Facts about Great Britain

1. Tea is by far the most popular drink among Brits. It is estimated that they drink on
average 165 million cups of tea every day. The fun thing here is that in US the tea’s
consume is 20 times lower.
2. As one of the biggest urban and over-populated area in the world, the British capital
is a “melting pot” of nations, cultures and therefore interesting facts. The city is the
home to more than 8 million citizens who do communicate using different
languages. It is estimated that there are more than 300 different languages spoken
in London.
3. Did you know that the first postage stamp was created in UK. It was designed in
May 1840 and it featured the figure of Queen Victoria.
4. Probably because of their popularity as old monuments, people think of the
Pyramids in Egypt as the oldest objects in the world. However, in UK there’s the
monument of Stonehenge, claimed to be one of the oldest monuments in the world
and one of the seven world’s miracles by the way. Scientists believe that the object
was built over 3,000 B.C.
5. Topping at 1,107 feet or 350 meters, the London’s Shard building was completed in
2012 making it the tallest object in the continent of Europe.
6. London’s transport system might be bigger than you think
London has one of the oldest transport systems in the world – and also one of the
largest. The 270 functioning stations of the London Underground boast over 400
escalators (the longest is at Angel in North London), but there are another 40
stations that aren’t even used anymore – and that’s before we even mention the
famous red buses.
7. Stonehenge is older than the Pyramids
That’s right, located in the south of England and one of the UK’s most famous
tourist attractions – Stonehenge was believed to be created in around 3000BC,
meaning it’s older than Egypt’s pyramids.
8. The Queen might wish you a happy birthday
You might have heard about people turning 100 getting a telegram from the Queen.
In the modern day, it’s actually a personalised card, and it’s not just limited to your
hundredth birthday – you can apply for one for your 105th birthday too – and for
each birthday year after you turn 105.

England
1) England relief is consists of many rolling hillsides, with the highest elevations found
in the north, northwest, and southwest. This landscape is based on complex
underlying structures that form intricate patterns on England’s geologic map.
Volcano’s soils cover the Fens of Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. Some of
mountains are covered with limestone and chalk. Plateaus of limestone, gritstone,
and carboniferous strata are associated with major coalfields, some existing as
outcrops on the surface.
Wales
During the Pleistocene Epoch (about 2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago) carved much of
the Welsh landscape into deeply dissected mountains, plateaus, and hills, including
the north-south–trending Cambrian Mountains, a region of plateaus and hills that
are themselves fragmented by rivers. Protruding from that backbone are two main
mountain areas—the Brecon Beacons in the south, rising to 2,906 feet (886 metres)
at Pen y Fan, and Snowdonia in the northwest, reaching 3,560 feet (1,085 metres) at
Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. There are many volcanic mountains and
rugged mountains and areas coastal plateaus ranging in elevation from about 100 to
700 feet (30 to 210 metres). Wales consists of six traditional regions—the rugged
central heartland, the North Wales lowlands and Isle of Anglesey county, the
Cardigan coast (Ceredigion county), the southwestern lowlands, industrial South
Wales, and the Welsh borderland. The heartland, which coincides partly with the
counties Powys, Denbighshire, and Gwynedd, extends from the Brecon Beacons in
the south to Snowdonia in the north and includes the two national parks based on
those mountain areas.
Scotland
Scotland is traditionally divided into three topographic areas: the Highlands in the
north, the Midland Valley (Central Lowlands), and the Southern Uplands. (The latter
two areas are included in the Lowlands cultural region.) Low-lying areas extend
through the Midland Valley and along the greater part of the eastern seaboard. The
east coast contrasts with the west in its smoother outline and thus creates an east-
west distinction in topography as well as a north-south one. The landscape is varied
by spectacular Torridonian sandstone mountains, weathered into sheer cliffs, rock
terraces, and pinnacles. There are various mountains such as: the Grampian
Mountains, the Cairngorm Mountains and so on.
Ireland
The principal mountain ranges are the Blue Stack Mountains in the north, the
Wicklow Mountains in the east (topped by Lugnaquillia, at 3,039 feet [926 metres]),
the Knockmealdown and Comeragh mountains in the south, the Macgillycuddy’s
Reeks in the southwest, and the Twelve Pins in the west. Carrantuohill, at 3,414 feet
(1,041 metres) in the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, is the highest point in the republic. In
the west and southwest the wild and beautiful coast is heavily indented where the
mountains of Donegal, Mayo, Galway, and Kerry thrust out into the Atlantic,
separated by deep wide-mouthed bays, some of which—Bantry Bay and Dingle Bay,
for example—are, in fact, drowned river valleys.
All this mountains are an important part of stores for salermans.
The Geographical Position of the British Isles:
Advantages:
During the Silurian period, the north-western regions collided with the south-east,
which had been part of a separate continental landmass. The topography of the
islands is modest in scale by global standards. Ben Nevis rises to an elevation of only
1,345 metres (4,413 ft), and Lough Neagh, which is notably larger than other lakes in
the island group, covers 390 square kilometres (151 sq mi). The climate is temperate
marine, with cool winters and warm summers. The North Atlantic drift brings
significant moisture and raises temperatures 11 °C (20 °F) above the global average
for the latitude. This led to a landscape which was long dominated by temperate
 rainforest, although human activity has since cleared the vast majority of forest
cover.
There is the main trade agreement.
4. State emblem: Britannia
National Animals: Lion, Bulldog
Coast of Arms Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom

