Civilization of The British Isles - 1

Christophe Tournu
Professeur, LSHA
© Université de Strasbourg, 2010
CIVILIZATION
OF THE BRITISH ISLES
Outline of the course
This course will fall into 6 parts:

 1 A physical geography of the British Isles,
together with some political elements
 2 A Short History of Britain
 3 The Constitution, the UK Parliament,
and the Government
 4 A Survey of the British People
 5 UK Economy, Welfare and Social Evils
 6 British Life and Culture
Useful material
 A 57-page color booklet booklet accompanies

the course. It is on sale at the Photocopying
Service (FR: Reprographie) (5€).
It contains different color maps and charts as well as a chronology of UK history. You
will also find a chapter on UK culture.
For the final exam, you will be asked questions on the course as well as on the
material I have included in the booklet.
 Information will be regularly posted on our

websites : E-Langues.
Exam
Guide pédagogique, p. 48 :
S2 – UE5 Civilisation
Anglais
Appliquer les concepts étudiés au semestre 1 aux aires
géographiques américaine et britannique. Lire un ouvrage en lien
avec le cours.
Contrôle des connaissances, session 1 :
« Type de questions analogues à ce qui est proposé au semestre 1. »
[20 questions de type QCM; questions fermées ou questions
ouvertes nécessitant une réponse courte]
Epreuve portant sur le cours et sur un texte de civilisation au
programme (document d’une taille comprise entre 50 et 100
pages)
Course #7 – 16 March 2010
A PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE

BRITISH ISLES, TOGETHER
WITH SOME POLITICAL
ELEMENTS
Introduction
 Introduction
 1. Basic facts
 The British Isles is a geographical term for a
group of islands lying off the north-west
coast of mainland Europe.
 The British Isles is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to
the west, the North Sea to the North and East and
English Channel to the south. Also the Irish Sea lies
between mainland Britain and Ireland.
Introduction (ctd.)
 England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle

of Man, and the Channel Islands make up
the British Isles.
 It is a geographical
entity.
Introduction (ctd.)
 As you may know,

Ireland itself is di-
vided up into
2 parts:
 Northern Ireland
and the Republic
of Ireland
Introduction (ctd.)
 If you consider the British Isles but ignore the

Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the
Channel Islands, you obtain what is called the
United Kingdom.
 It is a political entity.
 The UK is composed of England, Wales,
Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
 The UK refers to Great Britain and Northern
Ireland.
Introduction (ctd.)
 If you consider the UK

but ignore
Northern Ireland,
you obtain what is
called Britain –
which is not to be
mistaken for Brittany
(FR.: La Bretagne).
Introduction (ctd.)
 Britain includes England, Wales, and Scotland.

Introduction
 2. Significant particularities
 The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands
(Jersey, Guernsey) are also part of the British
Isles.
 2. 1. The Isle of Man
 The Isle of Man occupies a central position in the Irish

Sea, and also in the British Isles.
Introduction
Introduction
 There are 80,058 inhabitants on the Isle of Man.

 It is an internally self-governing dependent
territory of the British Crown. It is not part of the
United Kingdom, although the UK is responsible
for its external relations.
 The Island is a Crown Dependency which,
through its own parliament, Tynwald, enjoys a
high degree of domestic legislative and political
autonomy.
Introduction
 The Flag of the Isle of Man is red with the Three

Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center;
the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at
the knee.
Introduction
 2. 2. The Channel Islands

 They used to be part of the Duchy of Normandy.
Since William’s conquest of England in 1066,
they have been subject to the English Crown as
successor to the Dukes of Normandy.
 They comprised two groups of islands.
Introduction
Map
Introduction
 Jersey
 The Bailiwick of Jersey (pronounced /ˈdʒɜrzi/) is
a British Crown Dependency off the coast of
Normandy, France. It is not part of the UK,
though its international representation and
defence are ordinarily conducted by the UK
government.
 The Queen is represented by His Excellency the
Lieutenant Governor.
Introduction
 There is a Council of Ministers, which comprises a Chief

