The GB

Geography
Britain lies off the north-west coast of the Europe across the English Channel, the Strait of Dover and the North Sea.The official name is United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It consists of two large islands (Great Britain and Irealnd and about 5000 smaller ones (e.g. the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly, the Isle of Man, Anglesey, the Hebrides, the Orkneys, the Shetlands and the Channel Islands). Its neighbours are Ireland to west and France to south-east. It covers the are of about two and a half square kilometres. Britain consists of four countries: England (London capital), Scotland (Edinburgh), Wales (Cardiff) and North Ireland (Belfast). London, the capital is the centre of government for the whole of Britain but local authorities are also partly responsible for education, health care, roads, the police and some other things. England is mostly rolling land, rising to the Uplands of southern Scotland. The main mountain regions here are the Cornish Heights (south-west England), the Cambrians (Wales), the Cambrian Mountains (in the Lake District), the Pennines (the Backbone of England). The Cheviot Hills are on the border between England and Scotland. The Highlands of Scotland are the highest mountains in Britain (with the highest mountain Ben Nevis – 1342 km). Coast is heavily indented especially on the west. The longest rivers are the Severn (354 km), Thames (336 km), Clyde in Scotland, the Humber and the Mersey. Rivers are very important as sources of energy (Tweed). There are beautiful lake areas in Cumbria (Lake Windermere), the Highlands of Scotland (Loch Lomond and Loch Ness) and in Ireland (Lough Neagh). Lakes are not important for freight transport but thy are a big tourist attraction.



Climate
 Britain also has a dense network of canals, which are important for freight transport – Manchester Ship canal. British Isles have milder climate due to the Gulf Stream, which comes from the Gulf of Mexico to Western Europe. That is why winter temperatures are higher and summer temperatures are lower.

Political system
The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy based on unwritten traditions and common law. The official head of State is the monarch (from February 1952 Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth the Second) but she is only a formal head of State, Nation and Commonwealth and her powers are limited by the constitution. The Queen is also the temporal head  of the Church of England (the Anglican Church). The Queen’s residence is Buckingham Palace in London.
The supreme legislative authority in the U.K. is the British Parliament, which is very old institution (developed in 13th century). It is composed of the House of Lords (the Upper House; it has over 1 000 hereditary peers, but only 250 active), the House of Commons (the Lower House; it has 650 elected Members of Parliament - MPs) and the Sovereign („the Queen in Parliament“ - makes formally royal assent, but has no real power). The two Houses share the same building, the Palace of Westminster in London. The most important political parties are The Labour Party (reformed socialist party) and The Conservative Party (capitalist class).
The executive power is exercised by the Cabinet (has usually 20 members) formed by the party which has the majority in the Parliament and its head is the Prime Minister
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is divided into five parts: England (39 counties, 8 metropolitan counties + Great London), Wales (8 counties; Cardiff), Scotland (9 regions and 3 island districts; Edinburgh) and Northern Ireland (26 districts, Belfast).
British national flag - the ‘Union Jack’ - symbolises the union of England, Scotland, Welsh and Ireland; each part of GB has its own flag. The national anthem is „God Save The Queen!“

Union Jack
British national flag is called Union Jack. It is symbolizes the Union of England, Scotland and Ireland. It dates back from 1801. The origin of the name is uncertain. "Jack" was first used in the British Navy as the name of the flag at the main masthead (tiráž).Each country has its cross in the flag: The red cross of saint George for England on a white ground, the white diagonal cross of Saint Andrew for Scotland on a blue ground, the red diagonal cross of Saint Patrick for Ireland on a white ground. The Welsh flag doesn't appear on the Union Jack

Economy
The main industries are steel, metals, vehicles, ship building, shipping, banking, insurance, textiles, chemicals, electronics, aircraft, machinery, distilling. Important centres of industry are Yorkshire, London, Manchester, South Wales, etc. 30% of land is arable and the main agricultural products are grains, sugar beet, fruit, and vegetables. British cattle and sheep breeding earn lots of money. Britain’s natural riches are mainly coal (black coal in Midland have world significance, this area is called also Black-land), tin, oil and gas (in North Sea), limestone, iron, salt, clay, chalk, zinc and lead. Major economic activities are manufacturing and trade. Main exports: machinery, chemicals, clothing, cars, lorries, jet aircraft, ships, drugs, scientific instruments, arms, books, whisky (scotch whisky). The valid currency in Britain is one pound, which has hundred pence. The best known newspapers and magazines in Britain are The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Mirror. There are two main public institutions ensuring television and radio broadcasting in Great Britain: BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority). The best known channels are BBC I, BBC II, ITV and Channel IV. There are also many local televisions, which brings local news, such as Grenada television in Liverpool.

Places of interests
There are many interesting places in UK besides its capital London. One of the most popular tourist attraction is Stratfort-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. The top attraction is the house in Henley Street where Shakespeare was born. In the Holy Trinity Church we can see the Shakespeare’s grave.
Very spectacular place is Stonehenge, where is the very old prehistoric megalithic monuments dating about 3 000 BC. The ruins stand in the centre of a huge circle 98 m in diameter. The ruins consist of two stone circles and a horseshoes. The purpose of these is unknown but it may be ritual sanctuary  probably used like an astronomical ‘calendar’.
Quite similar ruins are near the Salisbury but there is also magnificent Cathedral of Saint Mary (13th century).
Interesting are Oxford and Cambridge which are well-known for one of the most prestige universities. The first of these was founded in 12th century and has 34 colleges now. The second one is from 13th century.
Canterbury is the seat of the Archbishop and there is a magnificent cathedral which oldest part is from 11th century. It is the place where the first convent on the British Isles was established by St.Augustine who convert England to Christianity. Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury was murdered there in the cathedral in 1170 by order the king.
Winchester is the ancient Roman town with a majestic cathedral which oldest parts dates beck to the 7th century. It is the longest church in Europe and has 170 m. 
Bath is worth seeing for the remains of the Roman bath built 2 000 years ago.
Hastings is near the battleplace where William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxons in 1066. Hadrian’s Wall is a remain of the Roman fortifications built between 122-26 AD to protect England against the Celtic’s invasion.
Whole the English countryside is full of peaceful harbour-towns with sandy beaches, fishing boats, yachts etc.
Scotland is interesting for its traditions - playing the pipes, wearing kilts made of tartan and for Scotch whisky (in Gaelic it is ‘uisge beatha’ - the water of life).