The UK: There Is An Important Difference Between The Terms Great Britain and United Kingdom

The UK
Great Britain is an insular state. It lays north-west of Europe, across the Channel La
Manche. The western coast of Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. On
the eastern coast there is the North Sea. Great Britain borders Ireland on the West and
France on the South. The shortest connection to Europe is by ferryboat from Dover in
southern England to Calais In France. Or there is the Channel Tunnel.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland cover an area of nearly 250,000 square kilometers. In
addition to the two main islands Great Britain includes thousands of small islands. The
largest islands are the Isle of Man, Anglesey, Wight and the Channel Islands (Jersey,
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and others). There are also the archipelagos Hebrides, Orkney
Islands and Shetland Islands.
The landscape of England is mostly rolling hillsides. The main mountain regions here are the
Cornish Heights (south-west), the Cambrians (Wales), the Pennines and the Cumbrian
Mountains. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in the Highlands of Scotland - it is 1 342 m
high.
The British rivers aren't very long but some important ports are situated on them. There is
London on the Thames, Liverpool on the Mersey, Glasgow on the Clyde, and Belfast on the
Lagan. The longest rivers are the Severn and the Thames. There is also a system of canals
in Britain.
There is an important difference between the terms Great Britain and United Kingdom.
Great Britain includes England; its capital is London; Wales with Cardiff and Scotland with
Edinburgh. United Kingdom includes all of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with the capital
Belfast.
Great Britain has a population of about 57 million people. Britain is a relatively densely
populated country. England has the highest density; Scotland has the lowest.
The official language is English. It has many dialects throughout the country. It is very
difficult to understand Scottish or Welsh accents even for many English native speakers and
people from other countries have real problems with it. British English differs from American
English in some ways, such as pronunciation, spelling or vocabulary.
Although Britain is predominantly Christian, there are also Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh
communities in the country. The (Anglican) Church of England and the (Presbyterian)
Church of Scotland are the official state churches.
In Great Britain the climate is temperate and humid due to the Gulf Stream. Winters are mild
and summers are not very hot. It rains a lot and the grass is greener than in Central Europe.
The average temperature ranges from 4 degrees Centigrade in winter to 16 degrees in
summer, extremes are rare.
Thanks to mild climate agriculture is quite widespread in Great Britain. About 30 per cent of
the land is arable but only 2 % of the labor force work in agriculture. The main agricultural
products are grain, sugar beet, fruit and vegetables. Cattle and sheep breeding are also
profitable. British natural resources are rich in coal, tin, oil, gas, iron and salt. The main
industries are steel, metals, vehicles, shipping, banking, insurance, textiles and
electronics. The main trading partners of Britain are Germany, the USA and France.
Great Britain was first settled by the Celts about 3000 years ago. In the year 43 the Romans
invaded and they stayed there for 400 years. They built villages, roads and forts throughout
the country. They have been used for centuries. Then Germanic people arrived and drove
Celtic people to the mountains.
The last successful invasion was by the French speaking Normans led by William, Duke of
Normandy, who became William the Conqueror after defeating the Saxon King Harold in the
Battle of Hastings in 1066.
In 1215 the Magna Charta was signed as a guarantee of rights and the rule of law. In the
years 1338-1453 there was the Hundred Year's War and in the 15th century there was the
civil War of Roses. In 1688, after a Glorious revolution, the monarchy was established but
the sovereignty of the Parliament was confirmed. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy.
The head of the country is a king (or queen) but his power is limited by the Parliament. The
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been the official title of the British
state ever since 1922.
The British national flag is called "Union Jack". It symbolizes the Union of England, Scotland
and Ireland and dates back to 1801. The flag is made up of the crosses of the patron saints
of England (St. George's Red Cross on a white field), Ireland (St. Patrick's red diagonals on
a white field) and Scotland (St. Andrew's white diagonals on a blue field). Wales is not
represented because when the flag first appeared it was already united with England. The
design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for flags of other
Commonwealth countries and British colonies.
The national anthem is "God Save The Queen". Each part of the United Kingdom has its
own symbol: England - red rose, Ireland - shamrock, Wales - leek, daffodil, Scotland - thistle.

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