Minister (currently Senator Terry Le Sueur) and Ministers
of the 9 Departments.
 The Legislative is called the States Assembly. It includes
53 members (senators, conétables, deputies, and other
positions) (>>)
 The Bailiff (currently Mr Michael Birt), is appointed by
the Queen to be head of the judiciary, President of the
States and civic head of Jersey.
 The resident population of Jersey was estimated at
90,800 in 2007.
Introduction
 The Jersey flag is a red diagonal cross on a white

background, with three gold leopards (or lions) on a red
crest surmounted by a gold crown in the top triangle. See
the flag of Jersey >>
Introduction
 Guernsey
ɡɜrnzi/;
 The Bailiwick of Guernsey (pronounced /ˈ
French: Bailliage de Guernesey) is a British Crown
Dependency in the English Channel off the coast of
Normandy.
 It is not part of the UK, although its defense is the
responsibility of the UK government.
Introduction
 The deliberative assembly is called the

States of Deliberation (French: Les États
de Délibération).
 It consists of 45 People's Deputies.
 They elect the Policy Council, which
consists of the ministers/presidents of
each of the ten departments plus the chief
minister.
Introduction
 The deliberative assembly is called the

States of Deliberation (French: Les États
de Délibération).
 It consists of 45 People's Deputies.
 They elect the Policy Council, which
consists of the ministers/presidents of
each of the ten departments plus the chief
minister.
Introduction
The flag of Guernsey is white with the red cross of Saint

George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges
of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the
Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross.
Introduction
 The UK or British flag is called the Union

Flag.
Introduction
 It is sometimes referred to as the Union

Jack and is the flag of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland.
 The flag is actually three flags in one.
 It is made up from the:
 England flag,
 Scotland flag and
 the patron saint of Ireland's Flag.
Introduction
 Scotland is represented by the flag of St. Andrew.
 England is represented by the flag of St. George.
 Northern Ireland is represented by the flag of

St. Patrick.
Introduction
This is the flag of Wales
It does not appear on the British flag.

I – The Geography of England
The largest, the most populous, and the most densely

populated of the four countries, which form up the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
(UK). England covers an area of 130,395 km² (i.e. less
than 25% of Metropolitan France: 550,000 km2)
occupying the south-eastern portion of the island of
Great Britain. The population is around 49,000,000 and
the capital city is London.
England is bordered to the north by Scotland and to the

west by Wales.
 Most of England consists of rolling hills, but the country is more

mountainous in the north. There is also an area of flat, low-lying
marshland in the east.
 Major rivers are the Thames, the Severn, the Trent, the Humber, the
Yorkshire Ouse, the Tyne, the Mersey and the Dee.
 England's six largest cities are: London, Birmingham, Leeds,

Sheffield, Liverpool, and Manchester. Other major cities are
Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Derby, Kingston upon Hull, Leicester,
Newcastle Upon Tyne, Nottingham, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent and
Wolverhampton.
 England is administratively divided up into 9 regions (Cf. FR: 22):

 1. London
 It is the capital of England. The UK government is

located there, around the Palace of Westminster.
 With a population of 7.5 million inhabitants,
London is the most populous municipality in the
EU.
 London is well flat. The city is crossed from the
south-west to the east by the Thames, a
navigable river.
 1. London (ctd.)
 “London is not so much a city, as the world’s biggest

village.” (G. K. Chesterton)
London consists of 32 small cities, plus The City, each
with their own governments, schools, areas of wealth
and poverty and sense of individual identity. Each
borough has national government representation and a
local council whose function is to collects taxes and to
provide essential services.
 For detailed information on each borough, plus the borough of the City of London >>
See also: London Directory >>
 1. London (ctd.)
 Clickable map >>

 Richmond, in the West end, is the wealthiest district, whereas
Barking, in the East end, is the poorest.
 Inner London includes Camden, Greenwich, Hackney,
Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Royal Borough of
Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower
Hamlets, Wandsworth, Westminster.
Learn +
 Things to do and see in London >> (12-picture slideshow)
Idem. (Click on the map to enlarge) >>
Another (showing monuments) >>
 2. South East
 2. South East (ctd.)
 (A clickable map is also available >>)

 Its population as of the 2001 census was 8,000,550; the most
populous region.
 The area is known for some places: Oxford, home to one of the most
prestigious universities in England, Eton (its ancient public school),
Windsor (advertised as the longest inhabited Royal castle in the
world), and Canterbury.
 3. South West
 3. South West (ctd.)
 Most of the South West occupies a peninsula between the English

Channel and Bristol Channel.
 It is the largest such region in terms of area, covering 23,828 km2
including Bristol (a ceremonial county),
- Gloucestershire
- Somerset
- Dorset
- Wiltshire
- Devon
- Cornwall
- and the Isles of Scilly (*)
 Most of the South West occupies a peninsula between the English

Channel and Bristol Channel.
 It is the largest such region in terms of area, covering 23,828 km2
including Bristol (a ceremonial county),
- Gloucestershire
- Somerset
- Dorset
- Wiltshire
- Devon
- Cornwall
- and the Isles of Scilly (*)
 The prehistoric monuments of Stonehenge are there

(Avesbury, Wiltshire) >>
Another picture (humorous) >>
 Bristol is the capital of the South West of England >>
 The SW of England has a population of 4.328 million.

