Britain forms the greater part of the British Isles, which lie off the north-west coast of mainland Europe. The full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain comprises England, Scotland and Wales. With a total area of about 242000 sq. km, Britain is just under 1000 km long and some 500 km across the widest part. London is the capital. Other major cities include Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. There are some 58 million people. Population density is highest in England and lowest in Scotland.
The climate is changeable through the seasonal cycle. Generally, the winter months from December to February are the coldest, with the shortest hours of daylight. The temperature rises through the spring months of March to May, and is the highest throughout the summer months from June to August. The weather is mainly influenced by depressions moving eastwards across the Atlantic. The average annual rainfall is more than 1600 mm in the highland areas of the west and north but less than 800 mm over the more fertile lowlands of the south and east.
Britain absorbed a range of foreign cultures and traditions during the early centuries – Roman, Viking, and Norman among them. In more recent times people from overseas have continued to settle in Britain, either to escape political or religious persecution, or in search of economic opportunities. Ethnic minorities now comprise about 5.5% of the population. All citizens enjoy the same rights and privileges. Racial discrimination is unlawful under the Race Relation Act 1976.
The official language of the United Kingdom is English, although the Welsh language has equal validity in Wales. Welsh is spoken by 25% of total population of Wales but in some rural areas by 75%; still very much alive with radio and TV programmes, newspapers and festivals. Gaelic is only spoken in rural north-western Scotland: in contrast to Welsh, it is rapidly declining with fewer than 50000 speakers. However, local place names in all these areas are based on the appropriate language. Irish Gaelic is rather artificially imposed within the education system. It is the natural speech of only small numbers along the West coast.
Although Britain is an industrial nation, most of the country is under cultivation and about 10 per cent of the land is covered by legally protected National Parks. Agriculture, which meets nearly 60% of Britain’s food needs, accounts 77% of land use. Woodland and urban development account for 10% each. Mountainous and other areas make up the remaining territory. About 66% of agricultural land is under crops and grass, the rest being used for grazing farm animals. There are about 240000 farms with an average size of 70 hectares. Over half of farms are devoted to dairy products or beef cattle or sheep. These are reared chiefly in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern and south-western England. Output of poultry meat has increased by over a third since 1980. Arable crops include cereals, higher-yielding wheat, barley and oilseed rape. Potatoes and vegetables are cultivated in eastern England and Scotland. Sugar beet provides over half of Britain’s requirements. Field vegetables are grown throughout the country and glasshouses are used for cultivating tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, lettuces and flowers.
Many major industrial processes and products were pioneered in Britain. Today, almost all manufacturing is by private businesses. The largest industries are machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, motor vehicles and aerospace, electronic and electrical engineering, steel, mechanical engineering and metal goods, food and drink and textiles. The chemical industry is the third largest in Western Europe and is Britain’s biggest export earner. British computer companies cater for business, science and the domestic user. Telecommunications is an important sector. British telecommunications has led in the production of optical fibre communication systems. Britain leads in the manufacture of navigational aids for ships and aircraft, thermal imaging systems and signaling equipment. British firms are in the forefront of technical advances in radar, another British invention. Other companies make electronic medical equipment originally developed in Britain, such as ultra sound scanners. Britain’s aerospace industry is the second largest in the Western world, after that of the United States. British Aerospace, Short Brothers and Rolls-Royce are the biggest of some 300 companies designing and constructing airframes, aero-engines, guided weapons, space satellites and aerospace equipment. Britain has the largest energy resources of any country in the European Union. It is a major world producer of oil and natural gas. About 25% of its electricity is provided by nuclear power stations. Britain also encourages the exploitation of renewable sources of energy, like solar and wind power.
People in Britain travel on average almost 200 km a week. The well developed transport infrastructure has been further improved by the new Channel Tunnel, linking Britain’s 16500 km rail network to that of the European country. The total road network is about 588000 km. Nearly 25 million vehicles are licensed for use on the roads. There are about 80 important seaports. Thirteen airports handle over 1 million passengers each year. British television runs one of the world’s largest telecommunications network.
The unit of British currency is the pound sterling, divided into 100 pence. The decimal currency system was introduced on the 15th of February 1971. The Bank of England was established in 1694, acts as banker to the Government, holding its main accounts and managing Britain’s reserves of gold and foreign exchange and arranging government borrowing. The London Stock exchange is one of the world’s largest markets for government and company securities.
The United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the constitutional monarchy. The head of the state is the Queen Elizabeth II. The United Kingdom is governed by Her Majesty’s Government in the name of the Queen.
The organs of government in the Great Britain are:
1. The legislature, which consists of the Queen in Parliament and is the supreme authority of the realm.
2. The executive which consists of the Cabinet and other ministers of the Crown; government departments; local authorities and statutory boards.
3. The judiciary which determines common law and interprets statues.
“The King in Parliament” is the supreme legislative authority in the UK, i.e. the King and the two Houses of Parliament (the House of Commons and the House of Lords).
The Cabinet is a small body (of approx. 20 persons) of ministers selected by the Prime Minister. Cabinet meetings are private and confidential. Cabinet never votes – the Prime Minister’s decision is final. The Government includes: the Prime Minister, head of the government, appointed by the Crown, non-departmental Ministers who have no departmental duties, but may be entrusted with special duties (the Lord President of the Council, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Lord Privy Seal), departmental Ministers, known as Secretaries: Secretary of State for Home Affairs (Home Secretary), etc., also some special titles: Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance). Total: approx. 100 persons.
