MODULE 1

MODERN REALIA OF THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK)

GEOGRAPHY OF THE UK

UK is an abbreviation of “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” (which is the
political name of the country). The country is made up of four constituent parts – England, Scotland,
Wales (Cymru in Welsh) and Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster).
1. Geographical position of the UK
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles – a large
group of islands lying off the north-western coast of Europe and separated from the continent by the English
Channel and the Strait of Dover in the south and the North Sea in the east.
The British Isles consist of two large islands – Great Britain and Ireland – separated by the Irish Sea,
and a lot of small islands, the main of which are the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, Anglesey and the
Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, the Hebrides – a group of islands off the north-western coast of Scotland, and
two groups of islands lying to the north of Scotland: the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands**.
The total area of the United Kingdom is 244 square kilometres.

2. State symbols of the UK

2.1. The flag of the UK

The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the 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 (with the arms going into the corners) is the cross of
St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.

The red diagonal cross is the cross of St Patrick, the patron saint of
Ireland.

The national flag of Wales is a red dragon on a

background of white and green. Wales is not represented in the Union Jack
because when the first version of the flag appeared Wales was already
united with England****, but the Welsh flag is in widespread usage
throughout that country.

2.2. The Royal Coat of Arms is the official coat of arms of the British monarch.


It is important to remember that Southern Ireland – that is the Republic of Ireland (also called Eire) – is completely independent.
**
The Isle of Wight, the Orkneys, Hebrides and Shetlands are part of the United Kingdom, although the Isle of Man is not.
***
The flag is normally called the Union Jack because it represents a union of countries – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
****
Wales was united with England in 1536.
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 The Coat of Arms depicts the shield supported by a crowned
lion (on the left) and a unicorn (on the right).
The shield is quartered: the top left and the bottom right
quarters depict the three lions passant guardant which is the
symbol for England; the top right quarter – the rampant lion and
double tressure fleury-counter-fleury for Scotland; the bottom left
quarter – a harp for Ireland. Above the shield there is the crown –
the symbol of the monarch. The crest above the crown is a lion
statant guardant wearing the imperial crown.
The supporters of the shield – the crowned lion and the
unicorn symbolize England and Scotland respectively. According
to legend a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast;
therefore the heraldic unicorn is chained
The coat features both the motto of English monarchs, Dieu
et mon droit (God and my right), and the motto of the Order of the Garter, Honi soit qui mal y pense
(Shamed be he who thinks ill of it) on a representation of the Garter behind the shield. The mottoes are old
French and date back to the days when French was the court language.
The Queen has a separate version of her arms for use in
Scotland, giving the Scottish elements pride of place.
The Coat of Arms depicts the shield supported by a crowned
lion (on the right) symbolizing England and a crowned and
chained unicorn (on the left) symbolizing Scotland. Between each
supporter and the shield is a lance displaying the flag of their
respective kingdom.
The shield is quartered: the
top left and the bottom right
quarters depict the lion rampant of
Scotland; the top right – the three
lions passant guardant of England;
the bottom left – the harp of
Ireland.
The crest atop the Crown of Scotland is a red lion, seated and
forward facing, itself wearing the Crown of Scotland and holding the two remaining elements of the
Honours of Scotland – namely the Sword of State and the Sceptre of Scotland. Above the crest appears the
motto, which is an abbreviated form of the full motto: In My Defens God Me Defend.
The coat also features both the motto Nemo me impune lacessit (No-one wounds (touches) me with
impunity) and, surrounding the shield, the collar of the Order of the Thistle.

2.3. The National Anthem of the United Kingdom is “God Save The King”. It was a patriotic song
that dates back to the 18th century. The words and tunes are anonymous.
In September 1745 the “Young Pretender” to the British Throne, Prince Charles Edward Stuart,
defeated the army of King George II at Prestonpans, near Edinburgh. When the news reached London the
leader of the band at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, arranged “God Save the King” for performance after a
play. It was a tremendous success and was repeated nightly. Other theatres later started to practice singing
the song after a play.
Thus the custom of greeting monarchs with “God Save The King” as he or she entered a place of
public entertainment was established. The words used today are those sung in 1745, substituting “Queen”
for “King” where appropriate.
The words of the National Anthem are as follows:
God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,

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 Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen.
Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign.
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Queen.
On official occasions, only the first verse is usually sung.

