The U.K. / Suurbritannia (0)

The UK & London
The United Kingdom (or the UK) is a short way of saying the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Norther Ireland . The UK is situated north - west of the European continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. The UK consists of England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland. Its highest point is Ben Nevis in Scotland followed by Snowdon in Wales. The Severn is the longest river in the United Kingdom. Other important rivers are the Trent, the Mersey , the Tyne, etc. Lough Neagh which lies in the centre of Northern Ireland is thr UK’s largest freshwater lake.
The climate in the UK is variable. The weather changes so frequently that it is difficult to forecast. It is not unusual for people to complain that the weathermen were wrong . Fortunately there is no extreme weather conditions , it is never very cold or very hot.
The first inhabitants were Iberians and Celts who settled on the land and were often at war with each other. In AD 43 the Roman Emperor Claudius invaded, and made Britain a Roman province. They stayed for three hundred years , and built villas, roads and towns. Many Roman remains can be visited in Britain today . The Romans finally abandoned Britain in AD 410 and a long period of invasion by Nordic peoples (from northern Germany and Scandinavia) started . The Angles, Saxons and Jutes began to settle from the sixth to the eighth centuries , and the Angles gave England its name. These invaders introduced a new culture to Britain, and even today British customs and habits are described as ´Anglo- Saxon `. Anglo-Saxon England was one of the most civilised countries in Europe , with organised systems of agriculture and trade. The Vikings came from Scandinavia in the tenth century; they settled in the north and made the town of York the capital of their kingdom. The last successful invasion of Britain was in 1066, when William the Conqueror defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings, and the Normans and the French settled in Britain over the next three centuries.
In 2001, the population of the United Kingdom was recorded at just under 59 million people.
The UK flag is called the Union Flag. It is sometimes referred as the Union Jack. It 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, the Scotland flag and the patron saint of the Ireland’s flag.
Parlament is the most important authority in Britain. Parlament is made up of two chambers – the House of Commons and the House of Lords . The House of Lords is made up of people who have inherited family titles and those who have been given titles because of their outstanding work in one filed or another . There are 675 members of the Lords. The main job of the House of Lords is to ´ double check` new laws to make sure they are fair and will work. Many people think that the House of Lords should be abolished.
The House of Commons have 659 members who have been elected by the British public. The members are called MPs (Members of Parlament). Each MP represents one of the 659 areas in the UK and is a member of a political party . The House of Commons is the most important place for discussing policies and making laws.
The party which wins the most seats in the General Election forms the government . The leader of the winning party becomes Prime Minister, his first job is to choose his Cabinet, consisting of the most important ministers in the government. Each member of the Cabinet is a minister responsible for a government department . The Cabinet meets at the Prime Minister’s house – 10 Downing Street . Cabinet ministers are responsible to Parlament and may all be questionised and held accountable for governmet actions and decisions . Even the Prime Minister must answer questions every Tuesday and Thursday in the House of Commons.
The UK is the fourth largest economy in the World and the second largest in Europe. It is one of the strongest in Europe; inflation, interest rates, and unemployment remain low. During the 19th century Britain used to have many coal and iron mines and had the natural resources to make textiles, steel and ships. Today, coal and textiles can be produced more cheaply in other countries and so many British factories and mines have closed. The natural resources in the UK for example are: coal, ptroleum, natural gas, limestone , salt , iron, etc. Most of the land is suitable for agriculture, although the largest area is reserved for pasture and grazing land. Agriculture provides around 60 per cent on the country 's food needs .
The biggest cities in The UK are: Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland; Cardiff , Newport and Swansea in Wales; Belfast and Londonderry in Northern Ireland and London, Oxford , Birmingham and York in England.
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and is well known for its monuments and for the International Festival which is held every August.
Glasgow is the industrial capital of Scotland, it lies on the River Clyde and is the third largest city in Great Britain.
Cardiff is the capital of Wales, and Newport and Swansea are the biggest cities in Wales.
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland, it is also the most important port and industrial and commertial centre.
Oxford is the home of the oldest university in England. Most of the oldest colleges are situated just a short walk from each other in the centre of the town. Birmingham is one of the largest industrial cites in England. York was the capital of Northern England. It is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe.
London is the capital of England and also the capital of the United Kingdom. It is situated on the river Thames, in southeast England. London is made up of two ancient cities which are now joined together: the City of London, known simply as ´the City` which is the business and financial heart of the United Kingdom, and the City of Westminister, where the Parlament and most of the government offices are located . Also the Buckingham Palace , the official London residence of Queen and the Royal family are located there too.
London was founded by the Romans in AD 43 and was called Londinium. In AD 61 the town was burnt down and when it was rebuilt by the Romans it was surrounded by a wall . When William the Conqueror conquered England in 1066 he made London his base . He built the Tower of London and was crowned in Westminster Abbey . During the Tudor period London became an important economic and financial centre. 1666 was the Great Fire of London, which destroyed most of the city, after the fire many buildings were built in a much safer way. During the Victorian period London was one of the most important centres of the Industrial Revolution and the centre of the British Empire . Today London is a great political and commertial centre, a paradise for theatre -goers and shoppers, but it is also a very quiet place with its parks and ancient buildings, and a capital of culture with its museums and libraries .
London attracts very large numbers of visitors and tourists. There are very many sights to see in London. For example: Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral , Tower bridge , Tower of London, Houses of Parlament, The British Museum etc.
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the Queen and the Royal Family. When the Queen is at home the Royal Flag flies on top. Every day, at 11:30am at the gates of Buckingham Palace, you can see the Changing of the Guard.
St. Paul’s Cathedral is the centre of the city and the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana took place there.
Tower Bridge on the river Thames, is a drawbridge which can be raised to let ships pass through .
The Tower of London is the old Norman fortress built by William the Conqueror. It is guarded by Beefeaters, the Crown Jewels are on show there. Many people ( such as Anne Boleyn , mother of Queen Elizabeth I) were executed there. Eight ravens are kept at the Tower; a legend says that the tower will fall if they leave.
Houses of Parlament is the place where the House of Lords and the House of commons meet to discuss and pass laws. Big Ben is the symbol of London. It is the nickname of the bell in the clock tower next to the Houses of Parlament.
The British Museum is the largest and richest museum in the world. It was founded in 1753 and contains one of the world’s richest collection of antiquities.
There are lots of parks in London also. The parks have been called the lungs of London.
St. James’s Park is the most ancient of London’s royal parks. The area was bought by Henry VIII in 1530 and in 1660 Charles II had it landscaped by a French architect.
Hyde Park is the ´people’s park`: it is used for every kind of public event. The famous Speakers Corner , where you can let your soul out and scream at the whole world or have normal debate with strangers about topics that interest you, is a part of the park.
In Regent Park you can feed the duck and watch the pelicans. You can also visit the Zoological Gardens, the largest zoo in the country.
If you like shopping , London is the place to go!
Oxford Street and Regents Street – both streets are London's busiest shopping areas.They have lots of departments stores, clothes shops, big music shops and bookshops.