Difference between Great Britain and the UK

The names Great Britain and United Kingdom are often used interchangeably.
However, they are not actually synonymous. The reason for the two names, and
the difference between them, has to do with the expansive history of the British
Isles.

The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwestern coast of Europe. The
largest of these islands are Britain and Ireland. (Smaller ones include the Isle of
Wight.) In the Middle Ages, the name Britain was also applied to a small part of
France now known as Brittany. As a result, Great Britain came into use to refer
specifically to the island. However, that name had no official significance until
1707, when the island’s rival kingdoms of England and Scotland were united as
the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Ireland, meanwhile, had effectively been an English colony since the 12th
century, and after the emergence of Great Britain, it remained under the influence
of the British crown. In 1801 it formally joined with Great Britain as a single
political entity, which became known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland—or the United Kingdom for short. However, the union lasted only until
1922, when Ireland (with the exception of six counties in the north) seceded.
Ireland soon became a sovereign republic, and its former partner took on the
official name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Great Britain, therefore, is a geographic term referring to the island also known
simply as Britain. It’s also a political term for the part of the United Kingdom made
up of England, Scotland, and Wales (including the outlying islands that they
administer, such as the Isle of Wight). United Kingdom, on the other hand, is
purely a political term: it’s the independent country that encompasses all of Great
Britain and the region now called Northern Ireland.

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 The UK, Great Britain, England and The Commonwealth

There are key differences between Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and
England—names often used interchangeably.

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Great Britain

Great Britain is an island that consists of three somewhat autonomous regions

that include England, Scotland and Wales. It is located east of Ireland and
northwest of France in the Atlantic Ocean. The term Great Britain is often used
as a synonym of the United Kingdom, though the two are different.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (commonly abbreviated UK) is a country that includes

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its official name is United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. While England, Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland are called countries, there exist regulations and
policies in those states that are determined by the UK. The capital city of the
United Kingdom is London.

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. England is the largest
and most populous nation in the UK. It is bounded by Wales and the Irish Sea to
the west and Scotland to the north. The English Channel, the Strait of Dover, and
the North Sea separate it from Europe to the east. The Isle of Wight, off the
southern mainland in the English Channel, and the Scilly Islands, in the Atlantic
Ocean off the southwestern tip of the mainland, are considered part of England.

The Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 52 states or countries

that were formerly British colonies or territories. Members of the Commonwealth
of Nations recognize the United Kingdom's Monarch as their own king or queen,
but remain politically independent. The Commonwealth has no constitution. The
Singapore Declaration of Commonwealth Principles, however, states that the
Commonwealth is "a voluntary association of independent sovereign states each
responsible for its own policies, consulting and co-operating in the common
interests of their peoples and in the promotion of international understanding and
world peace."

Members of the Commonwealth of Nations

Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas

Bangladesh Barbados Belize
Botswana Brunei Canada
Cameroon Cyprus Dominica
Gambia Ghana Grenada
Guyana India Jamaica
Kenya Kiribati Lesotho
Malawi Malaysia Maldives
Malta Mauritius Mozambique

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 Saint Kitts and
Nigeria Papua New Guinea
Nevis
Saint Vincent and the
Saint Lucia Samoa
Grenadines
Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore
Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka
Swaziland Tanzania Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Uganda
United Kingdom Nauru New Zealand
Namibia Vanuatu Zambia

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 Geography of the UK

The official title of the UK is the United

Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland .

The UK is made up of:

 Great Britain (the formerly

separate realms of England and
Scotland, and the principality of
Wales. )

 Northern Ireland (also known

as Ulster)

 Numerous smaller islands

including the Isle of Wight,
Anglesey, and the Scilly,
Orkney, Shetland, and
Hebridean archipelagos.

Where is the UK?

The UK is an island nation in Western

Europe just off the coast of France.
The mainland areas lie between
latitudes 49°N and 59°N and
longitudes 8°W to 2°E.

The UK lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and comes
within 35 km (22 miles) of the northwest coast of France, from which it is
separated by the English Channel. Northern Ireland shares a 360 km
international land boundary with the Republic of Ireland. The Channel Tunnel
bored beneath the English Channel, now links the UK with France.

How big an area does the UK cover?

