The United Kingdom, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is an island nation and constitutional monarchy in north-western Europe, member of the European Union.
Great Britain is the largest of the British Isles. It comprises, together with numerous smaller islands, England and Scotland, and the principality of Wales. Northern Ireland, also known as Ulster, occupies the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland.
The United Kingdom is separated from continental Europe by the English Channel, in the east it is limited by the North Sea, and in the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The only land border is between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.The total area of the United Kingdom is 242 sq km.
The names United Kingdom, Great Britain and England are often used interchangeably. The use of Great Britain, often shortened to Britain, to describe the whole kingdom is common and widely accepted, although strictly speaking it does not include Northern Ireland.
However, the use of the word England to mean the United Kingdom is not acceptable to members of the other constituent countries, especially the Scots and the Welsh.
England and Wales were united administratively, politically and legally by 1543. The crowns of England and Scotland were united in 1603, but these two countries remained separate political entities until the 1707 Act of Union, which formed the Kingdom of Great Britain with a single legislature. From 1801, when Great Britain and Ireland were united, until the formal establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, the kingdom was officially named the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
The mainland of the island of Great Britain is 974 km at its longest part and 531 km at its widest. However, the highly indented nature of the islands coastline means that nowhere there is a place more than about 120 km from the sea.
The climate of the United Kingdom is mild relative to its latitude, which is the same as that of Labrador in Canada. The mildness is an effect of the warm Gulf Stream. Winter temperatures seldom are below 10 ºC and summer temperatures rarely higher than 32 ºC. The sea winds also bring plenty of moisture, average annual precipitation is more than 1,000 mm.
The population of the country is more than 56 mln people, but it is one of the worlds leading commercial and industrialized nations. In terms of gross national product (GNP) it ranks fifth in the world, with Italy, after the United States, Japan, Germany and France.
Comprehension
3. Here are the answers to the questions. Work out the questions.
1. The only land border is between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
2. Britain is nearly 500 km wide and 1000 km long.
3. The names United Kingdom, Great Britain and England are often interchangeable.
4. In 1922 Ireland was partitioned. Northern Ireland remained within Britain. It was the last step in the formation of the United Kingdom.
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5. The climate of the UK is favourable for agriculture.
6. Britain has only 1 % of the worlds population, but it is the fifth largest trading and banking nation.
7. France and Belgium are the closest continental neighbors.
Vocabulary
4. Match the following words with their corresponding definitions.
| a) principality; b) entity; c) latitude; d) precipitation; e)GNP; f) interchangeable; g) legislature |
1. Water which falls from the clouds toward the ground, as rain or snow.
2. The position north or south of the equator measured from 0 to 90.
3. A group of people who have the power to make and change laws.
4. A country ruled by a prince.
5. Able to be exchanged with each other without making any difference or without being noticed.
6. The total value of goods and service produced by a country in one year, including profits made in foreign countries (Abbreviation for Gross National Product).
7. Something which exists apart from other things having its own independent existence.
Reading
5. Read the following text and find the answers to the questions.
1. Is Britain a republic or a kingdom?
2. What is the difference between the House of Commons and the House of Lords?
3. What role does the Queen play in the life of modern Britain?
