GREAT BRITAIN

GEOGRAPHY

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands: Great Britain and Ireland, and about 5 thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 sq.km. The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The North Sea and the English Channel separate the British Isles from the European continent. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

SCENERY

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. There is a dramatic contrast between "highland" and "lowland' Britain. Highland Britain consists of Scotland, most of Wales, the Pennines, the Lake District. The Lake District contains the beautiful lakes. Lowland Britain comprises southern and eastern England. Mountains are not very high. There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain but they are not very long.

CLIMATE

The climate of Great Britain is mild, humid and changeable. The Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the weather on the British Isles/ The summers are cool and rainy; the winters are not very cold. This humid and rainy weather is good for plants.

POPULATION, NATIONALITIES AND LANGUAGES

The population of Great Britain is approximately 57 million. The UK is inhabited by the English, the Scots, the Welsh, and the Irish who constitute the British nation. The official language of the country is English. Besides standard literary English there are many regional and social dialects. The Scottish and Irish forms of Gaelic survive in some parts of Scotland and Ireland. Wales is officially bilingual, Welsh is spoken by about a fifth of its population.

GOVERNMENT

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. The Head of the State is a monarch. The monarchy is hereditary. Laws are made by Parliament which consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The present British monarch is Queen Elizabeth II. She succeeded to the throne in 1952. The Labour Party is the ruling party nowadays. The Prime Minister is Tony Blair.

CITIES

The capital of the UK is London. London is the world's 7^th biggest city. The capital of Wales is Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland is Cardiff and the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast. The largest cities of Great Britain are: Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds.

REFERENCES

PLACE NAMES

QUESTIONS

1. Where is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland situated on?

2. How many countries make up the UK?

3. What can you say about the climate of Great Britain?

4. What cities of the country do you know?

5. Who is the head of the state?

6. What does it mean < the Queen reigns, but does not rule>?

7. Have you been to an English-speaking country?

LESSON 10

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 1259