The document provides information about the geography, history, politics and culture of the British Isles. It describes the various countries that make up the region - England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It outlines the differences between the terms Britain, United Kingdom and British Isles. Key facts about the royal family, religion, economy and famous sites are also summarized.
3. England Republic Of Ireland Wales Scotland Northern Ireland London Cambridge Dublin Cardiff Edinburgh Glasgow Nottingham Manchester Liverpool Belfast ATLANTIC OCEAN NORTH SEA ENGLISH CHANNEL IRISH SEA ST GEORGE CHANNEL Waterford Galway
8. The UK is situated in the north-west of Europe. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. It has a total land area of 244,100 square kilometres. From north to south it is about 1,000 kilometres long. The UK comes within 35 km of the northwest of France, and it is separated by the English Channel.
10. Grampians Northwest Highlands Southern Uplands Mountains Londonderry Comeragh Moutains Cambrian Mts Cornwall Pennines Ben Nevis 1343 M
11. The Royal Coat of Arms of the UK is the official coat of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. In the middle there is a shield divided into 4 parts. You can see the harp of Ireland on the left, and there are 3 lions above. On the left of the shield there is a lion with a crown. And on the right there is a unicorn, symbolizing Scotland. The Royal coat of Arms of the UK The motto of the English monarchs is «Dieu et mon droit » The motto of the Order of the Garter is « Honi soit qui mal y pense ». Help : Shield : bouclier Order of the garter: ordre des chevaliers britanniques. Motto: devise Unicorn: licorne
13. The national anthem is God save the Queen. The first verse: God save our gracious Queen! Long live our noble Queen! God save the Queen! Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to the reign over us, God save the Queen. The British National Anthem represents the whole of the UK. However, Wales and Scotland have other songs that they sing. Wales, - Hen Wlad Fy Nhadou Scotland, - Flower of Scotland and Scotland the Brave What is the British National Anthem ?
18. The Saxons The Vikings The Vikings’ age in Britain began about 1,200 years ago, in the 8th century AD and lasted for 300 years. The Vikings had a lot of different religions. The Normans The Roman army left Britain in about 410 AD. When they had gone there was no strong army to defend Britain, and tribes called the Angle, Saxon, and Jute (the Anglo-Saxons) invaded the country. They came from Northern of Europe. The Middle Ages in Britain cover a huge period. In 1066 William the Conqueror won the battle of Hastings. Then he stayed for 23 years and imposed French as the official langage. The Normans built beautiful castles. He lived in the White Tower in London
19. The Tudors The Tudors were a Welsh-English family that ruled England from 1485 to 1603. They ruled for 118 years. The first Tudor king was Henry Vll. He was followed by his son, Henry Vlll. His son, Edward VII ruled after him, followed by his daughters Mary I and Elizabeth I. The Victorians Victorian times means during Victoria's reign. Britain managed to build a huge empire during the Victorian period. In 1837 most people lived in villages and worked on the land; by 1901, most lived in towns and worked in offices, shops and factories. During the 1800s the Industrial Revolution spread throughout Britain. Famous people : Henry Vll Lord Shaftesbury Lewis Carrol Charles Darwin Alexander Graham Charles Dickens Bell
21. William the Conqueror was born in 1027 and he died in 1087. He was known as "William the Bastard" (French: Guillaume le Bâtard ) because of the illegitimacy of his birth. He became Duke of Normandy in 1035 and invaded England in 1066, leading an army of Normans to victory over the Anglo-Saxon forces of Harold (who died in the conflict) at the Battle of Hastings. He was crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey in 1066. William is also referred to as "William I» It was the Norman Conquest. WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
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24. Queen Victoria Victoria was born on 24 May 1819 and she became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 20 June 1837. Queen Victoria was 18 when she came to the throne. Her reign as Queen lasted 63 years and seven month. Victoria’s reign was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire by the Industrial revolution, period economic and technological change. She arranged marriages for her nine children and forty-two grandchildren. Her nickname was “ the grandmother of Europe ”. She died the 22 January 1901.
27. Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister during World War II. He was a writer too. The Beatles was and still is one of the most famous British groups. They were famous in the 60s and had millions of fans in the world. Some of their hits were : Yesterday – Yellow submarine - In the 40s In the 60s
30. Population in Great Britain. There are 60.2 million inhabitants in Great Britain. Great Britain is the twentieth most populated country in the world 50.4 million inhabitants in England. 3 million inhabitants in Wales. 5.1 million inhabitants in Scotland.
31. Population density Less than 50 More than 200 inhabitants/km² From 100 to 200 From 50 to 100 City more than 5 million inhabitants : LONDON From 1 to 5 million From 200 000 to 1 million New cities Migration England has the most important density and Scotland has the smallest.
