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GREAT BRITAIN

The official name of the country, which we usually call England and occasionally Great Britain, is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The long title is the result of a complicated history. Wales had become part of English administrative system by the 16^th century. Scotland was not completely united with England until 1707. The United Kingdom is a name which was introduced in1801 when Great Britain became united with Northern Ireland. The UK is situated on the British Isles not far from Europe. It consists of the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of Ireland and a great number of small islands, such as: the Orkney, the Hebrides, the Isle of White and many others. Great Britain is separated from the European continent by the North Sea, the English Channel (or La Manche) and the Straits of Dover (or Pas de Calais). In the west the British Isles are washed by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The territory of the United Kingdom is 244,000 sq. km.

The population of the UK is over 57 million. People live mostly in towns and cities and their suburbs. The largest cities are London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds and Cardiff.

The warm currents of the Atlantic Ocean influence the climate of Great Britain. It is mild the whole year round. It is not too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. It often rains in England. Rain falls during all the four seasons. Snow falls only in the north and west of the country. The grass remains green all year round. Thanks to its unique climatic conditions Britain looks like one great well-ordered park with its old trees, green meadows and freshly-trimmed hedges.

Britain is comparatively small, but there is hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery can be found. Geographically the island of Great Britain is subdivided into 2 main regions: Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. Lowland Britain comprises southern and eastern England, Highland Britain consists of Scotland, most of Wales (the Cambrian Mountains), the Pennines (or the Pennine Chain) and the Lake District. The highest mountaintop is Ben Nevis in Scotland.

There are many rivers in Britain, but they are rather short and of no great importance. The chief rivers are the Severn that separates England and Wales, the Thames named "Father of London", the Spray and the Tweed. Britain's principal ports are London, Liverpool, Manchester, Hull and Glasgow.

There are many lakes in Great Britain. The Lake District in Scotland is the most beautiful. The best known lake is Loch Ness.

The UK has some mineral resources, such as coal, oil, chalk. As Great Britain is not very rich in natural resources its economy is greatly dependent on foreign trade. The UK is a highly developed industrial power. The main industrial regions are in the north and west of the country where the main deposits of coal are being found. The oldest centre of heavy industry is the region of Birmingham and Sheffield known as the Black Country. The Black Country is also the main centre of armaments production. Two main textile regions are situated to the west and east of the Pennines. The UK produces and exports machinery, electronics and textile. One of the chief industries is shipbuilding.

Agriculture is an important sector of the country's economy. The British people grow wheat, fruit, vegetables and oats.

There are four different countries in the United Kingdom: England (the capital is London), Scotland (the capital is Edinburgh), Wales (the capital is Cardiff) and Ireland (the capital is Belfast). The capital of the UK is London. Every country has its own national emblem. The red rose is the national emblem of England, the thistle is the national emblem of Scotland, the daffodil and leek are the emblems of Wales, and the shamrock (a species of clover) is the emblem of Ireland. The country is inhabited by the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish, who all constitute the British nation. English is the official language. But Scottish, Welsh and Irish are also used.

The flag of the UK is known as the Union Jack. It has its own history. It all began in 1603 when Scotland was part of England and Wales. The flag is made up of 3 crosses. The upright cross is the Cross of St.George, the saint patron of England. The white diagonal cross is the cross of St. Andrew, the saint patron of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of St.Patrick, the saint patron of Ireland. All of them are resting against the blue background of the flag. The national anthem is "God Save the Queen". The national currency is the pound.

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. It means that there is a Queen (or King) and the Parliament.

The Queen has almost no power in the country. Her powers are limited by the Parliament. Laws are made by the Parliament. The Queen is only a formal ruler: she reigns but does not rule. Most of her functions are symbolic. But the Queen has all information; she must see all Cabinet documents. She has the power to conclude treaties, to declare war and make peace. The Queen's residence in London is the Buckingham Palace.

The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. There are more than 1000 members in the House of Lords but only about 250 take an active part in the work of the House. Many seats are hereditary. The House of Lords has little real power nowadays.

The House of Commons has 635 members known as MPs – Members of Parliament. They are elected by a general election (secret ballot) every 5 years. The person who chairs and controls discussion in the House of Commons is the Speaker. The Speaker is officially the second important ‘commoner’ in the Kingdom after the Prime Minister. Today the elected House of Commons has real political power, although members of the House of Lords occupy important posts. The British Parliament works in a large building called the Palace of Westminster.

The United Kingdom is governed by Her Majesty's Government in the name of the Queen. The Government is normally formed by the political party which is supported by the majority in the House of Commons. The Party's leader is the Prime-Minister appointed by the Queen. He chooses a team of ministers of whom are around 20 in the Cabinet. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and Shadow Cabinet. In Great Britain there are three main political parties: the Conservatives, the Labour Party and the Liberals.