Great Britain. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about 5000 small islands. The UK is a small country with an area of 240,000 square kilometres. The population is over 57 million people. The official language of the United Kingdom is English. But in western Scotland some people still speak Gaelic and in northern and central parts of Wales people often speak Welsh.

The UK 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 capital of the UK is London.

The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. The seas around Britain provide exceptionally good fishing grounds. The country has many bays favourable for shipping. In their shelter are Britain's main ports such as London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Hull and others.

The surface of the British Isles varies much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. Mountains are not very high. The highest mountains are in Scotland, they are called the Grampian Mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest peak. It is 1343 metres high.

The British Isles have many rivers, but they are not very long. The longest river is the Severn, but the most important waterway is the Thames. The Trent is the fastest. The lakes are mostly in Scotland and north-west England. Here is Lake District which consists of 16 lakes or “Lochs” as they call them.

There are no great forests in Great Britain today. Historically, the most famous forest is Sherwood Forest, in the east of England. It was the home of Robin Hood.

The climate is moderate and mild. But the weather is very changeable. The English people say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." The weather is the favourite conversational topic in GB. After they greet each other they start talking about the weather. The English also say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long. The best time of the year in GB is spring (of course, it rains in spring too). The two worst months in Britain are January and February. They are cold, damp and unpleasant. Summer months are rather cold and there can be a lot of rainy days. So most people who look forward to summer holidays, plan to go abroad for the summer. The specific feature of the English weather is fog, especially in autumn and winter.

The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as 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 mild and damp climate in Great Britain is very good for agriculture, especially for vegetable-farming. South-East of England is called the “Garden of England”. Apples, pears and plums are grown in many parts of Britain. Dairy farming is distributed all over the country. Sheep are found in hilly countries particularly. Britain has been famous for its wool for centuries.

The UK is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch. In law, Head of the State is Queen Elizabeth II. 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, known as the Union Jack, is made up of three crosses. The big red cross is the cross of Saint George, the patron saint of England. The white cross is the cross of Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Great Britain is a country of strong attraction for tourists. There are both ancient and modern monuments. For example: Hadrian Wall and Stonehenge, York Cathedral and Durham castle. It is no doubt London is the most popular place for visiting because there are a lot of sightseeing like the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, London Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London. Also you can see the famous Tower Clock Big Ben which is considered to be the symbol of London. You will definitely admire Buckingham Palace. It’s the residence of the royal family. The capital is famous for its beautiful parks: Hyde Park, Regent’s Park. The last one is the home of London Zoo.

In conclusion I would like to say a few words. I hope one day I will visit this country and see everything with my own eyes.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29