CAPITALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES

LONDON

POPULATION (INNER CITY/CONURBATION): London has a population of 8.308.369
inhabitants with an inner city population of 9.787.426 inhabitants and a conurbation dwellers of
13.010.295, which means 528 hab/km.

ETIMOLOGY AND ORIGINS: the etymology of London is unknown. It is an ancient name
from the 2
nd
Century, recorded on the 121 BC as Condinium, which determinates a Roman
origin.

DISTINCTIVE AREAS: London has 32 boroughs, such as Chelsea, Cambeth, Candem, Sutton,
Harrow

ECONOMY: Londons economy represents the 17% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in
the UK.

HISTORICAL TURNING POINTS: After the unification of the Kingdom of England in the
10th Century, London was the largest city of the Kingdom and the most important commerce
center and it began to acquire importance as a political area.

William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England in 1066. He ordered to build the
famous Tower of London.

William Shakespeare lived in London in the 16
th
Century.

WWII fully affected London.

Great Fire in 1666.

REASONS FOR BECOMING THE CAPITAL: In the year 100 London was the capital of the
Roman province of Britain. London is a global city, powerhouse in arts, commerce, education,
fashion, media, tourism It is, along with New York, the main financial centre of the world
and one of the metropolitan areas with the highest GDP.

ICONIC LANDMARKS: The Big Ben, the Tower of London, Gherkin, the Buckingham
Palace, Piccadilly Circus, St. Jamess Park.

ETHNIC COMMUNITIES: British, Irish, Indians, Pakistanies, Arabic, Spanish, Italians

FAMOUS CITIZENS: Geoffrey Chancer, Queen Elizabeth, William Blake, Margaret Thatcher,
Charles Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock.


EDINBURGH

POPULATION: Edinburgh has a total population of 490.660 inhabitants.

ETYMOLOGY AND ORIGINS: The name of the city comes from the Brythonic Din Eidyn.
After being attacked and conquered by the Anglo Bernicians, the name changed to Edim Buth,
which means Fort of Edwin.

DISTINCTIVE AREAS: Old town, new town and Leith.

ECONOMY: Scotlands economy is closely linked to the UK. It is also part of the European
Economic Area. Scotland has the third highest GDP per capita of all the UK regions.

HISTORICAL TURNING POINTS: In 1295 begins the famous Old Covenant between
Scotland and France against a common enemy: England.

In the 15
th
Century Edinburgh was proclaimed capital of Scotland.

REASONS FOR BECOMING THE CAPITAL: is the capital of Scotland and the home of the
Scottish government. It is one of the most important centres of education and culture and is the
second most visited city in the UK after London.

ICONIC LANDMARKS: Carton Hill, Edinburghs University, Old town, Princess Street, North
Bridge, New Town, Arthurs seat.

ETHNIC COMMUNITIES: people from all around the world.

FAMOUS CITIZEN: James Lind, Allan Wells, Sean Connery, Irvine Welsh, J.K. Rowling.


CARDIFF

POPULATION: 317.500 inhabitants

ETYMOLOGY AND ORIGIN: Cardiff and his Welsh equivalent Caerdydd comes from the
Post-Roman words that mean Fortress on the Taff.

DISTINCTIVE AREAS: Roath, Cathays, Grange Town on Riverside, Canton and Pontcanna.

ECONOMY: As the capital of Wales is the main engine of the economy of the country and its
economy represent a 20% of the Welsh GDP.

HISTORICAL TURNING POINTS: Cardiff was fortified by the Romans during the occupation
of the British Isles.

In 1536 Cardiff was named as a County town.

During the industrial revolution and the coal came out the parts of Cardiff.

ICONIC LANDMARKS: City Hall, Coal Exchange, Cardiff Bay, St Marys Street, Castle
Coch, the Millennium stadium.

FAMOUS CITIZEN: Collin Dixon, Shirley Bassey, Ivor Novello, Ken Follet, Roald Dahl.


BELFAST

POLUATION: Belfast has a population 286.000 inhabitants and a conurbation of 483.418
inhabitants.

ETYMOLOGY AND ORIGIN: the origin is Irish and it comes from Beal Feirste and it means
Mouth of the Sandbanks.

DISTINCTIVE AREAS: North, West, East and South Areas.