3. The symbols of the UK’s four constituent parts

England
Flag: St George’s cross (see above)
A red cross acted as a symbol for many Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries. It became associated
with St George who’s claimed to be the patron saint of England (the saint’s day – 23 April). The red
cross remained in national use until 1707, when the Union Flag was adopted for all purposes to unite the
whole of Great Britain under a common flag.
Plant: rose
The rose as the national flower of England is used in a variety of contexts. Predominantly, this is a red
rose (which also symbolises Lancashire), such as the badge of the English Rugby Union team. However, a
white rose (which also symbolises Yorkshire) or a red-and-white “Tudor rose” (symbolising the end of the
Wars of the Roses*) may also be used on different occasions.
Scotland
Flag: St Andrew’s cross (see above) – also known as the Saltire
St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland (the saint’s day – 30 November).
Plant: thistle
The national flower of Scotland features in many Scottish symbols and logos, and UK currency. It is
also used as the emblem of the Scottish Rugby team.
Wales
Flag: the Red Dragon (see above)
Plant: leek and daffodil (they share the Welsh name Ceninen)
It is believed that the leek, if eaten, encourages good health and happiness. This plant, which was worn
by the Welsh in the Battle of Crecy**, by 1536, when Henry VIII gave a leek to his daughter on 1 March,
was already associated with St David’s Day. It is possible that the green and white family colours adopted
by the Tudors were taken from their liking for the leek.
The daffodil has only recently assumed a position of national importance. An increasingly popular
flower during the 19th century, especially among women, its status was elevated by the Welsh-born prime
minister David Lloyd George, who wore it on St David’s Day and used it in ceremonies in 1911 to mark the
investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon.
Patron saint: St David (the saint’s day – 1 March; it has been celebrated as such since the 12th
century)
Northern Ireland
Flag: St Patrick’s cross (see above) – also known as the Red Hand Flag
St Patrick is the patron saint of Northern Ireland (the saint’s day – 17 March)
Plant: shamrock (a three-leafed clover)
The shamrock is often confused with the four-leaf clover. While the four-leaf clover is a symbol of
good luck, the three-leafed shamrock is mainly an Irish Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity and has a
different significance.

