Wales, scotland, northern ireland

WALES has some wonderful mountain and coastal scenery. North Wales is very popular with tourists and offers a large variety of holiday attractions. Coal mining used to be the most important industry in Wales: Cardiff (the capital), Swansea and Newport. During the Industrial Revolution, the valleys of South Wales became the world's biggest producer of iron and steel.

The official language is English, but Welsh is widely spoken and it is still in daily use, especially in the north and west.

Wales has been politically united with England since 1536. However, the Welsh have always been concerned about their cultural and political identity, and there is a Welsh Nationalist Party which wants independence from the UK.

SCOTLAND

Scotland is a beautiful land of lakes, rivers, mountains, woods and heather-covered moors. The Highlands is one of Europe's remaining wild regions. Scotland includes about 790 islands such as the Hebrides, the Orkneys and the Shetlands.

The climate in Scotland is remarkably temperate, owing to the warming Gulf Stream from the South Atlantic.

Scotland is divided into three main regions: the Highlands, the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands. The cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow are located in the Midland Valley which runs across the centre of the county. Aberdeen is Scotland's chief fishing port and the main centre of the North Sea oil and gas industries.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland is called Ulster, especially by Protestants. But also commonly called The Six Counties by Catholics, to underline that it is just a part of Ireland.

In this country family, politics, economics and religion are inter-related. Each community lives in a separate area and has its own schools, pubs, political parties, and paramilitary force.

People whose ancestors came from Scotland and England belong to the Protestant community. They are called Unionists or Loyalists because they want Northern Ireland to remain in the UK and are loyal to the British Crown.

People whose ancestors were native Irish belong to the Catholic community. They are called Nationalists or Republicans because they would like Northern Ireland to become part of the Irish Republic.

Lough Neagh is the largest lake in the British Isles.

The country is largely agricultural and relies mainly on farming. The rate of unemployment is high.

BELFAST is the capital of Northern Ireland. It was a large shipbuilding centre and now has one of the highest levels of unemployment in the UK.

Stormont Castle is a large building and is now home to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Londonderry is both a county and a town where mainly Roman Catholics live. Its original name was Derry but it was renamed Londonderry after its settlement by English Protestants from London in 1611.

THE CONFLICT (NORTHERN IRELAND)

The conflict between the Catholic Irish and the Protestant English began in the 16^th century when, after the Reformation, the Catholic Irish were persecuted and much of their land was given to the Protestant English.

A lot of Catholic Irish people were driven out and mainly lost their land.

Today the Protestants in Northern Ireland still call themselves Orangemen and every year they celebrate William's victory with banners and parades.

After the 1921 'partition', Northern Ireland had its own Parliament at Stormont, but it was dominated by Protestants, who held both economic and political power in Ulster. Consequently, the Catholic community suffered economic and political discrimination.

In the late, the old Catholic IRA (Irish Republican Army) and the Protestant UDA (Ulster Defence Association) were revitalised and other organisations formed in both communities.

CELTS

The Celts came to the British Isles from Europe in about 700 BC and settled mainly in England. They were tall people with fair hair and blue eyes. They were good fighters and farmers and also fine artists. They were organised in tribes. They were responsible for religious practises, medical treatment, education and the administration of justice.

The Celts worshipped nature and held their rituals in the open air. They believed in the immortality of the soul, which, after death, moved either into a new body or into the natural elements. Therefore, nature was mysterious because it was filled with the presence of spirits who were in touch with the supernatural world.

Their language is Gaelic.

STONEHENGE

Stonehenge is one of the most famous archaeological sites in world. It is a mysterious prehistoric monument which probably built for religious or astronomical purposes.

THE BIRTH OF PARLIAMENT

At this time the power of the king was absolute. In 1215 the powerful barons made the king sign a document, called the Magna Carta which set a limit to the king's power and obliged him to follow certain a rules of government.

By the terms of Magna Carta the king promised to speak with his lords before levying taxes.

The council of lords represented an early form of parliament, though the king was still the real ruler.

TUDORS

The Tudors ruled England, Wales and part of Ireland. England enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity under the Tudors, and became a major political and economic power.

It was a time of trade and expansion. New products such as tobacco and potatoes were introduced to England from America.

Sir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to sail around the world and was one of the famous Elizabethan "seadogs" who attacked Spanish ships and colonies, stealing their treasures.

RENAISSANCE

The upper and middle classes were cultured and their sons studied Latin and Greek.

Parliament did not regularly in Tudors times. It was only called when the monarch wanted to pass a law or collect more taxes.

HENRY VIII

Henry VIII is perhaps one of the best-known Kings of England, chiefly because he had six wives.

He was only 18 years old when he became king. For the first 20 years of his reign, he enjoyed life and was more interested in girls.

The king was first married to a Catholic Spanish princess, Catherine of Aragon, but they had no sons. He asked the Pope for permission to leave his wife so that he could marry someone else, but the Pope refused.

So, by the Act of Supremacy, in 1534, Henry VIII abolished the authority of the Pope in England and declared himself head of a Church of England, independent of Rome.

With this he destroyed the power of the Roman Church in England. Then he closed down the monasteries and made their lands the property of the King.

Henry VIII was a clever politician. He made England strong and independent of Europe. But he was also a cruel and despotic king, who sentenced most of his opponents to death.

THE TUDORS

AT HOME AND ABROAD

The Tudors ruled England, Wales and part of Ireland. England enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity under the Tudors, and became a major political and economic power.

It was a time of trade and expansion. New products such as tobacco and potatoes were introduced to England from America. Sir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to sail around the world and was one of the famous Elizabethan "seadogs" who attacked Spanish ships and colonies, stealing their treasures.