The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ( the UK )

the UK )
England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland

a i n
composed by 5.500 islands
area - 244,

820 sq. km
population – 57 mln. People
Official language – English ( Scottish, Welsh, Irish – other languages )
Political system – constitutional monachy
Capital – London
The largest cities – London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Bristol, Leeds
The largest ports – London, Liverpool, Belfast, Southampton, Glasgow, Cardiff
The chief rivers – the Severn, the Thames the Spey, the Tweed, the Clyde
The highest peeks – Ben Nevis ( 1343 m), Snowdon ( 1000 m )

of the UK. Usually it is
called the Union Flag

and consists
of several flags.
It all began in 1603 when Scotland
was joined to England and Wales.
Later in 1801 the Irish Flag was
added.
In this way the British people got
the Union Flag, which is red, white
and blue. King James ( 1566-1625)
ordered the British Flag to be flown
on the main mast of all British ships,
it was flown on the bowsprit or the
Jack Star ( “jack” is the old word for
sailor).

One of them
is the lion. The “ king of beast”

has been
used as a symbol of national strength and
of the British monarchy for many centuries.
The other one is the unicorn. The unicorn
is a mythical animal that looks like a horse
with a long straight horn growing from its
forehead, and is a symbol of purity.

– 1087 William II1087 -1100 Henry I1100 – 1135 Stephen1135

- 1154
The House of Plantagenet
Henry II1154 – 1189 Richard I1189 – 1199 John1199 – 1216 Henry III1216 – 1272 Edward I1272 – 1307 Edward II1307 – 1327 Edward III1327 – 1377 Richard I1377 – 1399
The House of Lancaster
(Sub-division of Plantagenet)
Henry IV1399 – 1413 Henry V1413 – 1422 Henry VI1422 – 1461
The House of York
(Sub-division of Plantagenet)
Edward IV1461 - 1483 Edward V1483 - 1485
The House of Tudor
Henry VII1485 – 1509 Henry VIII1509 – 1547 Edward VI1547 – 1553 Mary I1553 – 1558 Elizabeth I1558 – 1603
The House of Stuart
James I1603 – 1625 Charles I1625 – 1649 The Commonwealth1649 – 1659 Charles II1660 – 1685 James II1685 – 1688 Mary II1689 -1694 William III1689 – 1702 Anna1702 - 1714
The House of Hanover
George I1714 – 1727 George II1727 – 1760 George III1760 – 1820 George IV1820 – 1830 William IV1830 – 1837 Victoria1837 – 1901
The House of Saxe – Coburg
Edward VII1901 – 1910
The House of Windsor
George V1901 – 1936 Edward VIII1936 George VI1936 – 1952 Elizabeth II1952 -

Lord Chancellor presides) and the House
Of Commons ( 650

MP; Speaker presides). There
Are 2 main parties: Conservative ( Tory) and
Liberal ( Whigs). The party which wins the most
Seats forms the Government and its leader becomes
a Prime Minister. The functions of Commons are
Legislation and security of government activities.
The government party sits on the Speaker’s right
And the members of Opposition –on the left. Now
The government party is Liberal, the Prime Minister
Is Anthony Blar.

populated part (46 mln. people).
Its capital is London (7 mln

people), other big cities are Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol, Liverpool and others.
The longest river is the Severn (388 km)
The most important is the Thames(354 km).
The main industries are iron and steel,
motor cars and railway engines, wool and cotton, heavy machinery and shipbuilding.

Isles, its population is only 5mln. people. Its capital is

Edinburgh. But the biggest city is Glasgow.
The highest point is in Scotland, it is Ben Nevis (1343 m). There are also many lakes, the best-known is Loch Ness where a large monster lives.
Until 1707 Scotland was an independent state and was forcefully joined into the UK.
The important industries are oil, iron, steel

and 75% of them live in towns. The second biggest

city is Swansea. The Welsh call their country Cymry.
Wales is a highland country, the highest mountain of the UK is Snowdon.
It has coal, gold, silver, lead and copper.
The most important industries are metal, steel, electronics, electric engineering and chemicals.

of the UK and occupies one-sixth part of the island

of Ireland. The population is 1,5 mln. people, 53% live in urban areas.
For 7 centuries Ireland was a colony of Great Britain, in 1921 it became a British dominion, in 1949 only a small part was a part of the UK. But it has been struggling for their independence.
The main industries are linen and textiles, clothing, shipbuilding and engineering.

Romans and was called Londinium. Now it consists of a

number of cities, towns and villages and is called Great London. It stands on the Thames River. Its population is 7 mln. People.
It consists of 3 parts: the City – a financial centre ( 2,6 sq. km), the West End – the historical and cultural centre and the East End – the district of workers.
There are a lot of places of interest, parks, palaces, churches, theatres and so on.

