Great Britain

GREAT BRITAIN

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland occupies most of the territory of the British Isles. The country consists of four parts which are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK is an island state: it is composed of some 5,500 islands, large and small. The two main islands are Great Britain (in which are England, Scotland and Wales) to the east and Ireland (in which are Northern Ireland and the Independent Irish Republic) to the west. They are separated by the Irish Sea. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the official name of the state, which is sometimes referred to as Great Britain or Britain (after its major isle) or England (after its major historical part).

The flag of the UK is officially called the Union flag, because it embodies the emblems of the three countries united under one monarch. It is the combination of the red cross of St. George for England, the white cross of St. Andrew for Scotland and the diagonal red cross of St. Patrick for Ireland. All three crosses are drawn on the blue field. The Union Flag is commonly known as the Union Jack, although the exact origin of the name is unclear.

Of the four parts which make up Great Britain, England is the largest, the industrial and most densely populated part of the UK with London as its capital. The vertical red cross of St. George, the Patron Saint of England, is the national English flag. The red rose is a national symbol of England which was adopted as its emblem around the time of the War of the roses - civil wars (1455 - 1485).

Although Scotland takes up one third of the territory of the British Isles, its population is not very big. The white diagonal cross of St. Andrew, the Patron Saint of Scotland, on a blue field is the national Scottish flag. Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since the 15^th century, when its fortified castle was the centre of Scotland’s resistance to its enemies. It is associated with the names of George Gordon Byron, Walter Scott, Robert Burns and Arthur Conan Doyle. The thistle is a prickly-leaved purple flower which was first used in the 15^th century as a symbol of defense.

Wales is a highland country of old, hard rocks. The pride of Wales in scenery is Snowdonia - a region of high mountains. The capital of Wales is Cardiff, situated near the mouth of the Taff River. The national flower of Wales is usually considered to be the daffodil. However, the leek has even older associations as a traditional symbol of Wales - possibly because of its colours - white over green, like the ancient Welsh flag with a red dragon on a field of white and green.

Northern Ireland is the smallest component of the UK. Its capital city is Belfast. It is a leading industrial centre and a large port. The red diagonal cross of St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, is the national flag of this country. The shamrock, a three-leaved plant similar to the clover, is the national flower of Northern Ireland. It is said that St. Patrick used the shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. In Ireland the national traditional musical instrument is the harp.

The word “Britain'’ derives from Greek and Latin names probably coming from Celtic. The Celts arrived in the British Isles relatively late. There followed cultures, which produced such notable monuments as the stone circles of Avebury and Stonehenge. Roman rule lasted for over 300 years from 43 AD. The Romans withdrew in 408 after a period during which the Angels, the Saxons and the Jutes raided the island from northern Europe. Further raids and settlements took place, this time by the Vikings from Scandinavia. In the 10th century the Wessex dynasty defeated the Vikings. The latest successful invasion took place in 1066, when Duke William of Normandy defeated the English near Hastings. The Normans came to settle; French became the language of the nobility for the next three centuries.

Britain waged numerous colonial wars and was a powerful colonial empire for many centuries. But now Britain is just one of the countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations and the Queen is only the formal link which binds the Commonwealth.

The UK is one of the world’s smaller countries (it is twice smaller than France of Spain) with an area of some 244.000 square kilometers. But it is densely populated. Its population is over 57 million people.

Geographically the island of Great Britain is subdivided into two main regions- Lowlands and Highlands. The chief rivers of Great Britain are the Severn, flowing along the border between England and Wales, and the Thames, which flows eastward to the port of London and some others.

There are many beautiful lakes in Great Britain. Lake District is a British natural beauty: it contains wonderful lakes which give it its name.

The climate if the UK is generally mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The weather is so changeable that the English often say that they have no climate but only weather. Weather is a favorite topic for conversation in the UK. The most characteristic feature of Britain’s weather is its variability.

