The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the official name of the British Kingdom. It is situated on the British Isles. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometres. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the English Channel and the North Sea. The narrowest part of the English Channel is called the Strait of Dover.

The UK is made up of four countries. They are England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London. The UK is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north and the North Sea in the west. The two islands are separated by the Irish Sea.

The north of Scotland is mountainous. It's called the Highlands. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain.

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they aren't very long. The longest of them is the Severn. The Thames is the deepest river.

The climate of Great Britain is generally mild due to the influence of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. There is much rain and fog here. The population of the UK is over 57 million people.

The UK is a highly developed industrial country. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.

English is the official language of the UK.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. The monarch reigns with the support of Parliament. The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords, the House of Commons and the Sovereign as its head.

Parliamentary elections must be held every five years. The minimum voting age is 18, and the voting is taken by secret ballot.

The main political parties in Great Britain are the Conservative and the Labour Party. The political party which wins the majority of seats forms the Government and its leader usually becomes Prime Minister. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and "Shadow cabinet".

London is the capital of the UK, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world. Its population is about 8 million.

Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End.

The City is the heart of London. It is a financial and business centre of London. There are a lot of banks, offices and firms there.

Westminster is the historical and political centre of London. There you can see Westminster Abbey, Westminster Palace or the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen. The British Prime Minister lives at number 10, Downing Street.

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It is the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there. Trafalgar Square is the centre of London.

In The East End there are a lot of factories, workshops and docks.

№	Виды учебной работы студента	Максимальный балл	Заработанный балл
1.	Работа над темой «Пребывание в стране изучаемого языка»
2.	Словарный диктант по теме «Пребывание в стране изучаемого языка»
3.	Разработка и участие в виртуальных экскурсиях по англоязыч. странам

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