Language and area Lecture 1

Introduction

Plan

1. The Origin of the Name “Britain”

2. The First Settlers of Britain

3. The Setting up of the United Kingdom

4. Britain’s Political Stability

5. Cultural Activities in Britain

6. Britain’s Main Foreign Policy Aims

Britain, which is formally known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is the political unity of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The name «Britain» is believed to be the anglicized Greek or Roman form of Celtic origin. It is often used to designate the British Isles as a whole.

“Britannia” is the ancient name of Britain. Nowadays Great Britain is personified under the name of «Britannia», as a helmeted woman seated on a globe leaning with one arm on a shield and grasping a spear with her free hand.

Britain ranks sixteenth in the world in terms of population. For centuries people from overseas have settled in Britain, either to escape political or religious persecution, or in search of economic opportunities.

The first known settlers of Britain were the Celts who came to the island from northern Europe in the 5th or 6th century B.C. In 55 B.C. Julius Caesar, Roman general and statesman, invaded the island for a short time but in the 1^st century a long Roman occupation began which lasted till the early 5th century. After the withdrawal of the Roman army Britain was invaded by Anglo-Saxons and Jutes who forced the Celts to retreat westward. Danes came at the end of the 8th century. In the 11th century England was invaded by the Normans.

The setting up of the United Kingdom as a state is a result of continuous wars of aggression and a policy of annexation and aggrandizement.

The oldest colony of Britain is Ireland and its conquest started a long time ago. Though Northern Ireland has officially become part of the United Kingdom only in the 20th century the English started their attempts at conquering it as early as the 12th century. The Irish stubbornly resisted the English, defending their territory and fought to protect their independence. Their resistance was broken by the English and they were forced to accept the rule of the English.

In the beginning of the 20th century the fight for independence in Ireland flared up. As a result of it Britain was compelled to agree to the establishment of the Irish Free State and to yield the greater part of Ireland to the Irish. In 1922, 26 Irish countries succeeded to withdraw from the United Kingdom as the Irish Free State (later Eire, since 1949 Republic of Ireland) and since then the name of Northern Ireland (comprising 6 countries) was added to the title of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

In the same way as Ireland both Wales and Scotland failed to capitulate voluntarily to the English rule and had to be attacked in force. They fell under the onslaught of England and were annexed. The union of England with Wales dates from 1301 when Edward I's son was created Prince of Wales. The name Great Britain started to be used at the beginning of the 17th century after James IV of Scotland had succeeded to the English throne. In 1707 it was formally adopted after the union of the parliaments of England and Scotland.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries Britain became the world's first industrialized country. Wealth was based on the manufacture of iron and steel, heavy machinery and textile, and coalmining, shipbuilding and trade. But World War I and II have brought to an end the period of Britain's primacy as such. Great Britain emerged from WW II greatly weakened. Almost all the territories that Great Britain had previously held were lost.

Now the United Kingdom together with most of its former colonies are members of the Commonwealth, the Queen being the head of the Commonwealth.

Nowadays Britain's democratic system of government has provided considerable political stability. Britain is one of the 12 member states of the European Community. Close links maintained with many other countries notably within the Commonwealth, which links 50 independent nations.

According to a United Nations report on human development, Britain ranks tenth out of 160 countries on a human development index that combines life expectancy, education levels and basic purchasing power.

The economic and industrial pattern has altered considerably in the last few years. As in other industrialized nations, service industries have become much more important and now account for more than 71% of employees.

Financial and other business services have grown in significance.

Communications benefit from a network of motorways and fast inter-city rail services. Links to the continent of Europe are strengthened by the opening of the Channel Tunnel in late 1993. London's Heathrow Airport is the busiest international airport in the world.

A very broad range of cultural activities exists in Britain. Many Britons engaged in the arts and media enjoy international reputations.

Britain's main foreign policy aims and objectives are to enhance its security and prosperity, and to promote and protect its interests overseas through world peace and economic growth.

Britain is a member of some 120 international organizations, including the European Community (EC), the United Nations (UN), where it is a permanent member of the Security Council, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the Commonwealth.

Britain is fully committed to the principles of the United Nations and its Charter, and believes that all member states should ensure that the organization functions as effectively as possible to maintain peace, assist developing countries and protect human rights and freedom. Britain is the sixth largest contributor to the UN budget.