What is Britain? Lesson 2 Counties & Cities

Regions of England North West West Midlands South West North East Yorkshire East Midlands East of England Greater London South East

Shires Shires were formed in Anglo-Saxon times (~500AD to 1066 AD) to raise taxes. Each Shire had a fort – these have become the county towns of today.

Counties In the Middle Ages (1066 – 1400) Britain was divided into “counties” A “County” was the realm of a “Lord” (aka Count in Europe).

Today Today’s counties are a mix of the old shires and the old counties. Boundaries have changed a lot. Some old shires and counties have disappeared. There are some “new” counties

Some Counties still retain the name “shire” as a suffix. E.g. the city of Nottingham is in the county of Nottinghamshire e.g. Nottinghamshire

e.g. Warwickshire

London London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. Worldwide influence and a major financial centre. Population of Greater London is 7,421,228 (a population of over 12 million in the wider metropolitan area). The largest city in the European Union. A very diverse range of peoples, cultures, and religions. It has a great number of important buildings, including world-famous museums, theatres, concert halls, airports, railway stations, palaces, and offices.

Liverpool Liverpool is a city in north west England, on the north side of the Mersey (river) estuary. The population of the borough is 1,362,026. Liverpool is an internationally famous as a port. The home city of The Beatles. Two internationally-known football clubs, Everton F.C. and Liverpool F.C. Inhabitants of Liverpool are called "Liverpudlians" and nicknamed "Scousers“. They are noted for their distinctive accent and dialect, called Scouse.

Leeds Leeds is a city in Yorkshire in the north of England. The River Aire runs through the city. The City of Leeds has a population of 726,939. An inhabitant of Leeds is a “Loiner’.

Nottingham Nottingham is a city in the East Midlands of England. Nottingham lies on the River Trent. A population of 270,300 in Nottingham itself, with around 613,723 people living in the surrounding area (Greater Nottingham). Nottingham is famous for lace-making and Robin Hood. Nottingham is the fastest growing city in England.

Scotland Consists of a mainland area and several island groups, including Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides 3 main geographical areas make up the mainland: From north to south 1.The mountainous Highlands. 2.The low-lying Central Belt. 3.The hilly Southern Uplands.

Scotland Most Scottish people live in the Central Belt, which contains three of the country's six largest cities (Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Stirling) and many large towns. Most of the remaining population lives in the North-East Lowlands.

Wales Wales is located on a peninsula in central-west Great Britain. The entire area of Wales is about 20,779 km 2. Wales is 274 km long and 97 km wide. Wales has over 965 km of coastline. There are several islands off the Welsh mainland, the largest being Anglesey in the northwest.

Wales The main population and industrial areas are in South Wales, consisting of the cities of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.

Ireland Northern Ireland is unofficially known as 'Ulster'. Northern Ireland is a region of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, with its capital in Dublin. This state is also called "Ireland" or "Éire".

Ireland A ring of coastal mountains surrounds low central plains. The highest peak is Carrauntuohill at 1041m. The island is bisected by the River Shannon, the longest river in Britain (259 km).

Ireland The island's lush vegetation, a product of its mild climate and frequent but soft rainfall, earns it the name "Emerald Isle". The island's area is 84,079 km²

UK v Taiwan UKTAIWAN LanguageEnglishMandarin MoneyPound SterlingNew Taiwan Dollar Area244,110 km 2 36,179 km 2 Population58,784,00021,463,000 Pop. Density241/km 2 593/km 2 GNP / capitaUS$ 18,410US$ 12,490 <14 years

Side by side

Flags & Symbols - England The cross of St. George The Red Rose

Flags & Symbols - Scotland The cross of St Andrew The Scotch Thistle

Flags & Symbols- Wales The Dragon of Cadwallader The Daffodil The Leek

Flags & Symbols – Ireland (official) The Republic of Ireland Northern Ireland

Flags & Symbols – Ireland (unofficial) The cross of St. Patrick The Shamrock

The United Kingdom England Scotland N. Ireland The Union Jack