Cambridge

The story of the University begins in 1209 when several hundred students and scholars arrived in the little town of Cambridge after they have walked 60 miles from Oxford, where it was a hard life for students. One day a student accidentally killed a man of the town. The Mayor arrested three other students who were innocent and they were put to death. In protest, all the students moved elsewhere, some coming to Cambridge; and so the new University began. Its first college, Peterhouse, was established in 1284.

Today the University is coeducational, and has about 9,000 students. It has a total of 29 colleges and approved societies, and is a self-governing body, with authority vested in its senior members.

The Colleges join one another along the curve of the river Cam. They are built on a plan common to all. There is a chapel, a library and a large dining-hall. The student gets a clear idea of much of the English architectural styles of the past 600 years.

Great britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (United Kingdom, or UK) has existed as we know it today for a comparatively short time. England and Wales have functioned as a single political entity for centuries, but union with Scotland took place only in 1707, with the creation of a single parliament for Great Britain. Ireland did not join the union until 1801. However, in 1922, after a century of turbulence, the southern counties of Ireland (now the Republic of Ireland) became an independent state, leaving the six northern counties as part of the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy of NW Europe occupying the whole of the British Isles except the Republic of Ireland. The UK thus comprises the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and Northern Ireland. It does not include the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, which are Crown dependencies and are generally independent from the United Kingdom except in matters of defence and international relations.

Britain enjoys a mainly mild climate with changeable weather. Although notoriously variable, the weather is subject to few extremes of temperature and will only rarely rise above 32 C or fall below -10 C.

The area of the country is 94,251 square miles (244,110 square kilometers). With an estimated population of about 56.5 million, the UK is one of the world's most densely populated countries. More than five-sixths of the people live in England. Most British are urban-dwelling. About a fifth of the population of mainland Britain lives in eight major conurbations, which account for less than 2% of the total land area.

As a result of immigration the UK now is a multiracial society. Immigrants from India, Pakistan, the West Indies (Afro-Caribbeans) and other Commonwealth countries number at least 1,500,000. There are concentrations of ethnic minorities in most cities.

The total population has remained relatively constant in recent years, but shows a slight upward trend. Current projections are that the population will reach 57.7 million by 2001.

English is the main language throughout the UK. In Wales, however, both English and Welsh are used in some areas, and Welsh is as valid as English for many official purposes. In the north-west of Scotland a small minority still speaks Gaelic.

The United Kingdom is regarded as a Christian country. However, there is a complete religious freedom: anyone may practice any religion without state interference. Religious observance has been declining in recent years, but the majority of the population are Protestant, in name at least.

Scene of the world's first industrial revolution in the 18th century, the UK based its economic development on its coal and iron deposits. Recently North Sea oil and natural gas have been exploited. Industrial raw materials and food, however, often have to be imported. To pay for imports the UK exports manufactured goods and provides services like banking, insurance and shipping.

Major industries include iron and steel, engineering, textiles, electronics, chemicals and shipbuilding. Most industries are privately owned, but some of the most important are wholly or partly owned by the state. After WWII the UK failed to keep pace in economic growth with other West European countries due to the decline of its relative economic strength and the inflexibility of its management and labour practices. Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973. The United Kingdom has a largely free-market economy, but there is regulation of the financial services, banking, insurance and broadcasting sectors, as well as legislation concerned with competition and the protection of consumers and employees.

The United Kingdom is a major trading nation that maintains significant manufacturing and service sectors.

Manufacturing industry has undergone substantial restructuring since 1979. Many traditional industries, such as heavy engineering, have experienced a decline, whereas high-technology industries - in particular, electrical engineering - have enjoyed healthy expansion.

The services sector has grown much faster than the manufacturing sector over recent decades and now accounts for roughly 60% of gross domestic product and 65% of employees. The fastest-growing areas have been financial services, professional and scientific services, leisure and tourism. There has also lately been a boom in retail distribution.

