United Kingdom Main things -The UK of

United Kingdom

Main things: -The UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. -The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland Northern Ireland. -The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. -The UK is a constitutional monarchy with a parliament and the Queen as Head of State.

England is the largest and the richest part of UK. The biggest industrial cities are London, Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester. With more than 80 percent of the total British population, England is a densely populated country. Interesting, that England takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes. It used to be known as «Angla land» , meaning « The land of the Angles» .

London is a city of great contrasts. The old and the modern live side by side in mutual tolerance and respect. In London you can see architecture of different centuries and styles.

Places of interest in London stands on the river Thames. Crossing the river by the Tower Bridge you can see the Tower of London. It is one of the old buildings of the city. On the bank of the Thames you can see Westminster place. It is the seat of the British government and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in London. In one of its towers there is famous Big Ban. Buckingham Palace is the Queen» s official London residents. St Paul» s Cathedral is the biggest English church, another famous church is Westminster Abbey where kings are buried.

Stonehenge is one of the most popular prehistoric places in England. It is situate in the south-west of England. It is a circle of enormous stones 80 meters across. Why it was built – is a mystery. However, there are different suggestions.

Northern Ireland The capital and largest city of Northern Ireland is Belfast. The Irish population is divided in two groups: the Protestants and the Catholics. Northern Ireland has a strong cultural tradition: songs, dances, literature and festivals.

Scotland The symbol of Scotland is a thistle; its patron is St. Andrew. Edinburgh is its capital. Glasgow and Edinburgh are two great centres. Glasgow is the heart of industry. It is a centre of business and trade. Edinburgh is rather cold but attractive. He is known as Athens of the North. The two most interesting parts of the city are the Old Town and the New Town. One of the most modest and yet one of the best known monuments in Edinburgh is a monument to dog called Bobby.

Wales St. David is the patron saint of Wales. The populations of Wales is about three million. It is the country of lakes and mountains. Many of their traditions date back to the pre-Christian times of the Celts and the Druid religion. Their national pride and love of the arts were fed by the mystic Druid beliefs.