General characteristics
the United States Constitution
Legislative branch
Executive branch
Judicial branch
Foreign relations
Introduction to the political system of the USA
The USA is a Federation
its government relies on representative democracy through a congressional system under a set of powers specified by its Constitution
It is “not a simple representative democracy, but a constitutional republic in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law”
2 levels of government: federal, state, local levels
officials are either elected by voters in a secret ballot or appointed by other elected officials
executive and legislative offices are decided by a plurality vote of citizens in their districts
judicial and cabinet-level offices – nominated by the Executive branch and approved by the Legislature
the federal gevernment comprises three branches, which are to check and balance one another's powers:
Legislative: The Congress; the Senate and the House of Representatives (makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties and has powers of impeachment and the purse)
Executive: The President (appoints the Cabinet and other officers, administers and enforces federal law, can veto bills, and is Commander in Chief) and the Cabinet
Judiciary: the Supreme Court and lower Federal courts (which interpret laws and their validity under the Constitution and can overturn laws they deem unconstitutional)
The United States Constitution
The USC is the supreme legal document, regulation affairs through government chosen by the people
the C has been amended 27 times, the last time in 1992
the C serves to “preserve liberty” with a “Bill of Rights and other amendments
it guarantees freedom of speech, religion, and the press, the right to a fair trail, the right to keep and bear arms, universal suffrage and property rights
American politics is dominated by the Republican Party (Centre-right” or conservative) and the Democratic (centre-left or liberal)
Legislative branch
the US congress is a bicameral legislature
the House of Representatives has 435 members, each representing a congressional district for a 2-year term
house seats are apportioned among the states according to population
each state has 2 senators, elected at large to six-year terms, 1/3 of Senate seats are up for election every year
the Senate must give “advice and consent” to many important presidential appointments
the House of Representatives introduces bills
Responsibilities of a Congress.
each individual congressperson must assume three roles:
legislator
committee member
representative of their constituents
Powers of Congress:
to collect taxes in order to pay debts, provide for common defence and general welfare of the US
to borrow money on the credit of the US
to regulate commerce with other nations and between the states
to coin money and regulate its value
provide for punishments and counterfeiting
establish post offices and roads
promote progress of science
create courts inferior to the Supreme Court
define and punish piracies and felonies
declare war
raise and support armies, provide and maintain a navy, make rules for the regulation of land and naval forces
provide for the militia, arms and disciplines the militia
exercise exclusive legislation n Washington D.C.
Make laws necessary to execute the powers of Congress
the Executive branch consists of the President of the US and his delegates
the President is the head of state and head of government, the commander-in-chief of the military, the chief diplomat
the President, according to the Constitution, must “take care that the laws be faithfully executed”
the President has important legislative and judicial powers
he may use executive orders to affect internal policies
the President may sign or veto legislation passed by Congress
he may be impeached by a majority in the House and removed from office by a two-thirds majority in the Senate for “treason, bribery or other high crimes
President campaign. Candidate from each Party, which are competing with each other.
The Vice PRESIDENT (Joseph Biden) is the second highest executive official of the government
at first the presidential line of succession, the Vice President becomes the new President of the US upon the death, resignation or removal of the President, which has happened nine times
his only other constitutional duty is to serve as the President of the Senate, but over the years the office has evolved into a senior advisor to the President.
Cabinet, executive department, and agencies
the enforcement and administration of federal laws is in the hands of federal executive departments, created by Congress to deal with specific areas of national and international affairs
the heads of the 15 departments, chosen by the President and approved by the US Senate, form a council of advisors and generally known as the “president's cabinet”
the executive office of the President:
the White House staff
the National Security Councel
the Office of Management and Budget
the Economic Advisors
the Office of the US Trade Representatives
the Office of Drug Control Policy
the Office of Science and Technology policy
there are also a number of independent agencies.
Judicial Branch
the highest Court is the Supreme Court of the US which consists of 9 justices
the court deal with matters pertaining to the Federal Government, disputes between states, and interpretation of the US Constitution, and can declare legislation or executive action made at any level of the government as unconstitutional
below Supreme Court are the courts of appeals, and below them in turn are the district courts
the supreme court of each state is the final authority on the interpretation of that state's laws and constitution.