Great Britain is a powerful and influential country not only in Europe but in the world. It lives by manufacture and trade and mostly produces articles which require skill labour, such as precious instruments, electronic equipment, chemicals and high quality consumer goods. Apart

from coal and iron ore Britain has very few natural resources and mostly depends on imports. Its agriculture provides only half the food it needs. The other half and most of the raw materials for its industries such as oil, gas and various metals have to be imported.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the sovereign reigns with the support of the Parliament. Everything today is done in the Queen’s name. She appoints all the Ministers, including the Prime Minister. Everything is done however on the advice of the elected Government, and the sovereign takes no part in the decision-making process. Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Parliament and the monarch have different roles in the government of the country and meet together on symbolic occasions such as the coronation or the opening of Parliament. The House of Commons plays a major role in law-making. It consists of members of Parliament who are elected. The party which wins the majority of seats forms the Government and its leader usually becomes the Prime Minister. He chooses about 20 people from his or her party to form the Cabinet.

In Great Britain monuments and traces of the past greatness are everywhere. There are buildings of all styles and periods. A great number of museums and art galleries display precious and interesting samples from all parts of the world and from all stages in the development of nature, man and art. The British are very keen on protecting their historical and cultural heritage as well as on keeping their traditions which are a bright illustration of their life style and national character. Due to these facts Great Britain has always been very interesting as a tourist attraction.

LONDON

London is the capital of England and the UK. It is situated on the both banks of the river Thames. From the earliest times of its existence London depended on its water-born trade which still makes it one of the world’s largest ports. London survived the plague, which killed nearly 70 000 people, and the Great Fire, which followed. In fact little damage occurred during World War I, but World War II brought tremendous destruction to the city. A great number of buildings of historical value were laid in ruins.

Its population is about 8 million people. It is the largest city in Britain and one of the largest cities in the world. London dominates the life of Great Britain. It is the most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre.

London is subdivided into four parts. The City extends over an area of about 2.6 square kilometers. It is the heart of London. About half million people work there but only less then 6000 live in the City. It is a financial center of the UK with many banks, offices and Stock Exchange. But the City is also a market of goods almost of every kind and from all parts of the world.

The port of London is in the East End with docks and the great industrial areas that traditionally depend upon shipping. The East End of London is formally unattractive in appearance but now is changing because of the introduction of new industries and very expensive housing.

•The West End may be called a centre of London. Here are historical places as well as famous parks. Among other parks are Kensington Gardens, St. James’s Park. Hyde Park with its Speaker’s Corner is also here.

The name ‘West End’ is associated with wealth, luxury and goods of high quality. It is the area of the largest department stores, cinemas and hotels. There are about 40 theatres, several concert halls, and many museums including the British Museum and the best art galleries. The British Museum is the pride of London and Great Britain. It was founded in 1753. The money for the building was collected by public lottery. Today the museum has two main sections - the Museum of Mankind and the Natural History Museum. It also has one of the most famous libraries in the world. The Museum of Mankind includes a vast collection of antiques, ancient works of art in stone, bronze and gold. The Natural History Museum contains collections on the

history of plants, minerals and animal world. The Reading Room of the British Museum has an unusual shape - it’s a circle. Visitors to the Reading Room are admitted if they are over the age of 21 and want to do a serious study. The British Museum has a great number of galleries. They display a unique collection of Greek, African, Chinese, Egyptian sculptures, ceramics, drawings and paintings. Here one can also find displays of coins, medals, ancient clock and watches.

Five important streets meet as Piccadilly Circus in the West End. It is a very busy place. People come here to the shops in the daytime and at night they come for a night out. They can eat in one of the restaurants in the West End near Piccadilly Circus. There are nearly fifty cinemas here. Visitors with plenty of money to spend and who chiefly come to enjoyment are likely to spend most of their time in the West End.

The Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. In the Westminster is the Palace of Westminster, which is the seat of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace, which is the Queen’s residence. Buckingham Palace has served such a function since comparatively recent times. In the Middle Ages the principle London residence of the kings was the Palace of Westminster, now rebuilt as the Houses of Parliament. Unlike many other historical monuments, Buckingham Palace remains a fully occupied working royal palace and this fact gives it a particular fascination. The highlight of royal entertaining is the state banquet given by the queen on the first evening of a state visit of a foreign head to the United Kingdom.

