1. Government of the United Kingdom. Structure and the leading parties.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch. A queen, currently Queen Elizabeth II, is the head of state, and a prime minister, currently Boris Johnson, is the head of government.

Executive power is exercised by the British government (the Cabinet), on behalf of and by the consent of the monarch, as well as by the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales and the Northern Ireland Executive. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, as well as in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies.

The UK political system is a multi-party system. The leading parties are the Labour Party (was formed after WW1) and the Conservative Party (Tories in the past) and the Liberal Party=Liberal Democrats (a union of Whigs and Radicals). There are also the Scottish national Party and the Democratic Unionist.

The first-past-the-post electoral system (the candidate who receives the most votes wins) is used for general elections tends.

Prime minister is appointed by the queen, a prime minister appoints the members of the Cabinet. The people vote in elections for Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent them.

Prime minister can be appointed only from the House Of Commons.

2. The geography of the United Kingdom. Nature and climate.

geography:

the 9th largest island in the world and the largest in Europe

Great Britain also includes the outlying areas of Isle of Wight, Anglesey, the Isles of Scilly, the Hebrides and the remote island groups of Orkney and Shetland.

total area is 88,745 square miles (229,848 sq km)

population is about 65 million people

14 Overseas Territories (Pitcairn - 50 inhabitants)

River Severn is the longest river

The Irish Sea is between England and Ireland

White Cliffs of Dover - Kent county

Percentage of people in the UK live in a town or city - 80%

climate:

The climate is temperate and is moderated by the Gulf Stream.

A variety of weather patterns due to the proximity to the ocean.

Weather is very changeable

London has an average January low temperature of 36 ̊F (2.4 ̊C) and a July average temperature of 73 ̊F (23 ̊C).

The average range of temperature (from winter to summer) is from 15 to 23 degrees above zero.

There is a compound flooding: storm surges and heavy rainfall combine

nature:

Natural resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk

Today only about 6 per cent of the total land area remains wooded.

Animals: birds, Hedgehogs, hares, rabbits, rats and mice, Deer, foxes. bear, boar, wolf have been hunted to extinction; otters are common along rivers and streams, and seals live along much of the coast.

Trees (Highlands): oak, elm, ash, and beech; pine and birch; wild flowers, flowering plants and grasses.

3. The economic geography of the United Kingdom. Major industrial areas and centers.

The service sector dominates the UK economy, contributing around 80% of GDP; the financial services industry is particularly important, and London is the world's largest financial centre.

Britain's aerospace industry is the second - largest national aerospace industry.

Сoal industry heavily concentrates in South Wales, Midlands, Yorkshire, North East England and southern Scotland.

The major primary industry is North Sea oil. Its activity is concentrated on the east coast of Scotland and North East England.

Most natural gas production is in the North Sea, with a small amount onshore and in the Irish Sea.

Chemical industry centres in South-Eastern England, Lancashire.

The engineering industry is present in almost all areas and in most cities in the UK.

East Anglia and South East England have been centres for grain production

The county of Kent was so well known for this that it is often referred to as the Garden of England and was particularly noted for hop growing.

Dairy farming is most prevalent in South West England.

69% of the total land area – agriculture

4. Brexit, its challenges and opportunities.

Brexit is the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

DISADVANTAGES:

● there will be no transition period

● UK will end up just using standard international trading rules

● tariffs and border checks would potentially kick in straight away

● border can reignite sectarian violence in Northern Ireland

ADVANTAGES:

● Britain gets immediate control of its borders and could make its own policies on migration

● for EU citizens already in Britain the government says they can stay but under no do the EU says there's no specific arrangement to protect Brits living abroad

Key arguments for leave:

· Money: Britain would not contribute billions of pounds in membership fees to the EU every year.

· Trade: Britain could fully capitalise on trade with other major economies such as Japan, India and the US.

· Britain would have international influence. Britain would have more control of its laws and regulations.

· Britain’s domestic security could benefit from full border controls.

Key arguments for remain:

· Money: European businesses would not invest billions of pounds in the UK every year.

· Trade: Britain would not have an access to the European single market, which is invaluable for trade and enables the easy movement of goods and services.

· Britain has greater influence over international matters as a member of the EU.

· Britain would not be so equipped to tackle threats to security, including terrorism and cross-border crime.

Brexit - это выход Великобритании из Евросоюза.

5. The UK geography, the overseas territories

(these areas are not part of the United Kingdom, but they are under its protection)

The UK has specific constitutional and legal responsibilities for its 14 Overseas Territories and a responsibility to ensure their security and good governance. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not been granted independence or have voted to remain British territories. These territories do not form part of the United Kingdom and, with the exception of Gibraltar, are not part of the European Union.

Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands and so on.

6. The UK politics. Wigs and Tories.

Whig and Tory – members of opposing political parties, esp. during the 18th century

Both are terms of abuse

Whigs

Initially, the Whigs were the party of the liberal and reforming aristocracy.

The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute monarchy.

The Whigs played a central role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and were the standing enemies of the Stuart kings and pretenders, who were Roman Catholic.

The first great leader of the Whigs was Robert Walpole

the Whig Party attracted people more favorable to constitutional reforms, and in 1832 led the most significant modernization of the British Parliament

union of Whigs and Radicals took the name "Liberal Party”, later Liberal Democrats

Tories

The word Tory designated early supporters of strong royal power

Tories were monarchists and traditionalists, especially at the time of the Restoration of the monarchy

During the 19th century the Tory party, which became the Conservative Party in 1834, was torn between its traditionalists and its reformers

After the First World War - the Labour Party

Labour first formed a majority government in 1929

From 1929 to 2010, power alternated between the Conservatives and the Labour Party

The British electoral system (known as the "first past the post" system), has not changed for more than four centuries.