The UK

The U.K. (The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is the official name of the country which consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

The U.K. is situated on the British Isles. They are formed of two large islands: Great Britain and Ireland and about 5 thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244.000 square km and the population is over 57 mln.

The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

Mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis is the highest point of the British Isles. The Thames, the Severn, the Clyde, the Trent, the Mersey are chief rivers of the country.

Britain has a temperate climate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. As a rule the summers are cool and rainy; the winters are not very cold.

The U.K. is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.

Being a constitutional monarchy the U.K. is ruled by the Parliament, which consists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. Its population is about 8 million.

Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different from each other.

The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there. There are some famous ancient buildings within the City: St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London.

Westminster is the historic and the official part of London. Westminster Abbey, the House of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace are situated in it.

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It’s the symbol of wealth and luxury. It includes Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column, the National Gallery.

There are a lot of factories, workshops and docks in the East End.

London is one of fascinating cities.