The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles comprising 2 large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a number of smaller islands washed by the North sea, the Irish sea, the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Its territory is about 244,000 square kilometers; the population is about 57 million people.

When we speak about the U.K. we actually speak about 4 countries united into one state: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each of these countries has its own language, its capital, its government. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, the capital of Wales is Cardiff, the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast, the capital of England is London. London is the capital of the United Kingdom as well. English is the official language but a lot of people know more than one language: Welsh, Gaelic, Irish.

The surface of England and Ireland in rather flat, the highlands are in Scotland and most of Wales. The highest mountain in Scotland is Ben Nevis (1,343m high) and the highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon (1,085m high). The main rivers are the Severn, the Clyde, the Thames.

The climate is moderate and mild due to the influence of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. There is a lot of rain in autumn and winter.

The U.K. is a highly developed industrial state. Britain is a major supplier of machinery, aerospace products, chemicals, electric equipment and a growing oil exporter. Nowadays an important part of foreign trade is so called “invisible” export: insurance, aviation, scientific and technical expertise, tourism, financial services. The biggest industrial centres are London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield, Birmingham, Manchester.

The United Kingdom is a parliamentary monarchy. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (the second) is considered to be the head of the state, with a largely ceremonial role.

The legislative power belongs to the Parliament which consists of two Houses. The House of Lords is composed of hereditary, life and spiritual peers and peeresses. The members of the House of Commons are elected by the people. The executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet.

There are three main political parties in the U.K.: the Labour, the Conservative (the Tories) and the Liberal-Democratic Parties. The Labour Party with David Cameron at the head is the ruling party nowadays. There is no written constitution in the U.K., only precedents and traditions.

The inhabitants of the U.K. are famous for their customs and traditions.

British people are naturally polite: they are never tired of saying “Thank you” and “I’m sorry”.

They are generally disciplined; they never talk aloud in the street; they never show their emotions even in tragic situations; they seem to remain good-tempered and cheerful under difficulties.

The most famous educational centres are Oxford and Cambridge universities. They are considered to be the intellectual centres of Europe.