The United Kingdom By Manukyan K.G.

The United Kingdom ✦ Continent: Europe ✦ Countries: England, Scotland and ,Wales and Northern Ireland , together form the Great Britain. ✦ Capital(s): London is the capital of United Kingdom and England. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, Cardiff is the capital of Wales and Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland . ✦ Area: 88,745 sq miles ✦ Population: 62.74 million (2011 census), includes the population of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland ✦ Currency: UK £ ✦ National Anthem: God Save the Queen (is mainly played when the Queen makes a public appearance, at the end of Remembrance Day services, and at medal ceremonies) ✦ Official Language: English ✦ Religion: Christianity

The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It’s an island. It’s situated in the west of Europe. The total area of the United Kingdom is approximately 243,610 square kilometres. It’s washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. There are a lot of rivers and lakes, valleys and forests, rocks and hills. Its landscape is very picturesque. The weather is usually wet and foggy. Great Britain has borders with France, Ireland and other European countries.

SYMBOLS The coat of arms of Great Britain has a crown on the shield, because it’s a monarchy. The shield is supported by the English lion and by the Unicorn of Scotland. The flag of Great Britain is red, white and blue. The British people call it “the Union Jack”

British Flags St. Andrew's Cross Red Dragon St Patrick's Cross The Government of Wales uses this flag. It is also used by Welsh sports teams and ordinary citizens. This flag is used by the Government of Scotland, sports teams that represent the country, and by the ordinary citizens. This flag is used by the Government of Ireland St. George's Cross Union Flag This is recognized as the flag of Great Britain. It is the Union Flag or Union Jack and is used as the national flag by the government of United Kingdom. The design of this flag is a combination of the flags of England and Scotland, with the St. Patrick's Saltire (a red saltire that represents Ireland). It is used by the Church of England and also by England's sports teams and ordinary citizens.

CLIMATE All parts of the United Kingdom have a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round. The temperature varies with the seasons but seldom drops below ?10 C or rises above 35 C. The prevailing wind is from the southwest, bearing frequent spells of mild and wet weather from the Atlantic Ocean. Eastern parts are most sheltered from this wind and are therefore the driest. Atlantic currents, warmed by the Gulf Stream, bring mild winters, especially in the west, where winters are also wet, especially over high ground. Summers are warmest in the south east of England, being closest to the European mainland, and coolest in the north. Snowfall can occur in winter and early spring, though it rarely settles to any great depth away from high ground.

POPULATION In the 2011 census the total population of the United Kingdom was 63,181,775. It is the third largest in the European Union, the fifth largest in the Commonwealth and the twenty –first largest in the world.

LANGUAGE Four Celtic languages are spoken in the UK: Irish The UK's de facto official language is English. Four Celtic languages are spoken in the UK: Irish Scottish Gaelic Welsh Cornish

POLITICS Monarch-Queen Elizabeth II Prime Minister-David Cameron MP The United Kingdom is a unitary state under a constitutional monarchy with federal elements. In law, the Head of State is the Queen, but in practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties. The Liberal party is the ruling party nowadays. Monarch-Queen Elizabeth II Prime Minister-David Cameron MP Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP

THE ROYAL FAMILY The queen of Great Britain is Elizabeth the Second. Her official residence is the Buckingham Palace. The palace was built in the 18th century. Her elder son is Charles. Charles also has two sons, William and Harry.

ECONOMY The United Kingdom is a developed country and has the world's sixth- largest economy by nominal GDP and eighth-largest by purchasing power parity. It was the world's first industrialised country and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The UK has a partially regulated market economy. Based on market exchange rates the UK is today the sixth-largest economy in the world and the third-largest in Europe after Germany and France.

Questions: 1. Where is the United Kingdom situated? 2. What islands do the British Isles consist of? 3. What ocean and seas are the British Isles washed by? 4. How many parts does the Island of Great Britain consist of and what are they called? 5. What country does Northern Ireland border on? 6. Are there any high mountains in Great Britain? 7. What sea do most of the rivers flow into? 8. What mineral resources is Great Britain rich in? 9. What is the climate like in Great Britain? 10.What is the population of Great Britain? 11.What city is the capital of the U. K.? 12. What kind of state is Great Britain?

Interesting Facts About United Kingdom Almost 75% of the land in the UK is taken for farming. The United Kingdom happens to be the first industrialized country in the World. Polo, soccer and Rugby were introduced to the world by the UK. The British invented the world’s earliest railways. John Walker invented the matches in 1827. He was British. Big Ben refers to the bell and not the clock. In all of Western Europe, Angel tube station has the longest escalator. The Thames has over 200 bridges and tunnels along its course. The United Kingdom is the only country to not have its name on post.

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