UNITED KINGDOM
A SMALL FACT
'When people say England, they sometimes mean Great Britain, sometimes the United Kingdom, sometimes the British Isles -
but never England.' How to be an Alien' by George Mikes
It is important to make it clear that England is not the whole of U.K or the whole of Britain, as it is wrongly understood sometimes. United Kingdom is actually a union of four countries that were earlier independent. These four countries are- England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. So England is only one part of the whole of United Kingdom and not the whole of it.
HISTORY
On July 22nd 1706, the Treaty of Union was agreed and on May 1st 1707, the kingdom Of England and the kingdom of Scotland were united to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. The kingdom of Ireland, a century later, was merged with Great Britain, to form the United Kingdom.
It was due to the Industrial Revolution in addition to its colonial exploitation that helped transform the country and take it to the zenith of glory. In the 19th century, after the defeat of Napoleon, U.K became the major naval power of the world. During WW11, U.K was one of the allies and the war left the country financially damaged. However, the post-war years saw Britain recover and come to the top once more, this time creating a multi-ethnic Britain.
The European Union, which was established in 1992, had Britain as its founding member. The 20th century has seen major changes in the governance in the U.K.
GEOGRAPHY
U.K, which is made up of the Island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and other small islands, is 254,000 sq km in area. This island nation lies sandwiched between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.
CLIMATE
U.K is a wet country, where you are likely to get caught in showers every now and then, making the umbrella one of the most essential items to be carried around all the time. The minimum and maximum winter and summer temperatures are -10 degrees C and 35 degree C respectively. It is hard to predict what the weather will be like from one day to the next in U.K, as the country is surrounded by the sea and so the weather is dictated by the changing conditions of the surrounding waters. The climate of Britain is referred to as temperate maritime.
CULTURE, CUSTOMS AND LANGUAGES
More than 705 of the population of U.K speaks English, so although the country does not have a clearly defined official language, it is understood that English is its official language for all practical purposes. The other languages in use in U.K are:
Welsh
Scottish Gaelic
Irish
Cornish (this Celtic language is more close to Scottish than English)
The British are notorious for their customs and etiquettes. Their speech, manners and dress are all subjected to severe discipline. ‘Sorry’, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ are the most commonly used words in this country.
When visiting the home of your U.K friend, it is advisable to take either a bottle of wine, bunch of flowers or chocolates for the hostess and most importantly take off your hat when you enter the house. Different parts of the country have several terms of endearment and there are very many of these that you will constantly be hearing.
The cuisine is continental, based on beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish and generally served with potatoes and one other vegetable. Sandwiches, fish-n-chips, pies and trifle are the commonly eaten foods as both snacks and dinner.
The culture in U.K is primarily British in nature, though the other three countries, Welsh, Ireland and Scotland, which make up U., too have retained flavors of the cultural traditions.
CURRENCY
The curious thing about the currency of U.K is that even though it facilitated the formation of the European Union, it does not use Euro as its currency. It has retained the pound sterling as its monetary unit.
ECONOMY
The economy of the U.K is 6th largest in the world. By its purchasing power parity, it ranks 7th in the world, is a main developed capitalist economy and one of the world’s most globalized countries. Being the seat of the industrial revolution, ship building, coal mining, steel and textiles were among its major industries. However, the 20th century saw the decline of heavy industries, after the two world wars and U.K lost its competitive advantage.
The sector that has shown substantial growth in the recent years has been the service industry of the country, accounting for 73% of the GDP. Ranked 6th in the world, as a tourist destination, tourism forms an important sector of its economy.
VISIT BRITAIN
In U.K you can have the ‘taste of the whole world’, being the most culturally diverse country in the world. Not only have the four native nationalities lent it this diversity but there is hardly a country in the world from where people have not either visited or migrated from, to U.K. So you can be assured to experience little bits of the whole world here, as well as a unique color this
Things to see and do:
U.K has a great number of exotic locales to view like the rolling moors of Yorkshire, the lakes and mountains of the Lake District and Scotland, and the ancient forests of Nottinghamshire and the stunning beaches of Wales.
London is the place that mostly all visitors begin their tour from. The city among other things is famous for such sights as the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye and renowned exhibitions in the National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tower of London.
The old cities of Oxford and Cambridge with their elegant architecture and Windsor, home to the Queen's famous castle residence, are not very far from London.
Being a country which is bound by water, the occurrence of numerous beaches is not an uncommon feature. There is a wide variety of beaches to choose from- south coast resorts of Brighton and Bournemouth or the harbour villages in Cornwall, Dorset and Devon. At Pembrokeshire coast of Wales or the Scottish islands of Skye, Shetland and Orkney have the more beautiful, wilder and windswept beaches.
There are of miles of hiking trails in the hilly Peak District, the mountainous Lake District, Wales and Scotland or along the coastal paths of southern England, so avid hikers can have a great field day.
The English and Scottish countryside is known for its pretty villages and provide great opportunities for photography.
MEANS OF TRANSPORT
Air
A shuttle service from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle amongst other cities is operated by the British Airways.
Rail
Rail is undoubtedly the best way to travel in U.K as the country has the best railway network in the world. Some really fast services between London and major cities, and services to the southeast and to major cities in the Midlands, the north and south Wales and between Edinburgh and Glasgow are provided by the intercity lines.
Road
While distances are measured in miles in the U.K, traffic drives on the left. All the major towns and cities of the country are linked by trunk roads.
Taxis
There are two kinds of taxis available: the licensed metered ones and the unlicensed and unmetered ones that are cheaper.
ACCOMODATION
Hotels
From budget chain hotels to boutique city hotels to luxurious country manors, U.K has them all though in larger cities, especially London, these tend to be expensive.
Bed and Breakfasts
Bread and breakfasts are common in the country and they are available almost in every place in the country.
Renting accommodation
In many areas flats and cottages can be rented.
Camping
For both long and short stays, camping and caravan sites are spread throughout U.K. Ranging from basic facilities in some to playgrounds, clubs, phones, and sports areas in others, all kinds of camping and caravan sites can be sought.
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