Great Britain. The British Isles forms a group of islands

The British Isles forms a group of islands. The largest two of them are Great Britain and Ireland. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometres.

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland constitute the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Irish Sea. Its East coast is washed by the English Channel.

The surface of the British Isles varies very 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.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. The climate of Great Britain is mild. Winters are not very cold and summers are not very hot. There is much fog and rain in winter. The weather in Great Britain is very changeable. A fine sunny morning can change into a wet gloomy afternoon and evening The English people say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." The weather is the favourite conversational subject.

The British Isles are well provided with rivers, but none of them is very long. The lakes of the British Isles are not of much importance.

Today Britain is densely populated. The United Kingdom is one of the world’s smallest countries. The population of the country is over 87 million and about 80% of it is urban. The UK is highly developed industrial country. It’s known as one of world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. Britain’s heavy industry is located in the heart of England and in London region. The shipbuilding industry is of great importance for Britain. Seaports play a great role in the life of the country. London, Liverpool and Glasgow are the biggest.

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen is the head of the state but her power is limited by Parliament. The branches of government are: the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. According to the Constitution all power belongs to the Parliament. The British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. The Queen is the head of State, but her power is limited by Parliament. The branches of government are: the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. The legislature, the parliament is the supreme authority. It comprises two chambers - the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The executive consists of the central Government - that is the Prime Minister, Cabinet, and other ministers. The judiciary determines common law and interprets statutes and is independent of both the legislature and the executive

Дата добавления: 2015-10-21