The UK has a total area of approximately 245,000 km², almost a quarter-of-

a-million square kilometres.

Interesting Fact
No one in the UK lives more than 120 km (75 miles) from the sea.

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Seas surrounding the UK

The UK is made up of several islands. The only land border connecting the
UK to another country is between Northern Ireland and the Republic of
Ireland.

The UK is bordered by four seas:

 to the south by the English Channel, which separates it from

continental Europe
 to the east by the North Sea
 to the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean

The Land

The UK Landscape is very

varied, ranging from the
Grampian Mountains of
Scotland to the lowland fens
of England which are at or
below sea level in places.

Scotland and Wales are the

most mountainous parts of
the UK. A ridge of hills, the
Pennine, runs down the
centre of northern England.
Many coastal areas are low-
lying, especially in the east
and south of England. These
include the wetlands of the
Somerset levels, that
regularly flood during heavy
rain.

Most of the UK is made up of

gently rolling hills with
isolated areas of high ground
such as Dartmoor in the
south-west of England or the
Mourne Mountains in
Northern Ireland.

Lakes

Northern Ireland is also home to the UK's largest lake, Lough Neagh, which
covers an area of 396sq.km (153 sq miles). Other major lakes include
Windermere in the English Lake District and Loch Lomond in Scotland.

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Another of Scotland's lakes, Loch Ness is famous for sightings of 'Nessie', a
mythical monster!

UK Rivers

Being a relatively small Island, the UK's rivers are not very long. The Severn,
its longest river, is just 338 km in length, beginning in Wales and entering the
Atlantic Ocean near Bristol in England. Other major rivers include the
Thames, which flows through Oxford and London, and the Trent and Mersey
rivers, which drain rainfall from large areas of central England.

Climate

The UK's climate varies greatly according to season and location, but on the
whole can be described as mild with few extremes.

Facts

 The capital of England is London. Sometimes referred to the capital of

Britain. London is built along the River Thames
 Three quarters of the land in Britain is used for farming.
 Nine out of ten people live in towns and cities.
 The highest mountains are in Scotland and Wales.
 More than two-thirds of people own their own homes.

Landscape of England

What is the land like in England?

England covers over 50,000 square miles (130 439 square kilometres) and
is the largest of the countries comprising the island of Britain, covering about
two-thirds of the island. No place in England is more than 75 miles (120 km)
from the sea.

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The landscape is determined mainly by the different types of rock underlying
it. In the south, chalk has produced the gently rolling hills of the Downs, while
hard granite is the basis for the mountains of the north and the high
moorlands of Dartmoor and Exmoor in the south-west.

Much of the land in England is flat (low lying) - less than 1000m above sea
level, forming meadowlands and pastures and less than 10 percent of the
area is covered by woodlands. Farmers raise animals or grow crops in the
fields.

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Upland areas are generally confined to northern England: the exceptions are
the upland moors of Dartmoor and Exmoor in the south-west.

The landscape of England is more rugged in the north and the west. The
highest elevations are in Cumbria and the Lake District in the west. The
highest point in England is Scafell Pike, 978m, part of the Cumbrian
Mountains in North West England. The area of the Cumbrian mountains is

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the most rugged in England and is more commonly known as the Lake District
after the many lakes there.

The Pennines, a large chain of hills with moorland tops rising to between 600
and 900 metres, splits northern England into northwest and northeast
sectors. They run down from the Scottish border to the river Trent about
halfway down the country.

The Southwest is a long peninsular with bleak moorlands and rocky outcrop.
The wide expanse of Salisbury Plain occupies most of the central part of
southern England.

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In the Southeast, a horseshoe-shaped ring of chalk downs surrounds the
formerly wooded area of the Weald. The southeast corner, from Dover to
Eastbourne, has dramatic chalk cliffs bordering the English Channel.

What is the Climate like in the UK?

Contrary to popular belief, it DOES NOT rain every day in England or in the
rest of the UK! However, it is always advisable to bring some type of
waterproof clothing and keep yourself psychologically prepared!

Britain is an island country and the surrounding sea gives England a varied
climate. We never know what the weather will be like from one day to the
other. It can be sunny one day and rainy the next. As we have such a variable
climate changing from day to day, it is difficult to predict the weather. In
general, we have warm summers and cool winters. Our summers are cooler
than those on the continent, but the winters are milder.

