Читайте также:
|
The British Isles lie off the north-western shores of Europe. The two largest islands of the British Isles are Great Britain and Ireland. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales. Ireland consists of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The population of the United Kingdom is about 60 million and it’s capital is London.
The British Isles have no high mountains. The Pennines are the low broad chain of hills running through the centre of England. They are treeless moorland covered with mountain grass.
There are many mountains in Scotland. The wild and beautiful highlands with thick woods are very attractive.
The British Isles have many rivers, but they are not very long. The longest rivers are the Severn, the Clyde and the Thames. The Thames flows through rich agricultural and industrial districts. London stands on the Thames.
The climate of the British Isles is generally mild. The Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current, moderates the climate of the British Isles and gives cool summers and mild winters to them.
The rivers do not freeze in winter. Sheep and cattle can find food in the meadows all year round. The mild and damp climate in the British Isles is very good for agriculture.
The United Kingdom is a highly developed country. Its main cities are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Liverpool. They have enterprises of nearly all branches of industry. The biggest centers of iron and steel industries are situated in the neighborhood of coal basins. The ship-building industry is of great importance for Britain. The most important branches of the textile industry are woolen and cotton industries. The main centers of woolen industry are Leeds and Bradford. Britain imports wool from Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. The main cotton center is Manchester.
The greater part of the land of Great Britain is used for sheep and cattle-farming. The farmers grow wheat in the east of England.
The United Kingdom is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen is at the head of the state. But according to the constitution the country is ruled by the Parliament.
The British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Prime Minister is at the head of the Government.
People often say that the Englishman’s home is his castle. They mean that the home is very important and personal. Most people in Britain live in houses and have gardens.
The English always drink tea out of cups or mugs, never out of glasses. Englishmen always eat bread with their soup. But they never eat any bread with meat and vegetables.
Walking is the most popular activity. English people like to spend their holidays on the coast.
The famous Englishmen who contributed to the world art: architect Christopher Wren; scientist Alexander Fleming; artists Thomas Gainsborough, William Turner; writers and poets William Shakespeare, George Byron, Walter Scott, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Agatha Christie. Nine Noble Prizes for literature have been won by Britons, including R. Kipling, T.S Eliot and W. Golding.
Дата добавления: 2014-12-20; просмотров: 148 | Поможем написать вашу работу | Нарушение авторских прав |