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United Kingdom: Geography

The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has a population of around 65 million people and its capital and largest city is London. The UK has a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. Some of the UK's most famous landmarks include the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Tower Bridge in London.

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40 views2 pages

United Kingdom: Geography

The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has a population of around 65 million people and its capital and largest city is London. The UK has a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. Some of the UK's most famous landmarks include the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Tower Bridge in London.

Uploaded by

Vojta Podliska
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© © All Rights Reserved
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United Kingdom

Geography
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland is situated in north-western
Europe on the British Isles. The UK’s neighbours
are Ireland, to the west and France, to the south-
east, separated by the English Channel, also
known as Chanell La Manche. The coasts of
Britain touch the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea and
the North Sea. It consists of 4 countries: England
(London – also the capital of the whole UK),
Wales (Cardiff), Scotland (Edinburgh) and
Northern Ireland (Belfast). Even though there is a
fifth country on the British Isles, Ireland (Dublin),
it’s not part of the UK. The longest river is the
Severn and the second longest is the Thames,
which flows through London. The largest lake is
Lough Neagh (N. Ireland), but the most famous
one is Loch Ness (Scotland). The highest mountain
is Ben Nevis in the Highlands of Scotland.

Population
The population of the UK is around 65 million
people. The official language is English, but there
are other regional languages like Welsh, Cornish,
Scottish Gaelic and Irish. The predominant
religion is Christianity, and over a quarter of them
are represented by the Anglican church.

History
In about 3000 BC, the British Isles were inhabited by the Celtic tribes. It was approximately 43 BC
when the Romans invaded the country and stayed there until the 5 th century AD. The second invasion
was by William the Conqueror, when he defeated the Saxon King in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

One monarch worth mentioning is Henry VIII. He reigned in the 15 th century and was known for
having six wives and establishing the Church of England. Under his daughter, Elizabeth I., Britain
became a major naval power. In 19th century, during the reign of the Queen Victoria, Britain’s
colonial expansion reached its zenith.

Political system
Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy with the King, or Queen, as
the head of state. The current reigning monarch is Queen Elizabeth II. She is also Head of the
Protestant Church of England and commander-in-chief of all British armed forces. The parliament has
two houses: The House of Lords (812 members) and The House of Commons (650 members). There
are two main political parties: the Conservative Party (centre-right) and the Labour Party (left-wing).
The executive power of the Crown is exercised by the cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister (PM),
currently Theresa May.
The British flag, also known as the “Union Jack”. It is
made of the crosses of the patron saints of England
(St. George’s Red Cross on a white field), Ireland (St.
Patrick’s red diagonals on a white field) and
Scotland (St. Andrew’s white diagonals on a blue
field).

The national anthem is “God Save The Queen”


(when the monarch is male, “God Save the King”).

Symbols
England – lion, oak, rose; fish and chips, tea

Scotland – unicorn, thistle; kilts, bagpipes; haggis, whiskey

Wales – red dragon, leek

Northern Ireland – shamrock; whiskey, stout

Economy
The main industries are steel, various metals, vehicles, ship and aircraft manufacturing. The main
agricultural products are corn, sugar, fruit and vegetables. Britain is rich in coal, tin, oil, gas and chalk.

Interesting places
London is the capital of the United Kingdom. The most famous sightseeing places are The Houses of
Parliament, Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower, Tower Bridge,
Abbey Road etc.

Stratford-upon-Avon is the second most visited town in England. It is famous as the birthplace of
well-known dramatist and playwright William Shakespeare.

Oxford and Cambridge are the seats of the oldest English universities, founded in 13 th century.

Liverpool is connected with the origin of the Beatles.

Dover is a major ferry port, because it’s only 34 km from continental Europe.

British royal family

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