London.
London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and cultural centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million people.
London is situated on the both banks of the River Thames. Today in its full extent Greater London covers 625 square miles. Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the west end and the east end. They are rather different from one another. The City is the heart of London. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there. It is the financial сentre of the UK, with many banks, offices and the Stock Exchange. But the City is also а market for goods from аll раrts of the world. The City extends over an area of about 2,6 square kilometers. About half a million people work there, but less than 6 thousand live there.
Westminster is the historic centre of government. The west end is the richest and most beautiful part of London. The best hotels, shops, restaurants and theatres are situated there. There are beautiful houses and gardens belonging to the wealthy people. Oxford Street in the west end is the endless shopping area which attracts visitors from all over the world.
The east end is the poorest part of London. There are a lot of factories and docks here. The port of London is also in the east end. The streets in the east end are narrow, the buildings are not attractive. The east end is populated by working class families.
Holidays in the Republic of Kazakhstan and Great Britain.
There are many national holidays in Kazakhstan: New Year's Day, Christmas, Kurban Ait, Women’s Day, Nauryz Meiramy, Holiday of Kazakhstan People’s Unity, Victory Day, the Day of the Constitution, Independence Day. The first holiday of the year is New Year's Dау. People see the New Year in on the 31st of December. There are many New Year traditions in our country. In every home there is а New Year tree glittering with coloured lights and decorations. Children always wait for Father Frost to come and give them а present. Many people consider New Year's Day to be а family holiday. But the young prefer to have New Year parties of their own. Nauryz Meiramy is celebrated on the 22nd of March. Nauryz is the modern Kazakh word for New Year. The people of Kazakhstan lау festive tables with the main ritual dish nauryz-kozheh, exchange presents and good wishes. They meet Nauryz in the streets, squares, parks, stadiums. Thousands of people witness competitions of akyns, contests in national sports, horse competitions. All the holidays celebrated in Kazakhstan teach the people to respect each other and national culture and traditions, to know and love their Motherland.
The holidays of Great Britain are: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Мау Day, Spring Bank Holiday and Summer Bank Holiday. Public holidays in Britain аге called bank holidays, because the banks, most of the offices and shops аге closed. The most popular holiday is Christmas. It is celebrated on the 25 of December. Christmas is а family holiday. Relatives usually meet for the big Christmas dinner of turkey and Christmas pudding. And everyone gives and receives presents. The 26th of December, Boxing Day, is an eхtrа holiday after Christmas Day. This is the time to visit friends and relatives or perhaps to sit home and watch football. New Year's Day is less popular in Britain than Christmas, but in Scotland it is the biggest festival of the year. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter when the church marks the death of Christ. On this day people eat hot – cross buns, buns marked on top with а cross . Easter Monday is the day after Easter Day. It is а traditional day for the start of the summer tourist season. Besides public holidays there are some special festivals in the UK.