The geographical position

LONDON

 

London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom situated on the Thames river, the largest city in Britain and one of the largest cities in the world.

From the earliest times the Romans, the Saxons, the Danes and the Normans settled there in turn. London is one of the world’s largest ports. Historical and geographical circumstances have turned London into one of the world’s most important commercial and cultural centers.

London survived the Plague, which killed nearly 70.000 people, and the Great Fire which followed. Little damage occurred during World War I, but World War II brought tremendous destruction to the city: a great number of buildings of historic value were laid in ruins. Yet much was spared, including the Tower, St.Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey which remain the major tourist attractions of the city.

More than 8 million people live in London and its suburbs. It is a city of great contrasts. Its western part (the West End) is the richest part of the town with its cosy mansions, beautiful avenues, shops, restaurants and hotels. The East End is the district inhabited by the workers and the poor. Industry is chiefly found in that part of the city grey with soot and smoke.

The heart of London is the City -its commercial and business center. It is the oldest part of the town with the Tower of London that comes first among the historic buildings of the city.

The Tower of London was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conquerer. It was used as a fortress, a palace and a prison. Now it is a museum of armour.

A twenty minutes’ walk from the Tower will take you to another historic building-St.Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of English churches. It was built by a famous English architect Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723). St.Paul’s Cathedral with its huge dome and rows of columns is considered to be a fine specimen of Renaissance architecture. In one of its towers hangs one of the largest bells in the world, Great Paul, weighing about 17.5 tons. Nelson and other great men of England are buried in the Cathedral.

Not far away, in Westminster, another important part of London where most of the Government buildings are situated is Westminster Abbey. Many outstanding English statesmen, painters and poets are buried here.

Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace, the seat of the British Parliament. Its two graceful towers stand high above the city. The higher of the two contains the largest clock in the country and the famous bell Big Ben that strikes every quarter of the hour.

If now we walk along Whitehall, which is not at all a hall, but just a street where the chief government offices are to be found, we’ll soon come to Trafalgar Square. It was so named in memory of the victory at the battle of Trafalgar, where on October 21, 1805 the English fleet under Nelson’s command defeated the combined fleet of France and Spain. The victory was won at the cost of Nelson’s life. In the middle of Trafalgar Square stands Nelson’s monument - a tall column with a figure of Nelson on its top. The column is guarded by four bronze lions.

The fine building facing the square is the National Gallery and adjoining it (but just round the corner) is the Portrait Gallery.

Not far away is the British Museum- the biggest museum in London. It contains a priceless collection of different things (ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures etc.) The British Museum is famous for its library- one of the richest in the world.

You cannot leave the city without visiting one more place of interest - Hyde Park, which is the largest in London. When you are walking along its shady avenues, sitting on the grass, admiring its beautiful flower beds or watching swans and ducks floating on the ponds, it seems almost unbelievable that all around there is a large city with its heavy traffic and smoke.

 

THE UNITED KINGDOM

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles comprising 2 large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a number of smaller islands washed by the North sea, the Irish sea, the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Its territory is about 244,000 square kilometers; the population is about 57 million people.

When we speak about the U.K. we actually speak about 4 countries united into one state: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each of these countries has its own language, its capital, its government. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, the capital of Wales is Cardiff, the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast, the capital of England is London. London is the capital of the United Kingdom as well. English is the official language but a lot of people know more than one language: Welsh, Gaelic, Irish.

The surface of England and Ireland in rather flat, the highlands are in Scotland and most of Wales. The highest mountain in Scotland is Ben Nevis (1,343m high) and the highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon (1,085m high). The main rivers are the Severn, the Clyde, the Thames.

The climate is moderate and mild due to the influence of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. There is a lot of rain in autumn and winter.

The U.K. is a highly developed industrial state. Britain is a major supplier of machinery, aerospace products, chemicals, electric equipment and a growing oil exporter. Nowadays an important part of foreign trade is so called “invisible” export: insurance, aviation, scientific and technical expertise, tourism, financial services. The biggest industrial centres are London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield, Birmingham, Manchester.

 

THE GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION

The United Kingdom is a parliamentary monarchy. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (the second) is considered to be the head of the state, with a largely ceremonial role.

The legislative power belongs to the Parliament which consists of two Houses. The House of Lords is composed of hereditary, life and spiritual peers and peeresses. The members of the House of Commons are elected by the people. The executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet.

There are three main political parties in the U.K.: the Labour, the Conservative (the Tories) and the Liberal-Democratic Parties. The Labour Party with David Cameron at the head is the ruling party nowadays. There is no written constitution in the U.K., only precedents and traditions.