The United Kingdom
Great
Britain and Northern
Ireland, politically united, form the United Kingdom (u.k).this is the oldest
constitutional monarchy in Europe, the
sovereign may be a Queen or King. Great Britain
is made up of three main countries : England
, Scotland and Wales and many islands.
London , one of the largest cities in the
world, is its capital. It is divided by the river Thames
which is navigable and makes this city an important port.
British sovereigns live in Buckingham Palace and was crowned in Westminster
Abbey, the old church where British monarchs usually marry too and where the
famous poets and writers are buried. Other places worth seeing in London are :
St. Paul Cathedral, Tower
bridge, the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly
Circus. London's
oldest district is called " The City " and is the heart of British finance and
business. The West End is better known for the
government buildings, the numerous parks, the large square, the famous
districts and the intense night life. There are two very famous department
stores in the West End where you can find
whatever you look for, they are " Selfridges " and " Harrods ". The east end
includes the
port of London and its docks. It's a large
residential area whose poorer people are easily identified for their strange
way of speaking called " Cockney ", a slang characterized by a different
accent, use of rhymes and a strong sense of humor.
London public transport is very efficient. You can travel by taxi(cab),by
underground ( tube ), by bus ( double-deckers ).
London is full of gallery and museums. The British Museum
is one of the greatest in the world. You need many days to visit all its
departments.
Government and
institutions
The
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional monarchy , that is there is a
monarchy, a monarch and a constitution (magna Charta), but it is also called a limited monarchy
because the sovereign's power is subject to law. The monarch is also the head
of state, of the executive, of the Armed Forces and the head of the church of
England too. The House of Commons, which makes the laws of the country,
together with the House of Lords, non- elected members with very little
political power, are the two chambers which form the British parliament. The
leader of the majority party is appointed prime Minister and forms the
Government appointing the various Minister among which he selects those who
will form the Cabinet. The minority party is also called Opposition and forms a
" Shadow Cabinet " that controls the Government's work. The two largest
political parties in Britain
are the Labour party and the Conservative Party, the third largest political
Party is the Liberal Party, but the British electoral system based on the
majority system favours the large parties.
Religion in the U.K.
In
Great Britain there is religious freedom even if the Anglican Church is the
official religion of England and Wales, the established Church of the English
and the Monarch is considered its head or the " Protector or Defender of the
Church ".
The
Book of Common Prayer embodies the form of worship of this Church.
The
Church of Scotland is Presbyterian in character and has a different
organization.
The
Roman Catholic Church is very united above all in Ireland where religious contrasts are the main cause of violence and
terrorism.
The
Anglican Church is only one of the various Protestant Churches in Great
Britain, other are the Baptist, the Methodists and other Nonconformist
Churches, so called because they do not conform to the teaching of the Church
of England.
Scotland
Scotland is the land of tartan, bagpipes,
whisky, castles and ghosts. The Scots are very proud of their history, culture,
institutions and their language: Scottish Gaelic. Scottish surnames are easily
recognizable as they often begin with Mac or Mc which means "son of". Scottish people were originally
divided into clans, a kind of large family having common ancestors. Each clan
was characterized by a different tartan. Tartans had a different colour for
each clan : blue and green for the clans living near the sea, brown and blue
for those coming from the moors and brown and red for those coming from the
mountains. The Scotsmen maw wear kilts only on special occasion and ceremonies.
Scotland lies in the north
of Great Britain and is
divided into three areas: the Highlands, the Lowland and the Islands.
Scottish castles are famous for their ghosts. Each castle has its own ghost and
this makes them a tourist attraction for tourists who like mistery. Cawdor
castle, one of the most, is considered the place where Mac Beth lived with his
wife. Glamis castle is famous for having
nine ghosts haunting it in the night, while Crathes castle has got just one:
the ghost of the " Green Lady " which lives in one of its rooms.
Ireland
Ireland is divided into two countries: Eire
and Northern Ireland.
The Atlantic ocean lies to the west of the British Isles and to the east there
is the North Sea. Between Great Britain and Ireland
there is the Irish Sea and, to the south, between Great
Britain and France,
there is the English Channel. The Gulf Stream,
a warm current coming from the Gulf of Mexico, influences the British climate
making it milder than that of other countries on the same latitude2;in fact it never very cold
and never very hot. There is a lot of rain, particularly in the west, and it is
very windy: this is why the weather is so changeable. The warmest area is the Southwest.
Wales
The results of the referendum held in September 1997 will
allow Wales
greater independence. An Assembly will be elected locally and will be
responsible for the matters now in the hands of the Secretary of State. Cardiff was officially
designated as capital in 1995. At the beginning
of the 19°century it was only a rather small town. It began
to grow when the iron and coal produced
in the nearby valleys began to be exported all over the world. The crisis of
the iron and coal industries caused a long economic decline of the town. Cardiff is now dedicated
to commerce and administration. Most of the population is concentrated in the
north-east and in the industrial south-east. The weather in Wales tends to be variable and mild because of
the Gulf Stream. The Cambrian
Mountains. Mount Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales and England (1,085 m.). The patron saint of Wales is St. David, who lived in
the 6° century. There are many legends about him.
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