Conditionally British history is divided into 2 stages: before 1707 and after. Stage 1 is characterized by the fact that all 4 kingdoms had their own line of history. From 43 AD and for 4 centuries, these lands were ruled by the Romans. In the 11th century, the lands passed to the Normans, and at that time feudalism appeared here. At the beginning of the 17th century they were already united by one monarch, James I.

And in 1707, a treaty was signed, as a result of which the Kingdom of Great Britain emerged, uniting England and Scotland. This period marks the height of the kingdom's power. It becomes a strong maritime power, culture, art and science develop. In 1800, Ireland joined the United Kingdom. Certainly story this country is more like a fairy tale and we will return to this topic more than once...

The capital of Great Britain

London is a unique city. He not only the capital of Great Britain, but also the Kingdom of England, and it is also the largest English city, where all the most important economic, political and historical objects are concentrated. By the way, it has been serving as the capital for more than 200 years, dating back to the times of Roman Britain.

UK population

Every 10 years the UK conducts a census. The last one was 4 years ago. Based on it, UK population has more than 63 million people. The most densely populated part of the territory is in England. More than 80% of the UK population prefers to live in cities.

The ethnic composition here is very diverse, which is not typical for European countries. The largest ethnic group is the English, followed by the Scots and Welsh, with a slightly smaller number of Welsh. Relationships among ethnic groups throughout history are quite complex. This is due not only to different customs, but also UK geography is different throughout its entire length.

State of Great Britain

Unitary state of Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. This means that the head of state is Queen Elizabeth II. All branches of government are in her hands, and she is also the supreme commander in chief. She can dissolve parliament and appoint ministers. The UK government has legislative power and consists of 2 chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

UK politics

Active external UK politics lies in its cooperation with other countries and in its participation in international programs. Great Britain is a member of NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe and the European Union.

UK language

English is official UK language. Due to the numerous colonies that this state maintained around the world, this language gained enormous popularity. Each kingdom has its own dialects. At school, every student is required to learn an additional second language, usually either German or French.

Great Britain is a country about which you can write and dream endlessly. “Foggy Albion” washed by the Atlantic, the stronghold of the once most powerful and powerful empire, which to this day sets the tone in many ways. Great Britain today is a dizzying combination of the ancient walls of the Tower, the late medieval architecture of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the achievements of modern architecture - the Millennium Dome exhibition center and the colossal Ferris wheel - and British rock, and the country’s flag itself has become almost the flag of the generation that grew up in countless indie rock and Britpop bands.

Great Britain or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the largest country in Europe (77th place in the world, 243,809 sq. km.), located on islands in the Northern Hemisphere and washed by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the North Sea on the other. Great Britain is the heir to the largest state in human history - the British Empire - and one of the world's nuclear powers. The capital of the state, London, is the financial capital of all of Europe, even though Great Britain is not a member of the European Union. Accordingly, the UK has its own currency - the pound sterling

Literally all eras of the history of this island state are shrouded in an aura of mystery and romanticism. The British Isles were inhabited about 30,000 years ago. In 43 AD The Roman Empire began the conquest of this distant state and extended its power far in time - for as many as 4 centuries. In the 10th century, disparate tribes in the south of the island united into the Kingdom of England, and in the north into the Kingdom of Scotland. During the times described in the legends of King Arthur and Beowulf, the Normans invaded the kingdom, exporting a bit of feudalism to the country. The Middle Ages became a time of exorbitant growth in the ambitions of rulers, which resulted in constant campaigns for new territories - confrontation with Scotland and France; the war with the latter, by the way, became one of the longest in the history of mankind, for which it was called the Hundred Years. In the late Middle Ages, England confidently explored new continents, the ships of its fleet plied almost all the seas and oceans, discovering hitherto unexplored corners and planting a blue flag with a red cross in a white border on them. At the peak of its power, at the beginning of the 20th century, the British Empire occupied almost half the world, but, despite the victory over Hitler in World War II, which Great Britain won as part of the Allied forces, there was no chance left to save the empire - here and there they raised heads of the leaders of the independence movements. Great Britain decided to leave its colonies without bloodshed. The scope of decolonization can be assessed by the following figures: before 1949, the number of subjects of the empire outside the metropolis was 700 million people, after 1949 - 5 million.

