Реферат: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Plan

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and NorthernIreland

English language

British culture

Geographical location

Climate in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>

Political system

Cities in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>

Work and unemployment

Mass media

Literature

Science

Education in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>

Health in the <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>

Sports in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>

Ecological problems

The United Kingdom of Great Britain andNorthern Ireland

Thefull name of the country the United Kingdom of Great Britain and NorthernIreland. It consists of four parts: <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Northern Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Northern Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>occupies one third of the <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>island</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Ireland</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. It borders onthe <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Irish</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Republic</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> in the south. The <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>island</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> consists of three mainparts: <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>(the southern and middle part of the island), <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region> (a mountainous peninsula inthe West) and <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>(the northern part of the island).

Ingeneral the territory of the <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>is about 244,000 square kilometers, it takes the 75th place amongother countries in the world. The population is urban. The capital of thecountry is <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>.Now <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>is separated from the continent by the <st1:place w:st=«on»>English Channel</st1:place>,the narrowest part of which is called the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Strait of Dover</st1:place>.The <st1:place w:st=«on»>British Isles</st1:place> are surrounded by theshallow waters of the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Irish Sea</st1:place> and the <st1:place w:st=«on»>North Sea</st1:place>, the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Norwegian Sea</st1:place>,the <st1:place w:st=«on»>North Channel</st1:place> and the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Atlantic Ocean</st1:place>. The rivers of the region are short and of no greatimportance as waterways. The longest of them is «the Father ofLondon», the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Thames</st1:place>, which is a littleover 200 miles. The surface of GB varies greatly. The northern and westernparts of the country are mountainous and are called the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Highlands</st1:place>.But there are no high mountains in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. In the north theCheviots separate <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>from <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>,the Pennies stretch down <st1:place w:st=«on»>North England</st1:place> alongits middle, the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Cambrian Mountains</st1:place> occupy thegreater part of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region>and the Highlands of Scotland are thetallest of the British mountains. All the rest (south, east and centre) is avast plain, which is called the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Lowlands</st1:place>.

Themountains, the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Atlantic Ocean</st1:place> and the warmwaters of the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Gulf Stream</st1:place> influence theclimate of GB. So due to the geographic location of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> the type of theclimate is oceanic. There are no extreme contrasts in temperature in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> becauseof the current of warm water flowing from the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Gulf of Mexico</st1:place> called the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Gulf Stream</st1:place>.Fortunately, as <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>does not experience extreme weather conditions, it is never very cold or veryhot. The temperature rarely rises above 32C (90°F) in summer, or falls below-10°C (l4°F) in winter. The prevailing winds from the ocean to the south-westbring rainfall throughout the year.

<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>is a highly developedindustrial country. It is known as one of the world’s largest producers andexporters of iron and steel products, machinery and electronics, chemicals andtextile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of thecountry is shipbuilding. 7 per cent of the population is engaged in farming. GBis a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The most famouseducational centers are <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Oxford</st1:place></st1:City>and <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Cambridge</st1:place></st1:City>universities. They are considered to be the intellectual centers of <st1:place w:st=«on»>Europe</st1:place>. The education is not free, it is very expensive.All state schools in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>are free, and schools provide their pupils with books and equipment for theirstudies. Nine million children attend 35.000 schools in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>.Education is compulsory from 5 till 16 years. Children start primer school at 5and continue until they are 11. Most children are taught together, boys andgirls in the same class. At 11 most pupils go to secondary schools calledcomprehensives which accept a wide range of children from all backgrounds andreligious and ethnic groups. At 16 pupils take a national exam called«GCSE» (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and then they canleave school if they wish. This is the end of compulsory education. Seven per cent of British schoolchildren goto private schools called independent schools. Parents pay for these schools.Some 16-year-olds continue their studies in the sixth form at school or at asixth form college.. Universities and colleges of higher education acceptstudents with «A» levels from 18.. Most students graduate at 21 or22 and are given their degree at a special graduation ceremony.

