United Kingdom and its people

The United Kingdom is an island country in northwestern Europe. More than 70 countries are larger in size, and the United Kingdom has only about 1 % of the world’s people. It has few natural resources. Yet, for hundred years the United Kingdom has been one of the world’s most important countries. The British started the Industrial Revolution. They founded the largest empire in history. They have produced many of the world’s scientists, explorers, artists and political leaders.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometres. The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London.

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. There are a lot of rivers in GB, 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. The weather in Great Britain is very changeable. A fine morning can change into a wet afternoon and evening and the wrong side out. The English people say: «Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather». The English also say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long.

The most unpleasant aspect of English weather is fog and smog. This is extremely bad in big cities especially in London. The fog spreads everywhere so cars move along slowly and people can't see each other. They try not to be run over by a car but still accidents are frequent in the fog.

Up to the 18^th century the British economy was mainly agrarian and the chief manufacture was wool cloth. But trade developed rapidly and soon Britain became an industrialized nation, basing its wealth on coal mining, manufacture of iron and steel, heavy machinery and textiles, on shipbuilding and on trade. The newer industries include chemicals, electronic engineering, vehicle manufacture, aircraft building, instrument engineering and a wide range of consumer goods.

The United Kingdom with its 58 million people is more thickly populated than most countries. The seven biggest metropolitan areas are London, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle, Birmingham and Leeds. British people developed their own character and way of life. They respect privacy and old traditions. They developed dry wit, a love for personal freedom and a high degree of self-criticism. They spend a lot of time in their gardens and are known for their love to animals.

The British are enthusiastic sports fans. The most popular sports are soccer, cricket, angling, golf, hockey, rugby. Gambling on sports events is very popular. About 75% of the British gamble on horse racing, dog racing or soccer games. Betting shops and bingo halls are also popular.

Ex.3 Find the English equivalents in the text.

1) островное государство; 2) полезные ископаемые; 3) исследователь; 4) остров; 5) поверхность; 6) горный; 7) долина; 8) равнина; 9) переменчивая погода; 10) туман; 11) сельскохозяйственный; 12) шерстяная ткань; 13) добыча угля; 14) кораблестроение; 15) самолетостроение; 16) потребительские товары; 17) уединение; 18) рыбалка; 19) азартные игры; 20) собачьи бега.

Ex.4 Answer the questions.

1. What is the United Kingdom in comparison with other world countries? 2. Where is the United Kingdom situated? 3. What four countries make up the United Kingdom? 4. What is the difference between the north and the south of Great Britain? 5. Which are the United Kingdom’s two busiest rivers? 6. Why does the United Kingdom have a mild climate, even though it lies as far north as Labrador, in Canada? 7. What is the weather like in the United Kingdom? 8. Why are smog and fog dangerous? 9. What are the main industries in the United Kingdom? 10. What are the biggest cities in the United Kingdom? 11. What are the British people like? 12. What are the most popular sports in the United Kingdom? 13. In what way do the British spend their free time? 14. What is “gambling on sports”?