1) English is one of the most important languages in the world. It can even be said o be the single most important language. Yes, other languages are important too, but not for the same reasons as English is important. English is important because it is, maybe, the only language that truly links the whole world together. If not for English, the whole world may not be as united as it is today. The other languages may be important for their local values and culture. English can be used as a language in any part of the world. This is because at least a few people in each locality would know the language. Though these people might not have the same accent as others, the language at least will be understandable. There are various reasons for the importance of English language. They are listed below.

1. Travel: When a person travels to another part of the world either for the sake of business or even as a tourist, the languages may differ. In these conditions, English is the language that helps people to deal with the situation. It is like a universal language.

2. Same country: In countries like India, where the land is so vast with people of various cultures live, the languages of each part of the country also differ. Under the circumstances, English can be the only link as people in each place will not be able to learn all the other languages to communicate with the people. English bridges this gap and connects the people.

3. Education / Studies: The presence of English as a universal language assumes importance in the fact that more and more people leave their countries not only for the sake of business and pleasure, but also for studying. Education has increased the role of English. People who go to another country to study can only have English as their medium of study. This is because the individual will not be able to learn a subject in the local language of the country. This again reinforces the fact that English language is very important.

4. Correspondence: All correspondences between offices in different countries and also between political leaders of various countries is in English. This linking factor also tells of the importance of English language.

5. Internet: In spite of the growth of Internet in various languages, English is the mainstay of the Internet users. This is the language in which most of the information and websites are available. It is very difficult to translate each and every relevant webpage into the language of various countries. With Internet becoming very important in E commerce and also in education, English language is bound to grow. Thus the importance of English as a language is emphasized.

A dialect is a specific variety of English that differs from other varieties in three specific ways: lexis (vocabulary), grammar (structure) and phonology (pronunciation or accent). English dialects may be different from each other, but all speakers within the English-speaking world can still generally understand them. A speaker from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for instance, might pepper his speech with localised vocabulary, such as gan for “to go” or clarts for “mud”. He may often use regional grammatical constructions, such as the past tense constructions I’ve went and I’ve drank or the reflexive pronouns mysel, yoursel, hissel etc. In addition he probably uses a range of local pronunciations. For all these reasons he could be described as a Geordie dialect speaker. Accent, on the other hand, refers only to differences in the sound patterns of a specific dialect. A speaker from Newcastle-upon-Tyne who generally uses mainstream vocabulary and grammar, but whose pronunciation has an unmistakeable hint of Tyneside, should properly be described as having a Geordie accent. In other words, dialect is the umbrella term for a variety of linguistic features, one of which is accent. True dialect speakers are relatively rare, but despite popular belief we all speak with an accent.

2) Anglosphere is a neologism which refers to those nations with English as the most common language. The term can be used more specifically to refer to those nations which share certain characteristics within their cultures based on a linguistic heritage, through being former British colonies. In particular, this includes the United Kingdom, from where the language originates, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, Ireland and the United States. The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where English is an official or language of government.

In many countries English is the dominant language, but does not have official status. In Australia, English is spoken by the vast majority of the population and is the only language used in government institutions, yet Australia does not have an official language. The case is the same in the United Kingdom and the United States, though many states and regions within the U.S. do have English as an official language. English is an official language of Canada (along with French) and the Philippines (along with Filipino). English is the sole official language of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Commonwealth Games. English is one of the official languages of the United Nations, European Union and the International Olympic Committee.

Many of these countries are current or former colonies or dependencies of the United Kingdom (see also British Empire), or of the United States, itself a former colony of the UK. Notable exceptions include Rwanda which was a former Belgian colony as well as Ethiopia and Eritrea.