*
The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars fought in medieval England from 1455 to 1485 between the House of Lancaster
and the House of York. The name Wars of the Roses is based on the badges used by the two sides, the red rose for the
Lancastrians and the white rose for the Yorkists.
**
The battle of Crecy (1346) was fought during the Hundred Years War between the English and the French. The English won a
decisive victory in this battle thanks to the value of Welsh longbows used.
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 4. The UK physical geography
The physical geography of the UK varies greatly.
The geography of England consists of lowland terrain, with mountainous terrain north-west of the Tees
– Exe line including the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District (with the highest peak in England –
Scaffel Pike, 977 m), the Pennines and limestone hills of the Peak District, Exmoor and Dartmoor. London,
on the River Thames, is the capital of England and the United Kingdom as well. Other important cities in
England are Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton, Plymouth, Bristol,
Nottingham and Sheffield amongst many others. Major rivers are the Severn (the longest river in England
and in the UK, 354 km), Thames (346 km), Ouse, Trent, Tyne and Mersey. The largest lake in England is
Lake Windermere in the Lake District.
The geography of Scotland consists of uplands in the south and the north, called Southern Uplands
and Northwest Highlands, separated by Central Lowlands. The highest mountain range is the Grampian
Mountains with Ben Nevis at 1343 meters above sea level, being the highest peak of Scotland and the
British Isles. There are also numerous bodies of freshwater especially in the Northwest Highlands and the
Grampian Mountains including Loch Lomond (the largest lake in Scotland) and Loch Ness. The longest
river in Scotland is the River Tay (188 km). Edinburgh is the capital and second largest city. The largest
city is Glasgow, other urban areas include Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Ayr and Fort William. North of the
mainland lie large groups of islands – the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands, to the west of the coast
of Scotland Inner and Outer Hebrides are situated.
The geography of Wales is mostly mountainous, particularly in three main regions: Snowdonia in the
north west, the Cambrian Mountains in mid Wales, and the Brecon Beacons in the south. Snowdon at 1085
m is the highest elevation in Wales. Cardiff, on the Bristol Channel, is the capital of Wales. Other
important cities in Wales are Swansea, Cardigan, Welshpool, Barmouth, Newport, Bangor, Flint and
Wrexham. The longest river in Wales is the River Tywi (103 km). Lake Bala (Llyn Tegid) is the largest
natural lake in Wales.
The geography of Northern Ireland includes the Sperrin Mountains with extensive gold deposits,
basalt Antrim Plateau and the Mourne Mountains with its highest peak – Slieve Donard (852 m) – as well
as Lough Neagh (388 km2) – the largest lake in Northern Ireland and the largest body of water in the
UK. The longest river in Northern Ireland is the River Bann (122 km). Belfast is the capital of Northern
Ireland. There are five settlements with city status: Belfast, Londonderry, Newry, Armagh and Lisburn.
Islands. In total, it is estimated that the UK is made up of over 1000 small islands, some being natural
and some being man-made crannogs, which were built in past times using stone and wood and which were
enlarged by natural waste building up over time.
Islands of England: Lundy, Isles of Scilly, Isle f Wight;
Islands of Scotland: Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides;
Islands of Wales: Anglesey, Skomer Island, Skokholm Island, Ramsey Island;
Islands of Northern Ireland: Rathlin Island

4.1. The UK climate

The UK’s climate varies greatly according to season and location but on the whole can be described as
temperate, though significantly warmer than some other locations at similar latitude due to the warming of
the waters of the Gulf Stream.
The prevailing winds are southwesterly, from the North Atlantic Current. More than 50% of the days
are overcast. There are few natural hazards, although there can be strong winds and floods, especially in
winter.
Average annual rainfall varies from over 3,000 mm in the Scottish Highlands down to 553 mm in
Cambridge. The driest period in the UK is late winter/spring, the wettest periods are autumn and winter. The
county of Essex is one of the driest in the UK, the Lake District is the wettest region.
July and August are normally the warmest month in throughout the UK. Around the coasts, February
is normally the coldest month; but inland January and February as the coldest months. The highest
temperature recorded in the UK was 38.5° C at Brogdale, near Faversham, in the county of Kent, on 10
August 2003. The lowest was -27.2° C recorded at Braemar in the Grampian Mountains, Scotland, on 11
February 1895 and 10 January 1982 and Altnaharra, also in Scotland, on 30 December 1995.

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 4.2. The UK natural resources
The UK has a variety of natural resources including:
 Geological: coal, petroleum, natural gas (the major ones), limestone, chalk, gypsum, silica, rock
salt, china clay, iron ore, tin, silver, gold, lead (produced in small quantities). Coal mining is concentrated in
Yorkshire, Northumberland-Darem and Southern-Welsh basins. Oil and gas were discovered under the
North Sea during the 1960s and new supplies are still being found today.
 Agricultural: arable land, pastures.
 Other natural resources: wind, solar and water power. Due to the island location of the UK, the
country has great potential for generating electricity from offshore windfarms, wave power and tidal power,
although these have not yet been exploited on a meaningful commercial scale.