 4. West Midlands
 It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, with

1,006,500 inhabitants.
 4. West Midlands (ctd.)
 The region is geographically diverse, from urban central areas to the

rural counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire which border Wales.
The other counties are Staffordshire, West Midlands,
Worcestershire, and Warwickshire -- home to the town of Stratford
upon Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
 The longest river in the UK, the River Severn, traverses the region
southeastwards, and the Ironbridge Gorge, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, as birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
 The West Midlands region is known as the heart of England.
 5. North West
 It has a population of 6,853,200

and comprises five counties:
- Cumbria
- Lancashire
- Greater Manchester
- Merseyside
- and Cheshire.
 5. North West (ctd.)
 Two large conurbations, centred on the cities of Liverpool and

Manchester, occupy the south of the region and are its largest
centres of population.
 The north of the region, including northern Lancashire and Cumbria,
is largely rural.
 It is the largest food and drink producing region in England.
 England’s largest National Park, the Lake District, is located there (in
the county of Cumbria) >>
 6. North East
 It comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County

Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Tees Valley (including parts of North
Yorkshire).
 6. North East (ctd.)
 It comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County

Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Tees Valley (including parts of North
Yorkshire).
 The North East region has the lowest GDP/capita in England.
 It includes the City of Durham, which is known for its cathedral (>>),
its castle (>>), and its university (>>).
 Another known city is Newcastle.
 7. Yorkshire and Humberside
 It is, in fact, Yorkshire (North, West, and South – but not East? Yes,
the last county, East Riding, is the abbreviation of East Riding of
Yorkshire.
 7. Yorkshire and Humberside (ctd.)
 It is, in fact, Yorkshire (North, West, and South – but not East? Yes,
the last county, East Riding, is the abbreviation of East Riding of
Yorkshire.
 The region covers an area from Sheffield to Whitby, Hull to

Huddersfield, and has a population of over five million.
 Leeds is the administrative capital of the region, which also includes

the City of York.
 8. East Midlands
 It encompasses
the combined area of
Derbyshire,
Leicestershire,
Rutland,
Northamptonshire,
Nottinghamshire
and Lincolnshire.
 8. East Midlands
 Its capital is Nottingham, a city reputed for its links with

the Robin Hood legend.
 More information
 Official website of the region >>
 Tourist guide >>
 9. East Anglia
 The region covers the counties

of :
Bedfordshire
Cambridgeshire
Essex
Hertfordshire
Norfolk
and Suffolk.
 9. East Anglia (ctd.)
 The University of Cambridge was long known as one of the 2 universities.

 Britain's oldest recorded town is Colchester, in Essex.
 Norwich, in Norfolk, is the most complete medieval city in Britain.
II – The Geography of Wales
 In ancient times, Wales was inhabited by the Celtic Britons. A distinct Welsh national
identity emerged in the centuries after the Romans withdrew from Britain in the 5th
century, and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations today. The English
conquered Wales in 1284 (Statute of Rhuddlan) but the country was not incorporated
into England before 1542.
 Wales is a small country. It is just over 20,000 square kilometres in size. At its widest
it's 200 kilometres east to west, and 250 Kilometres north to south.
 Wales has a varied geography with strong contrasts. In the south, flat coastal plains
gives way to valleys. Then you will find ranges of hills and mountains in mid and north
Wales (Snowdon, 1085 m.).
 80% of the land is dedicated to agriculture, ranging from crops to livestock.
 Its capital is Cardiff (Welsh: Caerdydd), Wales's largest city with 317,500 people (i.e.,
more than 10% of the whole population).
 There are 2,980,000 inhabitants.
 The national anthem is The Land of My Fathers
 >> (video)
 >> (lyrics)
 The Flag of Wales is Y Ddraig Goch