India's linguistic picture is complex. According to the Constitution of India, "Hindi in the Devanagari script" is the official language of the union and English the 'subsidiary official language'; however, English is mandated for the authoritative texts of all federal laws and Supreme Court decisions, and (along with Hindi) is one of the two languages of the Indian Parliament. English is used almost exclusively for all higher education, business and science. Courses in many urban and residential schools are taught in English. English is extensively used for administrative purposes in India. India is the 2nd largest English-speaking country in the world by population, after the United States. As such, many consider English to be the de facto official language of India.[citation needed] See Official languages of India.

The linguistic makeup of Pakistan is similarly complex. While the national language is Urdu, English is an official language and used in business, government, and law. English is a compulsory language in schools. All school courses are taught in English.[citation needed] Pakistan is the 9th largest English-speaking country in the world by population.

3) The British Isles are situated on the continental shelf off the north-west coast of Europe. Britain, formally known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, constitutes the greater part of the islands. It comprises the mainland of England, Wales and Scotland (Great Britain) and the northern part of Ireland (Northern Ireland). The southern part of Ireland, the second largest island of the group, is the Irish Republic or Eire. All in all there are over 5,000 islands in the system of the British Isles.

With over 57 million people, Great Britain ranks about fourteenth in the world in terms of population. The high density of population (about 233 per square kilometre) sets a problem of land use and of livelihood. The problems of supporting such a large population on such a small land area are obvious. In fact, this became possible with the emergence of Britain as the world's first industrial nation during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It was during this period that Britain acquired vast overseas colonial territories, ruthlessly robbed and exploited them. This enabled her to become the wealthiest nation on earth.

Smaller islands

Off the north-west coast of Scotland are the Hebrides – an archipelago divided into the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the groups of islands separated from each other by the Sea of the Hebrides and the Little Minch.

Life in the Hebrides very much resembles that of the West coast of the mainland. Many of the people are crofters, and farming combined with fishing is the main occupation.

Separated from the mainland by the stormy seven-mile wide Pentland Firth there are the Orkney Islands, comprising about a hundred islands. Most of the people are engaged in dairy- and poultry farming; bacon, cheese and eggs are exported to Central Scotland.

In the middle of the Irish Sea there is the Isle of Man (571 square km). The island is administered by its own Manx Parliament and has a population of about 50,000 chiefly engaged in farming, fishing and tourist trade. The only settle­ment of any size is the holiday resort of Douglas (23,000). Another important island in the Irish Sea is Anglesey, situated off the north coast of Wales. Anglesey contains only 52,000 people, and more of the working population are now engaged in industry than in fishing and agriculture.

The Isle of Wight is in the English Channel. The Isle of Wight lies across the southern end of Southampton Water, and is separated from the mainland by the Solent.

The Channel Islands form an archipelago, detached by shallow waters from the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy. As part of the Duchy of Normandy, they have been attached to the English Crown since the Norman Conquest (1066).

4) The position of the British Isles within latitudes 50° to 61°N is a basic factor in determining the main characteristics of the climate. Within the limits of the general climatic type — maritime, temperate with no dry season and with summers only moderately warm — there is, however, room for considerable variation between one region and another. Britain has a generally mild and temperate climate, which is dominated by marine influences and is rainy and equable. Britain's climate is much milder than that in any other country in the same latitudes. This is due partly to the presence of the North Atlantic Drift which begins as the Gulf Stream, in the Gulf of Mexico, crosses the Atlantic Ocean, and so reaches the shores of Europe as a warm current, and partly to the fact that north-west Europe lies in a predominantly westerly wind-belt.

From the European continent the British Isles are separated by the English Channel and the North Sea. The English Channel, in its widest part in the west is 220 km wide, and in the narrowest, what is called the Strait of Dover, only 32 km. The average depth of the Channel is 60 m, and that of the Strait of Dover — 30 m. Here the two opposite coasts of England and France come so near that on a clear day the cliffs of each side can be quite well seen from the opposite shore.

In the west the British Isles are washed by the Atlantic Ocean, in the east — by the North Sea, the average depth of which is 95 m. The two largest islands of the British Archipelago, Great Britain and Ireland, are separated from each other by the Irish Sea and the two straits, the North Channel — 20 km wide, and St George's Channel — over 100 km wide. The distance between the ports of Liverpool and Dublin is 230 km.