Foreign relations
almost all countries have embassies in Washington, D.C., and consulates around the country
Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Sudan don't have formal diplomatic relations with US
the US is a founding member of the United Nations (with a permanent seat on the Security Council), among many other international organisations
today America's principal allies include Australia, Japan, Israel, and the NATO member seats, with the UK being America's closest ally
The US has close diplomatic, economic, cultural ties to its neighbouring nations, Canada and Mexico
A survey (2007) shows that 28,000 people in 27 countries, a majority of them believe that US has mainly negative influence on other countries
Economy of the US
!.General characteristics
industry
agriculture
income
social welfare
science and technology
transportation
energy
American economy is a free enterprise system, which allows private businesses the freedom to operate for profit with minimum government interference and regulation
“Invisible hand”
Adam Smith: when individuals motivated by self-interest are allowed to pursue profit freely, the result is good for all of society. In economics, the invisible hand (of the market), the term economists use to describe the self-regulating nature of the marketplace, is a metaphor first coined by the economist Adam Smith in the Theory of Moral Sentiments.
Gross Domestic product
the total market value of all the goods and services produces within the orders of a nation during a specified period
GDP - $14,660 trillion (2010)
GDP growth – 2.8%
GDP per capita - $47,132
GDP by sector
agriculture (1.2%)
industry (21.9%)
services (76.9%) (2009)
inflation – 2.1% (February 2011)
unemployment – 8.1% (February 2009)
population below poverty line -
12.5% (2007)
14.3% (2009)
National debt -
$10.881 trillion (Feb., 2009)
$14 trillion (Jan., 2011)
Ingredients of American economy:
natural resources
labour
manufacturing and investment
Capitalist mixed economy, fueled by abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity.
the largest national GDP in the world, about 4% less than th combined GDP of the European Union in 2007
the largest importer of goods and third largest exporter through exports per capita are relatively low
Canada, China, Mexico, Japan and Germany – top trading partners
the leading export commodity – electrical machinery
the leading import – vehicles
recession since December 2007
the private sector constitutes the bulk of the economy
the economy is postindustrial, with the service sector contributing 67.8% of GDP
Exports – commodities: capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products
Imports – Commodities: crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles consumer goods, industrial raw materials, beverages and food
Coca-Cola and MCDonald's are the 2 most recognized brands in the world
the New York Stock Exchange is the world's largest by dollar volume (Wall Street)
US Industry
the USA is one of the leaders in:
Computer manufacturing
steel manufacturing
automobile manufacturing
oil production
biotechnology
chemical products
the world's number one producer of electrical and nuclear energy, as well as liquid natural gas, sulfur, salt and phosphates.
Small businesses
may be defined as a business with a small number of employees. The legal definition of “small”often varies by country and industry, but is generally under 100 employees in the US
36%of all workers employed
55% of innovation
Agriculture:
agriculture accounts for just under 1% of GDP
farming: industrial and independent
most important products: corn, cattle meat, cow's milk, soybeans, wheat and other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton, hen eggs, beef, pork, poultry (turkey meat and chicken meat), dairy products; forest products; fish
Distribution of household income
lowest – less than $ 18,500
middle – between $34,738 to $ 55,331
top – more than $88,030
Social welfare
a social welfare provision refers to any government program which seeks to provide a minimum level of income, service or other support for disadvantaged groups such as the poor, elderly, disabled, students
in 2006, more than 48 million Americans received approximately $539 billion Social Security benefits
Examples of social welfare services:
compulsory superannuation saving programs
pensions or other financial aid, including social security, and tax relief, to those with low incomes or inability to meet basic living cost, especially those who are raising children, elderly, unemployed, injured, sick or disabled
free or low cost nursing, medical and hospital care for those who are sick, injured, unable to care for themselves
free of low cost public education for all children
Science and technology
a leader in scientific research and technological innovation since the late 19th century
in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was awarded the first US patent for the invention of the telephone
Thomas Edison developed the photograph, the first long-lasting bulb, the first movie camera
Nikola Tesla pioneered alternating current
The Wright brothers in 1903 made the 1st sustained and controlled heavier-than-air- power flight
during the WWII the Manhattan Project developed nuclear eapons, ushering in the Atomic Age
the Space Race produced rapid advances in rocketry, materials science, computers
the US largely developed the ARPANET and its successor, the Inet
the country is the primary developer and grower of genetically modified food, more than half of the world's land planted with biotech crops in the US
Transportation
in 2003 there were 759 autos per 1,000 Americans
the average American adult spends 55 minutes driving every day, travelling 47 km
bicycle usage is minimal, well below European levels
the five largest airlines in the world by passengers carried are American. American Airlines is number 1.