330
km long and it runs into the sea. The
English people

call it “ the Father of
London”. There are about 30 bridges
across the Thames ( the London Bridge,
the Tower Bridge and some others). There is a museum of old ships on the river. These ships are from the history of Great Britain.
One of them is the “ Discovery”, went
to the South Pole in 1901-1904.

goes down those hills to the sea. It became a

capital in the 15th century but in 1707 after the union with England it lost its political importance.
Many great men have lived and worked there: R. Burns, W. Scott, R.L. Stevenson .
The main street – the Prince St. divides the city into “the old and new town”.
There are many places of interest: the Castle, the Holyrood Palace, the Scott monument, the Chapel of the Most Noble Order of the Thistle and others.

Roman fort. Financially, industrially and commercially it is the most

important city of Wales, but there are not many places of interest. Among them is the Castle Coch, the National Museum, the Law Courts, the City Hall, Cathays Park and some others.
There are also several theatres: the New Theatre is the home of the Welsh National Opera, etc.
University College has been a college of the federal University of Wales since 1893.

and a large port.
Its chief industries are the production of

linen and other textiles, clothing, shipbuilding, engineering.

Britain built
Anenormous stone structure. The
largest of their stones

weigh 50 tons,
the smallest - 5 tons. People used no
metal and their tools were made of
stone, bone and wood. They started
to build it in about 1.000 B.C. and
finished 600 years later. Thousands of
men and women took part in building
it.

the Houses of Parliament)
Buckingham Palace
Nelson’s Column

the Thames
is the most ancient building of London. It
was

founded in the 11th century by William
the Conqueror. But each monarch left some
mark on it. For many centuries it has been a
fortress, a prison and a royal treasury. Now
it is a museum of arms and armour, it has
the Crown Jewels.
The White Tower was built by William the
Conqueror, it is the oldest tower.
The ravens live here as part of its history.
There is a legend that if the ravens fly away
the Tower and the UK will fall. That is why
the birds are carefully guarded.
Every night at 10 p.m. the Ceremony of the Keys
or locking up the Tower for the night takes place.

19th
century to match the medieval
style of the fortress. The

bridge is
functioning perfectly well for such
a great city as modern London. It
can quickly swung open to let in
big ocean ships that can move up
the Thames from the ocean.
The territory between the Tower
and London bridges is called the
Pool for this reason. So that people
could walk along the bridge at the
time its lower part is open, a pass
is made in its upper part. Almost
nobody uses this part of the bridge
nowadays though.

of wood, then of stone.
There were houses and shops on

it
and people paid money crossing it.
In 1831 a new bridge rose on that
place. In 1960 Londoners built new
bridge again.
A very rich American bought the old
London Bridge and brought it to
Arizona. There is no river under it
now but a street.
In 1973 the new London Bridge was
open over the Thames.

Westminster Hall was built in
1097-1099 and was a part of

old
Palace. The Palace has 2 miles of
corridors and more than 1.100
rooms. When Parliament is sitting
a flag flies from the Victoria Tower
( the tallest tower of the complex)
and the light shines by night.
Visitors can watch the House of
Commons and the House of Lords
at work from the Stranger’s Gallery
This building contains the universal
Symbol of London and the UK, Big Ben.

is on
the Clock Tower of the Houses of Parlia-
ment. The

great bell got its name in the
19th century after Sir Benjamin Hall, the
first Commissioner of Works. He was
very tall and the workers called him Big
Ben, so they called the clock and the
Tower Big Ben. People can hear the
sound of the bell every hour. On New
Year’s night people come to the Clock
Tower to see the New Year in.

work
of many hands and different ages. The
oldest part dates

the 8th century, it was a
monastery-the West Minster. In the 11th
century Edward the Confessor founded a
Norman Abbey. It is the highest church in
London ( 103 feet). The towers were built
in 1735-1740.The Abbey is famous for its
collection of swords and stained glass.
It is the crowning place of the kings and
queens of the UK, there is the Stone of
Destiny.
Many kings and queens are buried here with
famous scientists, writers and poets, there is
Famous Poets’ Corner where are many memo-
rials for outstanding people.

Ch. Wren.
The work began in 1675, it lasted for 35
years.

