the
Union Flag or the Union Jack. In fact it consists
of three flags the English, the Scottish and the
Irish. The white diagonal cross on blue
background is the Scottish flag (the cross of St.
Andrew). The red diagonal cross on white
background is the Irish flag (the cross of St.
Patric). The thick red vertical cross on white
background is the English flag (the cross of St.
George). If to combine all these flags it will be
the flag of Great Britain.
The flag
5The capital of Great Britain is London which is
the largest city of the country and one of the
largest cities in the world. It is situated on
both banks of the river Thames. Its population is
more than 9 million people. London is an old
city. Its history counts more than two thousand
years. London consists of four main parts the
City, Westminster, the West End, the East End.
London
6Londons most famous sights are the Tower of
London and Tower Bridge, Big Ben and the Houses
of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and St. Pauls
Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and Westminster
Abbey.
The sights of London.
7Manchester is a leading manufacturing centre. It
is located in the northern part of England. The
population of Manchester is 438,000.Edinburgh is
the capital of Scotland, its political and
cultural centre. It is famous for its University
(one of the best and the oldest in Britain) and
the ancient castle which stands on the hill in
the middle of the city.
The cities of Great Britain
Oxford and Cambridge are famous university
cities. British aristocrats study there.The
largest ports of Great Britain are London,
Liverpool, Manchester, Hull and Glasgow.
8Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy.
Officially the head of the state is the King (or
the Queen). But in fact the country is ruled by
the Parliament which is one of the oldest in the
world. It consists of two Houses the House of
Lords (1,000 peers) and the House of Commons (630
members). The British government consists of
Prime-Minister and other Ministers. The official
residence of Prime-Minister is Downing Street,10.
The political system
9Climate
- The climate of Great Britain is mild, humid and
very changeable, without striking difference
between seasons. The winters are not severely
cold, while summers are rarely hot. The grass
remains green all the year round. Rivers are not
frozen throughout the year. It rains very often
in all seasons. Autumn and winter are the
wettest. Britain has more than 200 rainy days a
year. The weather on the British Isles has a bad
reputation. Thats why the British say that there
is a climate in other countries, but we have just
weather.