Great Britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. It consists of 4 parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. England, Wales and Scotland occupy the territory of the largest island called Great Britain. Northern Ireland is situated in the northern part of Ireland.

The territory of the United Kingdom is about 244,000 square kilometers; it is the 75^th place among other countries in the world. The population is over 56,5 million. About 80% of the population is urban. The capital of the country is London.

The surface of Great Britain varies greatly. The northern and western part of the country is mountainous and is called the Highlands. All the rest (south, east and center) is a vast plain, which is called the Lowlands. The mountains are not very high. The rivers are not long. The most important of them are the Severn and the Thames. There are many beautiful lakes in the mountainous parts of the country.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of Great Britain. It is mild the whole year round.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of iron and steel products, machinery and electronics, chemicals and textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.

Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The most famous educational centers are Oxford and Cambridge universities. They are considered to be the intellectual centers of Europe. Education is not free, it is very expensive.

The United Kingdom is a monarchy and the Queen is the head of the state. But in practice, it is ruled by the elected government with a Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

There are 3 main political parties in Great Britain: Labor, the Conservative and the Liberal parties.