4.3. The UK demographics

The UK has a population of about 59 million people (according to the 2001 census). It is the third-
largest country in the European Union (behind Germany and metropolitan France) and the 21st-largest in the
world. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world, due to the particularly high
population density in England. Almost one-third of the population lives in England’s southeast and is
predominantly urban and suburban, with about 8.2 million in the capital of London.
The UK’s population is predominantly white (92%). Other racial groups in the UK include: mixed –
1%; Asian or British Asian – 4%; Black or Black British – 2%; Chinese – 0,5%; other – 0,5% *.
Contemporary Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled in Great Britain
before the 11th century. Prehistoric, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended in
Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings from northern France. The English, the Welsh, the
Scottish and the Irish were and remain in many ways different peoples, united politically. The notion of
Britishness was forged during the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and the France, and came to be
superimposed on to much older identities. Considerable migration after the Second World War made the UK
an increasingly ethnically and racially diverse state. Most immigrants arrived to the UK from its former
colonies, now the Commonwealth countries and belong to Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi nations.
English is the main language spoken in UK, although with many regional variations in terms of
accents and phraseology. About one fifth of the population of Wales speaks the Welsh language. Gaelic is
spoken by some 70 000 people in Scotland. People in the central lowland of Scotland have for centuries
spoken Scots. Many other languages are spoken by the minority ethnic communities of the UK.

5. The UK economic geography

The economic geography of the UK reflects not only its current position in the global economy, but its
long history both as a trading nation and an imperial power. The UK led the industrial revolution and its
highly urban character is a legacy of this, with all its major cities being current or former centers of all forms
of manufacturing. However, this in turn was built on its exploitation of natural resources, especially coal and
iron ore.
5.1. The UK manufacturing
The top concerns of heavy manufacturing in the UK are:
 oil and gas production: UK is the world’s ninth largest oil producer and the fifth largest gas
producer;
 power generation: UK has the largest energy resources of any EC country (oil, natural gas,
coal, nuclear power);
 mineral and metal products: UK is a one of the major steel producers; in addition to its large
output of aluminum and copper, UK also produces specialized alloys for the aerospace, electronic,
petrochemical, nuclear and other fuel industries. The ceramics industry manufactures domestic
pottery, sanitary ware and tiles;

*
For centuries people from overseas have settled in Britain, either to escape political or religious persecution or in search
of better economic opportunities. Jewish refugees who came to Britain towards the end of the 19 th century and in the 1930s were
followed by other European refuges after 1945. Substantial immigration from the former colonies in the Caribbean and South
Asian sub-continent dated principally from the 1950s and 1960s. There are also sizable groups from the United States and Canada,
as well as Australians, Chinese, Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Italians and Spaniards.
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  chemical industry: the most rapid growth in recent years has been in pharmaceuticals,
pesticides and cosmetics;
 mechanical engineering: major products include plant and machinery for industries such as
chemicals, power and water, as well as fabricated steel for bridges, buildings and industrial
installations;
 electrical, electronic and instrument engineering;
 motor vehicles production: car output is dominated by Rover (which is British), Ford, Peugeot
Talbot and Nissan;
 shipbuilding and marine engineering;
 light industry includes textiles, clothing and footwear manufacturing: UK’s wool textile
industry is one of the largest in the world and is centered in northern England. The linen industry is
based in Northern Ireland.
Besides, among ten largest manufacturing concerns in UK are BAT Industries (tobacco products,
food, drinks, etc.). Scotch whisky is one of UK’s top five export earners.
Other major industries include timber and furniture, paper, printing and publishing, rubber
tyres and tubes, toys, sports equipment and jewellery.
5.2. The UK agriculture
Most UK agriculture is intensive and highly mechanized, with the use of chemical fertilizers and
insecticides routine. By European standards it is very efficient, although that does not necessarily make it
profitable. It uses around 71% of the country's land area, contributes about 0.6% of its gross value added
(total value of goods and services produced in the country) and employs 1.6% of the workforce. The UK
produces less than 60% of the food it eats and the industry's share of the national economy is declining.
East Anglia and South East England have been centers for grain production, with some areas of South
East England also specializing in market gardening. The county of Kent was so well-known for this that it is
often referred to as the Garden of England and was particularly noted for hop growing. Over half of full-
time farmers in the UK are devoted mainly to dairying or beef cattle and sheep. Dairy farming is prevalent
in South West England.
5.3. The UK fishing industry
The UK is one of the world’s leading fishing nations. The fishing industry provides 59% by
quantity of British fish supplies. A lot of coastal towns have large fishing industries.
5.4. The UK service sector is the dominant sector of the UK economy accounting for 65% of
UK’s gross domestic product. It includes:
 retailing: UK has a mixture of large shopping facilities with both large “out of town” stores
and in-town shopping centers;
 financial services: stock exchange, now concentrated overwhelmingly in the City of London
and Canary Wharf;
 tourism: the 6th largest industry in the UK and employs nearly 1,5 million people;
 insurance: UK has the world’s biggest insurance industry – with about 20% of the
international market.
The service sector also includes education, health and social services, hotels and restaurants, public
administration and defence, real estate, transport, storage and communication, etc.
5.5. The UK creative industries include advertising, film and television production, product
design, book and music publishing, fine art and antiques markets.
5.6. The UK transport is well developed with an integrated system of airports (471 including
international ones (Heathrow, Birmingham, Glasgow)), seaports (Felixstowe, Tilbury, Southampton – three
major ones that handle most freight traffic), railways (National Rail network) and roads.

