Great Britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) occupies most of the territory of the British Isles. It consists of four main parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. London is the capital of England, Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, Cardiff – of Wales and Belfast – of Northern Ireland. The UK is a small country with an area of some 244, 100 square kilometres. It occupies only 0, 2 per cent of the world’s land surface. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north-west, north and south-west and separated from Europe by the North Sea in the east and by the English Channel in the south. The Strait of Dover or Pas de Calais is the narrowest part of the Channel. The North Sea and the English Channel are often called “the narrow seas”; they are not deep but are frequently rough and difficult to navigate during storms. In the west the Irish Sea and the North Cannel separate the UK from Ireland. The seas around Britain provide exceptionally good fishing grounds. The country has many bays favourable for shipping. Britain’s main ports are: London, Liverpool, Glasgow and others.

Britain has a temperate climate due to the influence of the Gulfstream. The climate is mild and humid.

One will not find very high mountains or large plains in Great Britain. Everything occupies very little place. Nature has carefully adapted things to the size of the island itself. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland. The longest river is the Severn in England. The population of the United Kingdom is over 57 million people. Foreigners often call British people “English”, but the Scots, the Irish and the Welsh do not consider themselves to be English. The English are Anglo-Saxon in origin, but the Welsh, the Scots and the Irish are Celts.

The official language of the United Kingdom is English. The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding. The UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law, Head of the State is Queen. In practice, 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. The flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union Jack. It has the big red cross of St. George, the patron saint of England, the white cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, and the red diagonal cross of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the official name of Great Britain?

2. Where are the British Isles situated?

3. What is the area of Great Britain?

4. What is the name of the flag of Great Britain?

5. What is the capital of Great Britain?

6. What is the political system of Great Britain?

7. Are there any high mountains in Great Britain?

8. How many people live in the country?

9. The country has many bays favourable for fishing, hasn’t it?

10. The UK is a constitutional monarchy, isn’t it?

Exercise 3. Complete the following sentences:

1. The UK consists of ….

2. The UK is a small country with area ….

3. It occupies only ….

4. It is washed by ….

5. The seas around Britain ….

6. The country has many bays …

7. The highest mountain is ….

8. The longest river is ….

9. The population of the UK is ….

10. The official language is ….

11. The UK is a highly developed ….

12. The UK is a ….

13. In practice, the country is ….

14. The British Parliament consists of ….

15. The flag of the United Kingdom is ….

Exercise 4. Speak on the topic “Great Britain”, using the sentences from the above exercise as a plan to your story.

Тема 7. Exercise 1. Read and translate the text: