Population of the United Kingdom

Britain ranks about fourteenth in the world in terms of population. According to the results of the 1981 census the home population was 55, 676,000, compared with 38.2 million in 1901, about 6.5 million at the end of the 17^th century, and some 2 million in the 11^th cent. Censuses of England, Wales and Scotland have been taken regularly every 10 years since 1801, with the exception of 1941 but censuses of Ireland somewhat less regularly.

The population of Great Britain has slightly risen to 57 million despite the falling birth rate. The reason is that people are living longer. Although the population as a whole increased, the number of pensioners went up by 10 %, while the number of under 16s fell by 12 %. The reasons of the sharp drop in the birth rate are associated with the social conditions, the growth of unemployment and lack of pre-school institutions.

Around one in six Britons is a pensioner and nearly a third of them are aged 75 or over, and almost a quarter of households consist solely of pensioners. The census of 1981 showed that there were more than one-and-a-half million more females than males in Britain. Over the decade, the number of one-person households increased by 30% and more than a fifth of the households in Britain now consist of a peson living alone.

The census also showed that about 60% of households in Britain had the use of a car in 1981 compared with 51% in 1971. More married women were going out to work – 57% of those aged 16-59, against 49% in 1971, and 6% of the population was born outside the United Kingdom.

The population density is about 228 per square km which is relatevely high in comparison with most other countries. England is the most densely populated with 354 people per square km (with Greater London having a density of 4,238 people per square km), and Scotland is the least densely populated with 65 people per square km. Eight major metrapolitan areas called conurbations accommodate a third of Great Britain’s people. They are: Greater London, Central Clydeside, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South East Lancashire, Tyneside, the West Midlands and West Yorkshire. Most of the mountainous parts including much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the central Pennines are very sparsely populated.

These differences in average density between different regions have been widening. There is a movement of people away from the city cenres to the surrounding suburbs. This can be seen clearly in the declining population of Greater London which was the world’s third city as to population but is now eleventh. There is a fall in the proportion of residents in other metropolitan countries also. Particularly the young and skilled have tended to live city centres and conurbations, although such migration may not necessarily mean a change of job but rather an increase in the distance of travel to and from work. In other cases it has been a consequence of falling employment in city centres and unhealthy environment.

When you are talking to people from Britain, it is safest to use ‘Britain’ when talking about where they live and ‘British’ as the adjective to describe their nationality. This way you will be less likely to offend anyone. England is only one of the four nations of the British Isles. At one time the four nations were distinct from each other in almost every aspect of life. In the first place, they were different racially. The people in Ireland, Wales and Highland Scotland belonged to the Celtic race; those in England and lowland Scotland were mainly of Germanic origin. This differnce was reflected in the languages they spoke. The nations also tended to have different economic, social and legal systems. Today these differences have become blurred but they haven’t completely disappeared. Although there is one government for the whole of Britain, and people have the same passports, they feel their identity very strongly.

For example, there are millions of people who live in England but who would never describe themselves as English. They may have lived in England all their lives, but as far as they are concerned they are Scottish, Welsh or Irish. These people support the country of their parents and grandparents rather than England in sporting contests.

The same holds true for the further millions of British citizens whose family origins lie outside the British Isles. People of Caribbean or south Asian descent, for instance, do not mind being described as ‘ British’, but many of them would not like to be called ‘English’. And whenever the West Indian or Indian cricket team plays against England, it is certainly not England that they support!

Other signs of national identity are names. The prefix ‘Mac’ or ‘Mc’ in surnames (such as McCall, MacCarthy, MacDonald) is always either Scottish or Irish. There are also nicknames for Scottish, Irish and Welsh men. A Scottish friend may be referred or addressed as ‘Jock’, Irishmen are called ‘Paddy’ or ‘Mick’ and Welshmen are known as ‘Dai’ or ‘Taffy’. If the person is not a friend the nickname can sound rather insulting.

Clothes and musical instruments may also specify a nationality. The kilt, a skirt with a tartan pattern worn by men, is a well-known symbol of Scottishness (though it is hardly ever worn in everyday life). The harp is an emblem of both Wales and Ireland. The bagpipes are regarded as distinctively Scottish (though a smaller type is also used in traditional Irish music).

There are certain stereotypes of national character which are well-known in Britain. For instance, the Irish are supposed to be great talkers, the Scots have a reputation for being careful with money, and the Welsh are renowned for their singing ability.

Jorn Bull is a fictional character who is supposed to personify Englishness and certain English virtues.(He can be compared to Uncle Sam in the USA). His appearanceis typical of the 18^th century country gentlemam, evoking an idyllic rural past.

Caledonia, Cambria and Hibernia were the Roman names for Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The words are commonly used today in scholarly classifications (for example, the type of English used in Ireland is sometimes called ‘Hiberno-English’) and for the names of oganizations (for example, the airline ‘British Caledonian’). Erin is a poetic name for Ireland. ‘The Emerald Isle’ is another way of referring to Ireland, evoking the lush greenery of its countryside.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14