There is a wide network of rivers in the British Isles, though generally short in length and navigable but in their lower reaches, especially during high tides. Mild maritime climate keeps them free of ice throughout the winter months.

The drainage map of the British Isles seems to contain no very clear pattern. The largest river of Great Britain, the Severn (390 km), for example, follows a particularly puzzling course. After rising on the slopes of Plynlimmon, in central Wales, it flows at first north-eastwards, but later turns sharply through the Ironbridge gorge and then runs southwards and southwestwards to the Bristol Channel. The courses of the Trent (274 km) and the upper Thames (332 km) also show many changes of direction. Many of the largest rivers in Scotland, such as the Tweed, Forth, Dee and Spey, drain directly to the North Sea. Scotland's longest river, the Biver Tay, some 170 km long, also follows this course. Among other important rivers, which flow eastwards, to the North Sea, are the rivers Trent, Tyne, Tees, Humber, Ouse, in England.

Most of the British lakes are in part the result of glacial erosion and in part due to chemical solution of the underlying limestone. There is a host of small winding la­kes in Scotland, in Cumbria and in Ireland.

The largest lake in Great Britain and the biggest inland loch in Scotland is Loch Lomond, covering a surface area of 70 square km, although the longest lake is Loch Ness (56 square km) which also has the greatest volume of water. In England the largest lake is Lake Windermere (the Lake District) with a surface area of 15 square km.

The largest fresh water lake in the British Isles is Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland (381 square km).

5) Within the system of contemporary capitalism Great Britain has lost its former position as the leading industrial nation of the world. A pioneer in the Industrial Revolution, the former 'world workshop', Britain today is fifth in size of its gross domestic product (GDP) and twenty-third in terms of GDP per head among the capitalist countries of the world. Characterizing the specific features of British imperialism V. I. Lenin singled out two most important peculiarities — the possession of a global colonial empire and its monopoly on the world market. As a result of World War I the country lost its monopoly in world trade. Today Britain accounts for only 5—6 per cent of world trade among capitalist countries.

The British economy is primarily based on private enterprise. However, some industries were nationalized after World War II. This was typical nationali­zation carried out on capitalist lines. There are some nationalized industries, accounting for about 3.8 per cent of all employees, while the nationalized sector as a whole accounts for about 5.7 per cent of GDP. Part of public transport, the power industry, the coal mines, some steel, manufacturing plants are managed by the state. The atomic industry is also within the public sector.

The national economy of Great Britain is vitally dependent on foreign trade. Moreover, this dependence is growing in recent years. About a third of the industrial products of the country is exported. With the loss of the colonies the economy has become extremely vulnerable to balance-of-payments problems.

Agriculture supplies nearly two-thirds of the country's food and employs about 2.5 per cent of Britain's employed labour force. More than two-thirds of the arable land and pastures belong to the landlords. Middle and small-scale holdings give the bulk of the agricultural produce. These holders rent the land and employ agricultural workers. Technological progress in agriculture has enhanced class differentiation in agriculture as a result of which more than half of the holders of small-scale farming units were ruined in the last two-three decades.

Regional differences in the country's economy are essential despite its small territory. Historically England proper is divided into the following economic regions: the South Industrial and Agricultural region, Central England or the Midlands, Lancashire, Yorkshire and North England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are also regarded as independent economic regions of the United Kingdom. Hence, the whole country consists of eight economic regions.

The most prominent cities and conurbations of the uk.

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. It is the most populous British city outside London, with a population of over one million, and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation. Today Birmingham is a major international commercial centre and an important transport, retail, events and conference hub.

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands. A person from Glasgow is known as a Glaswegian.

