Great Britain Lenka Lexov Introduction the official name
Great Britain © Lenka Lexová
Introduction • the official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland • it's located on 2 main islands situated northwest of Europe • • Scotland Northern Ireland Wales England © Lenka Lexová
Geography • it's separated from the continent by the North Sea and by the English Channel • the countryside is low in the east and south, while hills and mountains predominate in the western and northern regions (Wales, Scotland) • it is surrounded by over 1, 000 smaller islands (e. g. the Isle of Wight, Anglesey, the Orkney Islands, the Shetlands, the Hebrides) • it is the third most populated island on Earth with the population of over 60 million people © Lenka Lexová
Scottish Highlands • it's a mountainous region in Scotland • the area is not very much populated © Lenka Lexová • many mountain ranges dominate the region • there is the highest mountain of the UK, Ben Nevis
Loch Ness • is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands • best known for the legendary Loch Ness Monster, also known as "Nessie“ • it's the second largest Scottish loch by surface area at 56. 4 km 2 after Loch Lomond © Lenka Lexová
The river Thames • is the second longest river in the UK • it flows through central London and several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading and Windsor • several watersports are done on the Thames such as rowing, sailing, skiffing, canoeing © Lenka Lexová
Climate • it´s mild thanks to the Gulf Stream which brings warmer water to the western coast • typical spring and autumn weather is very changeable, often foggy with a lot of rain • overall temperatures are favourable during the whole year and it´s rather warm • in winter it often snows especially in the northern areas but temperatures rarely fall below -10 degrees °C © Lenka Lexová
History • first inhabited by people who came from the European mainland • Iron Age inhabitants are known as the Britons, a Celtic tribe speaking a Celtic language • the Romans conquered most of the island this became the Ancient Roman province of Britannia from 43 to 410 AD • since the 2 nd half of the 5 th century Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes ruled England • in 1066 in the Battle of Hastings, England was conquered by the Normans (French) led by William the Conqueror who became the new English king © Lenka Lexová
• in 1485 -1603 the House of Tudor on the throne, the Renaissance era (king Henry VIII, queen Elizabeth I) • 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain was created by the political union of the Kingdom of England (which included Wales) and the Kingdom of Scotland • the late 18 th and early 19 th century – the Industrial Revolution, England changed from an agricultural country to an industrial superpower • during 1837 -1901 under the rule of Victoria I England owned 1/3 of the world thanks to numerous colonies • Britain took part in both world wars © Lenka Lexová
Political system • it's a constitutional monarchy • the head of state is the Monarch Queen Elizabeth II • it's governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London and national administrations in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh • the Parliament has got two sections – Upper House - House of Lords – Lower House - House of Commons • the head of the Government is the Prime Minister • the UK has fourteen overseas territories © Lenka Lexová
Economy • it´s a developed country, with the world's sixth largest economy The Bank of England • it´s able to supply enough food for the whole country, the main export products are grain crops, potatoes and sugar beet, animals raised: cattle, sheep, poultry • the Industrial Revolution started in the UK with concentration on heavy industries such as shipbuilding, coal mining, steel production, textiles, and motor industry • the service sector is dominated by financial services, especially banking and insurance, and tourism • the UK has a small coal reserve, natural gas and oil reserves © Lenka Lexová
Transport • across the UK, there is a good road and rail network • London Heathrow Airport, located 24 km west of the capital is UK's busiest airport and has the most international passenger traffic of any airport in the world • in cities you can travel by bus, trolleybus or the underground • between towns you can use coaches • a ferry goes between France and the UK © Lenka Lexová
Sports • Major sports include rugby, football, boxing, badminton, cricket, tennis and golf The Wimbledon Championship, a Grand Slam tournament, is held in Wimbledon, London every June/July England's new Wembley Stadium, the most expensive stadium ever built © Lenka Lexová Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, national stadium of Wales The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, generally regarded as the world's "Home of Golf"
British food © Lenka Lexová
Stratford upon Avon © Lenka Lexová
The English countryside © Lenka Lexová
The University of Oxford © Lenka Lexová
Oxford city © Lenka Lexová
Edinburgh © Lenka Lexová Source: www. wikipedia. org, www. google. com
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