Britain includes great Britain
(comprising England, Wales and Scotland) and Northern Ireland ,
and lies off the north-west coast of mainland Europe. It is 500 km
and nearly 1,000 km long Its closest continental neighbors are
France and Belgium. It lies between latitudes 50 degrees North and
60 degrees North. London, the capital , is close to the same line
of latitude as Berlin, Vancouver and Warsaw .Great Britain is the
largest island in Europe and the eight largest in the world. It is
about the same size as Honshu ,the biggest of the islands that
make up Japan, and about twice the size of Iceland or Cuba.
Although it is as close to the
North Pole as eastern Siberia or Hudson Bay, Britain has a warmer
climate. While the British climate is very changeable ,
temperatures rarely fall below – 10 or go above +32.Rainfall is
fairly well distributed throughout the year. The wettest parts are
the mountainous areas of the west and north. Britain is a densely
populated and industrialized nation ,but much of the country is
cultivated and around 10% of the land is covered by legally
protected national Parks.
History
and Politics
Roman rule of England and Wales
lasted from AD43 to around AD409.Over the next 600 years there
were invasions and settlements by people from northern Europe. The
last successful invasion was by the Normans in 1066.In 1172 the
King of England made himself Lord of Ireland. The uniting of
England with Wales (between 1536 and 1542) and with Scotland ( in
1707) led on to the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in
1801.In 1921 Ireland was partitioned ,Northern Ireland remaining
within Britain. Britain is the Commonwealth and, since 1973 ,has
been a member of the European Community.
Britain is the parliamentary
democracy. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2 who succeeded to throne
in 1952 ,is Head of State ,with a largely ceremonial role. The
house of Commons and House of Lords ,with the monarch ,comprise
Parliament. The Prime minister heads the Government and appoints
ministers. The Commons has 651 elected Members ,each representing
a local constituency or area. Elections ,in which citizens over 18
may vote by secret ballot ,are held at least every 5 years. The
largest political parties are The Conservatives, Labor and The
Liberal Democrats
А теперь как
всегда несколько вопросов для
самоконтроля!!!
1.Which of the
following countries is the nearest continental neighbor to Great
Britain:
- Denmark
- Portugal
- France
- Greece
2. Which of
these cities are close to the same line of latitude as London:
- Berlin
- Moscow
- New York
- Vancouver
- Calcutta
- Warsaw
3.Which of these
islands are about of the same size as Great Britain?
- Ireland
- Iceland
- Cuba
- Madagascar
- Honshu
4.Which areas of
Britain have most rainfall?
5When was the
last successful foreign invasion in Great Britain?
6.When did
Elizabeth 2 become Queen?
6.When did
Britain join the European Community
7.At what age
may citizens vote in Britain?