Temperate Climate

The overall climate in England is called temperate maritime. This means that
it is mild with temperatures not much lower than 0ºC in winter and not much
higher than 32ºC in summer. It also means that it is damp and is subject to
frequent changes.

Warmest and coldest months

July and August are normally the warmest month in England.

Around the coasts, February is normally the coldest month, but inland there
is little to choose between January and February as the coldest month.

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 Best months to travel to England

Probably the best months to travel in England are May, June,

September and October. These months generally have the
most pleasant temperatures and less rain. July and August
are the warmest months, but they are also the wettest. The
sunniest parts of the Britain are along the south coast of
England.

The Weather

The Weather in English

In English, we usually use it is when we talk about the weather.

This is normally: It is + adjective OR It is + verb-ing

It is + adjective = A description of the weather

 It is sunny today.
 It's hot and humid today.
 It'sa nice day today.

We can also say:

It is a + adjective + day (or morning/afternoon/night)

 It's a fine day.

 It's a windy afternoon.

It is + verb-ing = This type of weather is happening now.

 It's drizzling outside.

 It's snowing.
 Take an umbrella, it's raining.

You can also use it is in different tenses

 It was cold yesterday.

 It will be cloudy tomorrow.

When you are learning vocabulary about the weather, it is important to

remember that some of the words have a noun form, a verb form and/or an
adjective form. For example:

 Rain: (noun) The game was cancelled because of the rain.

 Rain: (verb) I think it is going to rain later.
 Rainy: (adjective) It's a rainy day.

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It pays to learn the different forms of each word and when they are used.

Nouns and Adjectives

Many times when we are talking about the weather, we can add the letter Y to
the end of a noun to make it an adjective.

 rain (noun) - rainy (adjective)

 sun (noun) - sunny (adjective)
 wind (noun) - windy (adjective)
 cloud (noun) - cloudy (adjective)
 fog (noun) - foggy (adjective)

Questions about the weather

People commonly ask about the weather by saying:

 What's it like out(side)?

 How's the weather?
 What's the weather like?
 What's the temperature?
 What's the weather forecast?

Vocabulary about the weather in English

We have divided this vocabulary into different categories to make it easier. We

have:
Clear or Cloudy – Types of Rain – Cold stuff – Types of Wind – Mixed
Vocabulary
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Clear or Cloudy

Bright: (adjective) full of light; when the sun is shining strongly

Sunny: (adjective) the sun is shining and there are no clouds
Clear: (adjective) without clouds
Fine: (adjective) not raining, clear sky
Partially cloudy: (adjective) when there is a mixture of both blue sky and clouds
Cloudy: (adjective) with many clouds in the sky
Overcast: (adjective) covered with cloud; dull
Gloomy: (adjective) with dark clouds and dull light; some people consider this
weather depressing

Sometimes the cloud lowers to ground level and it becomes harder to see…
Fog (noun)/ foggy (adjective): thick cloud close to land
Mist (noun) / misty (adjective): light fog, often on the sea or caused by drizzle
Haze (noun) / hazy (adjective): light mist, usually caused by heat

Types of Rain

Damp: (adjective) slightly wet (often after the rain has stopped)
Drizzle: (verb/noun) to rain lightly with very fine drops
Shower: (noun) a short period of rain
Rain: (verb/noun) water that falls from the clouds in drops
Downpour: (noun) heavy rain
Pour: (verb) to have heavy rain
It's raining cats and dogs: (Idiom) To rain heavily
Torrential rain: (noun) very heavy rain
Flood: (verb/noun) to become covered in water usually due to excessive rain

Cold stuff

Hail: (verb) when frozen rain falls as small balls of ice (hailstones).
Hailstones: (noun) the small hard balls of ice that fall from the sky
Snow: (noun/verb) frozen rain that falls from the sky as soft snowflakes
Snowflake: (noun) an individual piece of snow
Sleet: (noun/verb) snow or hail mixed with rain (often with some wind)
Blizzard: (noun) severe snowstorm with strong winds

Types of Wind

Breeze: a gentle wind (often nice or refreshing)

Blustery: blowing (strong) gusts of wind
Windy: continual wind.
Gale: a very strong wind
Hurricane/cyclone/typhoon: a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce
winds and heavy rain.

