United Kingdom

The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain - the main island made up of England, Scotland and Wales - and Northern Ireland. The official name of the UK is the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." The UK is a member of the European Union (EU) and it was formed in on January 1, 180.

The UK is situated north-west of the European continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. It has a total land area of 244,100 square kilometres, of which nearly 99% is land and the remainder inland water. From north to south it is about 1,000 kilometres long.

The United Kingdom is made up of:

England - The capital is London.

Scotland - The capital is Edinburgh.

Wales - The capital is Cardiff.

Northern Ireland - The capital is Belfast.

(The capital of the UK is London.)

The British Isles

The British Isles include the UK, Great Britain, and other islands such as Ireland and the Channel Islands.

The British Isles consists of:

d Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)

d The whole of Ireland

d The Orkney and Shetland Islands

d The Isle of Man

d The Inner and Outer Hebrides

d The Isle of Wight

d The Isle of Sky

d Scilly Islands

d Lundy Island

d The Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey)

d Plus many other offshore islands

ENGLAND

National Symbol and flag

England is the largest country in Great Britain and the United Kingdom. England has not had a separate political identity since 1707, when Great Britain was established as a political entity.

FACTS

Capital City: London

Important cities: Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield

Official language: English

Main religions: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Muslim

WALES

National symbol and flag

Wales (Cymru in Welsh) is a mountainous country on the western side of Great Britain.

FACTS

Capital City: Cardiff

Emblem or symbol: Leek or daffodil. Red Dragon on its flag.

Patron saint: Saint David (1^st March).

Important cities: Caerphilly, Newport, Swansea, Wrexham.

Roman name: Cambria

Main industries: South: Coal, iron, shipbuilding, chemistry and oil refineries.

North: Almost no industry, only hydroelectrical plants and stale-extraction.

Main farm production: Welsh butter and Caerphilly cheese.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-25