The <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>United Kingdom</st1:place></st1:country-region>is a monarchy and the Queen is the head of the state. But in practice it isruled by the elected government with a Prime Minister at the head. The BritishParliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House ofCommons. It sits in the House of Parliament in <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Westminster</st1:place></st1:City>.

There are threemain political parties in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>: the Labour, the Conservative andthe Liberal parties. The Labour party with Antony Blair at the head is theruling party nowadays. There’s no written constitution in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>only precedents and traditions.

English language

On <st1:date Month=«9» Day=«5» Year=«1977» w:st=«on»>the 5th of September 1977</st1:date>,the American spacecraft Voyager One blasted off on its historic mission toJupiter and beyond. On board the scientists who knew that Voyager would one dayspin through distant star systems had installed a recorded greeting from thepeople of the planet Earth. A brief message in fifty-five different languagesfor the people of outer space plays a statement from the Secretary-General ofthe United Nations an Austrian named Kurt Waldheim, speaking on behalf of 147 memberstates in English. The rise of English is a remarkable success story. WhenJulius Caesar landed in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>nearly two thousand years ago, English did not exist. Today English is used byat least 750 million people, and barely half of those speak it as a mothertongue.

Some estimates have put thatfigure closer to one billion. Whatever (he total, English at the end of the20th century is more widely spoken and written, than any other language hasever been. It has become the language of the planet, the first truly globallanguage. Three-quarters of the world's mail, and its telexes and cables, arein English. So are more than half the world's technical and scientific periodicals:it is the language of technology from <st1:place w:st=«on»>Silicon Valley</st1:place>to <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Shanghai</st1:place></st1:City>.English is the medium for 80 per cent of the information stored in the world'scomputers. Nearly half of all business deals in <st1:place w:st=«on»>Europe</st1:place>are conducted in English. It is the language of sports and glamour: theofficial language of the Olympics and the Miss Universe Competition. English isthe official voice of (he air and the sea, and of Christianity: it is theecumenical language of the World Council of Churches. The largest broadcastingcompanies in the world (CBS, NBS, ABC, BBC) transmit in English to audiencesthat regularly exceed one hundred million.

English is spokenpractically all over the world. It is spoken as the mother tongue in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>,the <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>United States of America</st1:place></st1:country-region>,<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>,<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>and <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>New Zealand</st1:place></st1:country-region>.A lot of people speak English in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>China</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>India</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:place w:st=«on»>Africa</st1:place>and other countries. It is one of 6 official languages of the United Nations.It is studied as a foreign language in many schools. <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s history helps to understandthe present condition of English. Many English words were borrowed from thelanguage of Angles and Saxons. Hundreds of French words came into English.These French words didn't crowd out corresponding Anglo-Saxon words. Thereexist «act» and «deed», «beautiful» and «pretty», «form» and «shape». Many newwords were brought by traders and travellers. These words came from all partsof the world: «umbrella» —from Italian, «skates» — from Datch, «tea» — fromChinese, «cigar» — from Spanish. Some words came into English directly fromLatin, which was the language of the church and the universities in the MiddleAges. Some of the English words of today are derivatives. One way of creatingnew words is to put together two or more older

English words. For example,the words «railway», «football», “newspaper” are made in this way. Many of thenew English words — especial new scientific

ones — have been made fromLatin and Greek words instead of English ones. «Telephone» for instance, wasmade from Greek words “far” and «talk».

Culture

As long as there is peace and prosperity people will travel.

Broadly speaking,there are tourists and there are travelers. The first see a holiday as s chanceto switch off the brain and mindlessly follow a guidebook, or to park theirbodies on the sand between clear water and fine restaurant. The second seethings differently. They travel to learn, to discover a new pleasure or toexercise the imagination. The world is filled with wonderful places to explore,fascinating people to meet and opportunities to pursue.

