The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1. the British Isles [‘brɪtɪʃ aɪlz]- Британские острова ( Great Britain & Ireland)
2. the Irish Sea — Ирландское море
3. the English Channel — пролив Ла-Манш (другие названия пролив Па-де-Кале)
4. the Strait of Dover — Дуврский пролив
5. the North Sea – Северное море
6. the Atlantic Ocean – Атлантический океан
7. England — Англия
8. Scotland — Шотландия
9. Wales – Уэльс
10. the UK – Соединенное королевство
11. Northern Ireland – Северная Ирландия
12. Dover – город Дувр
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) is the official name of the state, which is situated on the British Isles. This state is also called Great Britain after the main island with the same name.
The UK consists of four countries, which are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each of them has their own capital (London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast ) and symbols.
A red rose is the national emblem of England from the time of the Wars of the Roses (15th century).
The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland.
The national emblem of Ireland is shamrock.
The leek is the emblem of Wales.
The capital of the UK is London.
Geographical position of the UK.
The UK is an island state. The two main islands are Great Britain (where England, Scotland and Wales are situated) and Ireland (where Northern Ireland and the independent Irish Republic are situated). The two islands are separated by the Irish Sea. The UK is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north and the North Sea in the east.
The UK is separated from the continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover. The Strait of Dover is the narrowest part of English Channel. The nearest point to Europe is Dover which is only thirty-two miles from France. Dover is one of the most ancient ports. If you cross the English Channel by ferry you can see the white chalk cliffs of Dover and Dover Castle.
Nationalities.
Everyone who was born in Britain is British. People from England are English. People from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not English. They are Scottish or the Scotts, Welsh and Irish.
Languages.
Everyone in Britain speaks English. But in some parts of Scotland and Wales people speak different languages as well. The Welsh are especially proud of their language. They like to speak Welsh, to sing songs in Welsh and when you travel you can see road signs in Welsh all over Wales. Everyone in the UK speaks English but they all speak it differently. A Scottish person has to listen carefully if he wants to understand a Londoner or a Welsh person.
Population.
More than 56 million people live in Britain. Many of them live in big industrial cities like London. The biggest cities of The UK are Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool (England); Edinburg, Glasgow, (Scotland).
Nature.
The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called Lowlands. Mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain. (1343 m.)
There are a lot of rivers in GB, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.
Climate.
The climate in Great Britain is very mild. The winter temperature is between +3° and +7°. Snow does not cover the ground very long, except on the mountains. The summer temperature is between +15° and +18°. It often rains.
The English weather is very changeable. So when English people make plans for holidays they usually begin, “If the weather…”
State Symbol.
The flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union Jack. It is made up of three crosses (flags): the cross of St. George (the patron saint of England), the cross of St. Andrew (the patron saint of Scotland) and the cross of St. Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland). The Welsh flag, called the Welsh dragon, represents a red dragon on a white and green background.
Economy.
The UK is highly developed industrial country. It’s known as one of world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment.
Political system.
The UK is constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen (Elizabeth II), but in practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head.
The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties.
Holidays.
There are eight public, or bank holidays in Great Britain, that is, days when banks and offices are closed. They are: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Mayday, Spring Bank Holiday and Late Summer Bank Holiday.
Besides public holidays, there are celebrations, festivals, and simply days, on which certain traditions are observed, but unless they fall on a Sunday, there are ordinary working days.