6. London – the capital city of the UK

London, the capital of England and the UK, is the world’s ninth-largest city with the population of
over 8 million people. It originated nearly 2 000 years ago with the arrival of the Romans soon after their
invasion of Britain in AD 43. London is situated on the banks of the river Thames, in southeast England.
London is made up of two ancient cities which are now joined together. They are:

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  the City of London, known simply as “the City” which is the business and financial heart of the
United Kingdom. It is also known as the Square Mile (2.59 km2/1 mi2). It was the original settlement
(ancient Londinium).
 the City of Westminster, where Parliament and most of the government offices are located.
Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the Queen and the Royal family, is located there too.
Together they all make up a region known as Greater London.
Each London district has places of interest that are of historical and cultural significance.

The City
The City of London is the principal financial district not only of London, but of the UK and Europe
and one can find banks of many nations in the famous Threadneedle Street and the surrounding areas. Here,
too, the Bank of England is situated. Nearby is the Stock Exchange. A little further along in Leadenhall
Street is Lloyds, the most famous insurance company in the world.
Fleet Street is famous as the home of the nation’s newspapers but, in fact, only two of them – The
Daily Express and The Daily Telegraph – are still in Fleet Street. However, people still say “Fleet Street”
when they mean “the press”.
Historic buildings in the City:
St Paul’s Cathedral – an Anglican cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of London. The present St
Paul’s Cathedral was designed by the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren, after the Great Fire of London
in 1666. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married there in July 1981.
The Tower of London, first built by William the Conqueror more than 900 years ago. The tower’s
primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners,
such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I). This last use has led to the phrase “sent
to the Tower” (meaning “imprisoned”). It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a
treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the
Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.

The West End

The West End occupies the area of central London north from The Mall to Oxford Street. It includes
Trafalgar Square, the main shopping areas of Oxford Street and Bond Street, and the entertainment centers
of Soho, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Shaftesbury.
Trafalgar Square was built in the early 20th century to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. There is a
statue of Admiral Lord Nelson standing on top of a column in the middle of Trafalgar Square. It is a famous
meeting place in London
Soho is an entertainment district which for much of the later part of the 20 th century had a reputation
for its night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s the area has undergone considerable transformation
and is now a fashionable district of upmarket restaurants and media offices.
Piccadilly Circus – at the junction of five busy streets – is a famous London landmark. It is full of
colorful electric displays. At its heart is a bronze fountain topped by a figure of a winged archer. The statue
is popularly called Eros, the pagan god of love, but it was in fact designed in the 19 th century as a symbol of
Christian charity – a monument to Lord Shaftesbury, a philanthropist.

