Interesting information about United Kingdom of

Great Britain

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Location

Great Britain is unitarian and sovereign island nation located in northwest Europe. The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland located on the island of Great Britain and Northern Ireland located on the island of Ireland. Great Britain is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the west

and north, and the North Sea in the east. The Great Britain has also several dependent territories all over the world for example: Akrotiri

(Europe), Bermudy (North America), British Antarctic Territory (Antarctica), Falkland Islands (South America), British Indian Ocean Territory (Indian Ocean), Pitcairn (Pacific Ocean), Saint Helena and

Dependencies (Atlantic Ocean).

Sources:1. http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wielka_Brytania2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom

Flag of Great Britain

Royal Coat of Arms of Great Britain

Map of Great Britain

Political system of Great Britain

The Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is a head of the state and the Prime Minister is a head of the government. The

current Monarch is the Queen Elizabeth II. She has actually a representative functions. The main power has David Cameron- the Prime

Minister . The main authorities state are: • the Monarch (Elizabeth II),• the parliament (House of Lords and House of Commons),• the Cabinet with the Prime Minister (David Cameron). The UK hasn’t got a constitution in the sense of a formal written text but has

a constitution in the material sense of general norms and principles.

Sources:1. http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wielka_Brytania#Ustr.C3.B3j_polityczny2. http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ustr%C3%B3j_polityczny_Wielkiej_Brytanii3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_Kingdom

Queen Elizabeth II Prime Minister David Cameron

Administrative division

Unit Type Capital Official language Language used

England Kingdom London English English, Cornish

Scotland Kingdom Edinburgh English, Scottish Gaelic

English, Scottish Gaelic, Scots

WalesPrincedom Cardiff English, Welsh

English, Welsh

Northern Ireland Province Belfast English, Irish English, Irish

Sources:1. http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wielka_Brytania#Podzia.C5.82_administracyjny

Geography

British archipelago has about 5500 islands. The largest of them are Great Britain, Ireland, Anglesey, Hebrides, Shetland, Orkney. Great Britain

has an area of about 245 thousand km ². In the north the main island are Old Scottish Highlands and Grampians. In the middle are Pennine

Mountains and Cambrian Mountains. The highest peak is Ben Nevis. It has 1344 m above sea level. In the central and southern part of the island

dominate lowlands. Coasts in the south-west are mostly cliffs and steep. In Scotland are fiord coasts. In Wales are rias coasts. On the island there are many postglacial forms for example: drumlins, eskers, glacial erratics.

Sources:1. http://www.sciaga.pl/tekst/90593-91-geografia_wielkiej_brytani2. http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geografia_Wielkiej_Brytanii

United Kindgdom's topography

Ben Nevis the highest peak in the UK.

Rivers and lakes

On the island is a dense network of rivers. The biggest are Thames, Severn, Trent, Mersey, Clyde. Rivers are short. The main river in the country is

Thames (338 kmlenght ). Thames flows through London, and flows into to the North Sea. Most of the rivers are regulate (water gate, dams built

from XV century). There are also many postglacial lakes (the biggest Lough Neagh, Loch Lomond, Loch Ness, Monar). The deepest lakes in the

country are Loch Ness (226 m) and Monar (310 m).

Sources:1. http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geografia_Wielkiej_Brytanii#Wody

Loch Ness

River Thames in London

HistoryThe Middle Ages celtic tribes populate the UK. They came from Eastern

Europe. Inhabitants of the island have adopted their language and culture. The influx of Normans led to the Celtic migration to the lands of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The Romans in 60 B.C. conquer the island.

However in 409 A.D. they left the Great Britain due to the Celtic invasion. In the fifth century England was conquered by the Anglo-Saxon tribes and

started Christianization of these lands. In eleventh century the Great Britain was conquered by the Normans. In 1534 Henry VIII created an

independent Church of England apart from the Vatican. He began a new religion Christianity – Anglicanism. In 1707 a personal union with Scotland

joined England and it was transformed into a real union. In 1801 it was created into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. From 1837 to 1901 Queen Victoria took the throne. From 1901 the throne took the

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha prevailing in the UK even today.

Britain in 410

Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Norman conquest of England

Henry VIII Queen Victoria

Sport

Sports which are popular in the UK are: football, football league, rugby league, rugby union, rowing, boxing, badminton, cricket, tennis, darts and golf. They were originated or developed in the United Kingdom. In most international competitions, separate teams represent England, Scotland and Wales. Great Britain has many stadiums for different sports. England

has the best football league in the world – Barclays Premier League. In Wimbledon in south London every summer are international tennis events The Championships, Wimbledon – tennis tournament called

temple tennis.

Wembley Stadium in London is a football stadium

Millennium Stadium in Cardiff is a rugby stadium

Centre Court in Wimledon

Monuments and attractions

Big Ben

The construction of this neo-Gothic tower was built in 1858. The clock was built by Edmund Beckett Denison, and the

company EJ Dent & Co. in 1854. The clock face was designed by

Augustus Pugin and set in a steel frame with a diameter of

seven meters. The bell is named after Sir Benjamin Hall, a chief

works in 1858. On 12 th September 2012, the tower was officially named Elizabeth Tower.

London Eye

London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the

River Thames in London, England. The entire structure

is 135 metres. It was erected in 1999 but was opened 9 th

March 2000. The London Eye was designed by architects Frank Anatole, Nic Bailey,

Steve Chilton, Malcolm Cook, Mark Sparrowhawk, Julia

Barfield and David Marks. It costed 70 million pounds.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official residence and principal workplace of the British monarch. The palace is a

setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It is also a place for state ceremonies

and official meetings of Heads of State. The palace was built

in 1703 as the residence of the Duke of Buckingham.