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 483,800, Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas The inhabitants of Manchester are called Mancunians. Manchester was the site of the world's first railway station, and is where scientists first split the atom and developed the first programmable computer

Liverpool /'lIvqpHl/) is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880. Liverpool is the fourth largest city in the United Kingdom (third largest in England) with a population of 435,500.

Leeds (/'li:dz/) is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city had a population of 770,800. Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial heart of the West Yorkshire Urban Area. Leeds is the UK's largest centre for business, legal, and financial services outside London. .

Sheffield (/'SefJld/) is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. The population of the City of Sheffield is 534,500.

Edinburgh (/'edInbrq/) is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. Located in the south-east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast of the Central Belt, along the Firth of Forth, near the North Sea.Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Parliament.

Bristol (/'brIstəl/) is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 it is the most populous city in South West England. The city is built around the River Avon, and it also has a short coastline on the Severn Estuary, which flows into the Bristol Channel.

Leicester (/'lestq/) is a city and unitary authority area in the East Midlands area of England. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest. In 2006, the population of the Leicester unitary authority was estimated at 289,700, the largest in the East Midlands.

6)The population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is over 57 million people.The population lives mostly in towns and cities and their respective suburbs. The distribution of the population is quite uneven.Over 46 million people live in England, over 3 million in Wales, a little over 5 million in Scotland and about 1.5 million in Northern Ireland. The most densely populated areas are Greater London, the South and the Southwest. Only London's population is over 7 million.Most of the mountainous parts of the United Kingdom, including much of Scotland, Wales and the Pennine Chain in Northern England are very sparsely populated.The United Kingdom is inhabited by the English, the Scots, the Welsh, and the Irish who constitute the British nation. The British are the descendants of different peoples who settled in the British Isles at different times.The earliest known people of Britain were of Iberian origin.Then followed a long succession of invaders, including the Celts, the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, the Danes and at last in 1066, the Normans.It was the last time Britain was invaded.Nowadays one can see people of many colours and races in the United Kingdom.They are mostly inhabitants from the former British colonies.The official language of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is English.Besides standard literary English there are several regional and social dialects.

7) England has been called "the mother of parliaments" and its democratic institutions have set the standards for many democracies throughout the world. The form of government in the UK is constitutional monarchy, although there is no single document called constitution (by constitution they mean statutes (laws made by Parliament), important court cases, and established practices). The Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Their work is similar: making laws, checking the work of the government and debating current issues. The House of Commons is also responsible for granting money to the government through approving Bills that raise taxes. Generally, the decisions made in one House have to be approved by the other. In this way the two-chamber system acts as a check and balance for both Houses.

The House of Lords is the upper house, but the Second chamber, of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It makes laws, holds the Government to account and investigates policy issues. Its membership includes experts in many fields and it complements the work of the House of Commons. Members of the House of Lords are mostly appointed by the Queen, a fixed number are elected internally and a limited number (26) of Church of England archbishops and bishops sit in the House.Members of the House of Lords are called Peers.

The Commons is publicly elected. The party with the largest number of members in the Commons forms the government. Members of the Commons (MPs) debate the big political issues of the day and proposals for new laws. The Commons alone is responsible for making decisions on financial Bills, such as proposed new taxes. The Lords can consider these Bills but cannot block or amend them.

The executive power is exercised by a government headed by the Prime Minister and their Cabinet.

'Her Majesty's Government' governs in the name of the Queen, but in reality it is answerable and accountable only to the House of Commons. Its hub, Downing Street, lies in Whitehall, a short walk from Parliament. The official residence of the Prime Minister is Downing Street 10. Most governments consist of about 100 ministers, but the essential core is the Cabinet, the 20 or so most senior ministers invited by the Prime Minister to belong to it. Cabinet government demands collective responsibility and confidentiality. Within the Cabinet the Prime Minister is meant to be first among equals. Government depends upon a permanent body of officials, the Civil Service, to administer the decisions of ministers, and to keep the wheels of government turning. The Civil Service employs almost 500,000 people. The heart of the Civil Service is the Cabinet Office.