5. The UK

5. The UK

The official name of Great Britain is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it’s a state located on the British Isles in the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of continental Europe. It is part of Europe but separated from France by the English Channel. The UK is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Geography and climate

Great Britain is the largest of the British Isles and Northern Ireland is the smallest. Southern Ireland is a republic and it’s not a part of the United Kingdom. Apart from it, the UK occupies part of the island of Ireland and numerous other small islands.

The north and north-west of the country are more mountainous [mauntns], while the south and east have softer rolling hills and flat lands. The longest river is the River Severn, flowing through Wales and England, followed by the River Thames. The mild climate means that there are no real weather extremes. Winters are milder than they would normally be because of the warming effect of the North Atlantic drift (The Gulf Stream). Summers are sometimes hot but 50 per cent of the year the skies are cloudy and overcast. For UK is also typical, that is raining all year long.

Population

The UK is a very populated country with over 60 million people. The main language spoken is English, but there are lots of regional dialects (accents) across the country. Gaelic is spoken in some areas of Scotland, and Welsh is the second language spoken in Wales.

Political system

Queen Elizabeth II is head of the constitutional monarchy and the government is responsible to her for its decisions. (vláda se jí zodpovídá ze svých rozhodnutí) She is also Head of the Protestant Church of England. Theresa May is currently Prime Minister. Many decisions for the UK are made in London through the Parliament, consisting of the elected House of Commons and the un− elected House of Lords. Recently there has been a process called devolution. This means that Scotland now has its own parliament in Edinburgh and there is a National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff. The establishment of an Assembly (shromáždění) for Northern Ireland in Belfast is still under discussion because of problems with the peace process.

Holidays - interesting

The UK doesn't have special holidays apart from Christmas, New Year and Easter. There are single day 'bank holidays' in May and August.

Cities

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom, a major financial, political, cultural, educational and fashion centre. Central London is full of places of interest, historical buildings, museums and galleries. Many tourists come to London to visit places connected with the royal family, such as Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Kensington Palace. Lovers of modern architecture can admire buildings by the famous contemporary architect Norman Foster. London also offers many parks to relax in, such as St. James’s Park, Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens.

Oxford and Cambridge are famous university towns, and their universities are among the oldest in the world. Even if you are not a student, you can enjoy the old architecture of the colleges and their special atmosphere.