Великобритания

Great Britain

Great Britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelands is situated on the British Isles.

The British Isles consists of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands.

Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometers.

The UK is made up of four countries:

The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and doesn't include Northern Ireland.

The capital of the UK is London

The capital of the UK is London.

The British Isles are separated from

The British Isles are separated from European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands.

There are a lot of rivers in Great

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long.

The Severn is the longest river,
while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

There are many lakes in Great Britain

There are many lakes in Great Britain .

The weather in Great Britain is very changeable

The weather in Great Britain is very changeable.

The English also say that they have three variants of weather:
when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon
or when it rains all day long.

The most unpleasant aspect of English weather is fog and smog

The most unpleasant aspect of English weather is fog and smog.

The capitals are: London in England ,

The capitals are: London in England , Edinburgh in Scotland , Cardiff in Wales and Belfast in Northern Ireland .

Every country has its own national emblem

Every country has its own national emblem. The red rose is the national emblem of England. The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland.The daffodils and the leek are the emblems of Wales. The shamrock (a kind of clover) is the emblem of Ireland.

The flag of the UK is known as the

The flag of the UK is known as the Union Jack.The flag is made up of 3 crosses.

The upright cross is the Cross of St.George the patron saint of England . The white diagonal cross is the cross of St.Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland . The red diagonal cross is the cross is the cross of St.Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland . All of them are on the blue background.

The national anthem is «God Save the

The national anthem is «God Save the Queen»

God save our gracious Queen,Long live our noble Queen,God save the Queen!Send her victorious,Happy and Glorious,Long to reign over us;God save the Queen!
O Lord our God arise,Scatter her enemiesAnd make them fall;Confound their politics,Frustrate their knavish tricks,On Thee our hopes we fix,Oh, save us all!
Thy choicest gifts in storeOn her be pleased to pour;Long may she reign;May she defend our laws,And ever give us causeTo sing with heart and voice,God save the Queen!
Not in this land alone,But be God's mercies known,From shore to shore!Lord make the nations see,That men should brothers be,And form one family,The wide world over
From every latent foe,From the assassins blow,God save the Queen!O'er her thine arm extend,For Britain's sake defend,Our mother, prince, and friend,God save the Queen!

The population of the UK is over 58 mln people

The population of the UK is over 58 mln people. The UK is inhabited by the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish who constitute the British nation.

The UK is constitutional monarchy

The UK is constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen, but in practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The British Parliament has two houses: the

The British Parliament
has two houses:
the House
of Lords
the House
of Commons

Welcome to London!

Welcome to London!

Let’s travel through London

The Sights of London

The Sights of London

Trafalgar Square There are always a lot of people and pigeons on the square

Trafalgar Square

There are always a lot of people and pigeons on the square.
Every winter there is a big Christmas tree which is a gift from Norway in the middle of the square.
On New Year’s Eve people gather around the tree.
In the middle of the square there is Admiral Nelson’s Column.

Buckingham Palace This is the Queen’s home

Buckingham Palace

This is the Queen’s home.

It was built in 1703.

There is a great collection of paintings.

It has many rooms and is decorated with lots of expensive things.

Outside of the Buckingham Palace, there are guards that act like soldiers. Every day at the same time they change places with a new set of guards.

The Queen of Great Britain The

The Queen of Great Britain

The Queen of Great Britain is Elizabeth II. Her husband was Duke of Edinburgh.

They have got 4 grown-up children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

Westminster Abbey This is a holy place

Westminster Abbey

This is a holy place.

All English kings have been crowned and buried in the church since 1308.

The Houses of Parliament This big palace is the most famous building in the world – the

The Houses of Parliament

This big palace is the most famous building in the world – the British Parliament.

The building is 280 metres long.

There are more than 1000 rooms there.

Big Ben Big Ben, the big clock tower, is the symbol of

Big Ben

Big Ben, the big clock tower, is the symbol of London. It strikes hours.

Big Ben is a famous 316 foot tower. It was named after a man called Sir Benjamin Hall.

The Tower The Tower of London has been a fortress, a palace, an arsenal, a mint, a prison, an observatory, a zoo, the home of…

The Tower

The Tower of London has been a fortress, a palace, an arsenal, a mint, a prison, an observatory, a zoo, the home of the Crown Jewels and a tourist attraction.

Beefeaters The quards of the Tower are called

Beefeaters

The quards of the Tower are called Beefeaters.

The legend says that if the ravens leave, the Tower and the country will fall.

Tower Bridge The most famous bridge in

Tower Bridge

The most famous
bridge in London
is a Tower bridge.

Tower Bridge is a bascule-bridge.

The bascules will open to let ships pass through.

St. Paul’s Cathedral St.Paul’s

St. Paul’s Cathedral

St.Paul’s Cathedral is a famous building too.

The present cathedral dates
from the 17th century,
when it was rebuilt after
the Great Fire
of London, and was
designed by
Christopher Wren.

Double-deckers There are big red buses called double-deckers in

Double-deckers

There are big red buses called double-deckers in London.

People sit upstairs and downstairs on these buses.

Tourists like them very much.

Taxis Taxis in London are old-fashioned black cars

Taxis

Taxis in London are old-fashioned black cars.

Telephone booths From here you can call your friends

Telephone booths

From here you can call your friends.

The River Thames Thames flows through

The River Thames

Thames flows through London.

The River Thames is 338 km long.

It is 245 m wide here.

Even big seaships can visit London.