The geographical position of Great Britain

      THE GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF GREAT BRITAIN . 

      There are two large islands and several smaller ones, which lie in the north-west coast of Europe. Collectively they are known as the British Isles. The largest islands is called Great Britain. The smaller one is called Ireland. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the English Channel. The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Great Britain is separated from Belgium and Holland by the North Sea, and from Ireland – by the Irish Sea.

      There are two states in the British Isles. One of them governs of the most of the island of Ireland. This state is usually called the Republic of Ireland. The other state has authority over the rest of the territory.

       The official name of this country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But it is usually known by a shorter name – «The United Kingdom». The total area of Great Britain is 244,000 square km.

       They say that the British love of compromise is the result of the country’s physical geography. This may or may not be true, but it certainly true that the land and climate in Great Britain have a notable lack of extremes. The mountains in the country are not very high. It doesn’t usually get very cold in the winter or very hot in the summer. It has no active volcanoes, and an earth tremos which does no more than rattle teacups in a few houses which is reported in the national news media. The insular geographical position of Great Britain promoted the development of shipbuilding, different training contacts with other countries. 

       UNITED KINGDOM. 

       England has existed as a unified entity since the 10^th century. The union between England and Wales was enacted under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284. In the Act of Union of 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanent union as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, but in 1921, the Anglo-Irish treaty formalized a partition of Ireland, although six northern Irish countries remained part of the United Kingdom and became known as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was adopted in 1927.

       Great Britain was the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19^th century. It played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science.

       At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth’s surface.

       United Kingdom is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, a member of the EU, but still remains outside the European Monetary Union. In 1999 the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly of Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established. And it is a significant issue in the UK.

       United Kingdom is located in the Western Europe, on the British Islands, including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland, between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France. Total territory is 244,820 sq km. It has a border with Ireland. Its climate is temperate, moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current. The landscape of United Kingdom is mostly rugged hills and low mountains. Nowadays United Kingdom lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes, only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel.

       The lowest  point is Fenland – 4m; the highest one is Ben Nevis 1,343 m. Its natural resources are coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead.

       Official languages are English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales) and Scottish, as a form of  Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland).

       Government type is constitutional monarchy. Administrative divisions of United Kingdom are the following:

       England is divided into 47 boroughs, 36 counties, 10 districts;

       North Ireland is divided into 24 districts, 2 cities, 6 counties;

       Scotland is divided into 32 council areas;

       Wales is divided into 11 county boroughs, 9 counties and dependent areas. 

       NATIONAL EMBLEMS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 

      The United Kingdom (abbreviated from «The United Kingdom of Great Britain  and Northern Ireland») is the political name of the country which consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster).

      Great Britain is the name of the island which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales, whereas the British Isles is the geographical name of all the islands off  the north-west coast of the European continent.

      In everyday speech «Britain» is used to mean the United Kingdom.

      The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of three crosses. The upright Red Cross on a white background is the cross of the 1^st George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross on a blue background is the cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross on a white background is the cross of St. Patrick, the patron saint if Ireland.

      The Welsh flag, called the Welsh dragon, represents a red dragon on a white and green background.

      St. George’s Day falls on 23 April and is regarded as England’s national day. On this day some patriotic Englishmen wear a rose pinned to their jackets. A red rose is the national emblem of England from the time of the Wars of the Roses (15^th century).

      St. Andrew’s Day (the 30^th of November) is regarded as Scotland’s national day. On this day some Scotsmen wear a thistle in their buttonhole. As a national emblem of Scotland, thistle apparently first used in the 15^th century as a symbol of defense. The Order of the Thistle is one of the highest orders of knighthood. It was founded in 1687, and is mainly given to Scottish noblemen (limited to 16 in number).

      St. Patrick’s Day (the 17^th of March) is considered as a national day in Northern Ireland and an official bank holiday there. The national emblem of Ireland is shamrock. According to legend, it was the plant chosen by St. Patrick to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish.

      St. David’s Day (the 1^st of March) is the church festival of St. David, a 6^th-century monk and bishop, the patron saint of Wales. The day is regarded as the national holiday of Wales, although it is not an official bank holiday.

      On this day, however, many Welshmen wear either a yellow daffodil or a leek pinned to their jackets, as both plants are traditionally regarded as national emblems of Wales.

      In the Royal Arms three lions symbolize England, a lion rampart – Scotland, and a harp – Ireland. The whole is encircled and is supported by a lion and a unicorn. The lion has been used as a symbol of national strength and of the British monarchy for many centuries. The unicorn, a mythical animal that looks like a horse with a long straight horn, has appeared on the Scottish and British royal coats of arms for many centuries, and is a symbol of purity. 

