The UK

The UK

1. Let′s talk about Great Britain. What do you know about this country? 

The official name of the state is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (The UK).  It is situated on the British Isles. The largest of them are Great Britain and Ireland and there are many small islands in the west. The UK consists of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. England, Wales and Scotland occupy the territory of Great Britain. Northern Ireland is situated in the northern part of Ireland. Southern Ireland (now called Eire or the Irish Republic) is independent from the UK.

The area of the UK is 244, 000 square km. It is a densely populated country. About 63 million people live there.

The UK is a Constitutional Monarchy. The Queen's power is limited by the Parliament. The capital of the country is London.

The British Isles are washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea in the west and the North Sea in the east. The South Coast is washed by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover which separate the country from the Continent.

There are many rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the most famous and the most important river in the country. It serves London, one of the largest ports in the world.

Great Britain is the country of lowlands, hills and mountains. The highest mountains are Ben Nevis in Scotland and Snowdon in Wales. The northern part of Scotland is called the Highlands and the southern part is called the Lowlands.

There are many lakes in North-West England. The Lake District is one of the most popular holiday-districts in the country.

The climate of the British Isles is damp due to the Atlantic Ocean, which together with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influences the weather. Though the weather of the British Isles is very changeable, winters are mild and summers are cool.

The natural resources of Great Britain are poor. A lot of raw materials are shipped into the country.

Great Britain is a capitalist country with highly-developed industry and agriculture. It is one of the world’s largest exporters of manufactured goods. Its industry produces all sorts of vessels, aircraft, machine- tools, household and agriculture machinery, textiles, fabrics, computers and electronic equipment, chemicals and other goods. It imports oil, rubber, timber, cotton and so on.

The main crops grown in the country are wheat, barley and oats.

The largest industrial centers of the country are London, Liverpool, Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Sheffield, Belfast and others. Glasgow and Newcastle are the main centers of coalmining.