Vypracovala: Miroslava Šimová

 

 

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles and separated from the Europe by the North Sea and English Channel.

 

Its area is about 244 755 sq km and the population is more than 60 million people. The longest rivers of this great island are the Thames and the Severn. Great Britain does not boast of high mountains – the highest peak being Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands and Snowdon in the Cambrian Mountains. The climate is influenced by the Gulf Stream, so it is quite warm, but it rains very often. GB is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen Elizabeth as the head of the state. The UK is governed by the Cabinet with twenty ministers and the Prime Minister. The official residence of Prime Minister is at 10 Downing Street. The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords and House of Commons and is one of the oldest in the world. The British political system depends on political parties such as the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. The UK is an industrialised country. Major industries include iron, steel engineering, textiles, plastics, cotton, chemicals, wool, shipbuilding and food processing. Wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, sugar beet, milk and meat are the chief agricultural products.

 

The UK has four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

 

Locally is Britain divided into counties. The capital of the whole Britain is London. Other big cities are Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, and Manchester etc. Oxford and Cambridge are the old university towns. Stratford-upon-Avon is the birthplace of William Shakespeare. The English countryside is full of peaceful harbour-towns with fishing boats; yachts, cottages and the English like to spend their holidays there.

 

London: It is a city full of traditions, historical buildings, monuments, theatres, parks and museums. It is the biggest city in Europe. On the River Thames, there is Tower Bridge and the Tower visited by many tourists. It was a fortress, a royal palace and a prison in the past. Nowadays, it is a museum of arms and the place where the crown jewels are kept. There are many beautiful churches in London and St. Paul’s Cathedral is the greatest of English churches. Palace of Westminster (known as Houses of Parliament) is the seat of the British Parliament. There is also a famous clock tower – Big Ben that is famous for its accuracy and for its 13-ton bell. Buckingham Palace is the London residence of the British royal family. The most famous streets for its shops and entertainment are Piccadilly, Bond Street, Regent Street and Oxford Street. Trafalgar Square with the statue of Admiral Nelson is one of the largest London squares. Madam Tussauds is famous for its waxwork of famous people. London has a large number of parks and gardens for example, St. James’s Park, Buckingham Palace Gardens, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

 

Wales: It is a largely mountainous country. It is famous for its long rivers, wide lakes and high hills. People speak two official languages English and Welsh. The land of Wales is full of mystery and beauty. It is sometimes called the land of castles. Welsh people are known for their love of music and poetry. The University of Wales is the most prestigious university.

 

Scotland: It is a land of many special traditions, which cannot be found elsewhere in the world playing the pipes, quality tweeds, woollen knitwear, wearing kilts and Scottish whisky. People in Scotland are very proud of their culture and heritage. They speak various dialects of English. It is a country of hills, lakes, swift and deep valleys. The most famous lakes are Loch Lomond and Loch Ness where according to legend a mythical monster Nessie lives. There are four big cities – Glasgow, Edinburgh (capital of Scotland), Dundee and Aberdeen.

 

Northern Ireland: The capital is Belfast where we can find the Queen’s University. The city is the shopping, educational, commercial and entertainment centre of this part of the country. It is also an important port. There are many small farms producing pigs, cattle, milk and eggs. The population of Northern Ireland is Protestant and Catholic. The religious and economic problems of the people in Northern Ireland are still alive.

 

Republic of Ireland: Its population is about four million people who are mainly Catholics. The capital is Dublin.

 

Použitá literatúra:

  • Bérešová, J. a kol.: Nová maturita z angličtiny, Aktuell, 2005

  • Billíková, A., Preložníková, S. Angličtina – nová maturita – vyššia úroveň. Enigma, 2008.