The City of London is particularly significant as a centre for world banking and foreign exchange trading and has become the major market for Eurobond dealing.

The United Kingdom at present has a substantial energy-production sector, accounting for 8% of gross domestic product (GDP). The bulk of the sector is involved with oil and natural gas, although coal remains significant. Oil production from the North Sea fields is now past its peak, but it is estimated that coal reserves can last for at least two more centuries.

Three-quarters of the UK's land area is dedicated to agriculture. Whilst the agricultural sector satisfies two-thirds of the country's needs, it accounts for only 4% of gross domestic product.

From the seventeenth century to the nineteenth, Britain colonized a large part of the globe. Most of these colonies have now become independent states, and 48 of them, together with the UK, are members of the voluntary association of states known as the Commonwealth. The Queen is head of the Commonwealth.

Communications to and within the United Kingdom are now of a high standard. All major cities have airport facilities and rail links, while the motorway network has been considerably enhanced by the completion of the London Orbital motorway (motorways are generally without tolls).

The United Kingdom enjoys all the usual modern telecommunications facilities.

The Post Office is a government-owned body which has a monopoly on letter post, but which is subject to competition from private couriers and British Rail in respect of parcels. The letter post is divided into two classes: the slightly more expensive first class mail service will generally ensure delivery one day after posting. There are normally no Sunday deliveries or collections.

School education is compulsory for all children aged between 5 and 16. Local authorities are obliged to provide schooling free of charge. Most schools admit boys and girls together. Some local authority schools ("voluntary schools") are specifically Anglican or Roman Catholic, but the majority are not associated with any particular religion or denomination (though the element of religious education is required).

Although education is compulsory until the age of 16, it is not uncommon for pupils, particularly those intending to go on to university, to stay at school until the age of 18.

Alongside the local authority schools, there is an independent sector, covering all ages. These schools are paid. Some offer boarding facilities, some are religious foundations, and many are single sex. Fees can be anything up to Ј2,000 a term for a boarding secondary school.

Most residents of the UK make use of the National Health Service (NHS) for both general practitioner and hospital care. The NHS provides a comprehensive health service which is generally free of charge (but fees are common if drugs or spectacles are prescribed or if one is visiting a dentist).

In addition to the NHS, there is private sector, funded by medical insurance. The major advantages of the private sector are the absence of waiting lists and the greater comfort of hospital accommodation.

After WWII Britain established a welfare state that involved the nationalization of key industries and the vast expansion of social services. One effect was to diminish the country's competitiveness in the world market; problems such as inflation, trade deficits and unemployment were chronic. When Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher became prime minister in 1979 she resolved to dismantle the welfare state, check the power of labour unions, and instill an entrepreneurial spirit in the country. The change was wrenching, marked by persistent high unemployment, especially in the northern industrial cities. But by the late 1980s the economy was growing, unemployment was declining and taxes were being cut. The prime minister was criticized in many quarters for subordinating traditional British values to the drive for commercial success, but her re-election to a third term in 1987 ensured that her policy would be continued.

In 1990 Thatcher's resistance to full British participation in European economic union and her unpopular tax policy finally brought her down. She was succeeded by Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Major. On May 1, 1997, young and charismatic Anthony Blair led the Labour to the parliamentary election triumph.

The capital of Great Britain is London covering over 650 square miles along both banks of the River Thames. The national centre of government, trade, commerce, shipping, finance and industry, it is also one of the cultural centres of the world. The Port of London handles over 33% of UK trade. Many of the most important financial and business institutions such as the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and Lloyd's of London, as well as many banking and shipping concerns, are concentrated in the single square mile known as the City. London is also a historic city with many beautiful buildings: the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace are major tourist attractions. Home of universities, colleges, and some of the world's greatest museums and libraries, it also has a flourishing night life. London's art galleries, concert halls, theatres and opera houses are world-famous. Distant areas of London are linked by the complex and highly efficient subway system known as the Underground. The population of the city is nearly 7 million.