Amazing Facts about Great Britain

Crowded Country

Britain is one of the most densely populated countries in the world: it is more than twice as densely populated as France, nine times as densely populated as the USA and 100 times as densely populated as Australia.

Kings and Queens

Great Britain's monarchy is over 1,000 years old. The only time when there was no King or Queen in Britain was when the country was a republic between 1649 and 1660. (In 1649 King Charles I was executed and Britain became a Republic for eleven years. The monarchy was restored in 1660).

Monarchy without a Constitution

Britain doesn't have a written constitution! Of course, there are rules and principles for the running of the country, but there is no single written document. Nobody can refer to «article 5» or anything like that, because nothing like that exists.

The Royal Surname

The surname of the British Royal Family is Windsor. This probably sounds very British, but the Royal Family's ancestors were German. The family name was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in 1917 by George V because of strong British feelings against Germany during the First World War.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is the oldest royal residence in the world that is still being used by the royal family! It's almost 1,000 years old! It is also believed that the castle has lots of ghosts including those of Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, King George III, and Charles I.

Her Majesty's Subjects

Other countries have «citizens». But in Britain people are legally described as «subjects» – subjects of Her Majesty the Queen. And criminals are sent to one of «Her Majesty's» prisons.

John Smiths

There are over 30 000 John Smiths in Britain.

Tea Drinkers

British people drink more tea than anyone else in the world: 2,5 times more than the Japanese and 22 times more than Americans! Most Britons like their tea strong and dark, but with a lot of milk. Besides, the British have a «sweet tooth». They love cakes, chocolates and sweets, pies and puddings.

Multicultural Britain

If you walk down a street in Britain, especially in the bigger cities, you will see people with different hair, skin and eye colours. More and more people from different countries arrive in Great Britain each year. Today, you can hear 300 languages in the streets of London! But now those who want to live in Britain have to take a test on «Britishness» to show their knowledge of British culture, history and laws.

A Nation of Newspaper Readers

More daily newspapers are sold per person in Britain than in almost any other country. Sunday papers are especially popular and some people spend all day reading them.

A nation of Animal Lovers

Britain is famous for being a nation of animal lovers, and many people in Britain keep pets. The most popular pets are dogs, cats, hamsters, birds and rats. All in all, there are more than 27 million pets in the country. According to a recent survey, half of pet owners let their cats or dogs sleep in their bed, 40% buy their pets Christmas and birthday presents, 10% of pets eat meals at the table with their owners.

The Rich

The richest people in Britain are pop stars, actors, writers, inventors and members of the royal family. Paul McCartney is the world's first pop star billionaire.

London Zoo

Founded in 1828 London Zoo is the oldest zoo in the world. More than 15,000 animals live there today. One cage invites visitors to step inside, and the sign on the cage reads: «London Zoo presents the most destructive animal in the world – Man».

The London Eye

The London Eye is one of the tallest obser­vation wheel in the world. It is 135m high. Since opening in March 2000 it has become a symbol of modern Britain.

The London Underground

The London Underground is the oldest underground railway in the world! It was built in 1863! Londoners call it the “Tube” because of the shape of the most tunnels.

Cricket

Cricket, the national sport of England, is terribly long. It can take five days to play! It's terribly slow, too. Thirteen players are on the field, but ten of these stand still most of the time. Another strange thing about cricket is that both teams wear the same colour - white. Some words and phrases used in cricket have become idioms. It isn't cricket, for example, means «it's unfair».

Clubs and Societies

There are all sorts of clubs and societies in Britain: the Left-Handers Club, the Tall Person Club, the Talbot Association (only for people called Talbot), the Bald-Headed Club, the Spoon Collectors club, the Button collectors club, the Thimble Society, the Hat Pin Society ... The list is endless.

TEXT 3. Read and translate the text. Give some more symbols of Great Britain.