Topic 8. Great Britain in the Spotlight.

1. The United Kingdom forms the greater part of the British Isles, which lie off the coast of north-west Europe. The official full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain comprises England, Wales and Scotland. London is the capital and the largest city.

2. The country’s complicated geology produces a great variety of landscape. Northern Scotland is a wild, windswept region, broken by long arms of the sea that reach far inland. Much of Northern Ireland has low mountains, forest parks and rolling fields. Wales is famous for its green valleys. Most of England is covered by plains, laid out in a patchwork of fields and meadows. The British Isles are surrounded by breathtaking coastline, which is a shifting scene of steep cliffs, golden beaches and fishing towns.

3. The English Channel separates the British Isles from France. This narrow stretch of water has helped shape the character and history of the British. It protected the country from invasion, and has given the people a feeling of security. Since 1066, no enemy has crossed the channel and invaded the country. Such separation of Britain has had a great impact on the British nation. They came to respect privacy and to value old traditions. They developed wit, love for personal freedom, and a high degree of self-criticism. No wonder the British are so different in their behaviour from other Europeans living on the continent, despite all the changes caused by modern technology and transport facilities. In 1994 a major breakthrough occurred when the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France began to operate.

4. The history of Great Britain is the story of how a small island country became the world’s most powerful nation – and then declined. In the 1700’s, the British began the Industrial Revolution and made the UK the world’s richest manufacturing country. They ruled the seas, and were the world’s greatest traders. At its peak, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously weakened in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the breaking up of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation.

5. Great Britain is one of the few developed countries of the world where a constitutional monarchy has survived. The constitution exists in no one document but is a centuries-old accumulation of statutes, judicial decisions and tradition. The hereditary monarch acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and is almost entirely limited to exercising ceremonial functions.

6. Today Britain retains an important place among the most advanced countries of the world. It enjoys a long established democratic system of government which has provided political stability. The United Kingdom is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and of the Commonwealth. It participates fully in all Commonwealth activities and values it as a means of increasing international understanding and contributing to more balanced global economic development.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20