Energy
the US energy market is 29,000 terawatt hours per year
energy consumption per capita is 7.8 tons of oil equivalent per year (Germany – 4.2)
in 2005 40% of this energy came from petroleum, 23% from coal, 22% from natural gas
the US is the world's largest consumer of petroleum
American national character
American values
body contact and personal expression
Basic American values:
freedom
mobility
individualism
opportunity
energy
pragmatism
progress
renewal
competition
Freedom and liberty
the concept of an individual having control over his destiny is very close to every American. They value freedom, that is an ideal that unifies Americans. Yet this idea has not always corresponded to reality.
Equality
God views all humans alike without regard to intelligence, physical condition or economic status. All citizens should play by the same rules, get equal punishment and reward.
Opportunity for the individuals
encouraged to develop their own goals and treat themselves as separate individuals responsible for their decisions and consequently lives
child and baby care by Benjamin Spock: the parents' objective in raising a child is to create a responsible, self-reliant individual who is ready to move out of the parent' house and make his or her own way in life
Individualism in the US is understood as self-reliance and economic self-sufficiency.
Achievement and success
what the person has independently accomplished or in what he or she has been successful
money is valued for what it buys but also as a means to show one's achievement
Americans love winners who come from nowhere and make it on their own
the self0made man or woman is still very much the ideal in 21th century America
Work orientation
honest work of an kind is honourable
the frontier idea of work for survival and the Puritan ethic of work before play
the person must resume earning his or her living as soon as possible
failure in peoples' minds is often connected with character defects rather than misfortune
a “no nonsense” attitude toward life has created many people who have come to be known as “workaholics”
Action
any action is considered to be better than any action at all
people think that it is “sinful” to waste one's time, to sit around doing nothing or just to daydream
Free choice
absence of political or economic restraint and an opportunity to select from numerous options
associated with the chance to escape the problems of the past and to create a new life in the new world one has chosen to live in
Education
the key to opportunity, including financial security
a pragmatic approach to learning – what one learns outside the classroom is considered as important as what is learned in the classroom
lifelong learning is valued which results in many adult and continuing education programs
Family
the main purpose of family – to bring about the happiness of each individual family member
the traditional family values – love and respect for parents, as well as for all members of the family
it's allowed to children to disagree even argue with their parents – not a sign of disrespect but part of developing one's independence
Informality
this belief explains the informality in the behaviour and relationships between people. People from ,any other countries are surprised by the casualness of American speech and dress
people wear jeans and T-shirts irrespective of their position. They lean on walls or sit on the table when they talk
Americans are one of the most informal and casual people in the world, even when compared to their near relative – the Western European
Patriotism
patriotism is revealed in national symbols, flags, the national anthem played at all sporting events
patriotism is demonstrated during national celebrations
Change and progress
change is seen as an indisputably good condition
change is strongly linked to development, improvement, progress and growth
Americans dream of a land in which life should be better, richer and fuller for every man with opportunities for the each according to his abilities and achievements.