The education system in Britain is rather complicated. The period of compulsory education has been eleven years since 1972 when the school leaving age was raised to 16. In England and Wales responsibility for the education service is distributed between central government, the local education authorities, the governing bodies of educational institutions and the teaching profession. Under the Education Act of 1944 it is “the duty of the parent of every child of compulsory school age to cause him to receive efficient full-time education”. Compulsory education starts at the beginning term following a child’s fifth birthday, and the minimum leaving age for all pupils is 16. The education provided in publicly is free; where parents choose to send their child to independent school they pay fees.
The earliest surviving examples of English art are carvings and illuminated manuscripts of Celtic and Saxon inspiration produced in the 7th century, in Northumbria. Manuscript illumination remained the outstanding English art until after the Norman Conquest, and English painters, glass-stainers and sculptors were still strongly influenced by French styles in the 11th century and throughout the Gothic period, the native genius being expressed in grotesque architectural carvings, amusing narrative scenes in manuscripts, exquisite embroidery and small alabaster reliefs and statuettes carved, for example, at Nottingham and exported throughout Europe.
There are 20 national museums and art galleries in Britain. Those in London contain between them the most comprehensive English collections of objects of artistic, archeological, scientific, historical and general interest. Among the best museums in London are the British Museum, the national Gallery, the Tate Gallery, The Victoria and Albert Museum, the Wallace Collection, the Geological Museum, the Science Museum and the National Maritime Museum. Other important collections in London include the Armouries (Tower of London) and the exhibition gallery in Buckingham Palace. Most cities and large towns and many other towns have a museum devoted to art, archeology and natural history, usually owned by the municipal authority. Both Oxford and Cambridge are rich in museums, mostly associated with universities: The Asmolean Museum in Oxford (1683) is the oldest in the country. The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge has fine art galleries and a notable collection of engravings, manuscripts and books. There are important museums and art galleries in Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool and Norwich.
Британия занимает большую часть Британских островов, которые лежат к северо-западу от материковой Европы. Полное название этого государства – Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии. Собственно Британия включает в себя Англию, Шотландию и Уэльс. Площадь Соединенного Королевства составляет 242000 кв.км, население – 58 миллионов человек. Столицей государства является Лондон.
Климат Великобритании довольно изменчив и зависит от потоков воздуха, двигающихся на восток через Атлантику. В ранние века Британия впитала в себя несколько различных культур – среди них римляне, викинги и норманны. В данный момент этнические меньшинства составляют 5,5% от всего населения. Расовая дискриминация была уничтожена в 1976 году.
Официальным языком является английский, хотя валлийский пользуется теми же правами в Уэльсе. Перед шотландцами стоит проблема вымирания их родного языка.
Хотя Британия является индустриальной страной, большинство ее территории обрабатывается, а 10% страны занимают национальные парки. Сельское хозяйство обеспечивает 60% нужд населения и занимает 77% территории. Лесные и городские массивы занимают по 10%, а горные и другие районы занимают оставшуюся площадь. Около 66% сельскохозяйственной земли отведено под угодья, остальное занимают животноводческие фермы. В Великобритании около 240000 ферм со средней площадью 70 га.
Много важных промышленных достижений были впервые применены в Британии. Сегодня почти все производство находится в частных руках. Наиболее важными отраслями промышленности в Великобритании являются машиностроение и транспортное оборудование, химикаты, автомобилестроение и аэрокосмос, электроника и энергетика, сталелитейная, пищевая и текстильная промышленность. В аэрокосмической промышленности задействовано около 300 компаний.
Британцы путешествуют по стране в среднем по 200 км в неделю. Общая длина железных дорог составляет 16500км, а автомобильных – 588000км. В Британии действует около 80 морских портов, а 13 аэропортов обслуживают около миллиона пассажиров в год.
Официальной денежной единицей Соединенного королевства является фунт стерлинг (равен 100 пенсам). Банк Англии был основан в 1694 году, сейчас действует как банкир правительства, держит его основные активы и следит за золотым и валютным запасами Британии. Лондонская товарная биржа является одним из самых больших мировых рынков ценных бумаг.
Соединенное королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии является конституционной монархией. Официальная глава государства – королева Елизавета II. Фактически же государством управляет правительство во главе с премьер-министром и парламент, разделенный на две палаты: Палату Лордов и Палату Общин.
Образовательная система в Великобритании в нынешнем виде существует с 1972 года. Все дети от 5 до 16 лет имеют право обучаться в общеобразовательных школах бесплатно, хотя существует также система частных платных школ, в основном закрытых.
Искусство Великобритании имеет давнюю историю, оно испытывало влияние многих иностранных культур: романской, норманнской, французской, фламандской. Наиболее известны английские архитекторы, литераторы и художники.
В Великобритании открыто 20 национальных музеев и картинных галерей. В Лондоне собраны наиболее разносторонние коллекции по искусству, археологии, истории и науке. Наиболее известные среди них: Британский Музей, Национальная Галерея, Геологический Музей, Научный Музей и другие.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. It consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. London is the capital. The official language of Great Britain is English.
It is the constitutional monarchy. The head of the state is the Queen Elizabeth II. But the United Kingdom is governed by the Government with its head – the Prime Minister and by the Parliament, which consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
Great Britain is highly developed industrial country, although 77% of its territory are cultivated. For example, Britain’s aerospace industry is the second largest in the Western world; there are about 300 companies involved in this sphere.
The United Kingdom has the well-developed transport infrastructure. British television runs one of the world’s largest telecommunications network.
The official unit of currency of Great Britain is the pound sterling, divided into 100 pence. The Bank of England is one of the oldest banks of the world. The London Stock Exchange is one of the world’s largest markets for government and company securities.
Great Britain has a very progressive education system. All the children from 5 to 16 have the right to get the education, which is charge free. Although, the system of private education nowadays exists.
The United Kingdom has a very old history of development. There are a lot of museums and art galleries devoted to it. Through the centuries British artists, architects, literary men and scientists were very famous in th
