Great Britain (2)

   The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with an area of some 244,000 square miles is situated on the British Isles, which are separated from the European continent by the North Sea, the Strait of Dover and the English Channel. Britain's population is over 57 million. Four out of every five people live in towns. The UK is a constitutional monarchy: the head of the state is a king or a queen. In practice, the Sovereign reins, but doesn't rule: the UK is governed by the Government — a board of Ministers who are the leading members of the political party in power and who are responsible to Parliament. The territory of Great Britain is small. At the same time the coun-try has a wide variety of scenery. England is the heart of Britain. It is the richest, the most fertile and most populated in the country. The north and the west of the England are mountainous, but all the rest territory is a vast plain. In Northwest England there are many beautiful lakes with wooded or grassy shores and grey mountains all around. It is called Lake District. The national symbol of England is the red rose. Wales is the smallest land of the UK, but has a considerable variety, from the picturesque mountains of the north to the mining and industrial areas of the south. The capital of Wales is Cardiff, an important industrial centre and port. Most people in Wales live in the coastal plains. The national symbol of Wales is a leek. Scotland is a land of mountains, narrow valleys and plains, famous lakes and no end of large and small islands off the coast. The Highlands of Scotland are among oldest mountains in the world. The highest of them is Ben Nevis. The lakes in Scotland are called «lochs». The beautiful Loch Lomond with its thirty islands is the largest. One-third of the people in Scotland live in or near its capital, Edinburgh, and its great industrial centre, Glasgow. The national symbol of Scotland is a thistle. Northern Ireland was a part of Ireland as a whole before the early 20-th century and developed in the middle ages as the Kingdom of Ulster, later the Province of Ulster. The territory is small. It is a land of lakes, rivers and a varied seacoast. Some places are known for their wild beauty, the Glen of Antrim among of them. The capital city is Belfast. The capital of Great Britain, London, stands on the Thames, which flows into the North Sea. The Thames is the busiest and the most important river in Great Britain, but it is not very long. The Severn, which flows into the Irish Sea, is the longest British river. The climate of Great Britain is mild. The Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream affect the weather of the British Isles. The summer is usually cool and rainy. There is much rain and fog in autumn and in winter. Great Britain is a very damp country.

===================================

Great Britain (3)

   The official name of the country the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is situated on British Isles off the northwest coast of Europe. The British Isles consist of two large islands: Great Britain and Ireland and about five thousand small islands. Their total area over 244.000 square kilometres. They are separated from continent by the English Channel and the Straits of Dover. The west coast of the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea; the east coast is washed by the North Sea.

   The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are Lon¬don, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. The population of the country is over 57 million people; about 80 per cent of them live in cities and towns.

   Many centuries ago the islands were inhabited by Celts. Their tribes were developing into kingdoms when Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C. The Roman invasion began in AD 43. The Romans withdrew in 407. The tribes of Angles and Saxons crossed the Channel and overran all England except Cornwall and Wales. Christianity was introduced in the 6th century by missiona¬ries from Rome.

   The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and the west of England are mountainous, but all the rest — east, centre and south-east — is a vast plain. The mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain (1343 m).

   There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

   The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round.

   But the climate is not the same in all parts of England. The western part of England is warmer than the east and it also has more rain. There is much humidity in the air of England. It is well known as a foggy country. The United Kingdom is a monarchy. The Queen is the official head of state. In practice the country is ruled by an elected parliament. The British Parliament has two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. There are three main political parties: the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal. In 2001 a general election was held. The Labour party achieved a majority in the House of Commons, and the leader of the party Tony Blair was appointed Prime Minister by the Queen.

   The United Kingdom is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world's largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment.

Oxford

   No one knows Oxford's age. The city was first mentioned in 912. The city is famous for the university. Oxford University is over 800 years old. Today it consists of 35 independent colleges and 5 halls. It also has central libraries and laboratories.

   There are some museums and art galleries in Oxford, too. For example, the Ashmolean Museum which is the oldest museum in Britain. It has a good collection of antiques, European paintings, sculptures and silver. In the Christ Picture Gallery you can see works of Italian painters from the 14-th to the 18-th century.

   The Museum of the History of Science is the home to many scientific instruments of the 16-th century, collections of ancient chemical machines, watches and clocks and medical instruments.

   Oxford is a very beautiful town with narrow streets, small shops and markets. Every year it attracts tourists from all over the world. They visit the famous university and get to know about students’ life in Oxford. I would love to go there one day to feel the atmosphere of this old educational centre of England.