<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>is rich in itshistoric places which link the present with the past. The oldest part of <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> is Lud Hill, wherethe city is originated. About a mile west of it there is <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Westminster</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Palace</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,where the king lived and the Parliament met, and there is also WestminsterAbbey, the coronation church. <st1:place w:st=«on»>Liverpool</st1:place>, the«city of ships», is <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>'ssecond greatest port, ranking after <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>.The most interesting sight in the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Liverpool</st1:place> isthe docks. They occupy a river frontage of seven miles. The <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Liverpool</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>,established in 1903, is noted for its <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>School</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Tropical Medicine</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>.And in the music world <st1:place w:st=«on»>Liverpool</st1:place> is awell-known name, for it's the home town of «The Beatles».Stratford-on-Avon lies 93 miles north-west of <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>. Shakespeare was born here in 1564,and here he died in 1616. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Cambridge</st1:place></st1:City> and <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Oxford</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Universities</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>are famous centers of learning. <st1:place w:st=«on»>Stonehenge</st1:place> is a prehistoric monument, presumably built byDruids, members of an order of priests in ancient <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Tintagel</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Castle</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> is King Arthur's reputedbirthplace. Canterbury Cathedral isthe seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church of England. The <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>British</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Museum</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>is the largest and richest museum in the world. It was founded in 1753 and contains one of the world's richest collections of antiquities. TheEgyptian Galleries contain human and animal mummies. Some parts of <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Athens</st1:place></st1:City>' Parthenon are inthe Greek section. Madam Tussaud's Museum is an exhibition of hundreds oflife-size wax models of famous people of yesterday and today. The collectionwas started by Madam Tussaud, a French modeller in wax, in the 18 century. Hereyou can meet Marilyn Monroe, Eiton John, Picasso, the Royal Family, the Beatlesand many others: writers, movie stars, singers, politicians, sportsmen, etc.

TraditionallyEnglish people have three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfastis served in the morning. It used to be a large meal with cereal, eggs andbacon, sausages, tomatoes. But such a large breakfast takes a long time toprepare and is not very healthy.Nowadays,<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>'smost popular breakfast consists of cereal, toast with marmalade, juice andyogurt with a cup of tea or

coffee. Lunch is a light meal.Most people have no time to go back home for lunch so they eat at school,cafes, pubs or restaurants. The main meal is dinner, which is usually between 6and <st1:time Minute=«0» Hour=«19» w:st=«on»>7 p.m.</st1:time> A typicalevening meal is a meat dish with vegetables and dessert. The most importantmeal of the week is the Sunday dinner, which is usually eaten at <st1:time Minute=«0» Hour=«13» w:st=«on»>1 p.m.</st1:time> The traditional Sunday dishused to be roast beef, but nowadays pork, chicken or lamb are more common. OnSunday evenings people have supper or high tea. The famous British afternoontea is becoming rare, except at weekends. Some people criticize English food.They say it's unimaginable, boring, tasteless, it's chips with everything andtotally overcooked vegetables. The basic ingredients, when fresh, are so fullof flavour that British haven't had to invent sauces to disguise their natural taste.What can compare with fresh pees or new potatoes just boiled and served withbutter? Why drown spring lamb in wine or cream and spices, when with just oneor two herbs it is absolutely delicious? If you ask foreigners to name sometypically English dishes, they will probably say «Fish and chips» then stop. Itis disappointing, but true that, there is no tradition in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region> of eatingin restaurants, because the food doesn't lend itself to such preparation.English cooking is found at home. So it is difficult to find a good Englishrestaurant with reasonable prices. In most cities in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> you'll find Indian,Chinese, French and Italian restaurants. In <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> you'll also find Indonesian, Mexican,and Greek… Cynics will say that this is because English have no «cuisine»themselves, but this is not quite the true.