      THE FLAG OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

      The flag of the United Kingdom is officially called the Union flag, because it embodies the emblems of three countries united under one monarch. The Union Flag is commonly known as the Union Jack, although the exact origin of the name is unclear.

      One explanation is that it gets its name from the «jack staff» of naval vessels (a small flagpole at the front of Royal Navy vessels) from which the original Union Flag was flown.

      The emblems that appear on the Union Flag are the crosses of the three patron Saints: Wales is not represented on the Union Flag because by the time the first version of the flag appeared, Wales was already the part of England.

      The Welsh Flag, a red dragon on a field of white and green, dates from the fifteenth century.

      The Union Flag underwent a gradual development. The first one was created in 1606, when England and Scotland were united under one King James I, by combining the flags of St. George and St. Andrew.

      In the seventeenth century, the flag underwent several changes. After the execution of Charles I in 1649, Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector, introduced a special Commonwealth flag consisting of St. George’s cross and the gold harp of Ireland. When Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 he reintroduced the Union Flag of James I.

      The final version of the Union Flag appeared in 1801, following the union of Great Britain with Ireland, with the inclusion of the cross of St. Patrick. The cross remains on the flag although only the northern part of Ireland now remains part of the United Kingdom. 

      GREAT BRITAIN. 

      The full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

      The United Kingdom is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a great number of small islands. Their total area is over 314,000 sq. km.

      The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

      Northern Ireland occupies one third of the island of Ireland. It borders on the Irish Republic in the south.

      The island of Great Britain consists of three main parts: England (the southern and middle part of the island), Wales (a mountainous peninsula in the West) and Scotland (the northern part of the island).

      There are no high mountains in Great Britain. In the north the Cheviots separate England from Scotland, the Pennines stretch down North England along its middle, the Cambrian Mountains occupy the greater part of Wales and the Highlands of Scotland are the tallest of the British mountains. There is very little flat country except in the region known as East Anglia.

      Most of the rivers flow into the North Sea. The Thames is the deepest of the British rivers. Some of the British greatest ports are situated in the estuaries of the Thames, Mersey, Trent, Tyne, Clyde and Bristol Avon.

      Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources; it has some deposits of coal and iron ore and vast deposits of oil and gas that were discovered in the North Sea.

      The warm currents of the Atlantic Ocean influence the climate of Great Britain. Winters are not severely cold and summers are rarely hot.

      The population of the United Kingdom is over 58 million people. The main nationalities are: English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish. In Great Britain there are a lot of immigrants from former British Asian and African colonies.

      Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. New industries have been developed in the last three decades. The main industrial centers are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bristol.

      The capital of the country is London. The United Kingdom is a parliamentary monarchy. 

      ENGLAND. 

      England is the largest and the richest country of Great Britain. The capital of England is London but there are other large industrial cities, such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and other famous and interesting cities such as York, Chester, Oxford and Cambridge.

      Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric places in the world. This ancient circle of stones stands in Southwest England. It measures 80 meters across and is made with massive blocks of stone up to four meters high. Why it was built is a mystery.

      Not far from Stonehenge stands Salisbury Cathedral. It is a splendid example of an English Gothic Cathedral; inside there is one of four copies of Magna Charta and the oldest clock in England.

      Chester is very important town in the north-west of England. In the past it used to be a Roman fort; its name comes from the Latin world castra, meaning «fortified camp». In Chester there is a famous museum which contains over 5000 ancient and modern toys.

      Oxford is the home of the oldest university of England. The most famous college is Christ Church. It has a great hall which was built during the reign of Henry VIII and its chapel has become the Cathedral of Oxford.

      Cambridge is the home of Britain’s second oldest university.

      York was the capital of Northern England. It is one of the best preserved medieval cities of Europe. It was built by Romans, conquered by Anglo-Saxons and ruled by the Vikings.

      Birmingham is often called the «City of 1,500 trades» because of the great variety of its industries.  

      SCOTLAND. 

      Scotland is a very small country. It is 274 miles (441 kilometers) long. The coastline is so jagged that it adds up to 2000 miles (3218 kilometers). At its widest point it is 154 miles (248 kilometers). At its narrowest it is only 25 miles (40 kilometers). Due to Scotland’s narrowness and its deep inlets, it is hardly possible to get far away from the sea.

      Scotland occupies the northern third of the islands of Great Britain. The river Tweed and the Cheviot Hills form Scotland’s southern border with England. The Northwest Channel separates south-western Scotland from Northern Ireland. The northwest coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. The eastern coast is washed by the North Sea, which separates Scotland from the mainland of Europe.

      Scotland has three main land regions. They are, from north to south, the Highlands, the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands.

