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The United Kingdom (abbreviated from "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is the official name of the country which consists of England, Scotland, Wales and, Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster).

Great Britain is the name of the island which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales, whereas the British Isles is the geographical name of all the Islands off the North West coast of the European continent (Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man). In everyday speech "Britain" is used to mean "The United Kingdom" (U.K.).

The flag of Great Britain is known as the Union Jack. The flag has the red cross of St. George of England, the white cross of St. Andrew of Scotland, and the red cross of St. Patrick of Ireland, all on the blue background.

The anthem of the country is "God Save the Queen/ King".

The currency of the country is the pound that consists of 100 pence.

The formation of U.K. took centuries, and a lot of armed struggle was involved. During 1,000 years there were many invasions. The Romans who had come from Italy gave the country its name. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes came from Germany. The Vikings arrived from Denmark and Norway. The Nor­mans invaded from France. The English are the descendants of all the invaders. These factors explain many differences to be found betweenEngland, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The differences in education, religion and the legal systems, but most obvi­ously, in language.

If you look at the map of the world, you'll see the British Isles lie off the North-West coast of the conti­nent ofEurope. The biggest island is Great Britain. It is about 600 miles from the South to the North, and 300 miles across in the widest part. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the North, by the Irish Sea on the West, and is separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The Thames, the Severn, the Clyde, the Trent, the Mersey are chief rivers of the country.

The island of Great Britain can be roughly divided into two main regions - Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. The most well-known mountains and chains are the Pennine Chain, the Northern Highlands which con­tain Ben Nevis, the highest point of the British Isles.

Britain has a temperate climate due to the influence of Gulf Stream. The weather is very changeable and it is the favourite topic for conversation in Britain.

The population of the United Kingdom is 56.2 mln people. Greater London, the South-East and the South are the most densely populated areas of Britain. Four out of every five people live in towns.

The United Kingdom is the constitutional monar­chy. The legislative body is the Parliament which con­sists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The executive body is the Cabinet of Ministers which is the government. It is headed by the Prime Minister. The head of the state is a king or a queen since 1952. In general the queen reigns but does not rule. She has many duties, among them she has to make regular visits to foreign countries, to signify the formalities of the monarchy and many others.

I think, it is necessary to add some words about British character. Englishmen are naturally polite and are never tired of saying "Thank you" and “I’m sorry”.

They are generally disciplined, you will never hear a loud talk in the street. Englishmen do not show their emo­tions even in tragic situations. They seem to remain good-tempered and cheerful under difficulties. They like ani­mals very much. There are 4 mln dogs, 6 mln cats, 8 mln caged birds and lots of other animals in Britain.

The inhabitants of Great Britain are famous for their customs and traditions. "Custom is almost a second na­ture", said Plutarch. It's true as for the British.

3.Answer the questions.

1. What is the official name of the country?

2. What is the anthem of the country?

3. Is the pound or the dollar the currency of Great Britain?

4. What is the population of the UK? What are the longest rivers in Great Britain?

5. What are the well-known mountains and chains of Great Britain?

6. Has Britain a temperate climate or a tropical one?

7. Who is the head of the state?

8. Englishmen are polite, aren't they?

9. Why do you think that the English are fond of animals?

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