Disadvantages:
The Britain Isles can be flown round from all the isles.
In this area can happen various disasters.
5. "God Save the Queen" (alternatively "God Save the King", depending on the gender
of the reigning monarch) is the royal anthem in a number of Commonwealth realms,
their territories, and the British Crown dependencies.
"God Save the Queen" is the national anthem of the United Kingdom and one of two
national anthems used by New Zealand since 1977, as well as for several of the UK's
territories that have their own additional local anthem. It is also the royal anthem –
played specifically in the presence of the monarch – of all the aforementioned coun
tries, as well as Australia (since 1984), Canada (since 1980), Barbados and Tuvalu. In
countries not previously part of the British Empire, the tune of "God Save the Queen"
has provided the basis for various patriotic songs, though still generally connected with
royal ceremony.
Original lyrics
God save great George our king
God save our noble king,
God save the king!
Send him victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God save the king!
6. England - St. George and the Rose
The national flower of England is the rose. The flower has been adopted as England’s
emblem since the time of the Wars of the Roses - civil wars (1455-1485) between the
royal house of Lancaster (whose emblem was a red rose) and the royal house of York
(whose emblem was a white rose).
Scotland - St. Andrew - the Thistle and Scottish Bluebell
The national flower of Scotland is the thistle, a prickly-leaved purple flower which was
first used in the 15th century as a symbol of defence. The Scottish Bluebell is also seen
as the flower of Scotland.
Wales - St. David and the Daffodil
The national flower of Wales is the daffodil, which is traditionally worn on St. David’s
Day. The vegetable called leek is also considered to be a traditional emblem of Wales.
here are many explanations of how the leek came to be adopted as the national
emblem of Wales. One is that St David advised the Welsh, on the eve of battle with the
Saxons, to wear leeks in their caps to distinguish friend from foe. As Shakespeare
records in Henry V, the Welsh archers wore leeks at the battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Northern Ireland - St. Patrick and the Shamrock
The national flower of Northern Ireland is the shamrock, a three-leaved plant similar to
clover. An Irish tale tells of how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the
Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the
custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.
St. George – England
7. Very little is known about St. George’s life, but it is thought he was a high-ranking
officer in the Roman army who was killed in around AD 303.
In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil.
Unfortunately, the many legends connected with St. George’s name are fictitious, and
the slaying of the ‘Dragon’ was first credited to him in the 12th century.
In England St. George’s Day is celebrated, and his flag flown, on his feast day, April 23rd.
St. Andrew – Scotland
The union flag of Great Britain is sometimes referred to as the Union Jack and is made
up of three overlaid crosses. One of these crosses is the flag of the Patron Saint of
Scotland, Saint Andrew, although he was not actually born in Scotland.
Not a great deal is known about his early life other than he is mentioned in the Bible as
taking part in the ‘Feeding of the Five Thousand’. It is not absolutely certain where he
preached the Gospel, or where he is buried, but Patras in Achia claims to be the place
where he was martyred and crucified on a cross.

Whilst it is not certain where Andrew actually preached – Scythia, Thrace and Asia
Minor have all been mentioned – it appears he traveled great distances in order to
spread the word, and it may be this which links him with Scotland.
It is celebrated on 30 November. Saint Andrew's Day (Scots: Saunt Andra's Day, Scottish
Gaelic: Là Naomh Anndrais) is Scotland's official national day. It has been a national
holiday in Romania since 2015.
Saint David – Wales
March 1st is St. Davids Day, the national day of Wales and has been celebrated as such
since the 12th Century. Today the celebrations usually involve the singing of traditional
songs followed by a Te Bach, a tea with bara brith (famous welsh fruited bread) and
teisen bach (welsh cake). Young girls are encouraged to wear national costume and leeks
or daffodils are worn, being the national symbols of Wales.
He was the son of Sandde, Prince of Powys, and Non, daughter of a chieftain of Menevia
(now the little cathedral town of St David’s).
In medieval times it was believed that St David was the nephew of King Arthur. Legend
has it that the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick – also said to have been born near the
present day city of St. Davids – foresaw the birth of David in approximately 520AD.
Saint Patrick – Northern Ireland
Saint Patrick - was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in
Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the
other patron saints being Brigit of Kildare and Columba. He is venerated in the Catholic
Church, the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Churches, the Old Catholic Church, and
in the Eastern Orthodox Church as equal-to-the-apostles and Enlightener of Ireland.
The dates of Patrick's life cannot be fixed with certainty, but there is broad agreement
that he was active as a missionary in Ireland during the fifth century. Nevertheless, as
the most recent biography on Patrick shows, a late fourth-century date for the saint is
not impossible. Early medieval tradition credits him with being the first bishop of
Armagh and Primate of Ireland, and regards him as the founder of Christianity in Ireland,
converting a society practising a form of Celtic polytheism. He has been generally so
regarded ever since, despite evidence of some earlier Christian presence in Ireland.
Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is celebrated for bringing Christianity to
the country.

Ireland celebrates St Patrick's Day on 17 March.

Saint Patrick's Day started as a religious feast to celebrate Saint Patrick's work, but it's
grown to be an international festival of all things Irish.
Literature:

1. https://www.studying-in-uk.org/united-kingdom-facts/
https://www.skyflok.com/2018/09/27/30-interesting-uk-facts/
https://www.britannica.com/place/England
https://www.britannica.com/place/Wales
https://www.britannica.com/place/Scotland/Relief ,https://www.britannica.com/place/
Ireland
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles
3.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
List_of_national_symbols_of_the_United_Kingdom,_the_Channel_Islands_and_the_Isle_of
_Man
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Save_the_Queen
6. http://projectbritain.com/flowers.html
7. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/St-George-Patron-Saint-of-
England/,https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/17219261
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/St-Andrew-Patron-Saint-of-
Scotland/,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Andrew%27s_Day, https://www.historic-
uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/St-David-Patron-Saint-of-Wales/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/17219261