Great Britain



Great Britain has the official name – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (or UK – for short). It is situated on the British Isles. England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are the parts of Great Britain. Administratively the UK is divided into 55 countries. The total territory is over 244 thousand square kilometers (the 75th place among other countries in the world).

The population of the UK is over 57 mln. Great Britain is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The majority of the British population lives in cities and towns.

The country is washed by the North and Irish Seas, the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel. North and West of the country are highlands, South and East – lowlands. The highest mountain of the UK is Ben Nevis in Scotland.

There are many rivers in the country. The longest and most important of them are the Severn, the Thames and Clyde. The climate is mild due to the mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial power. It possesses some mineral resources: coal, iron ores, oil, gas and some metals.

The country is known as one of the world largest producers and exporters of electronics and machinery, chemicals and textile, various aircraft and navigation equipment. Among the main industrial branches are also coal-mining, automobile, ship-building, metallurgical.

The capital of the country is London. It is the largest political, cultural and industrial centre of the country and one of the largest ports of the world. Its population is over 11 mln. people.

Among the largest cities of the UK are Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff.

Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The official language of the state is English. The national symbol of the UK is «Union Jack» - the British state flag having 3 white and red crosses on the dark blue field. The weave of crosses symbolized power and might.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Officially the head of the state is the Queen. But her power is not absolute, it is limited by the Parliament. The British Parliament is the oldest parliament in the world. It consists of 2 chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The British Government is headed by the Prime Minister – the leader of the party having the majority in the House of Commons. The prime Minister appoints the ministers to compose the government.

There are several political parties in the UK. The largest and most influential of them are the Conservative (the Tory), the Liberal (the Whigs) and Labour Party.
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1. The official name of Great Britain is «Union Jack».

2. The UK includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

3. The territory of the UK is rather large.

4. Great Britain is one the most densely populated countries in the world.

5. There are 2 official languages in the UK.

6. Great Britain is a country with new traditions and customs.

7. The UK is one of the most highly developed industrial counties in the world.

8. This country is the world largest producer of different machinery and electronics.

9. The capital of the country, London, is one of the world largest ports.

10. The head of the state is the Queen.

11. The British Government is also headed by the Queen.

12. The UK has a single-party system.