THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Conventional short form: The United Kingdom
Abbreviation: The UK
England  The English rose
| Wales 
The Welsh leek and daffodil
|
Scotland
The Scottish thistle
| Northern Ireland (Ulster)  The Irish shamrock
|
Great Britain
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consists of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometres.
The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. GB consists of England, Scotland and Wales and doesn't include Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London.
The British Isles are separated from European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of GB is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.
The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The highest mountain Ben Nevis (1343) is in Scotland; the highest peak in Wales is Snowdon (1085).
There are a lot of rivers in GB, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.
The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. The UK enjoys warmer winters and cooler summers than other countries at the same latitude.
The most unpleasant aspect of English weather is fog and smog. This is extremely bad in big cities especially in London. The fog spreads everywhere so cars move along slowly and people can't see each other. They try not to be run over by a car but still accidents are frequent in the fog.
The flora of the British Isles is varied and the fauna is similar to that of the north-west of Europe.
The country is not very rich in natural resources. Over three quarters of Britain’s land is used for farming; farms produce nearly half of the food that Britain needs. The UK is a highly developed industrial country too, known as a producer and exporter of machinery, electronics, ships, aircraft and navigation equipment.
Vocabulary
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
[ju:'natid 'kiŋdəm əv 'greit 'britn ənd 'nɔ:ðən 'aiələnd]
England ['iŋglənd]
Scotland ['skɒtlənd]
Wales britn ənd 'nɔ:ðən 'aiələnd]
England ['iŋglənd]
Scotland ['skɒtlənd]
Wales ['weilz]
London ['lʌndən]
the Gulf Stream ['gʌlf 'stri:m]
to separate from - отделять от
to influence - влиять
latitude - широта
to be not very rich in natural resources - иметь не очень богатые природные ресурсы
farming - сельское хозяйство; фермерство
to produce - производить
highly developed industrial country - высокоразвитая промышленная страна
producer and exporter - производитель и экспортер
aircraft and navigation equipment - оборудование для авиационной и судостроительной промышленности
1. Answer the questions:
1. Where does Great Britain lie?
2. What separate Great Britain from European Continent?
3. What parts do Great Britain and the United Kingdom include?
4. What are the most important isles?
5. How can you define the climate of Great Britain?
6. What goods are produced in the UK?
2. Complete the sentences:
1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the ...
2. The British Isles consists of two large islands: … and … , and about … thousand small islands.
3. The UK is made up of four countries: … , … , … and …
4. The British Isles are separated from European continent by the … and the …
5. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the … , the south is called the… The highest mountain … is in …
6. The longest river is …
7. The Thames is the … and the most important one.
8. The warm waters of … influence the climate of the British Isles.
9. The country is not very rich in natural ...
10. Over three quarters of Britain’s land is used for …
11. The UK is a highly … industrial country.