(English: The Red Dragon), consisting of a
red dragon striding on a green and white
field.
 Another map
III – The Geography of Scotland
 Scotland occupies the northern third of the

island of GB.
 It shares a border with England to the

south and is bounded by the North Sea to
the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north
and west, and the North Channel and Irish
Sea to the southwest.
 In addition to the mainland, Scotland consists of nearly 800 islands,

including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
 The total area is 78,772 km 2.
 It is a mountainous country, which can be divided up into 3 parts: the
Southern Uplands, the Central Lowlands, and the Highlands – home
to the Loch Ness. Ben Nevis (1344 m.) is the highest peak in GB.
 Scotland was an independent sovereign state until 1707, when the

Great Britain was created (Act of Union).
 Its capital is Edinburgh, but the largest city is Glasgow. It has an
estimated population of 5,168,000 (2008).
 There is no Scottish national anthem.
 The Scottish flag is the cross of St. Andrews:
IV – The Geography of Ireland
 Ireland became part of the UK of Great Britain and

Ireland in 1801.
 Yet, in 1922, Ireland was divided into 2 parts: Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
 Northern Ireland is part of the UK. The Republic of
Ireland, which covers more than 80% of the island, is an
independent sovereign state.
 Ireland is subdivided into four provinces: Connacht
(west), Leinster (east), Munster (south), and Ulster
(north). It has thirty-two traditional counties. Twenty-six
of the counties are in the Republic of Ireland, and six
counties are in Northern Ireland.
 The area of Ireland is 84,421 km2. A ring of coastal

mountains surround low plains at the centre of the
island.
 The population of Ireland is estimated to be slightly over
six million. Nearly 4.5 million people are estimated to
reside in the Republic of Ireland and an estimated 1.75
million reside in Northern Ireland.
 Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.
 Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland.
 The Republic of Ireland's flag is made of three equal-

sized rectangles of orange, white, and green.
 The green color on the flag represents the native people

of Ireland (most of whom are Roman Catholic). The
orange color represents the British settlers, supporters of
William of Orange (most of whom are Protestant). The
white in the center of the flag represents peace between
Catholics and Protestants.
 The Irish national anthem is The Soldier’s Song.

 Listen >>
 Lyrics >>
 More infor-
mation
 Tourist gui-
de >>

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Christophe Tournu

This course will fall into 6 parts:

 A 57-page color booklet booklet accompanies

 Information will be regularly posted on our

A PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE

 England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle

 As you may know,

 If you consider the British Isles but ignore the

 If you consider the UK

 Britain includes England, Wales, and Scotland.

 2. 1. The Isle of Man

 The Isle of Man occupies a central position in the Irish

 There are 80,058 inhabitants on the Isle of Man.

 The Flag of the Isle of Man is red with the Three

 2. 2. The Channel Islands

 There is a Council of Ministers, which comprises a Chief

 The Jersey flag is a red diagonal cross on a white

 The deliberative assembly is called the

 The deliberative assembly is called the

The flag of Guernsey is white with the red cross of Saint

 The UK or British flag is called the Union

 It is sometimes referred to as the Union

 Scotland is represented by the flag of St. Andrew.

 England is represented by the flag of St. George.

 Northern Ireland is represented by the flag of

This is the flag of Wales

It does not appear on the British flag.

The largest, the most populous, and the most densely

England is bordered to the north by Scotland and to the

 Most of England consists of rolling hills, but the country is more

 England's six largest cities are: London, Birmingham, Leeds,

 England is administratively divided up into 9 regions (Cf. FR: 22):

 It is the capital of England. The UK government is

 “London is not so much a city, as the world’s biggest

 Clickable map >>

 2. South East (ctd.)

 (A clickable map is also available >>)

 3. South West (ctd.)

 Most of the South West occupies a peninsula between the English

 3. South West (ctd.)

 Most of the South West occupies a peninsula between the English

 3. South West (ctd.)

 The prehistoric monuments of Stonehenge are there

 The SW of England has a population of 4.328 million.

 It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, with

 4. West Midlands (ctd.)

 The region is geographically diverse, from urban central areas to the

 It has a population of 6,853,200

 5. North West (ctd.)

 Two large conurbations, centred on the cities of Liverpool and

 It comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County

 6. North East (ctd.)

 It comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County

 7. Yorkshire and Humberside

 7. Yorkshire and Humberside (ctd.)

 The region covers an area from Sheffield to Whitby, Hull to

 Leeds is the administrative capital of the region, which also includes

 Its capital is Nottingham, a city reputed for its links with

 The region covers the counties

 9. East Anglia (ctd.)

 The University of Cambridge was long known as one of the 2 universities.

 The Flag of Wales is Y Ddraig Goch