3._UNITED_KINGDOM_OF_GREAT_BRITAIN_AND_THE_NORTHERN_IRELAND

Plymouth – from Plymouth on Devon the Mayflower with Pilgrim Fathers sailed in 1620.

Stratford-upon-Avon - is the birthplace if William Shakespeare.

Cornwall – the coast of Cornwall is called “English Riviera” and there are sandy beaches and palms there.

Lake Districts - is a National Park. There is Lake Windermere. Lake poets used to live there and write about the countryside (William Wordsworth).

* POPULATION, FAMOUS PEOPLE (WRITERS, POLITICIANS, SPORTSMEN, SCIENTISTS AND OTHERS)

The population is almost 60 million inhabitants.

Famous people

- writers: W. Shakespeare, J. Austen, Ch. Dickens, J. K. Rowling

- politicians: W. Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II.

- sportsmen: L. Hamilton, A. Murray

- scientists: S. Hawking, I. Newton, Ch. Darwin

- singers: Adele, Paul Mc Courtney, O. Osborne , Ellie Goulding

* INDUSTRY, AGRICULTURE, EXPORT/IMPORT,

Britain lives by manufacture and trade. Its agriculture provides only half the food it needs and apart from coal or low-grade iron ore it has a few natural resources. The other half of its food and most of the traditional raw materials for its industries have to be imported. The agriculture of the UK produced wool, beef, cattle, horse, oats or timber.

* BRITISH COMMONWEALTH, SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT (CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY, PARLIAMENT, CABINET)

Counties

The UK is divided into areas called counties. The UK does not include the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

International organisations

The UK is a member of NATO, UNESCO or the European Union.

The British commonwealth of nations:

It is a free association of former British colonies (Canada, Australia, New Zealand,...).

The membership in the Commonwealth is voluntary. Countries have their own independent government.

All member countries recognize Elizabeth II as the Head of the Commonwealth, but her role is only symbolic.

Political system:

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state.

The political system of the UK is divided into 2 parts.

a) Government – the head of Government is Prime Minister

-> Cabinet (Ruling Party)

-> Shadow Cabinet (Opposition)

b) Parliament

-> House of Lords (the Upper House) – head – Lord Chancellor

- with hereditary members (the head of speakers) and lifetime peers, archbishop

-> House of Commons (The Lower House) – head – speaker

* HISTORY, LEGENDS (OPTIONAL), LIFESTYLES (SPORT, PASTIMES, HOUSING, FOOD…)

History

Early British history

The country was occupied about 3000 years by the Celts = they were the original inhabitants. In 55 BC the Romans came to Britain, they built roads and forts throughout the land, Hadrian’s Wall. Romans brought Christianity to Britain. They called the country Britannia. In the 5th century the Germanic tribes of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes came and settled in the south and east and pushed the Celts into the mountains of Wales and Scotland. The Anglo-Saxons gave the name to England.

The Battle of Hastings

One of the most important kings was William the Conqueror who defeated King Harold in the Battle of Hastings. However, the crowning ceremony, which was held in the Westminster Abbey, failed to give him full control of the whole country.