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In 1875 the two most important European holdings in Africa were French controlled Algeria and the United Kingdom's Cape Colony. By 1914 only Ethiopia and the republic of Liberiaremained outside formal European control. The transition from an "informal empire" of control through economic dominance to direct control took the form of a "scramble" for territory by the nations of Europe. The United Kingdom tried not to play a part in this early scramble, being more of a trading empire rather than a colonial empire; however, it soon became clear it had to gain its own African empire to maintain the balance of power.
V. Independence
Home rule in white-settler colonies
The United Kingdom's empire had already begun its transformation into the modern Commonwealth with the extension of Dominion status to the already self-governing colonies of Canada (1867), Australia (1901), New Zealand (1907), Newfoundland (1907), and the newly-created Union of South Africa (1910). Leaders of the new states joined with British statesmen in periodic Colonial (from 1907, Imperial) Conferences, the first of which was held in London in 1887.
The independence of India in August 1947 came at the end of a forty year campaign by the Indian National Congress, first for self-government and later for full sovereignty (and a separate, sovereign Muslim state by the Muslim League). The land's partition into India and Pakistan led to violence costing hundreds of thousands of lives.
Africa
The end of Britain's Empire in Africa came rapidly: Ghana's independence (1957) after a ten-year nationalist political campaign was followed by that of Nigeria and Somaliland (1960), Sierra Leone and Tanganyika (1961), Uganda (1962), Kenya and Zanzibar (1963), The Gambia (1965), Lesotho (formerly Basutoland) (1966), Botswana (formerly Bechuanaland) (1967), and Swaziland (1968).
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Hong Kong
In 1997, the United Kingdom's last major overseas territory, Hong Kong, became a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
Legacy
The United Kingdom retains sovereignty over fourteen territories outside of the British Isles, collectively named the British overseas territories.
Most former British colonies (and one former Portuguese colony) are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, a non-political, voluntary association of equal members, in which the United Kingdom has no privileged status. The head of the Commonwealth is currently Queen Elizabeth II. Fifteen members of the Commonwealth continue to share their head of state with the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth realms.
Many former British colonies share or shared certain characteristics:
• The English language as either the main or secondary language.
• A democratic parliamentary system of government modelled on the Westminster system.
• A legal system based upon English law.
• A military, police and civil service based upon British models.
• The imperial system of measurement (Myanmar, Cyprus, India and the United States are the only former British colonies not to have officially adopted the metric system).
• Educational Institutions such as boarding schools and universities modelled on Oxford and Cambridge.
5. Требования и примерные вопросы к зачету.
1. Social Profile of the UK.
2. The Composition of the British Isles.
3. The 18th century England.
4. The National Identity of the Scottish.
5. The 19th century England.
6. The National Identity of the Welsh.
7. The British Empire, its rise and fall.
8. The relief of Great Britain.
9. Multicultural Britain.
10. The House of Windsor
11. The Parliament of the UK.
12. The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
13. The House of Hanover (From Georgian to Victorian England).
14. Ethnic Minorities in the UK.
15. The 20th century England (1914-2000).
16. The Celtic descendants today.
17. The Irish Question.
18. Elections and the balance of political power.
19. Devolution Issues in Scotland and Wales.
20. The Geographical Portrait of Scotland.
Список словарей и справочников:
1. Васильев К. Pilot One. Англия и Англичане: Справочное пособие по английскому языку. СПб., 1998.
2. Великобритания. Лингвострановедческий словарь / Адрион Р.У. Рум. М., 1999.
3. Oxford Guide to British and American Culture for learners of English. Oxford University Press, 2001.
4. Dictionary of Britain / сост. Г.Д. Томахин. М., 2001.
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5. Encyclopedia Britannica.
6. Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture. Longman Dictionaries.
7. Collins Jem Encyclopedia (The Diagram Group). HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.
Список аудиоматериалов:
1. In Britain (Michael Vaughan — Rees) Chancerel. Обнинск: Титул, 1997. (3 кассеты).
2. English (X-XI) Resource Book (V.V. Safonova, LP. Tverdohiebova); (2 кассеты) Р. I, p. II, JWIC, Prosveshcenye, 1998.
3. Britain Explored (Paul Harvey, Rhodri Jones) (1 кассета). Longman, 1993.
4. Welcome to Britain and the USA (Elisabeth Laird). Longman, 1994. (1 кассета).
5. Famous British and American Songs and their cultural background (Mario Papa, Guili-ano lantomo). Longman, 1993. (1 кассета).
Список видеоматериалов:
1. The Many Faces of London
2. Elizabeth II, Coronation
3. The Tower of London
4. Introducing Great Britain
5. Opening Of Parliament
6. Oxford
7. London for All Seasons
8. Britain
7. Тесты для самоконтроля по всему курсу или отдельным темам