You can reach <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region> eitherby plane, by train, by car or by ship. The fastest way is by plane. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> has threeinternational airports: Heathrow, the largest, connected to the city by underground;Gatwick, south of <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>,with a frequent train service; <st1:place w:st=«on»>Luton</st1:place>, thesmallest, used for charter flights if you go to <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region> by train or by car you haveto cross the Channel. There is a frequent service of steamers and ferryboats whichconnect the continent to the south-east of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>. People in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> driveon the left and generally overtake on the right. The speed limit is 30 milesper hour (50 km/h) in towns and cities. When you are in <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> you can choose from four different meansof transport: bus, train, underground or taxi. The typical bus in <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> is a reddouble-decker. The first <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>bus started running between Paddington and the City in 1829. It carried 40passengers and cost a shilling for six km.The next to arrive were the trains; now there aretwelve railway stations in <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>.The world's first underground line was opened between <st1:Street w:st=«on»><st1:address w:st=«on»>Baker St.</st1:address></st1:Street> and the City in 1863. Now thereare ten underground lines and 273 underground stations in use. The <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> underground isalso called the Tube, because of the circular shape of its deep tunnels. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> is so large thatvisitors must learn to use buses and the underground to get about. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> taxis are tooexpensive for any but the rich. You can get a map of the underground and thebus routes at any ticket office. The word «Underground» across alarge circle shows you where the stations are. The <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> underground is called the«tube». Bus stops are marked clearly. In the suburbs buses do notstop unless there are passengers who wish to get on or off. These stops aremarked «Request Steps». Inside some buses you will see the notice:«Please, state your destination clearly and have the exact fareready.» It is easy enough to tell the conductor where you want to go to,but not always possible to have the exact fare. The conductor will always giveyou the change. The <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>buses are very large. They have scats both upstairs and downstairs. Englishchildren like to sit on the front seats of a big <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> bus. They can see everything that ishappening in the streets. Here are some of the things you may hear off a bus in<st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>:

«Fares, please.»

«Fourpence, please.»

«Fullup inside; plenty of seats on top.»

«Standingroom only.»

«No,sir, this bus does not go to Victoria Station.»

«Youwant a number 11.»

«Nomore seats on top; five seats inside.»

In <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>traffic keeps to the left. Motor-cars, buses and cyclists must all keep to theleft side of the road. In most other countries traffic keeps to the right.There is heavy traffic in <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>and you must observe traffic rules.

William Turner, agreat romantic English landscape painter. Was born in <st1:place w:st=«on»>Devonshire</st1:place>in 1775. He lived with his uncle in Middlesex, where he began to attend school.His first drawings are dated 1787. When he was only twelve years of age. Hischildish sketch-books, filled with drawings, are still preserved in the <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>British</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Museum</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. When he was 21, he began toexhibit oil paintings as well as water-colours at the <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Royal</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Academy</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.The first, «Fishermen at Sea» is now in the Gate Gallery. He traveled much in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>France</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Switzerland</st1:place></st1:country-region>,Italy But he never lost his interest in his own country. As a landscape painterTurner was interested mainly in light and colour effects. One of his famouspaintings is even called «Light and Colour». His work is high praised by greatcritics. Turner died in <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>in 1851. His pictures and drawings became the property of the British nation.William Turner is considered to be one of the world greatest painters.

Geographical location

The full name ofthe country the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Northern Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>occupies one third of the <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>island</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Ireland</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. It borders onthe <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Irish</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Republic</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> in the south. The <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>island</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> consists of three mainparts: <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>(the southern and middle part of the island), <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region> (a mountainous peninsula inthe West) and <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>(the northern part of the island). There are no high mountains in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>.In the north the Cheviots separate <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region> from <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>, thePennies stretch down <st1:place w:st=«on»>North England</st1:place> along itsmiddle, the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Cambrian Mountains</st1:place> occupy thegreater part of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region>and the Highlands of Scotland are the tallest of the British mountains.There is very little flat country except in the region known as <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>East Anglia</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Mostof the rivers flow into the <st1:place w:st=«on»>North Sea</st1:place>. The <st1:place w:st=«on»>Thames</st1:place> is the deepest and the longest of the Britishrivers. Some of the British greatest ports are situated in the estuaries of the<st1:place w:st=«on»>Thames</st1:place>, <st1:place w:st=«on»>Mersey</st1:place>,<st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Trent</st1:place></st1:City>, <st1:place w:st=«on»>Tyne</st1:place>, <st1:place w:st=«on»>Clyde</st1:place> and BristolAvon. <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>is not very rich in mineral resources; it has some deposits of coal and ironore and vast deposits of oil and gas that were discovered in the <st1:place w:st=«on»>North Sea</st1:place>. The warm currents of the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Atlantic Ocean</st1:place> influence the climate of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Winters are notseverely cold and summers are rarely hot.