Part 2. United Kingdom
Lecture 1. Geography of the United Kingdom
General characteristics
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – constitutional monarchy
GB – the largest island in the archipelago, known as the British Isles
Wales – on the West, Scotland – to the north
Northern Ireland – in the north-east corner of Ireland
Area – 244,110 sq km – roughly the size of Oregon or Colorado, twice the size of NY state
Climate – mild, chilly, often wet. Rain – expected for up to 300 days per year
Estimated population density – 253 persons per sq km in 2008
the UK is a highly developed economically, industrially, technologically country, preeminent in the arts and science, highly prosperous and peaceful
with each passing year, English comes closer to being a world language
“Daughter nations” - dominions – Canada, Australia, New Zealand fit this pattern
for a long time India was the most important colony in the British Empire
the British Empire once included substantial portions of southern, western, eastern Africa, important areas in Asia, such as Hong Kong, a few holdings in the Americas, ans a large number of islands in the Pacific
today most of these are independent nations, but many retain some British law, institutions, customs
many countries have adopted the British system of parliamentary government, often referred to as the Westminster model
Britain was a pioneer in economic matters. The1st industrial revolution occurred in Britain in the 18th and early 19th centuries
Britain was the 1st nation to have more than half of its population living in urban areas
Rapid economic development and worldwide trade made Britain the richest nation in the world during the reign of Queen Victoria in the 19th century
The relief and Borders of the Country
The UK is bordered in the south by the English Channel, in the east – by the North Sea, in the west – by the Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean
England is the largest, most populous, wealthiest division of the UK. It makes 130,410 sq km of the UK's total 244,110
the area of Scotland is 78,790 sq km
England makes up 53,4% of the area of the UK, Scotland – 32.3%, Wales – 8.5%, Northern Ireland – 5.8%
the UK contains a number of small islands: the Isle of Wight, which lies off of England's southern cost
Anglesey, off the Northwest coast of Wales
Several dependencies and dependent territories are associated with the UK
The Isle of Man in the Irish Sea and the Channel Islands off the northern coasts of France. They are not technically part of the UK, maintain a special relationship with it, both self-governing and have their own legislative assemblies ans systems of law. Britain is responsible for their international relations and defence
the Island of GB can be divided into 2 zones – the highland and the lowland
the western portion of the Highlands contains most of Scotland's famous lochs, or large lakes
Northern Ireland – centre of the valley – Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the British Isles
Wales – covered with mountains. Coal mines.
Climate
moist climate with a lot of rainfall, numerous lakes and rivers
The Thames and the Severn are the longest rivers
Lough Neagh – the largest lake
Loch Lomond – the largest on the island of Great Britain
Lake Windermere, Lake District
Mineral and energy resources
exhausted or produced in small quantities. Britain relies on buying natural resources from other county
limestone, sand, gravel, rock, sandstone, clay, chalk, salt, gypsum, potash
richest energy resources in the European Union, its oil and natural gas are of vital importance
exports oil and natural gas
coal if far less important to the British economy
a number of nuclear energy facilities
developing biofuels
Environmental issues
environmental protection – an important issue
the UK has contributed funds and expertise toward global efforts to preserve the environment
in 2007, 12.7 % of the UK was protected by national parks
one of the most important problems – disposal of radioactive waste
another problem - the pressure to develop more land
The political system of the UK
Government
Parliamentary monarchy – the head of state is a monarch with limited powers
Britain' democratic government is based on a constitution composed of various historical documents, laws, formal customs
parliament, the legislature, consists of the House of Lords, the House of Commons, and the monarch, also called the Crown
the House of Commons is far more influential than the House of Lords, which in effect makes the British system unicameral
the chief executive is the Prime Minister – a member of the House of Commons
the executive branch also includes Her Majesty's Government, commonly referred to simply as “the government”
the government is composed of ministers in the Cabinet, most of whom are members of the House of Commons; government departments,each of which is responsible to a minister; local authorities; and public corporations
because the House of Commons is involved in both the legislative and executive branches of the British government, there is no separation of powers between executive and legislature as there in the Unites States
The Constitution
comprises multiple documents
the written part consists of the Magna Carta, written in 1215, the Petition of Right, passed by Parliament in 1628, and the Bill of Rights of 1689
it also includes the entire body of laws enacted by Parliament, precedents established by decisions made in British courts of law, and various traditions and customs
the democratically elected House of Commons can alter these laws with a majority vote
the constitution continually evolves as new laws are passed and judicial decisions are handed down, all laws passed by Parliament are regarded as constitutional
although the crown gives its royal assent to legislation, this is a mere formation
The Prime Minister (Gordon Brown 2007-2010, David Cameron)
the chief executive of the government is the prime minister
he or she is the leader of the party that holds the most seats in the House of Commons
the monarch goes through the ceremony of selecting as prime minister is the person from the House of Commons who is head of the majority party
The Prime minister presides over the Cabinet and selects the other Cabinet members, who join him or her to form the government that is part of the functioning executive
acting through the Cabinet and in the name of the monarch, the prime minister exercises all of the theoretical powers of the crown