It has the huge dome with a gold
ball and cross on the top. Inside it is full
of Monuments. You can climb 263 steps
To The Whispering Gallery, to reach foot
Of the ball you must climb 637 steps.
In the Cathedral there are graves of Sir
Christopher Wren, admiral Nelson, the
Duke of Wellington, painter Sir Joshua
Reynolds.

sovereign. Set he top of The Mall, and surrounded by

Green Park and St. James Park, it is the centre of royal London. The original house was built in 1677 and was bought by George III in 1762. It was later enlarged by George IV. Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to live in Buckingham Palace. Since 1993, the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace have been open to the public in the summer.
Buckingham Palace has been the London residence of British monarchs since 1830. When the monarch is in residence ( living in the Palace) the Royal standart is flown from the flagstaff, high above the famous balcony on which members of the royal family appear on special occasions. During the periods of residence, the ceremony of changing the guards takes place in the Palace courtyard. Although the front of the Palace is near the road, at the back the large gardens, with a lake and many fine trees, from a lovely setting for the garden parties and open-air receptions given by the Queen during the summer months.

End of London. On
the north side is the National
Gallery;

in the north-east corner
is the National Portrait Gallery,
and in the centre is Nelson’s
Column with the figure of the
great seaman. It was erected in
1840s to celebrate his victory at
The Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

London. It is called the circus
because of its round form.

It is
also the heart of London’s world.
Within a few hundred yards of it
there are most of London’s theatres
cinemas and restaurants. At night it
is a colourful sight. Also it is the
favorite place for walking. There is
a large underground station where
several different lines meet.

British government
Offices stand. It runs from Trafalgar Square to Parliament

Square. The
British government itself is often called Whitehall because there are many
Government offices in this street. Here we can see the Home Office, the
Treasury, the War Office, the Admiralty and other government departments,
Each housed in its own building.
This street is called so because at one time a big white palace, or hall, stood
In this street, where kings and their families lived. Only the old Banqueting
House remains today. It is one of London’s beautiful buildings. It stands
Opposite the Horse Guards.
Opposite the Home Office and in the middle of the street is the Cenotaph,
A monument to fallen in two world wars. It was built in 1920 after World
War I. every day people put flowers at the foot of the Cenotaph.

Gallery ( 1838) exhibits works of all the European schools

of painting of 13th—
19th centuries.
The Tate Gallery ( 1897) houses the more modern British painters. It exhibits a number of
interesting collection of British and foreign modern painting and also modern sculpture.
The British Museum is the best-known national museum of antiquities of Egypt and Greece
and ethnography. Its library has more than 6 mln.books that occupy more than 80 miles of
shelves.
The Old Curiosity Shop is also a museum and still not quite a museum. It was described in
Ch. Dickens's novel and many tourists come to see it as part of Dickens’s London. But it still
a shop selling antiquities.
Madam Tussaud’s Museum is an exhibition of hundreds of life-size wax modals of famous
people of yesterday and today. The collection was started by Madam Tussaud, a French
modelers in wax, in the 18th century. Here you can meet Marilyn Monroe, Elton John,
Picasso, the Royal Family, the Beatles and many others: writers, movie stars, singers,
politicians, sportsmen, etc

the most
part of the city. There are many
lawns

in the parks where people
lie or sit about.
Hyde Park with Speaker’s Corner
St. James's Park with the Zoo
Regent’s Park

Crown. There are royal palaces, royal parks, road and streets

where beautiful ceremonies are held.

the Thames
is the most ancient building of London. It
was

founded in the 11th century by William
the Conqueror. But each monarch left some
mark on it. For many centuries it has been a
fortress, a prison and a royal treasury. Now
it is a museum of arms and armour, it has
the Crown Jewels.
The White Tower was built by William the
Conqueror, it is the oldest tower.

British monarchs since 1830. When the monarch is in residence

( living in the Palace) the Royal standart is flown from the flagstaff, high above the famous balcony on which members of the royal family appear on special occasions. During the periods of residence, the ceremony of changing the guards takes place in the Palace courtyard. Although the front of the Palace is near the road, at the back the large gardens, with a lake and many fine trees, from a lovely setting for the garden parties and open-air receptions given by the Queen during the summer months.

on its own Great Park, it was once used as

a hunting ground for kings. The castle is dominated by a powerful Round Table and the splendid St. George Chapel, the burial place for many kings and queens.
The castle was first a simple structure used as a hunting lodge. Then it became a well-appointed royal residence. Since then, it has been a favorite home for royal family, made all the more so by a disastrous fire in 1992. Restoration, funded partly by opening Buckingham Palace to the public, was carried out to the highest standard and the castle is once again a favorite place with royalty and tourists alike.

work
of many hands and different ages. The
oldest part dates

the 8th century, it was a
Monastery - the West Minster..
It is the crowning place of the kings and
queens of the UK, there is the Stone of
Destiny.
Many kings and queens are buried here.

London which are owned by the Crown. They are open

to the public and free of charge. Each park has its own character. Hide Park used to be a hunting forest. Rergent’s Park was also a hunting place and is now the home of London Zoo, and an open-air theatre which gives performances ofShakespeare’s plays in summer