The <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>United Kingdom</st1:place></st1:country-region>is situated on the group of islands lying just off the mainland ofnorth-western <st1:place w:st=«on»>Europe</st1:place>. The <st1:place w:st=«on»>British Isles</st1:place> include <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region> and a number of smaller islands.The total area of the <st1:place w:st=«on»>British Isles</st1:place> is 325 000square km. Many ages ago the <st1:place w:st=«on»>British Isles</st1:place>formed a part of the continent. The rocky highlands of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>, forexample, resemble the Norwegian coast. Another evidence that the islands werethe part of the continent is the shallow ness of the water between them and themainland. Now <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> is separated from thecontinent by the <st1:place w:st=«on»>English Channel</st1:place>, the narrowest part of which is called the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Strait of Dover</st1:place>. The <st1:place w:st=«on»>British Isles</st1:place>are surrounded by the shallow waters of the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Irish Sea</st1:place>and the <st1:place w:st=«on»>North Sea</st1:place>, the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Norwegian Sea</st1:place>, the <st1:place w:st=«on»>North Channel</st1:place> and the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Atlantic Ocean</st1:place>. There are wild desolate mountains in thenorthern Highlands of Scotland The Pennine Range in northern <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region> and the<st1:place w:st=«on»>Cambrian Mountains</st1:place> in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region> are muchlower. The rivers of the region are short and of no great importance aswaterways. The longest of them is «the Father of London», the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Thames</st1:place>, which is a little over 200 miles. <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>'sprincipal ports are <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>,<st1:place w:st=«on»>Liverpool</st1:place>, <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Manchester</st1:place></st1:City> and <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Glasgow</st1:place></st1:City>. They have splendid harbours, for thecoast line is very indented. Owing to the shape of the country, any point in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>is no more than 70 miles from the sea.

<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>is the largest andthe richest country of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The capital of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region> is <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> but there areother large industrial cities, such as <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Birmingham</st1:place></st1:City>,<st1:place w:st=«on»>Liverpool</st1:place>, <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Manchester</st1:place></st1:City> and other famous and interestingcities such as <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>York</st1:place></st1:City>,<st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Chester</st1:place></st1:City>. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Oxford</st1:place></st1:City> and <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Cambridge</st1:place></st1:City>. <st1:place w:st=«on»>Stonehenge</st1:place> is one of the most famous prehistoric placesin the world. This ancient circle of stones stands in <st1:place w:st=«on»>Southwest England</st1:place>. It measures 80 metres across and made with massive blocksof stone up to four metres high. Why it was built is a mystery. Not far from <st1:place w:st=«on»>Stonehenge</st1:place> stands Salisbury Cathedral. It is a splendidexample of an English Gothic Cathedral; inside there is one of four copies ofMagna Charta and the oldest clock in England Chester is very important town inthe north-west of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>.In the past it used to be a Roman fort; its name comes from the Latin wordcastra, meaning «fortified camp», In Chester there is a famous museum whichcontains over 5000 ancient and modern toys. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Oxford</st1:place></st1:City> is the home of the oldest <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>university</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>England</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. The most famous college is <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Christ</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Church</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.It has a great hall which was built during the reign of Henry VIII and itschapel has become the Cathedral of Oxford. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Cambridge</st1:place></st1:City> is the home of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>'ssecond oldest university <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>York</st1:place></st1:City>was the capital of <st1:place w:st=«on»>Northern England</st1:place>. It is oneof the best preserved medieval cities of <st1:place w:st=«on»>Europe</st1:place>.It was built by Romans, conquered by Anglo-Saxons and ruled by the Vikings. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Birmingham</st1:place></st1:City> is oftencalled the «City of 1500 trades» because of the great variety of itsindustries.