The Palace of Westminster was built during the reign of Edward the Confessor. It was the royal residence and also the country’s main court. The Parliament met here since the 16^th till the 19^th century. The present Houses of Parliament were built after the fire in the Palace of Westminster in 1834. St. Stephen’s Tower of the Houses of Parliament contains the famous Big Ben. Its hour bell is named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the first Commissioner of Works.

The best- known streets here are Whitehall with important government offices, Downing Street - the London’s residence of Prime Minister and the place where the Cabinet meets, Fleet Street where most newspapers have their offices, Harley Street where the highest-paid doctors live and some others.

The three most famous buildings in London are Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Westminster Abbey is a fine Gothic building, which stands opposite the House of Parliament. One of the greatest glories of the Abbey is the Chapel of Henry VII. Since far-off time of William the Conqueror Westminster Abbey has been the crowning place of the kings and queens of England. There are tombs and memorials of almost all English monarchs, many statesmen, famous writers, scientists and musicians. Westminster Abbey is noted for its poets’ corner, containing memorials to William Shakespeare, Robert Bums and George Byron. Near the West Door of the Abbey the Unknown Warrior lies in a simple grave, commemorating men who died in the First World War.

The Tower of London is the scene of nearly 900 years of England’s history. William the Conqueror began building the Tower for the purpose of protecting the city; other monarchs made additions in later centuries. In the past the Tower was a fortress, a palace, a prison and a mint. Now it is a museum attracting tourists from all over the world. The only inhabitants of the Tower are ravens. There is a legend that the Tower will fall if it loses its ravens. Therefore the birds with clipped wings are carefully guarded.

St. Paul’s Cathedral is the work of a famous architect Sir Christopher Wren. It is to be one of the finest pieces of architecture in Europe. The Great Fire of London destroyed it. Nearly eight years passed after the Fire before the ruins of the old building were cleared away and the new work was begun. It took Christopher Wren thirty five years to build the Cathedral. The Whispering Gallery which is over 100 feet above the floor of the Cathedral is remarkable for its acoustic effect: a person standing at the entrance of the Gallery can hear clearly what is said in the opposite side. Beneath the center of the dome is the tomb of Lord Nelson killed at the battle of Trafalgar.

There is also the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square. And on the Northern side of Trafalgar Square stands the National Gallery, one of the world’s leading art galleries, comprising extensive collections of various European schools of art. It has been in this building since 1838 which was built as the national gallery to house the collection of Old Masters paintings offered to the nation by an English private collector Sir George Beaumont. Today the picture galleries of the National Gallery of Art exhibit works of all the European schools of painting which existed between the 13^th and the 19^th centuries. The most famous works among them are ‘Venus and Cupid’ by Diego Velazquez, ‘Adoration of the Shepherds’ by Nicolas Poussin, ‘A woman bathing’ by Rembrandt, ‘Lord Heathfield’ by Joshua Reynolds, ‘Mrs. Siddons’ by Thomas Gainsborough and many others.

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF GREAT BRITAIN

National traditions are considered to be a part of a nation’s culture and should be regarded inseparably from it. Culture of any nation demonstrates its state of intellectual development, it reflects its spirit, its life - past and present - its hopes for the future. Culture means literary and musical heritage of a country, its famous artists, writers, poets, composers and so on.

The best illustration^ of British long-living traditions can be found in their literature, which presents a great diversity'and is well known all over the world thanks to such names as William Shakespeare, Oscar Wild, Ethel Lillian Voynich , George Bernard Shaw, Jonathan Swift, John Kits and many others. Scotland is the birthplace of many famous men of literature and Robert Burns is probably the greatest poet of all. Whenever we speak about Scotland, the name of Robert Burns is always here as the ever-living and never-dying symbol of this country. The 25^th of January, his birthday, is celebrated annually by lovers of poetry in many countries of the world and especially in Scotland.

