AJ maturitní okruhy

The population of Great Britain is more than sixty million. The density of population is very high. People born in England are English, in Scotland Scottish, inWales Welsh and in Ireland Irish, but altogether they are called British. The official language is English.

There are several mountain ranges in GB, but the mountains are not very high. The highest peak is Ben Nevis in Scotland (1343 m).

In Great Britain there are a lot of rivers. The most famous is the river Thames, on which London is situated. There are also a lot of lakes, especially in Scotland. The most well-known lake is Loch Ness, famous for its monster called Nessie.

The climate is mild and maritime. Winters are not very cold and summers are not very hot. Weather is very changeable.

There are a lot of interesting places in Great Britain. Besides London, there is for example Stratford- upon-Avon, where we can see the house, in which William Shakespeare was born:

Then, Oxford and Cambridge, two cities famous for their old universities:

Stonehenge, a beautiful old monument made of huge stones arranged in a circle (in the south west of England, near Salisbury):

Or Liverpool, the city, where the Beatles started their career in the Cavern Club:

9. LONDONLondon is the capital of the United Kingdom. Its population is about 10 milion. London is situated on the river Thames in south-east England. It was founded as a Roman settlement. The Great fire in 1666 destroyed almost all of the city. In London there is the residence of the Queen – she lives in Buckingham palace. Also there is the residence of the Parliament in Houses of Parliament. and goverment in Downing street 10. London has various means of transport. London’s famous red double-deckers go almost everywhere. For fast transport we can use the underground. It is the oldest underground in the world. It operates with 11 lines. There are also 4 airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and City. London has typical black taxi called shackney carriages.Tower of London – it’s museum of weapons and the Crown Jewels but it was a royal home and prison in history.The Tower Bridge – it can open in the middle to allow ships to pass up the river.St.Paul’s Cathedral – it is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. There is Whispering Gallery (you whisper on one side and someone else can hear it on the other side). Admiral Nelson is buried there. Also Princess Diana and Prince Charles had their wedding there.The Monument – it commemorates the place of the Great Fire of London. It’s a high column. From the top you have a nice view of the city.The Houses of Parliament – it is the home of the British Parliament. There is a famous clock tower with its bell called Big BenWesminster Abbey – It is a place for royal weddings. Many of Britain‘s kings and queens are buried here. Britain’s Kings and Queens are crowned here.Whitehall – it is a street with a lot of Government offices along both sides. It’s close to Downing Street no. 10 – home of the British Prime Minister.Trafalgar Square – it’s named after the battle of Trafalgar. Nelson's Column at its centre is guarded by four lion statues. There is the National Gallery and The National Portrait Gallery.Piccadilly Circus – it’s the busiest and noisiest place in London. It’s the centre of entertainment (clubs, cinemas, restaurants). In the centre there’s a statue of Eros, the Greek God of love.Buckingham Palace – it is the residence of Royal family. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live there. The changing of the Guards takes place there. Queen Victoria has Monument in front of it.Hyde Park – it’s the largest park in London. It’s famous for Speaker’s corner – anybody can give a speech.