<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>is a country inthe north of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>.It is a part of the <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>is divided into three natural regions: the Southern Uplands, the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Central Lowlands</st1:place> and the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Highlands</st1:place>and islands. A lot of places in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>are a natural paradise, still untouched by man. The capital of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region> is <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Edinburgh</st1:place></st1:City>, well known forits castle. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Glasgow</st1:place></st1:City>is the industrial capital of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>.It is the third largest city in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The typical products of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region> are timber,whisky, salmon. Golf is the Scottish natural sport and it seems to haveoriginated in this country. <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Scotland</st1:place></st1:country-region>is also the land of myths and mysteries; every castle has its ghost. <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Glamis</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Castle</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>is said to have nine of them. And of course everyone knows about the Loch NessMonster. «Nessie» is said to be about six meters long, with a long, thin neck.The first report of the monster in Loch Ness was in 565 A.D. Since 1934 thousandsof people claimed to they had seen the monster. Scientists have investigatedthe <st1:place w:st=«on»>Loch</st1:place> and taken pictures but no scientificexplanation of the mystery has been given.

<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region>is the country inthe west of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>.It is mainly a mountainous land with a chiefly agricultural economy and an industrialand coal-mining area in the south. The landscape is beautiful. Many Englishpeople move to <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region>when they retire. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Cardiff</st1:place></st1:City>,a large city in the south, was chosen as the capital of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region> in 1955,mainly because of its size. Since 1536, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region> has been governed by <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region> and theheir to the throne of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>has the title of Prince of Wales, but Welsh people have strong sense of identity.There is a Welsh National party which wants independence from the <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>United Kingdom</st1:place></st1:country-region>and the Welsh language is still used in certain parts of the country. Welsh isan ancient Celtic language, similar to Breton, spoken in Brittany, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>France</st1:place></st1:country-region>. In the60's Welsh was given equal status with English as an official language and isused in the law courts. It is taught in school and some TV programs arebroadcast in Welsh. However, only about 20% of the population speaks Welsh.

<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Northern Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>, also known as <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Ulster</st1:place></st1:country-region>, isstill a part of the <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>United Kingdom</st1:place></st1:country-region>. It is made up of six countries:Antrim, <st1:place w:st=«on»>Armagh</st1:place>, Down, Fermanagh, <st1:place w:st=«on»>Londonderry</st1:place>, and Tyrone. One third of the populationlives in and around the capital, <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Belfast</st1:place></st1:City>.<st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Belfast</st1:place></st1:City> is alsothe most important port and commercial and industrial centre. Some parts of theterritory, those that are not close to the capital, have remained mainly rural.The Irish population is divided into two groups: the Protestants and theCatholics. The Protestants are of British origin. They are descendants ofBritish settlers who came to <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>in the XVIth and XVIIth centuries, during and after the Reformation. TheCatholics are mostly natives of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>.The Protestants were the majority and dominated the Catholics with strongdiscrimination. In 1968 the Catholics began the movement for equal civilrights. The fightings between the two groups of the population continue to thisday. <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Northern Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>has a strong cultural tradition: songs, dances, literature and festivals. Ithas its own Art Council, and there are orchestras, theatres, ballet and operacompanies.

<st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>

As well as beingthe capital of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>,<st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> is thecapital of the <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>United Kingdom</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> was founded by the Romans in 43 A.D.and was called Londinium. In 61 A.D. the town was burnt down and when it wasrebuilt by the Romans it was surrounded by a wall. That area within the wall isnow called the City of <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>.It is <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>'scommercial and business centre. It contains the Bank of England, the StockExchange and the head offices of numerous companies and corporations. Here is situatedthe <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Tower</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>London</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. The Tower was built by Williamthe Conqueror who conquered <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>England</st1:place></st1:country-region>in 1066. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey. Now most of the Governmentbuildings are located there. During the Tudor period (l6th century) <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> became an importanteconomic and financial centre. The Londoners of the Elizabethan period builtthe first theatres. Nowadays the theatre land is stretched around <st1:place w:st=«on»>Piccadilly Circus</st1:place>. Not far from it one can see the <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>British</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Museum</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> and the Covent Garden Opera House.During the Victorian period (19th century) <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City> was one of the most important centersof the Industrial Revolution and the centre of the <st1:place w:st=«on»>British Empire</st1:place>. Today <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>is a great political centre, a great commercial centre, a paradise fortheatre-goers and tourists, but it is also a very quiet place with its parksand its ancient buildings, museums and libraries.