The Privy Council
The Privy Council is a large and generally ceremonial body of more than 450 members that developed out of the royal council that existed in the Middle Ages
the Privy Council comprises all current and former Cabinet members, as well as important public figures in Britain and the Commonwealth
it advises the monarch and arranges for the formal handling of documents
it ha a large number of committees, each with a specific task, such as dealing with outlying islands, universities, or legal matter. The most important committee – Judicial Committee
The Legislature: Parliament
is elected every 5 years, is dissolved by the crown on the advice of the prime minister, who then calls a general election
Parliamentary sessions are held each year and begin in October or November. It meets in the Houses of Parliament in London, called the New Place of Westminster
The House of Lords
is a place for discussion, debates, it passes legislation already approved by the House of Commons
its members are not elected
The house of Lords is made up of the lords temporal, the lords spiritual, and the law lords (гражданские лорды, духовные отцы)
the lords temporal are either hereditary peers or life peers
today the majority of members of the House of Lords – about 600 – are life peers, appointed by the monarch for the duration of the person's lifetime
famous people who have been made peers are former British prime ministers Winston Churchill and Harold Wilson
the lords spiritual include the archbishops of Canterbury and York; the bishops of London,Durham, and Winchester, and the 21 next most senior bishops
the law lords (lords of appeal), assist in the judicial functions of the House of Lords
The Lords have the right to delay legislation, and may delay bills for up to a year
The house of commons and legislation
is the source of real political power in the UK. Its members are democratically elected by universal suffrage of citizens over the age of 18
members are elected from geographical constituencies determined by population, and each MP generally represents a constituency of 60,000 to 70,000 people
the commissions review the constituencies every 8 to 12 years, recommend changes based on population shifts
British citizens living abroad may vote in UK up to 20 years after they have left Britain
The Judiciary
inlike the US, Britain doesn't have a Supreme Court that reviews legislation to determine its constitutionality; that responsibility falls to Parliament
those who practice law in Britain are divided into solicitors and barristers
solicitors perform the everyday work of the law, particularly legal matters that can be handled solely with paperwork
Barristers plead cases in court. In Scotland barristers are called advocates. Solicitors engage barristers when they believe a client needs to go to court.
The principles derived from British law:
the right to trial by jury
the right to due process of law
freedom from unlawful imprisonment
the trial system of prosecution and defence
the presumption that a person is innocent until proven guilty
The Political Background and Economic Realities of Modern Britain
Three major phases of British government
phase 1 – 1945-1979
phase 2 – 1979-1997
phase 3 – 1997-today
in 1945 a Labour Government under prime minister Clement Attlee established what was later called “the post-war consensus” between the two main parties, the Conservative and Labour Parties
Despite ideological differences, both Conservative and Labour Governments followed the principles for the national economy formulated by the great pre-war economist J.M.Keynes
Principles: capitalist society could only service if government a) controlled, b)managed and c)planned much of the general shape of its economy
the requirements of war (1939-1945) had increased the belief in, and practice o, government planning
Labour nationalized those industries and services considered central to the national economy (coal and steel production, gas, oil and electricity supply, and the railways)
labour also established virtually full employment and a “welfare state”
this policy guaranteed free health and education, pensions and benefits for the old, disabled, sick or unemployed
the maintenance of the welfare state and full employment were accepted by the Conservatives as fundamental responsibilities of government
however, neither principle could be ensured without an expanding economy
as the Conservative prime minister Harold Macmillan (1957-1963) remarked, “managing the post-war economy was like jugging four balls in the air:
an expanding economy
full employment
stable prices
a strong pound
it was only in the question of full employment that post-was government were truly successful
Keynesian economics is a macroeconomic theory based on the ides of 20th century British economist John Maynard Keynes
the theories forming the basis were first presented in “the great theory of employment, interest and money” (1936)
he argued that government policies could be used to increase demand, thus increasing economic activity and reducing unemployment and deflation
he mentioned that the solution to depression was to stimulate the economy through some combination of 2 approaches – a reduction in interest rates and government investments in infrastructure
regardless of which party was in power, Britain's economy became characterised a “stop-go” cycle
stop-go cycle – periods of inflation followed by crises in the balance of payments, the difference between the value of total imports and exports.
By its own standards Britain seemed to be doing reasonably well
but only half as well as other industrialized countries
Britain's share of world trade fell from 13.9% in 1964 to 10.8% in 1970
by 1975 the post-war consensus was beginning to collapse
reasons – growing economic difficulties
the doubling of the number of the unemployed in the 2 years (1974-75), to exceed 1 mln
in the winter of 1978-79 (“The winter of Discontent” the trade unions refused to accept the pay restraint demanded by the Labour government's economic strategy
Thatcher's age (1979-1990)
offered a radical change for the country. Her ideas and values dominated government policies until the defeat of the Conservatives in 1997. she brought an entirely new tone to government. 1975 – she became convinced that the Conservatives had implemented basically socialist-type policies since 1945. “I am not a consensus politician. I am a conviction politician”.
