THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Geography
- Consists of the two main islands of Great Britain, Ireland, and many other smaller islands (the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly, Anglesey, the Isle of Man, The Hebrides, the Orkneys, the Shetlands, the Channel Islands)
- The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland (1, 342metres)
- The longest rivers are the Severn and the Thames
- Lowland areas of midland, southern and eastern England, highland areas comprise Scotland, most of Wales, central upland (the Pennines), and the Lake District
- The best known lakes in the Lake District (Buttermere, Wast Water, Windermere) and in Scotland (Loch Ness - the largest lake by volume, Loch Lomond, Loch Lochy etc.)
- Temperate climate with lots of rainfall, west influenced by the Gulf Stream
- The prime meridian of 0° passes through the old observatory at Greenwich
History
- First signs of inhabitants dates back to the Stone Age
- The Celts settled the area of today´s London around 800 BC
- Then came the period of Roman invasion (first in A.D. 43), only King Alfred the Great no later than at the beginning of the 9th century was able to stop them
- In 1066 William the Conqueror started the Norman invasion
- In 1215 Magna Carta was issued (this clause limits the power of rulers, and introduces the idea of lawful process and the idea of a jury)
- 15th century witnessed the Wars of Roses (wars between the House of York and House of Lancaster)
- Establishment of the Church of England during the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547)
- During the reign of Elizabeth I (Henry´s daughter) England became a European power
- 1649 is the break out of civil war (king for the first time executed), England ruled by Oliver Cromwell afterwards
- The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) meant new struggle, finished in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo
- The 19th century was marked by the growth of the British Empire whereas during the 20th century UK was forced to leave some of their colonies (India, Pakistan etc.)
Political system
- Constitutional monarchy with the queen (Elizabeth II) as the formal head of the state
- Country governed, in the name of the queen, by the Government, a body of ministers with the prime minister as the head of the government
- The Parliament has two houses - an elected House of Commons and an appointed House of Lords
- Three major political parties (the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats)
- One of only four countries in the world to have uncodified constitution
Comprises of four countries
England (London)
- The largest of the countries
- Seat of political power
- The most famous places could be found here (Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament etc.- London, Oxford, Stonehenge)
- Some of famous music groups of originally from England (The Beatles, Queen, Coldplay, Muse etc.)
Scotland (Edinburgh)
- Independent until 1707
- Nowadays with own Scottish Parliament (unicameral - 129 members)
- Scottish Gaelic sometimes spoken, apart from English
- Great Highland Bagpipe is the famous traditional Scottish instrument
Wales (Cardiff)
- Mountainous country with three national parks (Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire Coast)
- One of the wettest countries in Europe, changeable climate
- The National Assembly of Wales created in 1998
- Rugby is the most popular sport there
Northern Ireland (Belfast)
- For many years (from 1960s) site of violent conflict between nationalists and unionists
- Largely self-governing since 1998
- Famous personalities of Irish origin include Rory McIlroy (golfer), Liam Neeson (actor)
Culture
Literature
- Beowulf as the oldest epic poem
- Geoffrey Chaucer as the outstanding author of the Middle English period (Canterburry Tales)
- William Shakespeare is the most outstanding representative of the Modern English Literature
- Some authors awarded the Nobel Prize for literature (R. Kipling, G.B. Shaw, J. Galsworthy, S. Beckett, W. Golding etc.)
Music
- Famous places such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican Hall
- Famous people and music groups such as Eric Clapton, Elton John, Adele, The Rolling Stones, Oasis
Museums and Galleries
- The British Museum (outstanding displays of antiquities of Egypt, Greece and Rome, exhibits such as Magna Carta, Shakespeare´s First Folio etc.)
