Great Britain.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Belfast, Londonderry) is the official name of the state. It is situated on the British Isles, the largest of them are Great Britain and Ireland. The island of Great Britain is divided into three countries: England, Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow is an industrial centre, Glasgow University) and Wales (Cardiff, mountain-Snowdonia). Great Britain covers an area of 224000 sq. km.

The British Isles are washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Strait of Dover, the English channel and the Irish Sea. There are many rivers in the British Isles, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest of them. The Thames is the most famous and the most important river in the country. It serves London, one of the largest ports in the world.

Great Britain is a country of lowlands, hills and mountains. The highest mountains are in Wales and Scotland. There are many lakes in the north-west England, The lake District is one of the most popular holiday-districts in the country.

The climate of the British Isles is damp due to the Atlantic Ocean. Winters are mild, summers are cool.

Great Britain is a densely populated country. It has about 56 million inhabitants. There are four main nationalities: English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh. The official language is English. 80% of the population live in towns.

The natural resources of the British Isles are poor. A lot of raw materials are shipped into the country.

Great Britain is a capitalist country with highly developed industry and agriculture. It is one of the world's largest exporters of manufactured goods. Its industry produces all sorts of vessels, aircraft, machine-tools, automobiles, household and agricultural machinery, fabrics and other goods. The largest industrial centres of the country are London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Belfast and others.

British farmers grow wheat and other grain crops, all kinds of vegetables and fruit. They supply milk and milk products, meat, wool and eggs for the population. But British agriculture cannot provide enough food for the country and much is shipped from abroad.

London is the capital of the country and the seat of the Government. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. The Queen's power is limited by the parliament. She reigns but not rules. There are chambers in the British Parliament: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. For many years two political parties have dominated the British political system: the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.

The Roman Times in British History.

In the early days of history (50-450) England was known as Britain and the people who lived there were the Britons. There were no big towns on the British Isles at that time. People lived in small villages along the rivers or near the sea. The Britons caught fish, grew wheat and had many pigs, cows and sheep in the meadows near the rivers and on the sides of the mountains. Later they learned to make things of wool and metal and sold them to the people who came across the sea.

The Romans with Julius Caesar at the head invaded the British Isles and forced the population to pay tribute. The Romans kept their armies in Britain. They built roads and had the country under control. They protected themselves from the attacks of the Britons by the walls which they built across Britain. You can see the Roman walls in Britain even now. Here is Hadrian's Wall which was built by the emperor Hadrian in the year 122. The Romans left the country only in the second half of the 5th century. The Roman armies were called back to Italy where they defended the country from barbaric peoples.

The English Kingdoms.

The Britons could not keep their land free for a long time. The Germanic tribes from Western Europe – the Angles, Saxons and Juts – attacked the coasts of Britain and after long wars with the Britons settled on the British Isles. The Britons fought bravely against the enemies and defended their land. But the enemies were stronger. They took houses, fields and cattle from the Britons. The Angles got most of the land and became the strongest tribe. The Britons went to the mountains in the west of the Isles and settled there. This part of Britain is called Wales now. As time went on the two peoples – the Angles and the Saxons – grew into one and were called Anglo-Saxons. They called their speech English, and their country England – that is, the Land of the English.

The Anglo-Saxons formed many kingdoms – Kent, Essex, Wessex, which now are counties of Great Britain. These kingdoms were at war with one another. The stronger kings took the land from the smaller kingdoms.

U.K. Political System.

The U.K. of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch, Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. The organs of government are: Parliament, the executive and the judiciary. The legislature, Parliament, is the supreme authority. It comprises 2 chambers – the House of Lords and House of Commons – together with the Queen in her constitutional role.

The executive consists of the central Government – that is the Prime-Minister and Cabinet and other ministers who are responsible for initiating and directing the national policy, government departments, local authorities, and public corporations. The judiciary determines common I am and interpret status and is independent of both the legislature and executive.

The Government derive its authority from the elected House of Commons. A general election. For all seats in the House of Commons, must be help every 5 years. The Government is normally formed by the political party which is supported by the majority in the House of Commons. The Party's leader is appointed Prime-Minister by the Queen. He chooses a team of ministers of whom 20 or so are in the Cabinet. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and Shadow Cabinet. The House of Commons comprises members from the constituencies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who represent people whose history and traditions differ. The House of Lords is a hereditary Chamber.

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