A huge part of British cultural wealth is concentrated in its numerous museums which present a paradise for museum-lovers. In London, for instance the art galleries and museums contain collections of objects of archaeological, scientific, historical and general interest. They are the British Museum, the Science Museum, the national Gallery, the Tate gallery, the National Portrait GaJi^y ^d^nany^lhersjrhe British Museum contains the most important collections and is absolutely worth visiting. The Waxworks Museum of madam Tussaud has the most famous exhibition of waxwork models of famous and notorious people in the world. Here one can see models of the Royal family, Agatha Christie, the Beatles and others.

In Great Britain drama is so popular with people of all ages that there are several thousand amateur dramatic societies. Now Britain has about 300 professional theatres. Regular seasons of opera and ballet are given at the Royal Opera House, Convent Garden in London. The National Theatre stages modern and classic plays, the Royal Shakespeare company produces plays mainly by Shakespeare and his contemporaries when it performs in Stratford-on-Avon. London as well as other British cities is full of cinemas and cinema clubs. Cinema-going is a regular habit for a considerable number of people.

Though classical music is a minority interest in Great Britain, London is said to be a very musical capital. The Royal Opera House is internationally known for its opera and ballet productions as well as for its dancers and singers. There are three concert halls near the National Theatre in London: the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Festival Hall and the Purcell Room. In summer there are sometimes one or two open-air rock concerts in Hyde Park. Every summer, from July to September, concerts are held in Royal Albert Hall, including famous Promenade concerts where serious music-lovers stand in the arena or in the top gallery.

Rock and pop music is extremely popular, especially among young people. In the 60s,

70s and later groups such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Eurhythmies, Black Sabbath and others became very popular and succeeded. In the 60s British musicians had a great

influence on the development of music. They were responsible for several innovations which were then adopted by popular musicians in the USA and the rest of the world. Since that time pop music in Britain has been an enormous and profitable industry. It is also worth mentioning the name of Andrew Lloyd Weber, the author of some operas and musicals, the masterpieces of the contemporary rock and pop: “Jesus Christ Super Star”, “The Phantom of the Opera”,  “Cats”, etc.

The British are known to be great sport-lovers. Many of the games we play now come from Britain. One of the most British games is cricket. It is often played in schools, colleges, universities and by club teams all over the country. But as everywhere in the world, the game which attracts the greatest attention is football or soccer. There are plenty of professional and amateur soccer clubs all over Great Britain. Besides, a lot of people are interested in horse-racing and risk money on the horse which they think will win. The Derby is perhaps the most famous single sporting event in the whole world. Britain is also famous for motor-car racing, dog-racing and other kinds ofracFs. Boat races between the teams of Oxford and Cambridge attract large~~~ crowds oTpeople. A great number of people play and watch tennis. Tennis tournaments at Wimbledon are known all over the~woHd7The British also like playing golf, baseball, hockey, grass-hockey. etc. Indeed, sport in one form or another is an essential part of daily life in Great Britain.

— It is a matter of л common knowledge that the English, the Scottish, the Welsh and the Irish have their own traditions which they have been keeping for many centuries so far. They have been very serious about cultivating them and this fact seems to be one of the most convincing features which demonstrate the conservatism of these nations. In fact, the British don’t like anything new: they prefer to keep doing things the way they have been doing them for centuries. English countryside with tidy houses and immaculately arranged gardens is vivid illustration of these nations’ great love for gardening. Milkmen .delivering milk in the morning, five-o’clock tea, the Changing of the Guard in front of Buckingham palace and other colourful ceremonies are the manifestation of this country’s importance and solemnity. Buy of all its traditions The Queen is definitely the most meaningful.

 

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometers. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-boarder with Russia. The country is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where the capital, Washington, is situated. The population of the country is more than 270 million.

The United States is a young country. Its written history is only a few hundred years old. It is sometimes called the "New World". Over the last 400 years millions of people have come to start a new life in this "New World".

The people of the United States are a mixture of many different nationalities. Though mainly European and African in origin, Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations, including Chinese and native Americans. These different people brought to their new land a wonderful mixture of customs and traditions. The German brought Christmas trees. The Irish brought St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The Scots brought Halloween.

If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska. America's largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA.