THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

Of course a lot can be said about Great Britain. Its the country of a glorious history and rich cultural heritage. Its also full of natural beauty.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a sovereign state located off the north- western coast of Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another state: the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea in the east, the English Channel in the south and the Irish Sea in the west.

The United Kingdom is made up of four parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with their capitals - London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. England, Scotland and Wales occupy the island of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland is situated in the north-eastern corner of Ireland.

Britain is one of the worlds smaller countries with an area of some sq kilometres. The population is more than 60 million; its one of the most populated countries in the world. The nationalities inhabiting the country are English (80%), Scottish, Welsh and Irish. There are a lot of immigrants from the former British Asian and African colonies.

Great Britain has a remarkable variety of landscapes: mountains and hills, valleys and plains, moorlands and grasslands, rivers and lakes, forests and islands. The highest mountains are Ben Nevis in Scotland and Snowdon in Wales. There are many rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Thames is the most important waterway in the country, though the longest river is the Severn. The largest lakes are Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland, Loch Lomond and Loch Ness in Scotland.

As for the climate it is moderate and mild due to the influence of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. The summers are usually cooler than on the continent. There is a lot of rain in autumn and winter.

The United Kingdom is a one of the worlds leading industrial state. It produces and exports iron and steel products, machinery and electronics. The main industries are engineering, ship-building, fishing, textile and some others. The biggest industrial centers are London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool.

The country is a constitutional monarchy and the current British monarch is Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952). But they say the Queen reigns, but does not rule. In fact the country is governed by the Parliament with the Prime Minister at the head. The Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Conservative party is in power at present and its leader David Cameron heads the government.

The national flag is known as Union Jack. Its a combination of the banners of England, Scotland and Ireland. God Save the Queen (King) is the national anthem of the country. The Royal coat of arms of the UK is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, Queen Elisabeth II.

The capital of the United Kingdom is London with the population of about 8 million. It is the largest city in Britain and one of the largest in the world.In conclusion I can say that I have always been interested in British history and culture. I hope that one day Ill be able to visit this country and to see its sights with my own eyes.