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Britain

Great Britain is the largest island in Europe, characterized by diverse geography and a milder climate due to the Gulf Stream. Politically, it comprises England, Scotland, and Wales, with a rich history of invasions and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. The document also touches on significant historical events, the evolution of political parties, and the role of religion in Britain.

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Eszter Uzsoki
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13 views2 pages

Britain

Great Britain is the largest island in Europe, characterized by diverse geography and a milder climate due to the Gulf Stream. Politically, it comprises England, Scotland, and Wales, with a rich history of invasions and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. The document also touches on significant historical events, the evolution of political parties, and the role of religion in Britain.

Uploaded by

Eszter Uzsoki
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Great Britain

With an area of 209,000 km² the island of Great Britain is the largest of the British Isles. It is the
largest island in Europe, and eighth largest in the world. Geographically, the island is marked by low,
rolling countryside in the east and south, while hills and mountains predominate in the western and
northern regions. The English Channel (La Manche in French) is the body of water which separates
Great Britain from continental Europe at a minimum distance of 34 km. Now you can cross the
Chanel by ferry, or by car or train, if you choose the underground Chanel Tunnel. In addition to the
mainland, Great Britain includes over 100 smaller islands, e.g. the Isles of Scilly, St Michael's Mount,
the Isle of Wight, Lindisfarne and Lundy. The climate of Great Britain is milder than that of other
regions of the Northern Hemisphere at the same latitude, because the warm waters of the Gulf Stream
pass by the British Isles. Cool, but not cold temperatures, clouds more often than sun, and abundant
rain are the rule in most years. (That is why the British talk so much about the weather: you never
know what happens in the next minute ☺). All time zones in the world are calculated relative to zero
degrees longitude which passes through Greenwich in London (There’s an Observatory there that
tourists can visit and experience standing over the zero longitude line, standing in the East and West at
the same time ☺).

Politically, Great Britain describes the combination of England, Scotland (the Scots were a Celtic
people, their language is similar to Irish), and Wales (The Welsh are also of Celtic origins, and their
ancient language is taught to Welsh children at school). The union of the English and Scottish Crowns
was in 1603, and later, from 1707, a single all-island Kingdom of Great Britain evolved, lasting until
the situation arose following 1801 in which Great Britain together with the island of Ireland
constituted the larger United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (UK). The UK became the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the 1920s following the independence of the bigger
part of Ireland as first the Irish Free State (Republic of Ireland today).

A short history of the United Kingdom

Britain is populated since the sixth century BC by Celtic tribes. The Roman Empire invaded Britain in
43 BC and established the province of Britannia. When the Romans left Britain, the island was
invaded by Germanic tribes like the Angles (this is where the name of England, or, „Angle land”
comes from), the Saxons and the Jutes. The Anglo-Saxon tribes were united in 871 in the Kingdom of
England. Large part of the country were conquered by Denmark in the ninth century. Finally in 1016
Denmark ruled the whole country. The Saxons regained power in 1042.

In 1066 England was invaded by the Normans from Normandy and they formed the rulers of the
Kingdom of England. The English conquest of Wales succeeded in 1282.

A second revolution leads in 1688 to a parliamentary system of government: England is now more or
less a constitutional monarchy. In this system two parties exist, the Whigs and the Tories. These are
not political parties in the modern sense, but groups of nobles fighting about power. Britain's industrial
revolution greatly strengthened its ability to oppose Napoleonic France. By the end of the Napoleonic
Wars in 1815, Britain was the biggest European power and its navy ruled the seas. Peace in Europe
allowed the British to focus their interests on far parts of the world and during this period the British
Empire reached its golden age during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901).

During the nineteenth century parliamentarism develops further. Modern party politcs developed in
the 1850s, when the Liberal Party (LIB) replaced the Whigs and the Conservative Party (CONS)
replaced the Tories. By 1895 all adult males could vote, but full universal suffrage was realized only
in 1918 (women between 21 and 30 are given the vote in 1928). Ireland, with the exception of six
northern counties, gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1921, the kingdom is renamed
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

In 1940 by Winston Churchill became Prime Minister. He led Britain during World War II. Between
1970 and 1974 the conservatives were in power with Edward Heath. During his premiership the
United Kingdom joined the European Communities (named European Union in 1993) in 1973.

Between 1979 and 1990 Margaret Thatcher was prime minister, succeeded in 1990 by John Major.
During this period the two-party system remained, but the Liberal Democrats emerge as a third force.
In 1997 a moderated Labour succeeded in winning the elections, bringing Anthony "Tony" Blair to the
premiership.

The religion of Britain in Anglican, which is a version of Protestantism, with the difference that the
head of the Church isn’t the Pope, officially, but the king or queen of Britain (a law introduced by
King Henry VIII, who argued with the Pope because he wanted to divorce from his first wife, and at
that time only the Pope could legalize divorce).

Find out:

Who is Britain’s Prime Minister now? What have you heard about the royal family nowadays?

Do you know any English/British traditions (e.g. related to religious holidays like Christmas, of
to national holidays)?

What are these buildings/monuments? What are they famous for?

Stonehenge

Trafalgar Square

Tower

Globe Theatre

St Paul’s Cathedral

Westminster Abbey

Canterbury Cathedral

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