34. The British Royal Family Tree Queen Elizabeth II She was born in 1926 Charles Prince of Wales He was born in 1948 Anne Princess Royal She was born in 1950 Andrew Duke of York He was born in 1960 Edward Earl of Wessex He was born in 1964 Prince William of Wales He was born in 1982 Prince Harry of Wales He was born in 1984 Peter Phillips He was born in 1977 Zara Phillips She was born in 1981 Princess Beatrice of York She was born in 1988 Princess Eugenie Of York She was born in 1990 Lady Louise Windsor She was born in 2003 Viscount Severn He was born in 2007
39. Religion in the British Isles There are lots of religions in the British Isles. The main religion is Christianism (72%). The other religions are: Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Buddhists. 15% of the population don’t have religion and 1.4% have another religion. buddhists Muslim christianism jewish Hindu
40. A BIT OF HISTORY In 1553, Henry VIII (the king) wanted to divorce because he wanted a son and the queen (his wife) couldn’t have a child. He asked the Pope for the permission to divorce but the Pope refused. Henry VIII was very angry and created his own church, the Anglicans (protestants). In 1558, Elisabeth I changed the Anglican church back to christianism and this religion became the official religion of England.
41. CHRISTIANISM: 15 March: St Patrick’s day. 23 April: St George’s day. MUSLIM: 10 January: Al Hijra (Islamic new year). JEWISH : 30 September :Rosh Hashanah. 1 October: New year’s day. BUDDHIST: 8 February: New year’s day. HINDU: 3 September: Ganesh’s day Religious holidays
43. Economy and industries in England The united kingdom is the fourth largest economic power in the world. The City is the most famous place in Europe English people trade all over the world because it’s easier with English language. They can export with farming lots of cereals, oilseed, potatoes and vegetables . Farming in England today is easy because machines are very sophisticated .With industry population goes to England Tourism is also very important to the British economy. London is Europe's largest financial centre and one of the world's largest financial centres alongside New York andTokyo
45. How can you get to Great Britain? To go to England, you can travel by train, plane or ferry You can take a ferry in Calais, Boulogne,St. Malo, Caen, Roscoff and Cherbourg If you leave from Paris,Calais or Lille, You can get the Eurostar to go to London and you will arrive in St Pancras Station. It goes under the Channel. You can take a plane from anywhere in France.
46. In England, there are lots of means of transport. You can travel by car on the motorways : there are 225,000 miles ( 326 km ) of roads. You can take the bus, trains, taxis or walk !!! In London, there are beautiful red double-deckers but the quickest way to visit London is the underground (The Tube). Shopping day, for the British, is on Saturday. There are generally shopping centres with lots of shops ( Marks et Spencer, John Levis, house of Fraser, ). If you visit London, don’t forget to visit Harrods’s. It’s very big and very beautiful, but very expensive too ! Transports and shopping
47. What is a pub ? A pub is a small public house. Pubs, for British, are a part of their lives. There are the places where they can discuss and meet new friends You can sleep in a B&B ( bed and breakfast ). They are very comfortable . But for families, villages holidays are also very well with swimming-pool, sports centres, … PUBS AND ACCOMODATIONS
50. PALACES AND CASTLES St James’s Palace It was built between 1532 and 1540 by Henry VIII. It became the official residence of the British sovereign after the death of William III in 1837. This castle is in London. Buckingham Palace It was built in 1837 by the duke Buckingham for his wife. This is the residence of the Queen. Buckingham Palace is in London. Balmoral Castle It was built by William the Conqueror in 1080.This is the largest castle in the world. This is the oldest royal home in Britain. Balmoral Castle is in Scotland
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52. TOWER OF LONDON _ This royal fortress was built by William the Conqueror, following his successful invasion in 1066 .
53. SAINT PAUL’S CATHEDRAL The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is the second biggest dome in the world. The first St Paul's Cathedral was built in 604 AD but burnt down in 675. The rebuilt cathedral was again burnt down in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
54. The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture. The museum illustrates the story of human culture from it’s beginning to the present.
55. THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER The Palace of Westminster, also known as the houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace.
57. BLACKPOOL TOWER Blackpool tower is an attraction for the tourist. It looks much like the Eiffel tower.
58. STONEHENGE Stonehenge means “suspended stones” . Stonehenge is the most famous prehistoric monument in Britain. It’s located near Salisbury.
59. HADRIAN’S WALL Hadrian Wall is a stone wall built by the Roman Empire to prevent military raids on Roman Britain by the Pictish tribes (ancient inhabitants of Scotland ). Today, It’s the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England.