She decided to establish a genuinely free-market economy unconstrained by government, it should be guided by the invisible hand. She decided that she should destroy socialism, she blamed it of all the failures her country faced. Her targets, spheres she started to change:
Council estates – public housing rented by local government to people on low income.
The trade unions.
The local authorities.
The nationalized industries – coal and steel production, gas, oil and electricity supply, and the railways.
Keynesian economics. Became the basis for the development of economy. M/Thatcher said that his economics was fundamentally wrong. Denying it she believed that the government should not control any economic spheres except for money supply. Government borrowing should be limited by reducing expenditures in the public sector. Citizens should not borrow much of the country, believed Thatcher. This should create stable economic situation in the country.
Her economy paralysed the country in many ways:
high interest rates made it impossible for many companies to borrow money
her refusal to assist struggling industries led to economic changes
decline in total output in one year since the Depression of 1931, and the biggest collapse in industrial production in 1 year since 1921
Britain's share of world trade fell by 15%between 1979 and 1986
Unexpected social consequences:
in May 1979 - ½ mln unemployed, in 1983 – 3 mln.
the stress created by the government policies began to divide the nation. Growth in the south of the country was three times as fast as in the rest of the country during most of the decade.
The policies led to a growing gulf between the richest and poorest all over the country.
Thatcher introduced changes in all the economic spheres. She reduced the size of the civil service.
She resigned at 1990 when she lost confidence of over 1/3 of her party colleagues in Parliament
her measures largely failed to achieve what they had been intended to do.
1990-1997
John Major
he was more democratic in his work. Period of recession to which Thatcher had let the country. His administration was never successful – it raised taxes/ Period of the corruption of the British government. The Conservatives were heavily defeated in 1997.
Tony Blair
more successful. He worked out some measures that the population liked. It rejected the idea of state-owned industry. Proclaimed raising educational standards. People began to realise that the system of education needed radical change. The country proclaimed, they were going to new capitalism for the many, but not for the few. The economy should be based on capitalist principles. This government tried to persuade the citizens that the constitutional reform was needed. It promised to reform Britain's basic principles. To rejuvenate it.
Gordon Brown (2007-2010)
he succeeded Tony Blair as prime minister and Labour Party leader in June 2007. is known for his devotion to his job, his long working hours.
Industry.
Coventry – automobile production – tractors, aeroplanes
Birmingham – in central England – the second largest city. The centre of rail transportation. Automobiles, bicycles, guns, all kinds of metal products.
Liverpool – flower and sugar. Used to be famous for its pottery, was a rather prosperous city.
Leeds – financial, regional government centre. Transportation. Wool production, metal, chemicals.
Newport – tea, automobiles, electronics, metal (steel), paper, chemicals.
Cardiff- important port.
Glasgow – the leading sea-port. Electronic equipment, chemicals, tourist industry.
Types of farming
arable (growing of crops and cereals)
pastoral (rearing and production of animals)
mixed farming
horticulture (production of flowers, fruit, vegetables, ornamental plants)
market gardening (production of fruit and vegetables for the sake of selling)
Symbols
Union Flag – union Jack. The flag is not symmetrical. Two crosses – of St. Andrew and St. Patrick.
England – St. George, national flower – red Rose. (the war of the roses). Two roses were combined in the Tudor rose.
Scotland – St Andrew, the Thistle and the Scottish Bluebell
Wales – St David, daffodil
Northern Ireland – St Patrick, Shamrock
The oak tree – national tree of England.
The official coat of Arms of the United Kingdom of Great England and Northern Ireland
on the left, the shield is supported by the English Lion. On the right it is supported by the Unicorn of Scotland. The main element is the shield, is divided into 4 quarters. The first and the forth quadrants represent England and contain three golden loins. The second quadrant represents Scotland and contains a red lion rampant on a gold field.
The National Anthem is God Save the Queen.
Wales – song “Land of my fathers”
Scotland – songs Flower of Scotland, Scotland the Brave
England – songs Jerusalem, Swing low, Lane of hope and glory
Other Symbols of the United Kingdom
Big Ben, St. Steven's clock tower
fish and chips
London red buses
English breakfast
black taxi cabs
public houses (pubs)