      The Highlands is a barren region that covers the northern two thirds of Scotland. There are two major mountain ranges. The highest peak on the British Isles is 4406 feet (1343 meters). It is Ben Nevis. Much of the land in the Highlands is a treeless area called a moor or a health. Most Highlanders live on the narrow coastal plains. To the south of the Highlands lies the Central Lowlands, a narrow belt comprising about one-tenth of the area of Scotland, but containing the majority of the country’s population.

      The Central Lowlands are traversed by several chains of hills. The Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands consist of moors broken in some places by rocky cliffs. The tops of the hills are rich pasture land. Many sheep and cattle are raised in the southern uplands.

      Like the climate of the rest of Great Britain, that of Scotland is subjected to the moderating influences of the surrounding seas. As a result of these influences, extreme seasonal variations of climate are rare and temperate winters and cool summers are the outstanding climatic features. Low temperatures, however, are common during the winter season in the mountainous districts of the interior.

      The river Clyde is Scotland’s most important river. Ships from the Atlantic Ocean can sail up the Clyde to Glasgow. The Clyde was narrow and shallow until the 1700’s when engineers widened and deepened the river to make it navigable. Scotland’s longest rivers flow eastward into the North Sea.

      Many of Scotland’s rivers flow into wide bays called firths.

      Scotland has hundreds of islands. A large group of islands called the Hebrides lie off the western coast of Scotland’s mainland.

      Population of Scotland was about 5 million people. The highest density of population is in the Central Lowlands, where nearly three-quarters of the Scots live, and the lowest is in the Highlands.

      The most populous city in Scotland is Glasgow. It has the population of about 655000 people.

      There are two languages spoken. English is generally spoken and fewer than 100,000 Scots, who are mainly inhabitants of the Highlands and island groups, also speak the Scottish form of Gaelic.

      Scotland is an integral part of Great Britain. It is represented by 72 members in the House of Commons and by 16 Scottish peers in the House of Lords.

      Scottish affairs are administered by a British cabinet ministry, headed by the secretary of state for Scotland. 

      WALES. 

      Wales is a part of Great Britain. It is the country of lakes and mountains. It is about a half size of Switzerland and it has the population more than three million inhabitants.

      There are very beautiful mountains in the north of Wales. They are Britain’s second highest mountains.

      In 1292, the English king, Edward, invaded Wales and built fourteen huge castle to control the Welsh. His son became the first Prince of Wales, since then all the kings and queens of England have given their eldest sons the title, Prince of Wales. Prince Charles became the twenty-first Prince of Wales. Having been ruled by Britain for many centuries, Wales still has its own flag, culture and its own language. In the towns and villages of North Wales, many people speak English only as a second language is Welsh. At the local primary schools children have nearly all their lessons in Welsh. So, the population is bilingual. It is not a problem for children to learn two languages at the same time.

      Welsh are one of the oldest languages in Europe. It is a Celtic language, like Breton in France, Gaelic in Ireland or Gaelic in Scotland. Two and a half thousand years before, these languages were spoken in many parts of Europe. They died out when the Romans invaded these areas, but some of them survived in some corners of Europe. But over the last hundred years, the number of Welsh-speakers has fallen very quickly. Now, only twenty per cent of all Welsh people speak Welsh. The reason is that in the nineteenth century people thought that Welsh language was an uncivilized language and if you wanted to be successful in life, you had to learn English, the language of the British Empire. At the beginning of the twentieth century, many English and Irish people moved to South Wales to work in the coalmines and steel works. They did not speak Welsh and did not learn Welsh. So, English day by day pushed Welsh away.

      In the 1960s and 1970s many English people bought cottages and estate houses in villages in Wales. Most of them did not speak Welsh. Also, English comes into every Welsh home through the television; both cable and satellite TV, radio, newspapers, books, etc. There are some Welsh-language TVs and radio stations, but it is not enough.

      Local authorities try to reanimate the situation. Some positive things have already done; road sings, documentation are in Welsh language in this area. The future of Welsh is uncertain. The problem is that Welsh has to survive next door to English but we all know very well, English is a very successful language.  

      THE CLIMATE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 

      Great Britain is situated on islands. It is washed by seas from all sides. That’s why the climate and the nature of Great Britain are very specific. The popular belief that it rains all the time in Britain is simply not true. In fact, London gets no more rain in a year then most other major European cities. Generally speaking, the further, west you go, the more rain you get. The mild winters mean that snow is a regular feature of the higher areas only. The winters are in general a bit colder in the east of the country than they are in the west. While in summer, the south is slightly warmer and sunnier than the north. Besides Britain is famous for its fogs. Sometimes fogs are so thick that it is impossible to see anything within 2 or 3 meters.