Lecture 1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the uk).
Pre-test on Great Britain.
What do you know about the uk?
How many parts are there in the UK?
What are their capitals?
What separates GB from the mainland in the south?
Is the UK an island state?
What are the main rivers?
What are 2 main regions from geographical point of view?
What is the highest mountain and where is it situated?
What can you tell about the population of the UK?
What is another name of the flag of the UK? Which part of the UK is not on the flag?
What are the main cities of GB?
Useful Vocabulary.
Whirlwind - вихрь
Hurricane - ураган
Drought - засуха
Mild - мягкий
Uneven - неровный
Densely (populated) – густонаселенный
Sparsely (populated) – редконаселенный
Descendant - потомок
To invade - вторгаться
Former (inhabitants) - бывший
To survive - выжить
To blossom - цвести
Poppy - мак
Daffodil – желтый нарцисс
Leek – лук-порей
Shamrock - трилистник
Thistle - чертополох
Oak - дуб
Beech - бук
Moorland – вересковая пустошь
Heather - вереск
Robin Redbreast – красногрудая малиновка
Pine - сосна
Birch - береза
Toad - жаба
Otter - выдра
Sparrow - воробей
Starling - скворец
Tin - олово
Iron ores – железная руда
Swift - быстрый
Geographical position.
The official name of it is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK). Sometimes people call this country as GB or B (after its major island), sometimes England (after its major historic part) or the British Isles.
The UK consists of 4 main parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
The UK is an island state. It is composed of 5500 large and small islands. The 2 main islands are Great Britain (in which are E/Sc/W) to the east and Ireland (in which are N.I. and the independent Irish Republic) to the west. They are separated by the Irish Sea.
Great Britain is an island lying off the north-western coastline of Europe. The English Channel separates it from the mainland in the south. The Strait of Dover (18 miles wide) divides it from France. Great Britain is separated from Belgium and Holland by the North Sea and from Ireland by the Irish Sea. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean on the north-west. Other 2 most important islands are the Isle of Man and the Isle of Wight.
The UK is one of the world’s smaller countries: it is twice smaller than France or Spain. (area – 244 square km).
Geographically, the Island of GB is subdivided into 2 main regions – Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. Lowland Britain comprises southern and east-southern England. Highland Britain consists of Scotland, most of Wales, the Pennines, and the Lake District. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis (1343 m) in Scotland. The highest peak is Snowdon (1085 m) in Wales. England is separated from Scotland by the Cheviot Hills, running from east to west.
The chief rivers of GB are: the Severn, flowing along the border between England and Wales, is the longest, the Thames is the deepest and the most important one flows eastward to the port of London and some others. The swiftest flowing river in British Isles is the Spey. Part of the border between Scotland and England is along the Tweed river, near which is made the woolen fabric that bears its name.
There are many lakes in GB. On the north-west side of the Pennine system lies the Lake District. It contains the beautiful lakes. This district is widely known for its association with the history of English literature and especially with the name of William Wordsworth (1770-1859), the founder of the Lake School of poets.