Climate in the <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>

The common ideaspeople have about the weather in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> are: «It rains all thetime, it's very damp»; «There's a terrible fog in <st1:City w:st=»on"><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>, just like in SherlokHolmes'...", 'The sun never shines in July or August". <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> has avariable climate. The weather changes so frequently that it is difficult toforecast. It is not unusual for people to complain that the weathermen werewrong. Fortunately, as <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>does not experience extreme weather conditions, it is never very cold or veryhot. The temperature rarely rises above 32C (90°F) in summer, or falls below10°C (l4°F) in winter. Summers are generally cool, but due to global warmingthey are starting drier and hotter. Newspapers during a hot spell talk of «heatwaves»and an «Indian summer» (dry, hot weather in September and October).Hot weather causes terrible congestion on the roads as Britons rush to thecoastal resorts. Winters are generally mild, with the most frequent and prolongedsnowfalls in the Scottish Highlands where it is possible to go skiing. If itdoes snow heavily in other parts of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the country often comes toa standstill. Trains, buses and planes are late. People enjoy discussing thesnow, complaining about the cold and comparing, the weather conditions withprevious winters. Contrary to popular opinion, it does not rain all the time. Thereis certainly steady rainfall throughout most of the year, but the months fromSeptember to January are the wettest. Thanks to the rain, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s countrysideis famous for its deep green color. Since the 1950s, most British cities haveintroduced clean air zones. Factories and houses cannot burn coal and must use smokelessfuel. The dirt caused by smoke used to cause terrible fogs, particularly in <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>. Such fogs are nowa thing of the past, but you can still see them in old films where they addmystery and atmosphere to murder stories and thrillers. Due to the geographiclocation of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>the type of the climate is oceanic. There are no extreme contrasts in temperaturein <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>because of the current of warm water flowing from the <st1:place w:st=«on»>gulf of Mexico</st1:place> called the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Gulf Stream</st1:place>.The prevailing winds from the ocean to the south-west bring rainfall throughoutthe year. The total national rainfall average is over 1100 mm annually. Marchto June tend to be a driest months, September to January the wettest. Therivers of the <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Great Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>are abundant, and they never freeze. The main rivers are the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Thames</st1:place>,the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Tyne</st1:place>, the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Severn</st1:place>,the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Mersey</st1:place>; the biggest lakes are the <st1:place w:st=«on»>Loch Lomond</st1:place>, the Lough Neagh. A considerable area of landis covered by meadows and heaths. The grass remains green all the year round.Thanks to climate conditions, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>in truth looks like one great well-ordered park with its old trees, greenmeadows and hedges.

Political system

The party whichwins the most seats in the General Election forms the government in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Theleader of the winning party becomes Prime Minister. As leaders of theirpolitical parties and leaders of the country. Prime Ministers are powerfulbecause they have the majority support in Parliament and they can choose theirown ministers and government. The PM, chooses a committee of ministers calledthe Cabinet. This is made up of a selection of senior MPs from the House ofCommons and some members of the House of Lords. Each member of the Cabinet is aminister responsible for a government department: for example, the Secretary ofState for Education and Science is responsible for all the schools,universities and teachers in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>.The Cabinet of ministers runs the country. The Cabinet meets at the PrimeMinister's house <st1:Street w:st=«on»><st1:address w:st=«on»>10 Downing Street</st1:address></st1:Street>.The cabinet works as a team and all ministers must accept the decisions of the«group». The team of ministers must always agree in public becausethey are collectively responsible for the decisions they make. If a ministercannot agree with all the others, he usually resigns from the cabinet. Cabinetmeetings are held in private and the details must remain secret for at least 30years. Margaret Thatcher tried to change this style of the Cabinet and wasforced to resign when the other ministers could not agree with her. Cabinetministers cannot, however, do as they please! They are responsible toParliament and must answer questions from backbenchers from the House ofCommons. Even the Prime Minister must answer questions every Tuesday andThursday in the Commons — this is called Prime Minister's Question Time Everyonewants to know what has been decided behind the closed doors of the CabinetRoom.

