The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Fact File

Type of the States: Constitutional Monarchy

Area: 244,100 km2

The Capital: London (population more than 8000000 people)

Population: ~600000000

Government Leaders: Elizabeth II (Queen)

Political subdivisions: England - 39 counties, 7 metropolitan counties, Northern Ireland - 6 counties (or 26 districts)

Principal Trade Partners: Germany, France, Holland, the USA.

Currency: 1 pound sterling = 100 new pence

Climate: mild, humid, changeable.

The UK of GB and NI is situated on the north-west of Europe. The UK consists of 4 parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK lies on the British Isles (5500 islands). The two main are Great Britain and Ireland. The UK is separated from the continent by the English channel. The west coast is washed by the Atlantic ocean. There is the Irish sea between GB and Ireland. The east coast is washed by the North sea. The most important river is Thames.

The flag of the UK known as Union Jack is made up of 3 crosses. The upright red cross is the cross of St. George, the patron Saint of england. The white diagonal cross, is the cross of the St. Andrew, the patron Saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross of St. Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland.

The climate of the British Isles. The British Isles surrounded by the ocean have an insular climate. There are 3 main reasons which formulate the climate of the UK:

1. The position of the Ireland in the temperate belt.

2. Constant winds blow from the west and south-west.

3. The Warm current the Gulfstream that flows from the Gulf of Mexico along the western shores of England.

The cold air comes from the continent gets warm moving across the North sea. That's why it brings clouds to Britain. Winters are not cold. The British ports are ice-free and rivers are not frozen all the year round. A lot of rainfalls in the West, as results there are thick fogs which last for days and weeks in autumn and winter. Summer isn't very hot as usual cool or warm. Winter is mild and warm.

Industrial regions of England - the southeast, the southwest, East Anglia, the Midlands, the North of England.

England is the largest, the most industrial and populated part of the UK. Over 50000000 people of the population of the UK live in England. It's symbol is a Red rose.

The Southeast is a highly populated region of England. There is a lot of industry near the Thames. London and many historical cities such as Windsor, Dover, Brighton are situated here. The county of Kent is known as the Garden of England. The southeast is famous for its resorts Brighton, Worthing, Plymouth, Bournemouth. Deep soils are used for fruit and vegetable cultivation. There are many textiles, clothing, docks fishing, perfume manufactures.

The southwest is the region where the main activity is farming. The SW used to be known for its pirates. There are some British settlements and traces of ancient monuments such as Stonehenge. The romantic past makes it a popular place for artists, writers and holiday makers. The two principle cities are Bristol, Bath. The counties of Devon, Somerset are popular with tourists, so there are many hotels, camping sites which offer bed and breakfast (B and B). The coastline offers the best beaches and surfing in England.

East Anglia is very flat and it's another farming region. The main city is Cambridge. The County of Fens consists of flat land with almost no trees or hedges. It's the motherland of Oliver Cromwell and English general and politician (1599-1658) who was the leader of the army against King Charles I in the Civil War and later become Lord Protector of England was born in the Fens area.

East Anglia is isolated from the rest of Britain because of its shape: it is more than half surrounded by the sea

The Midlands is the heart of England, the largest industrial part in the country. The most important industrial cities are Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, which is one of the Britain's big ports, and Birmingham.

The two famous Midlands cities Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford are connected with English culture: Stratford is the birthplace of great W. Shakespeare and Oxford is famous for its university. The industries if the Midlands, with Birmingham as its chief city, produce metal goods, from motor cars and railway engines to pins and buttons. The Midlands Plain makes good farm land. Sheffield is famous for ts steel industry.

The North of England is the wildest and loneliest part of the country, but also some of the busiest industrial cities. Here you can find deep valleys, rivers and waterfalls, hills and mountains. This part of the country is rich in coal which is important for the region's industry. The main attraction of the North of England are certainly the Lake District, the cities of York and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Many tourists come over especially to look at the ruins of Hadrian's Wall, a stone wall built across the North of England by the order of the Roman ruler Hadrian to defend the North border of Roman Britain form Scottish tribes. The Lake 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.

The largest forests in England occupy in the Breckland to the northeast of Cambridge. North of England is rich in coal.

Wales

Another constituent country of the UK is Wales. IT became part of England in 1536 by the Act of Union. The population of Wales is over 3 million of people. About 75% of Walsh people live in towns and urban districts. The living standards of people in Wales are lower than in England, the unemployment rate is higher.

Wales is a highland country of old, hard rocks. North Wales is a country of mountains and deep valleys. South Wales is a land of high hills and wide valleys. Wales is an industrial country. No big cities except Cardiff, its capital, Swansea, Newport. You needn't passport to travel from England to Wales. The Welsh speak two languages: English and Welsh. English is taught side by side with Welsh in national schools. If your English if fluent you won't be able to understand Welsh.

Wales has its own flag called the Welsh Dragon.