The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

A. Geographical facts
The British Isles lie to the north-west of the continent of Europe and consist of two main islands,
the larger of which is Great Britain, the smaller is Ireland. Great Britain is made up of England, Wales
and Scotland. The north-west and west of Great Britain is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. The
south-eastern part of Great Britain is separated from France by the English Channel which is 32
kilometres wide at its narrowest point. An important river is the Thames.The weather changes
frequently. It rains through the year but the wettest months are from September to January while the
driest are from March to June. London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom.

Scotland

England

Northern Ireland

Wales

B. Famous historical places in Great Britain

The main attractions are in London. Among them there are: the Tower of London, Tower Bridge,
St. Pauls Cathedral, the House of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and so on.
The Tower of London was a fortress, a palace, a prison and it was built in the 11 th century. Now
the Tower is a museum. It is famous as home of the Crown Jewels.
Tower Bridge was built across the Thames in 1894. The twin drawbridges, each weighing about
1000 tones take just 90 seconds to rise.
St.Pauls Cathedral is the Citys greatest monument and Sir Christopher Wrens masterpiece.
The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben - there are two towers in the Palace of Westminster: the
Victoria Tower and the Clock Tower. The clock came into service in 1859 and was nicknamed Big
Ben after Sir Benjamin Hall. It weighs 13 tons.
Westminster Abbey is very old, beautiful and it is full of history. The coronations of every king
and queen during 900 years have been held here. Many great Englishmen are buried in it: Newton,
Darwin, Watt, Dickens, and Chaucer. There is a corner usually called Poets Corner, where there are
memorials to famous British poets: W. Shakespeare, Robert Burns, Byron and others.
C. Outstanding people of Great Britain

Great Britain made a great contribution to the science, literature, music and arts of the world. It
gave mankind a lot of outstanding scientists, writers and poets, musicians and painters.
William Shakespeare is one of the most famous writers in the world. His plays Romeo and
Juliet, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, King Lear, Macbeth were translated into almost every
language and staged in every theatre.
Daniel Defoe, Robert Burns, Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll are only a few
names well-known all over the world.
Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin was born is Scotland. He spent his working hours
almost entirely in hospitals and laboratories.
D. Education in Great Britain
Education in Britain is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16 years. There are state system of
education and private schools. The education system is divided into 3 stages:nursery, primary,
secondary. After that the children can follow higher education.
Nursery schools (kindergartens) take children of 3 years old. Children start at 9 a.m. and
finish at 3 p.m.. They have their lunch at school and usually a rest in the afternoon.
Primary Schools: At 5, by law, children start proper school. Infant school is from 5-7 years
and Junior school from 7-11 years. The day begins at 9 a.m. and usually finishes at 3.30 p.m. They
learn English, maths, science and technology, history, geography and religious knowledge. A lot of
learning is done through project or topic work, with an emphasis on children finding things out for
themselves.
Secondary Schools: Secondary education takes from 5 to 7 years. Children study the National
Curriculum that is: English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Art, Music, Technology, Religious
Education, Physical Education (P.E.) and a foreign language (usually French or German). The majority
of British school children wear a school uniform. Sometimes this is very formal: a shirt, a tie, a blazer
with a school badge on the pocket and dark trousers. Girls also wear a tie but a dark skirt instead of
trousers, even in winter.
Among the universities Oxford (founded in the 12th century ) and Cambridge (founded in the 13th
century) are the oldest and the most famous.
School term and holiday dates The English academic year runs from September to July.
English schools have six terms (semesters), separated by holidays (vacations).The school year is 39
weeks long and is divided into six terms:Term 1 - September to October (followed by a one week
holiday), Term 2 - October to December (followed by a two week holiday), Term 3 - January to
February (followed by a one week holiday), Term 4 - February to March (followed by a two week
holiday), Term 5 - April to May (followed by a one week holiday), Term 6 - June to July (followed by
a six week summer holiday)
Holidays - the main school holidays are: Christmas - 2 weeks, Spring - 2 weeks, Summer (end of
July and the whole of August) - 6 weeks

E. English money
Coins - 1p (penny) , 2p (p= pence )
Notes 1 (pound), 5
1.05= oune pound and five pence
F. The form of the state in Great Britain

The present British monarch is Queen Elizabeth (since 1953) and the next in the line to the throne is her
son, Charles, the Prince of Wales, and then his son, Prince William of Wales. She is the head of the state
and reigns over the UK, but this isnt a role which exercises any power.The person with the top
political power is the Prime Minister. The current Prime Minister is David Cameron.