The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) occupies most of the territory of the British Isles. It consists of four main parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the official name of the state which is sometimes referred to as Great Britain (after its major island), England (after its major historic part) or the British Isles.
The UK is an island state: it is composed of some 5,500 islands, large and small. The two main islands are Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) to the east and Ireland (Northern Ireland and the independent Irish Republic) to the west. They are separated by the Irish Sea.
The UK is one of the world's smaller countries (it is twice smaller than Spain and France) with an area of some 244.100 square kilometers. The UK is situated on the west coast of Europe between the Atlantic Ocean on the northwest and the North Sea on the east and it is separated from the European continent by the English Channel (or La Manche) and the Strait of Dover (or Pas de Calais).
The population of the UK is 57 million people. There are fourteen other countries in the world with a larger population.
English is not the only language which people use in the UK, English is the official language. But some people speak Gaelic in western Scotland, Welsh in some parts of northern and central Wales.
The flag of the United Kingdom, known as Union Jack, is made up of three crosses. The upright red cross is the cross of St. George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross is the one of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
England
Of the four parts which make up Great Britain England is the largest, industrial and most populated part of the United Kingdom. Over 46 million people of the population of the UK live in England.
The greatest concentrations of population are in London, Birmingham and northwest industrial cities. The coasts of England are washed by the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the English Channel and the Strait of Dover. No part of England is more than 120 kilometers from the sea.
It is interesting to note that the sea has always played an important role in the history of England. It was a good protection against the attacks of outside peoples. Fishing has always been an important industry especially in the east. The sea also has a great effect on Englands climate.
There are many rivers in England. The longest is the Severn (338 km), the most important is the Thames (354 km). The rivers are of great importance for the communication and especially for carrying goods.
England is mostly a lowland country. There are upland regions in the north and the southwest, but the rest of England is almost flat.
Each part of England: Northern England, the Midlands and Southern England are different. The Lake District in northern England with its lakes, mountains and valleys is a favourite holiday area. On either side of the Apennines the plains of Yorkshire and Lancashire stretch to the sea. In Yorkshire swift rivers flow down from the hills into valleys called "dales". The wool industry is centered in Leeds and Bradford, the cotton industry in Manchester, iron ore goes to the steel, heavy machinery and shipbuilding industries of Newcastle and other cities. The industries of the Midlands, with Birmingham as its chief city, produce metal goods, from motor cars and railway engines to pins and buttons. The Midland plain makes good farmland.
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In Southern England are found some of the oldest British settlements and traces of ancient monuments such as Stonehenge.
The USA
The United States of America form a state which has existed only since 1776.
The country is situated in the North American continent and washed by the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. The territory of the state is about 9 363 million square kilometres.
The western half of the territory is occupied by mountain ranges and plateaus. The Rocky Mountains are the highest mountains of the country with the peaks Mount McKinley in Alaska, Mount Rainier in the state of Washington, Mount Shasta in California. The Appalachian Mountains go along the eastern coast washed by the Atlantic. Their highest peak is Mitchell.
The biggest lakes are the Great Lakes (Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario). Great Salt Lake in the state of Utah is also known. The longest river is the Mississippi with the Missouri and the Ohio, the Columbia, the Colorado and the Yukon (in Alaska). There are many national parks and monuments (Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Big Bend, Everglades).
The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It has a sea-border with Russia.
The USA is rich in mineral resources such as coal, gas, oil and metals. The climate of the country is mostly continental, temperate or subtropical. The winter temperature varies from 25 below zero in Alaska to 20 degrees above zero in Florida. In summer the average temperature is about 20 to 25 degrees above zero.
The country is a federative republic which consists of 50 states and District of Columbia, where Washington, D.C., the capital of the country, is situated. The head of the country is the President, who is elected every four years. Every state has its own Constitution and the system of power. The supreme legislative organ is Congress of the US. The members of Congress are called congressmen. Congress consists of two chambers the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The main law of the USA is the Constitution. It was created and adapted in Philadelphia in 1787.
The population of the country is sometimes called "salad bowl", because all nations and nationalities are mixed up, though they keep their specific features. There are white people, Afro-Americans, American Indians, Puerto-Ricans, Chinese and Japanese people.
Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the USA struggled against the Fascists during World War II together.
The flag of the USA has thirteen white and red stripes and 50 white stars against the blue background (one for every state).
Many famous Americans, such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, William (Bill) Clinton, Mark Twain, O'Henry, and J.D. Salinger are famous all over the world.
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Task 1. Answer the questions:
1. What is common or different in the geographical position of three countries?
2. Which country is larger Russia or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
3. What proves that Great Britain has a variety of landscapes?
4. Which country is richer in natural resources Russia or the United Kingdom of Great Britain or the USA?
5. What is the main difference of political systems of Russia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain?
6. How can the relief of Russia be characterized?
7. What climate and landscapes are typical in Russia, Great Britain and the USA?
8. The geographical position of these countries is different, but are there any things that these countries have in common?
