Great Britain. Topic for Conversation #5

Great Britain

1. What do you know about the history of Great Britain?

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British and consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is separated from the continent by the English Channel. The country is washed by the North Sea, the Irish Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. The population of the country is the third largest in Europe, comprising about 60 million people. The climate of The United Kingdom is generally mild. It is seldom cold in winter and never too hot in summer. This is due to the warm current of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf Stream. Britain has always been known as a country of fogs, but now it is not quite so because of the climatic changes: there is maybe less fog than in any other European country.

There are no high mountains and long rivers in the UK. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in the Highlands in Scotland, and the longest rivers are the Severn and the Thames.

Geographically, The United Kingdom has a very convenient position, being located on the crossroads from Europe to America. This is one of the reasons why Britain was (and is up to present time) one of the leading world powers. The capital of The United Kingdom is London. It is situated on the river Thames.

Britain has an ancient and glorious history. It is used to be the great empire “where the sun never sets.” It gave the world many famous scientists, writers, political leaders and explorers, such as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Francis Drake, William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill and others.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, although it has no written constitution. There are two heads in the country. One of them is a king or a queen, but the power of the monarch is limited by the Parliament. In practice, the monarch reigns but does not rule. All real power lies with Parliament and the existing government. The present sovereign is Queen Elisabeth II.

The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. There are two main political parties in Great Britain: the Conservative party and the Labour party. The Conservative party is the ruling party nowadays and the leaser of this country, Theresa May, is the Prime Minister of The United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom is a highly developed industrial country. It produces and exports machinery, electronics, textile. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.

The British life both in the past and in the present is really interesting and diverse. I can talk about it for hours. But one thing is clear – this country is worth visiting and learning about!

2. Do you know the state symbols of Great Britain?

3. What questions will you ask a British teenager about the royal family?

4. What historical places can you advise me to visit in England?

5. They say that the British are quite reserved. What do you think about it?