<st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>is administeredfrom the <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:PlaceType w:st=«on»>Palace</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st=«on»>Westminster</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> in <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>London</st1:place></st1:City>. This is alsoknown as the Houses of Parliament. Parliament is made up of two chambers — theHouse of Commons and the House of Lords. The members of the House of Lords arenot elected: they qualify to sit in the House because they are bishops of theChurch of England, aristocrats who have inherited their seats from theirfathers, people with titles. There has been talk of reform in this centurybecause many Britons think that this system is undemocratic. The House ofCommons, by contrast, has 651 seats which are occupied by Members of Parliament(MPs) who are elected by the British public. The <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>United Kingdom</st1:place></st1:country-region> is divided intoconstituencies, each of which has an elected MP in the House of Commons. Eachof the major political parties appoints a representative (candidate) to competefor each seat. Smaller parties may have a candidate in only a fewconstituencies. There may be five or more parties, fighting for one seat, butonly one person — the candidate who gets the greatest number of votes — canwin. Some parties win a lot of seats and some win very few, or none at all. TheQueen, who is the Head of State, opens and closes Parliament. All new laws aredebated (discussed) by MPs in the, Commons, then debated in the Lords, andfinally signed by the Queen. All three are part of Parliament in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>.

Parliament is themost important authority in <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>.Parliament first met in the 13th century. <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> does not have a writtenconstitution, but a set of laws. In 1689 Mary 11 and William III became thefirst constitutional monarchs. They could rule only with the support of theParliament. Technically Parliament is made up of three parts: the Monarch, theHouse of Lords and the House of Commons. The continuity of the English monarchyhas been interrupted only once during the Cromwell republic. Succession to thethrone is hereditary but only for Protestants in the direct line of descent. Formallythe monarch has a number of roles. The monarch is expected to be politicallyneutral, and should not make political decisions. Nevertheless, the monarchstill performs some important executive and legislative duties includingopening and dissolving Parliament, signing bills passed by both Houses andfulfilling international duties as head of state. The present sovereign is QueenElizabeth II who was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1953.

The House of Lordscomprises about 1 200 peers. The house is presided over by the Lord Chancellor.The House of Lords has no real power but acts as an advisory council for theHouse of Commons. As well as having legislative functions, the Lords is thehighest court of appeal. The House of Commons consists of Members of Parliamentwho are elected by the adult suffrage of the British people in generalelections which are held at least every five years. The country is divided into650 constituencies each of which elects one Member of Parliament. The Commons,therefore, has 650 Members of Parliament. The party which wins the most seats formsthe Government and its leader becomes the Prime Minister. The functions ofCommons are legislation and security of government activities. The house is presidedover by the Speaker The government party sits on the Speaker's right while onhis left sit the members of the Opposition.

Margaret Thatcher(Margaret Robins) was born in 1925. Her father had a grocers shop but he wasalso very interested in local politics. Margaret was a good student and won a schoolarshipto <st1:City w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Oxford</st1:place></st1:City> tostudy chemistry .Then she worked as a research chemist until she met andmarried Denis Thatcher, a successful businessman. Then she decided to studylaw. She was already involved in politics and gave up law when she was electedto the Parliament in 1959. From 1970 to 1974 she was Secretary of State forEducation. In 1975 she became leader of the Conservative Party which was theOpposition. In 1979 she heat the Labour Party and took office as <st1:place w:st=«on»><st1:City w:st=«on»>Prime Minister</st1:City>, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:country-region></st1:place>'s first woman Prime Minister. Thatcherprivatized publicly-owned industries and made cuts in state education,hospitals and welfare benefits. In early 1980's, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> was facing unemployment,inflation, problems of <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:place w:st=«on»>Northern Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>. In 1982, <st1:country-region w:st=«on»><st1:pl

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