- The Tate Gallery displays collection famous paintings (f.ex. French Impressionists
Sports
- Football, rugby, cricket, tennis belong among the most popular sports, some of which were even invented in the UK
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org
T.Chudý, J. Chudá: Some Basic Facts, Fragment, Havlíčkův Brod 1996
Geography
- Consists of the two main islands of Great Britain, Ireland, and many other smaller islands (the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly, Anglesey, the Isle of Man, The Hebrides, the Orkneys, the Shetlands, the Channel Islands)
- The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland (1, 342metres)
- The longest rivers are the Severn and the Thames
- Lowland areas of midland, southern and eastern England, highland areas comprise Scotland, most of Wales, central upland (the Pennines), and the Lake District
- The best known lakes in the Lake District (Buttermere, Wast Water, Windermere) and in Scotland (Loch Ness - the largest lake by volume, Loch Lomond, Loch Lochy etc.)
- Temperate climate with lots of rainfall, west influenced by the Gulf Stream
- The prime meridian of 0° passes through the old observatory at Greenwich
History
- First signs of inhabitants dates back to the Stone Age
- The Celts settled the area of today´s London around 800 BC
- Then came the period of Roman invasion (first in A.D. 43), only King Alfred the Great no later than at the beginning of the 9th century was able to stop them
- In 1066 William the Conqueror started the Norman invasion
- In 1215 Magna Carta was issued (this clause limits the power of rulers, and introduces the idea of lawful process and the idea of a jury)
- 15th century witnessed the Wars of Roses (wars between the House of York and House of Lancaster)
- Establishment of the Church of England during the reign of Henry VIII (1509-1547)
- During the reign of Elizabeth I (Henry´s daughter) England became a European power
- 1649 is the break out of civil war (king for the first time executed), England ruled by Oliver Cromwell afterwards
- The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) meant new struggle, finished in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo
- The 19th century was marked by the growth of the British Empire whereas during the 20th century UK was forced to leave some of their colonies (India, Pakistan etc.)
Political system
- Constitutional monarchy with the queen (Elizabeth II) as the formal head of the state
- Country governed, in the name of the queen, by the Government, a body of ministers with the prime minister as the head of the government
- The Parliament has two houses - an elected House of Commons and an appointed House of Lords
- Three major political parties (the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats)
- One of only four countries in the world to have uncodified constitution
Comprises of four countries
England (London)
- The largest of the countries
- Seat of political power
- The most famous places could be found here (Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament etc.- London, Oxford, Stonehenge)
- Some of famous music groups of originally from England (The Beatles, Queen, Coldplay, Muse etc.)
Scotland (Edinburgh)
- Independent until 1707
- Nowadays with own Scottish Parliament (unicameral - 129 members)
- Scottish Gaelic sometimes spoken, apart from English
- Great Highland Bagpipe is the famous traditional Scottish instrument
Wales (Cardiff)
- Mountainous country with three national parks (Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire Coast)
- One of the wettest countries in Europe, changeable climate
- The National Assembly of Wales created in 1998
- Rugby is the most popular sport there
Northern Ireland (Belfast)
- For many years (from 1960s) site of violent conflict between nationalists and unionists
- Largely self-governing since 1998
- Famous personalities of Irish origin include Rory McIlroy (golfer), Liam Neeson (actor)
Culture
Literature
- Beowulf as the oldest epic poem
- Geoffrey Chaucer as the outstanding author of the Middle English period (Canterburry Tales)
- William Shakespeare is the most outstanding representative of the Modern English Literature
- Some authors awarded the Nobel Prize for literature (R. Kipling, G.B. Shaw, J. Galsworthy, S. Beckett, W. Golding etc.)
Music
- Famous places such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican Hall
- Famous people and music groups such as Eric Clapton, Elton John, Adele, The Rolling Stones, Oasis
Museums and Galleries
- The British Museum (outstanding displays of antiquities of Egypt, Greece and Rome, exhibits such as Magna Carta, Shakespeare´s First Folio etc.)
- The Tate Gallery displays collection famous paintings (f.ex. French Impressionists
Sports
- Football, rugby, cricket, tennis belong among the most popular sports, some of which were even invented in the UK
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org
T.Chudý, J. Chudá: Some Basic Facts, Fragment, Havlíčkův Brod 1996
Naposledy změněno: Čtvrtek, 29. říjen 2015, 10.56