Great Britain is located on 2 large islands and a large number of smaller islands and archipelagos located across the English Channel from continental Europe. Most of the country lies in lowlands and only in the northwestern part are there mountains. England is the largest part of Great Britain, occupying more than half of the total territory. Here the terrain is dominated by lowlands and gentle hills, as in Ireland, but Scotland is a land of high mountains, like Wales. The climate of Great Britain owes its bad character entirely to the ocean - precipitation is frequent and heavy throughout the year. The average annual temperature fluctuation ranges from -11 to +35 degrees Celsius. Winters here are mild thanks to the Gulf Stream.

Today, Great Britain is one of the main economies of Europe and, without exaggeration, its financial center. In 2010, the UK ranked 6th in terms of GDP ($2.247 trillion), second only to Germany. 73% of this amount was produced by the service sector, primarily financial services. London, with the largest GDP of any city in Europe, is on par with New York and Tokyo. Great Britain, as the country in which the industrial revolution took place, previously led in heavy industry: steelmaking, shipbuilding and other industries, but as time passed, the surrounding countries did not stand still. Today, the basis for the well-being of the real sector of the country's economy is the automotive, aviation and pharmaceutical industries. With all this, in 2007-2008, about 22% of the country's population lived below the poverty line, which is the highest relative indicator for EU countries.

The population of the country as of 2011 is 62.6 million people (22nd place) and the UK ranks 3rd in the EU for this indicator. The British are the absolute ethnic majority, but people from former colonies are also widely represented - Indians, Pakistanis, black people from the Caribbean islands and Africa. Everyone speaks English, but Welsh (Wales), Irish (Ireland), Gaelic (Scotland) and Cornish (Cornwall) are also used in various parts of the country, and sometimes they may refuse to answer you in English purely on principle.

The system of government in Great Britain is very interesting - the monarchy has been preserved here, and in parallel with it, parliamentary democracy operates, where the government is headed by the prime minister, who governs the country, and the monarch performs representative functions, communicates with the people and serves as one of the symbols of the state and his traditions.

Great Britain
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and above five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 315,000 square kilometers. The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast respectively.

The British isles are separated from the 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 north of Scotland is mountainous and is called Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called Lowlands. The north and west of England are mountainous, but all the rest - east, center and southeast - is a vast plain. Mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain. (1343 m.)

There are a lot of rivers in GB, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

The UK is one of the world's smallest countries. The population of the country is over 87 million and about 80% of it is urban. The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It’s known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. 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.

There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties. The Liberal party is the ruling party nowadays.

[ translation ]

Great Britain
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is located in the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and more than five thousand small islands. Their total area is more than 315,000 square kilometers. Great Britain consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast respectively.

The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The west coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. The surface of the British Isles is very diverse. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which contains beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and west of England are mountainous, but the rest - east, center and south-east - is vast plains. The mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain. (1343 m)

There are many rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and most important.

Great Britain is one of the smallest countries in the world. The country's population is more than 87 million people and approximately 80% of them live in cities. Great Britain is a highly industrialized country. It is known as one of the world's largest manufacturers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textiles, aircraft and navigation equipment. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. By law, the head of state is the Queen, but in practice, the Queen rules but does not govern. The country is governed by an elected government headed by a prime minister. The British Parliament consists of two houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

Great Britain (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) - the island on which England, Scotland and Wales are located, forms, together with many small islands, an irregularly shaped archipelago with a very diverse landscape and nature. The capital of Great Britain is London, language is English, religion is Anglicanism, Methodism, Baptist, Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, population is 81% English, 10% Scots, 2% Irish, 2% Welsh, currency is English pound sterling.

England is the largest of the three parts that make up Great Britain. It borders Scotland in the north and Wales in the west, and is only 29 km from England through the narrowest part of the English Channel.

London
There are about 80 theaters and more than 30 museums in London, including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the History of London, the History of the Imperial Wars, children's toys, Madame Tussauds wax figures, the Tate Gallery, the National Gallery, the Sherlock Holmes Museum and others . The undoubted attraction of the city is the oldest metro in Europe, which began operating in 1863.

Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge has become as symbolic of London as the Eiffel Tower is of Paris, and the Statue of Liberty is of New York. It amazes the viewer with the majesty and severity of its forms.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum was founded by nee Marie Grosholz, who was a famous wax master in Paris. Having married the engineer François Tussaud, she came to London at the beginning of the 19th century, and by the time of her death in 1850. her works were already known. In 1884, her grandson, Joseph Randal Tussaud, placed the figures in a museum near Baker Street, where they remain today. In the museum you can see not only famous, but also notorious personalities, members of the royal family, pop music stars, and in the Room of Horrors - executioners dealing with their victims.