ECONOMY: Their main economy is industry

HISTORICAL TURNING POINTS: the most important historical turning points are the
troubles during WWII and the Irish War of Independence.

REASONS FOR BECOMING THE CAPITAL: Belfast is the commercial and industrial centre
of Ireland.

ICONIC LANDMARKS: the Titanic Belfast, the Stormont and Belfast Castle.

ETHIC COMMUNITIES: Chinese, Irish travellers, Hindu.

FAMOUS CITIZEN: C.S. Lewis, Lord Kelvin, Ciaran Hinds, Jamie Dornan.


DUBLIN

POPULATION: Dublin has a population of 550.383 and a conurbation of 1.504.156 inhabitants.

ETYMOLOGY AND ORIGIN: It comes from the Irish Dul Hinn that means black pool.

DISTINCTIVE AREAS: North (working class) and South (middle-upper class) division.

ECONOMY: Their economy is based on traditional industry and financial services.

HISTORICAL TURNING POINTS: partition of Ireland is the main historical fact.

ICONIC LANDMARKS: Spike of Dublin, the Trinity College and the Dublin Castle.

ETHNIC COMMUNITIES: EU, China, Nigeria and Asian.

FAMOUS CITIZEN: James Joyce, Bram Stroker, Oscar Wilde, Bono, Colin Farrel.

The British Isles are a group of the North-Western coast of Europe, that consist of the islands of
Great Britain, Ireland and over 6.000 smaller isles, although only 136 of them are inhabited.
Two sovereign states are located on the islands: Ireland (covering 5/6 of the island with the
same name) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Britain Isles
also include 3 dependencies of the British Crown: the Isles of Man, the Bailiwick of Jersey and
the Bailiwick of Guernsey in the Channel Islands, although the latter are not physically part of
the archipelago.

It is believed that by 8.000 BC, the British Islands were part of the European continent and the
British Seashore would fit with the European Coast, and river Thames would continue with the
Rhine. Deposits show that Ireland was separated from the mainland first. And we can see how
Ireland has less plants and animals. Also, historically, the sea became a natural wall of defence,
so the blue became a natural ally. Talking about the sea, part of the British Isles is surrounded
by the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is an Ocean Stream that moves a large mass of warm
water from the Gulf of Mexico and heads North Atlantic. That keeps them with good weather
and warm water.

We can divide the UK in: lowlands and highlands. The first ones are located on the East, they
are provided with pastures, wood production and fertile land, while the highlands are a hard
place to live and farm because of the bad weather.

We can find three different names: Northern Ireland // Ireland // the Republic of Ireland

And the UK is divided in: Northern Ireland // England // Scotland // Wales

In 1707 it was formed the UK of Britain, with Scotland and England, because Wales was
already part of England (1536) and the whole Ireland became complete in 1801, but with the
Civil War, part of Ireland became independent.

The Union Jack is the flag of the YK and it is a combination of erases. Another important fact is
that the UK is the 6
th
economic power in the world.

The Age of Invasions was before the year 1066. The first invaders were: Celts // Romans //
Anglo-Saxons // Vikings

The Norman Conquest of England was in 1066 and it was the last successful invasion. We can
see the failures in the Great Armada, Napoleon and Hitler in the WWII.

The first human being dates from the 5.000 BC and this humans wee Hunters and gatherers. In
3.500 BC started the agriculture in the Neolithic, they used only stone to work the land and also
started the cattle breeding. The Iberians were the ones who brought the agriculture and they
came from the South.

The Orkney, also known as the Orkney Island, is an archipelago in Northern Scotland. Orkney
comprise approximately 70 islands. 20 of them are inhabited. In the Orkney Island we can find
the oldest pieces of archaeological settlements. This is the first community in the UK and it is
called Skara Brae (3.100-2.500 BC). The Skara Brae is a Neolithic settlement, located on the
bay of Skail, on the West coast of Mainland. They used stone instruments and they survived
thanks to fishing and farming. This was one of the first permanent communities. They probably
abandoned the place because the climate changed. Two miles away from Skara Brae, we can
find a little door into it. Once you are in the entrance, you have to go along a corridor, this
passage way goes right to the heart of the hill, where you can find a chamber. This is a Barrow
(buried place/tombs). These are the first rituals to dead and they are called Maes Home.