Geographical facts - location  north-west part of Europe  half size of France  neighbours: the Republic of Ireland, (France, Belgium, the Netherlands)  separated from the continent by the English Channel

Geographical facts - location  between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea  two large islands (Britain and Ireland)  small islands (the Isle of Man,...)  archipelagos (the Orkneys, the Shetlands, the Hebrides,...)

Geographical facts - mountains  varied landscape (mountains, highlands, lowlands)  the highest mountains: Ben Nevis (1.343m) in the Scottish Highlands Snowdon (1.085m) in Wales  mountain ranges: the Highlands (Scotland) the Cumbrian Mountains (Lake District) the Cambrians (Wales) the Pennines (northern England)

Ben Nevis in Scotland

Snowdon in Snowdonia NP

Rivers  the Thames – the largest  the Severn – the longest  the Avon, the Trent, …

Lakes  Lake District – in the north of England – the largest lake: Windermere  Lakes in Scotland ̶ called “lochs” ̶ very attractive for tourists ̶ Loch Ness, Loch Lomond (the largest in Scotland), …

Lake District

Lakes in Scotland Loch Lomond Loch Ness Loch Ness Monster

Division of the UK  England - capital London - 40 counties (Derbyshire, Devon, East Sussex, Cornwall,….)  Wales - capital Cardiff - 8 counties (Clwyd, Gwynedd, Gwent,..)  Scotland - capital Edinburgh - 12 regions and 53 districts (Highland, Grampian, Lothian,.…)  Northern Ireland (Ulster) - capital Belfast - 6 counties

What is UK politically?  the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland  constitutional monarchy – the head of state the queen (Elizabeth II, since 1952, the Windsor family) prime minister - the head of government (David Cameron, since May 2010, Conservative Party)

Symbols of the UK Union Jack (the flag - officially adopted in 1801)  3 crosses: - St. George’s Cross (the patron saint of England) - St. Andrew’s Cross (the patron saint of Scotland) - St. Patrick’s cross (the patron saint of Ireland)  the flag of Wales – dragon on red and green field (saint patron of Wales – St. David)

Symbols of the UK  anthem – God save the Queen  currency – pounds, pence  units of measurement - pound = 0,45kg - mile = 1,6km - yard = 0,91m - inch = 2,54cm - gallon = 4,5l

People, language  about 60,4 million people (2003)  origin - first people came from Europe ( BC)  later tribes: the Celts, the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, ….  ethnic groups - British, Irish, immigrants from British colonies, Europeans (Greeks, Russians, Poles, Serbs,…)  languages – English, Welsh, Scottish (about speak Gaelic)

Agriculture, industry  cattle, sheep breeding  wool, potatoes, barley, sugar beat  gas and oil industry  textile industry, electronic goods, food processing, beverages