The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Physical Geography. Climate. Population

The United Kingdom (UK) constitutes the greater part of the British Isles. The largest of the islands is Great Britain, which comprises England, Scotland and Wales. The next largest is Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and the Irish Republic. The Isle of Man in the Irish Sea and the Channel Islands between Great Britain and France are largely self-governing, and are not part of the UK. The UK is one of the 15 Member States of the European Union (EU). With an area of about 243,000 sq km (93,000 sq miles), excluding inland water, the UK is just less than 1,000 km (about 600 miles) from the south coast to the extreme north of the Scottish mainland and just under 500 km (around 300 miles) across at the widest point. The most mountainous region is Scotland (with Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis – 1,343 m). Rivers in Great Britain are quite short – the longest rivers are the Severn and the Thames.

Britain has a generally mild, temperate climate. The weather, however, tends to be very changeable (though not necessarily unpredictable) as a result of the constant influence of different air masses. The prevailing winds are south-westerly, which bring warm air in from across the Atlantic. There are few extremes in temperature, which rarely goes above 32ºC (90ºF) or below – 10ºC (14ºF).

With 59.8 million people, the United Kingdom ranks about fifteenth in the world in terms of population, with England (48 million) by far the most populous part (followed by Scotland 5 million, Wales 2.8 million and Northern Ireland 1.5 million). Although there are about 6% more male than female births, the higher mortality of men at all ages means that there are more females than males (29 million as against 27.6 million). Official projections forecast that the population will reach nearly 61.8 million by 2011.

1. Answer the questions

1. What islands does the UK comprise?

2. What states are self-governing and not part of the UK?

3. What is the area of the UK?

4. What is the most mountainous region?

5. The climate of the country is rather mild, isn’t it?

6. What place in terms of population does the UK take?

7. Can you say that the most populous part is England?

2. Compare Britain with your country. Which are the most obvious geographical differences?

The Constitution

The British Constitution is an unwritten constitution, not being contained in a single legal document. It is based on statutes and important documents (such as the Magna Carta), case law (decisions taken by courts of law on constitutional matters), customs and conventions, and can be modified by a simple Act of Parliament like any other law. It contains two main principles – the rule of law (i.e. that everyone, whatever his or her station, is subject to the law) and the supremacy of Parliament, which implies that there is no body that can declare the activities of Parliament unconstitutional. The constitutional safeguard of the separation of powers between the Legislature (the two Houses of Parliament), which makes law, the Executive (the Government), which puts laws into effect and plans policy, and the Judiciary, which interprets laws and decides on cases arising out of the laws, is only theoretical.

1. Complete the following.

Constitution of the UK

• Main characteristic:

• Based on:

• Main principles:

2. Match the following terms with their correct definitions.

1. rule of law

2. separation of powers

3. supremacy of Parliament

1. There is no legal opposition to Parliament.

2. Everyone is equal before the law.

3. Laws are made, put into effect and interpreted by different bodies.

3. Discussion.

Study the following quotations on constitution. Which statement do you find the most thought-provoking? Justify your point of view.

1. We the people are the rightful masters of both Parliament and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution. Winston Churchill

2. The principles of a free constitution are irrevocably lost when the legislative power is nominated by the executive.

Edward Gibbon

4. Do you agree that…

The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. Benjamin Franklin