The East End

The East End has many places of interest including many of London’s markets (for example Columbia
Road Flower Market, Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane Market, Petticoat Lane Market).
Docklands in the East End is a thriving and vibrant area with a wide range of shops, restaurants, pubs
and wine bars. Canary Warf in the Docklands is a new popular office area, called Manhattan on the Thames
for the large number of newly-built sky-scrapers.

Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. It has a large
concentration of London’s historic and prestigious landmarks and visitor attractions, including Palace of
Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and much of the West End of London.

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 It is also the area of royal parks – St James’s Park, Hyde Park with its Speaker’s Corner, Regent’s
Park – present home of London Zoo.
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace is where
the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of
Commons) meet. At the north end of the Palace rises the most famous of the towers, the Clock Tower,
commonly known as Big Ben. It houses the Great Clock of Westminster, the world’s largest, four-faced,
chiming clock and the third largest, free-standing clock tower in the world.
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch.
Westminster Abbey (whose formal name is the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster) is a Gothic
monastery church that is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs.

Glossary
arable (of farmland) capable of being farmed productively
banner a long strip of cloth bearing a slogan or design, hung up or carried on
poles
Coat of Arms the distinctive heraldic bearings or shield of a person, family, corporation,
or country
county a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government
demographics characteristics and statistics of human population: the characteristics
of a human population or part of it, especially its size, growth, density,
distribution, etc
dexter (heraldry) on or towards the bearer’s right-hand side and the observer’s
left of a coat of arms. The opposite of sinister.
fervour feelings of great warmth and intensity
fleury-counter-fleury = flory counter flory: the terms fleury (fr. fleur), flory, and similar
variations, signify adorned with, or ending in, fleurs-de-lis.
GDP gross domestic product: measure of the a United States economy adopted
in 1991; the total market values of goods and services by produced by
workers and capital within the United States borders during a given period
(usually 1 year)
guardant full face: describes an animal on a coat of arms that has its face
turned toward the observer
Holy Trinity the union of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost in one Godhead
hop (n) twining perennials having cordate leaves and flowers arranged in conelike
spikes; the dried flowers of this plant are used in brewing to add the
characteristic bitter taste to beer
investiture the ceremonial act of clothing someone in the insignia of an office; the
formal promotion of a person to an office or rank; the ceremony of
installing a new monarch
lance a long pointed rod used as a weapon
latitude an imaginary line around the Earth parallel to the equator
limestone a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium that was deposited by the
remains of marine animals
natural hazards natural disasters (such as tornadoes, floods, etc.)
Order of the Garter the highest British order of knighthood
overcast the state of the sky when it is covered by clouds
passant walking: said of any animal on an escutcheon, which is represented as
walking with the dexter paw raised
rampant (heraldry) on hind legs: describes a heraldic beast depicted rearing
up, in profile, and with its forelegs raised, the right one above the left
silica a white or colorless vitreous insoluble solid (SiO2); various forms occur
widely in the earth’s crust as quartz or cristobalite or tridymite or
lechartelierite
sinister (heraldry) on or towards the left-hand side and the observer’s right of a

8
 coat of arms. The opposite of dexter.
temperate (of weather free from extremes; mild; or characteristic of such weather or climate
or climate)
terrain a piece of ground having specific characteristics or military potential
tressure an inner border with ornamental fleur-de-lis on a heraldic shield

Comprehension
Exercise 1. Fill in the gaps in the following text with proper names.
The archipelago off the West coast of Northern Europe, comprising more than 5,500 islands is called
________. _________ is the largest island of this archipelago; the second largest is called _________. The
country which occupies the largest part of these islands is called the UK, which stands for ___________ .
The UK consists of four distinct political divisions - ________, ________ , ________ and _______.
Unofficially the country is also known as __________.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions about the state symbols of the UK:
1. What is the flag of the UK usually called?
2. What does the flag consist of?
3. Why is the flag of Wales not represented in the state flag?
4. What is depicted on the shield of the coat of arms?
5. Who are the supporters of the shield? What do they symbolise?
6. What are the mottoes inscribed on the coat of arms? What is their history?
7. How is the Scottish variant of the coat of arms different from the main one?
8. What is the anthem of the UK called?

