2. United Kingdom or Great Britain or Britain
consists of 4 major countries – England,
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Apart
from these there are a few small islands which
are part of the UK, e.g. Falkland Islands,
Channel Islands, Jersey, The Isle of Man etc. UK
is a monarchy, ruled by the Queen, who is the
constitutional Head of State. The country is
governed by the parliament. UK is separated
from the European continent by the North Sea in
the east and by the English Channel in the
south, which separates England and France.
6. Britain is in the temperate climate zone and does
not have the extremes of temperature and rainfall.
The average annual temperature in Britain is about
10°C, with the summer average temperature being
around 15°C and the winter average around 5°C.
The weather in Britain is said to be wretched. There
is intermittent rainfall throughout the year. In fact,
Londoners get to see the sun 30 days in a year.
When people greet each other, they start off with
“nice weather, isn’t it?” Parts of the UK receive
more than 100 inches of rain in a year.
8. • The Queen is the Head of State and the
Constitutional monarch of the State.
• She has to be politically impartial.
• She appoints ministers and approves
laws.
• The Queen doesn’t hold any political
powers.
12. The Queen resides in the Buckingham Palace,
which is situated in London. It also a busy
administrative headquarter of the monarchy.
13. In addition to the Buckingham
Palace, the Queen also has other
palaces and castles where she
resides and spends holidays and also
visits them on other important
occasions.
14. The Tower of London
It is located in central London. It is a
walled town with buildings, and towers
surrounding a large courtyard.
16. Windsor Castle
It is one of the Queen’s official residences.
It is 24 miles away from the Buckingham
Palace and the Queen comes here on most
weekends to ride her horses. It is a large
complex of tiny shops and tearooms.
17. Hampton Court Palace
It was built on the Thames by Thomas
Wolsey, Archbishop of York, and Cardinal
and Lord Chancellor of England in the early
16th century.
18. The Changing of the Guard takes place in the
forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 every
day in summer, every other day in winter, and
lasts about 45 minutes. The New Guard marches
to the Palace from Wellington Barracks with a
Guards band, the Old Guard hands over in a
ceremony during which the sentries are changed
and then returns to barracks. The New Guard
then marches to St James's Palace leaving the
detachment at Buckingham Palace.
20. Tony Blair is the Prime Minister of the UK.
He heads the politics of the country and
stays at 10 Downing Street. He heads the
Labour Party.
21. BRITISH POLITICAL PARTIES
• The Labour Party – They are the ruling
party with Tony Blair at the helm.
• The Conservatives – They are chief
opposition party. Also known as the
Tories.
• The Liberal Democrats
24. Everyone in the UK has the right to religious
freedom, and this makes for a vibrant and
diverse religious mix in many centres around the
country. There are two ‘official’ churches in the
UK; the Church of England (Anglican) and the
Church of Scotland (Presbyterian).
The UK is predominantly Christian, although
Church attendance is low at 1.1 million each
week. The largest non-Christian grouping in the
country is the Muslim population (over 1.5
million), and there are large, and growing,
Hindu, Sikh and Jewish communities.
33. There is no quicker way to the vein of British
culture than to enter one of her pubs. For the
price of a pint, one can sit by the fireplace,
discuss different topics, or simply enjoy oneself.
The pub is an integral part of the British history.
Many of the pubs could easily be museums
where the visitor would have to pay 5 pounds for
the privilege of entering. The public house
continues to a vital pan of everyday life. Britain’s
literary tradition sprang from her pubs. The
world has a collective fondness for these unique
institutions. The serene atmosphere of these
places helps create many fond memories.
39. The places to shop in London are
Oxford Street and Regent Street. They
house all the major departmental stores
of the UK. Other than London, Glasgow
and Edinburgh are also major shoppers’
paradise.
47. Manchester is the second most important city in
the UK, after London. It is a major commercial
hub and is famous for its textile industries. With
a major international airport, four major train
stations, extensive bus and Supertram services
as well as the road and motorway systems,
Manchester is one of Britain’s easiest cities to
reach. It is also the home of the famous
Manchester United Football Club and the Old
Trafford stadium. Located in the north-west of
London, Manchester is in Lancashire.
