Great Britain (The U.K.)

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a highly developed country. It is situated on the British Isles. The Territory of Great Britain is 244,000 square kms. Great Britain consists of 4 parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The west coast of the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea, the east coast is washed by the North Sea, Great Britain is separated from France by the English Channel. The capital of Great Britain is London.

The rivers of Great Britain are short. The Thames and the Severn are die most important. The climate of Great Britain is mild and damp. There are 204 rainy days a year in Great Britain.

The population of Great Britain is over 57 mln people, 81% (per cent) of the population are the Englishmen. The Scots, the Irish, the Welshmen and other nationalities also live in Great Britain. The national language is English.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. The largest cities of Great Britain are: London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Cardiff.

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. Officially the head of the state is the king of the queen.

The highest legislative body in Great Britain is the British Parliament. It consists of two parts: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The members of the House of Commons are elected, the members the House of Lords are not elected.

The highest executive body of Great Britain is the Cabinet of Ministers. The head of the Cabinet of Ministers in the Prime-Minister. The Prime-Minister is the leader of the Party which has won the election

There are many political in Great Britain. The main parties are: the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Party and the Social-Oemocratic Party. The Conservative Party is the leading party now, because it has won the elections.

The Labour Party was founded in 1900. It numbers more than 6mln members. Many trade-unions are collective members of this party.

The Liberal Party was founded in 1832. There are 300,000 members in it. Both the Liberal Party and the Social-Democratic Party are not influential parties nowadays.

Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. Where is Great Britain situated?

2. How many parts does Great Britain consist of?

3. By what oceans and seas is Great Britain washed?

4. What is the territory of Great Brtain?

5. What can you say about the climate of Great Britain?

6. What is the population of Great Britain?

7. What are the largest cities of Great Britain?

8. What is the highest legislative body in Great Britain?

9. What is the highest executive body in Great Britain?

10. How many political Parties are there in Great Britain?

11. What are the main political parties?

12. What is the leading party now?