What's the difference between a hurricane, a typhoon and a cyclone?

They are the same thing just with different names because of the region they
are in.

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Atlantic/Northeast Pacific = a hurricane
Northwest Pacific = a typhoon
Southern Hemisphere = a cyclone

Tornado: (noun) strong violent circular winds in a small area; a rapidly revolving
column of air
In United States the word twister is often used instead of tornado.

More vocabulary about the weather

Drought: (noun) Long periods of time without rain causing a lack of water in the
area

 A lot of the crops dried up because of the drought.

Forecast: (noun) A prediction of how the weather will be on a certain day

 The forecast says it's going to rain tomorrow.

Lightning: (noun) A flash of light in the sky during a storm.

 Lightning lit the sky many times that night.

Puddle: (noun) a small pool of water on the ground, usually after rain.

 The kids jumped in the puddles on the way home from school.

Rainbow: (noun) an arch of colors in the sky formed when the sun shines
through rain

 I took a photo of a beautiful rainbow that was just above the lake.

Smog: (noun) a cloud of pollution hanging over a city (a fog of smoke)

 The view of the city wasn't very good because it was covered in thick
smog.

Sunburn: (noun) painful red skin caused by spending too long in the hot sun.

 If you don't put on your sunscreen, you'll get sunburn.

Sunshine: (noun) the light and heat of the sun

 I could feel the warm sunshine on my back.

Thunder: (noun/verb) the rumbling sound in the clouds that happens after
lightning

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  The cat hid inside because it was scared by the thunder.

Sentences using weather vocabulary

 It is usually chilly and damp in autumn, sometimes with rain or drizzle.

 I'm so glad there is a breeze right now otherwise it would be very hot.
 It is so humid that I've had to change my shirt twice already.
 It's a blustery day; make sure your umbrella doesn't blow away.
 Take a sweatshirt because it's a little chilly outside.
 Those large hailstones left dents in my car.
 There has been a gale warning so it's not safe to go out fishing on our
boat.
 There was a drought in our province last summer. It didn't rain for three
months.
 We won't be able to see the solar eclipse because it's overcast.

The story of the United Kingdom

and the Union Flag

A flag containing three other flags.

The Union Flag - the flag of the United Kingdom (UK)

The Union Flag, popularly known as the *Union Jack, is the national flag of
the United Kingdom. It is the British flag.

It is called the Union Flag because it symbolizes the administrative union of

the countries of the United Kingdom. It is made up of the individual Flags of
three of the Kingdom's countries all united under one Sovereign - the
countries of 'England, of 'Scotland' and of 'Northern Ireland' (since 1921 only
Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom). As Wales was not a
Kingdom but a Principality it could not be included on the flag.

The following pages will tell you how the Union Flag (Union Jack) came to be
the UK's national flag and the making of the United Kingdom.

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 Use of English Exercises
A. Read the text carefully and then do the exercises below:

The Land of Great Britain

Much of England consists of rolling hills and plains. The north is generally
more mountainous with a chain of mountains, the Pennines. Most mountains and
hilly areas are in the north. To the south, the land is lower and flatter than the rest
of the UK. There are no rugged areas. The North Sea coast of England is mainly
flat and sandy with many dunes. Along the English Channel, the south coast
builds up into steep, white cliffs of Dover, which are often seen as an iconic
symbol of England and Britain. In some parts, the coastline becomes more rocky
and steep, with numerous cliffs. Both in the south and in the Midlands, there are
many areas of land that are naturally wet; they are called “swamps” or “marshes”.
Moors are common especially in the north. They are upland areas in grasslands,
characterized by low-growing vegetation. Moors are also known as heaths or
wastelands. They are open areas covered with rough grass where drainage is
poor, especially in Britain. (Extract from The Guardian)

Find words in the text that mean:

1. Undulating:
2. With many mountains:
3. Having many hills:
4. Not even, irregular:
5. Level:
6. Hills of sand:
7. Sharply sloped:
8. Steep rock faces:
9. Emblematic:
10. Central area of England:
11. Moist, damp:
12. Not tall:
13. Uncultivated field:
14. Uneven:
15. Bleak upland:

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