Exercise 3. Match the parts of the country with their capitals:

1. Scotland a. London
2. Wales b. Belfast
3. England c. Edinburgh
4. Northern Ireland d. Cardiff

Exercise 4. Which parts of the UK do these plants symbolize?

A B C D

Exercise 5. Match the part of the country with its patron saint and its national day:
England St Patrick 23rd April
Wales St George 30th November
Scotland St Andrew 17th March
Northern Ireland St David 1st March

Exercise 6. Show on the map:

 The Atlantic Ocean; the North Sea; the Irish Sea; the English Channel; the Straight of Dover; St
George's Channel; the North Channel;
 Rivers in England;
 Rivers in Scotland;
 Rivers in Wales;
 Rivers in Northern Ireland.

Exercise 7. Fill in the table:

Northern
England Scotland Wales
Ireland
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 The longest river
The largest lake
The highest mountain

Exercise 8. Show on the map:

1. The mountain ranges in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland;
2. The biggest cities in all the four parts of the country;
3. The islands belonging to the UK.

Exercise. 9. Fill in the missing information about climate in the UK:

The current climate of the United Kingdom is classified as ______. One of the principle factors which
influence the climate is the warming of the waters around the British Isles by the ______.The average annual
amount of sunshine for the United Kingdom is relatively low and around 50% of days are ______.
Average annual rainfall exceeds 1 100 mm. The mountains of Wales, Scotland, the Pennines and the
Lake District are particularly _____, with rainfall reaching 3 000 mm a year. In contrast, the south, south
east, east and the southern midlands receive less than 600 mm of _____ per year. The wettest seasons are
______ and _______.
Generally the UK has mild to cool _____ and warm to hot _____ with moderate variation in
temperature throughout the year. In England the average annual temperature is about 10 °C, but over the
higher ground this can be several degrees lower. _______ and _______ are often the coldest months, with
mean winter temperature of 0°C and the recorded minimum _______ °C. ______ tends to be the warmest
month and the highest temperature recorded was ______ °C. However, the average for this month is 15-
20°C.

Exercise 10. Answer the following questions:

1. What mineral resources does the UK have?
2. What is the population of the UK?
3. What are the major racial and national groups leaving in the country?
4. What languages are spoken in the UK? Is there a state language?
5. What is the population of London?

Exercise 11. Characterize the branches of the country’s economy:

1. agriculture
2. fishing
3. manufacturing
4. services
5. creative industries
6. transport

Exercise 12. What do you know about these places in London?

Buckingham palace; Hyde Park; Houses of Parliament; Trafalgar Square; Tower of London; the City;
Oxford Street; Fleet Street; the West End; the East End; Kensington Gardens; Piccadilly Circus; the British
Museum; St Paul's Cathedral; the Globe Theatre; Wimbledon; Tower Bridge.
What other places of interest in London do you know?

Exercise 13. Revision. What do the following words, phrases and figures refer to?
Heathrow Eros Union Jack Eire The Square Mile
Cymru Channel Tunnel 388 km2 23rd April Great Britain
Severn 346 km Slieve Donard Sir Christopher St Andrews
Wren
1 344 m Loch Lomond 38,5 °C rose harp
Hebrides sheep Speaker’s Corner 354 km the Isle of Man

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about 59 million Dieu et mot droit Big Ben Glasgow William the
Conqueror

Further reading
1. Focus on Britain. – London: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1993. – 40 p.
2. Sheerin S. Spotlight on Britain [2-d edition] / S. Sheerin, J. Seath, G. White. – Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1990. – 140 p.
3. Vaughan-Rees M. In Britain /M. Vaughan-Rees, P. Byström, S. Bateman. – М.: Титул, 1997. – 122
р.

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