The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The official name of Great Britain is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Since 1992, this is the official designation of the British Kingdom, including England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and a number of smaller islands.

The British Isles lie off the northwest coast of the continent of Europe. The biggest island is Great Britain. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean on the northwest, north and southwest, and it is separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. In the west the Irish Sea separates Great Britain from Ireland.

The area of Great Britain is 94, 216 square miles (240,019 sq km).

The flag of Great Britain is known as the Union Jack, it has the red cross of St. George of England, the white cross of St. Andrew of Scotland, and the red cross of St. Patrick of Ireland, all on the blue background.

The anthem of Great Britain is "God Save the Queen/King".

The official and predominant language is English; Gaelic is spoken in all parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, while Welsh is the first language in most of the western countries of Wales and at least formally enjoys equal status with English as the official language of the area.

The population of the United Kingdom is about 64 mln people. The British population is predominantly urban and suburban. For out of every five four people live in towns. The density of the population is 591 inhabitants per square mile.

The chief rivers of the country are the Thames, the Severn, the Clyde, the Trent and the Mersey.

There are no high mountains in Great Britain. The Cheviot Hills run from east to west and separate England from Scotland. Wales is generally mountainous; Northern Ireland contains many plateaus and hills. The highest mountain Ben Nevis (1,343 metres) is situated in Scotland.

Britain has a temperate climate due to the influence of the Gulf-stream. The climate is moister and more equable than that of Europe.

The major religion of the country is Anglican. The capital of Great Britain is London. The main towns of the country are Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Manchester, Liverpool, Oxford, Cambridge and others.

Great Britain is the only major country in the world, which has never had its constitution in writing. Great Britain is a monarchy, but the powers of the King or Queen are limited. It is said that the Queen reigns but does not rule. The Prime Minister is the leader of the Government and he is usually the leader of the political party with a majority in the House of Commons. There are the following parties in Great Britain: the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Party.

Questions:
1. What is the official name of Great Britain?
2. Where are the British Isles situated?
3. What is the area of Great Britain?
4. Describe the flag of the country.
5. What is the anthem of Great Britain?
6. What is the official language of the country?
7. How many people live in Great Britain?
8. Are there any high mountains in the country?
9. What is the highest mountain?
10. What is the major religion of the country?
11. What is the capital of Great Britain?
12. What is the political system of Great Britain?

Answers to questions:
1. The official name of Great Britain is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
2. The British Isles lie off the northwest coast of the continent of Europe.
3. The area of Great Britain is 94, 216 square miles.
4. The flag of Great Britain has the red cross of St. George of England, the white cross of St. Andrew of Scotland, and the red cross of St. Patrick of Ireland, and all on the blue background.
5. The anthem of Great Britain is "God Save the Queen/King".
6. The official and predominant language is English.
7. The population of the United Kingdom is about 64 million people.
8. Britain has no high mountains, but only hills.
9. The highest mountain Ben Nevis (1,343 meters) is situated in Scotland.
10. The climate is moister and more equable than that of Europe.
11. The capital of Great Britain is London.
12. Great Britain is a monarchy, but the powers of the King or Queen are limited. The Prime Minister is the leader of the Government and he is usually the leader of the political party with a majority in the House of Commons.