Great britain

Great Britain is the largest island in Europe, it consists of England, Scotland and Wales and together with Northern Ireland it forms the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which is the official title of the country.

From the European continent the British Isles are separated by the English Channel and the North Sea. The UK is washed in the east by the North Sea, and in the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. There are many rivers and lakes in the British Isles. The largest river of Great Britain, the Severn, is 390 km long. Among other important rivers are the Trent, Tyne, Clyde, Thames and others.The largest lakes in Great Britain are Loch Lomond and Lock Ness. The mountains are mainly situated in Scotland and Wales. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland. The population of the country is about 60 million. The Atlantic Ocean has a significant effect on Britain’s climate. Due to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream the climate of Britain is mild throughout the year.

The capital of the United Kingdom, London, is one of the largest cities in the world with the population of about 7 million. It is the industrial and political centre of the country.

Britain has the richest energy resources in the European Union (EU), mostly in the form of oil and natural gas discovered in the North Sea. Other energy sources include coal and nuclear power. Most of Britain’s mineral resources today are either exhausted or produced in small quantities. Britain imports them for industrial production although small quantities of iron, zinc, copper, lead, silver, gold are still mined.

Today Britain is a major producer of industrial goods and provider of services as well as a centre of world trade and finance. In Britain highly developed are such industries as shipbuilding, coal, iron and steel, aircraft, textile, engineering, food processing, etc. It produces machine-tools, electric power equipment, motor vehicles, paper and paper products, clothes and other consumer goods.

British agriculture is very intensive and highly productive. More than half of the farms are devoted to livestock farming-raising cattle for dairy products or beef, or raising sheep for wool and meat. The principal crops are wheat, barley, rape seed. Other crops include sugar beets, peas and beans. The extensive use of machines, fertilizers, pesticides and biologically engineered seeds and plants has increased productivity dramatically.

The United Kingdom (UK) is a constitutional monarchy which means that the head of the state is a monarch with limited powers. The present monarch is Queen Elizabeth II. She has been on the throne since her coronation in 1953. As the official head of the state the Queen formally summons and dismisses the Parliament and the ministers of the Cabinet. As in reality the government carries out the most important duties, the work of the monarch largely consists of signing papers and performing ceremonial functions.

The political structure of the country comprises two Houses of Parliament: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords today is more a place of discussion and debate than of power. It normally passes legislation already approved by the House of Commons. The House of Commons is the source of real political power in the U.K. Members of the House of Commons are elected from geographical constituencies and each MP represents approximately 60 000 people. The general election is held every 5 years and the leader of the party who gains the most votes becomes Prime Minister. The main political parties of the UK are the Labour and the Conservative parties.