Big Ben- the world famous clock that determines the onset of the New Year according to Greenwich Mean Time. Construction of the clock began in 1837 (when the English Parliament was being rebuilt) and was completed in 1859. The opening was timed to coincide with Queen Victoria's accession to the throne. Since then, the clock has become one of the main symbols of England and London.

Buckingham Palace, is a symbol of the monarchy. This is the residence of Queen Elizabeth II, now open to the general public.

Stonehenge
The legendary Stonehenge (dating from approximately 3100 - 1800 BC) is the most famous prehistoric site in Europe. There have been disputes about the purpose of Stonehenge for many centuries, among the versions there was the assumption that it was a temple of the ancient Celts, and an astronomical observatory, and that the creators of this megalithic ring of vertical stone slabs were aliens, but its mystery has never been solved .

Stratford upon Avon
Stratford upon Avon is the city where the greatest playwright, William Shakespeare, grew up and lived. There is the Shakespeare House Museum and the Royal Shakespeare Theater.

Scotland
In Scotland, tourists are interested in the Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh, the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow, the Snowdonia National Natural Museum with Bryn Bras Castle, where there is a park with waterfalls, and the Loch Ness Monster Museum. The Vale of Neath, near the Brecon Beacons National Park, is known as the Land of Waterfalls.

Wales
In Wales, it is worth seeing Harlech Castle, rising on a cliff in the center of Wales, Conwy Castle, Bowmaris Castle on the island of Anglesey and the impressive Caernarfon Castle, Castell Coch Castle with a working drawbridge, and a 12th-century cathedral. in the town of St. David's, where the relics of St. David, the patron saint of Wales, are kept.

Edinburgh
Edinburgh is famous for the castle of the same name, St. Margaret's Church (11th century), Castle Rock Castle, and the royal residence in Scotland (Holyrod Palace). The Church of St. Gilles (15th century), the building of the Scottish Parliament (1639), and the house of the Protestant reformer of the 16th century are very picturesque. John Nonce. Also of interest are the National Gallery of Scotland and the Portrait Gallery, the Royal Museum, and the museums of modern history and the history of Scotland.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) occupies the British Isles and consists of 4 parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The country has the population of 60 million people within the land area of ​​244 thousand square kilometers. The isles are washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north and in the west and by the English Channel in the south. The UK is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea. Great Britain is separated from Northern Ireland by the Irish Sea and the North Channel.

There are many beautiful lakes and mountains in Scotland and England. The highest point in the Highlands is Ben Nevis (1,340 meters). The longest river flows in England, it is the Severn. The main attraction in the north of England is the Lake District. Thanks to the warm waters of Gulf Stream the island is very green and the British climate is mild. Local summers are rather hot and winters are not cold. As the weather is very changeable in Britain, it is the favorite topic for discussion with the British.

The capital of Great Britain is London. It stands on the Thames river. The country is a constitutional monarchy and officially the Queen is the Head of state. But it is ruled by the Prime Minister and the government. The legislative body is the Parliament which consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The UK is a highly developed industrial state. The chief industries are shipbuilding, fishing and mining, production of aircraft equipment, electronics, textile and chemicals. The country is the world’s largest exporter of iron and steel goods. The most important industrial cities of Great Britain are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds, Edinburgh.

Translation

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) occupies the British Isles and consists of 4 parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The country has a population of 60 million people on an area of ​​244 thousand square meters. km. The islands are washed by the Atlantic Ocean from the north and west and the English Channel from the south. The North Sea separates the UK and continental Europe. Great Britain and Northern Ireland are separated by the Irish Sea and the North Channel.

Scotland and England have many beautiful lakes and mountains. The highest point in the highlands is Ben Nevis (1340 m). The longest river flows in England is the Severn. The main attraction of the north of England is the Lake District. Thanks to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, the island is very green and the British climate is mild. Summers here are quite hot and winters are not cold. Because Britain's weather is so variable, it is a favorite topic of discussion among British people.

The capital of the Great Britain is London. It is located on the River Thames. The country is a constitutional monarchy and the Queen is officially considered the head of state. However, it is managed by the Prime Minister and the government. The legislative body is Parliament, consisting of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The UK is a highly developed industrial country. The main industries are shipbuilding, fishing and mining, aircraft manufacturing, electronics, textiles and chemicals. The country has become the world's largest exporter of iron and steel goods. The most important industrial cities in Great Britain are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds, Edinburgh.