The united kingdom

Materie:	Appunti
Categoria:	Inglese
Download:	46
Data:	30.06.2006
Numero di pagine:	4
Formato di file:	.doc (Microsoft Word)

The United Kingdom

Great Britain and Northern Ireland, politically united, form the United Kingdom (u.k).this is the oldest constitutional monarchy in Europe, the sovereign may be a Queen or King. Great Britain is made up of three main countries : England , Scotland and Wales and many islands.
London , one of the largest cities in the world, is its capital. It is divided by the river Thames which is navigable and makes this city an important port.
British sovereigns live in Buckingham Palace and was crowned in Westminster Abbey, the old church where British monarchs usually marry too and where the famous poets and writers are buried. Other places worth seeing in London are :
St. Paul Cathedral, Tower bridge, the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. London’s oldest district is called “ The City ” and is the heart of British finance and business. The West End is better known for the government buildings, the numerous parks, the large square, the famous districts and the intense night life. There are two very famous department stores in the West End where you can find whatever you look for, they are “ Selfridges “ and “ Harrods “. The east end
includes the port of London and its docks. It’s a large residential area whose poorer people are easily identified for their strange way of speaking called “ Cockney ”, a slang characterized by a different accent, use of rhymes and a strong sense of humor.
London public transport is very efficient. You can travel by taxi(cab),by underground ( tube ), by bus ( double-deckers ).
London is full of gallery and museums. The British Museum is one of the greatest in the world. You need many days to visit all its departments.
Government and institutions
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional monarchy , that is there is a monarchy, a monarch and a constitution (magna Charta), but it is also called a limited monarchy because the sovereign’s power is subject to law. The monarch is also the head of state, of the executive, of the Armed Forces and the head of the church of England too. The House of Commons, which makes the laws of the country, together with the House of Lords, non- elected members with very little political power, are the two chambers which form the British parliament. The leader of the majority party is appointed prime Minister and forms the Government appointing the various Minister among which he selects those who will form the Cabinet. The minority party is also called Opposition and forms a “ Shadow Cabinet “ that controls the Government’s work. The two largest political parties in Britain are the Labour party and the Conservative Party, the third largest political Party is the Liberal Party, but the British electoral system based on the majority system favours the large parties.

Religion in the U.K.

In Great Britain there is religious freedom even if the Anglican Church is the official religion of England and Wales, the established Church of the English and the Monarch is considered its head or the “ Protector or Defender of the Church “.
The Book of Common Prayer embodies the form of worship of this Church.
The Church of Scotland is Presbyterian in character and has a different organization.
The Roman Catholic Church is very united above all in Ireland where religious contrasts are the main cause of violence and terrorism.
The Anglican Church is only one of the various Protestant Churches in Great Britain, other are the Baptist, the Methodists and other Nonconformist Churches, so called because they do not conform to the teaching of the Church of England.

Scotland
Scotland is the land of tartan, bagpipes, whisky, castles and ghosts. The Scots are very proud of their history, culture, institutions and their language: Scottish Gaelic. Scottish surnames are easily recognizable as they often begin with Mac or Mc which means “son of”. Scottish people were originally divided into clans, a kind of large family having common ancestors. Each clan was characterized by a different tartan. Tartans had a different colour for each clan : blue and green for the clans living near the sea, brown and blue for those coming from the moors and brown and red for those coming from the mountains. The Scotsmen maw wear kilts only on special occasion and ceremonies. Scotland lies in the north of Great Britain and is divided into three areas: the Highlands, the Lowland and the Islands. Scottish castles are famous for their ghosts. Each castle has its own ghost and this makes them a tourist attraction for tourists who like mistery. Cawdor castle, one of the most, is considered the place where Mac Beth lived with his wife. Glamis castle is famous for having nine ghosts haunting it in the night, while Crathes castle has got just one: the ghost of the “ Green Lady ” which lives in one of its rooms.
Ireland
Ireland is divided into two countries: Eire and Northern Ireland. The Atlantic ocean lies to the west of the British Isles and to the east there is the North Sea. Between Great Britain and Ireland there is the Irish Sea and, to the south, between Great Britain and France, there is the English Channel. The Gulf Stream, a warm current coming from the Gulf of Mexico, influences the British climate making it milder than that of other countries on the same latitude2;in fact it never very cold and never very hot. There is a lot of rain, particularly in the west, and it is very windy: this is why the weather is so changeable. The warmest area is the Southwest.

Wales
The results of the referendum held in September 1997 will allow Wales greater independence. An Assembly will be elected locally and will be responsible for the matters now in the hands of the Secretary of State. Cardiff was officially designated as capital in 1995. At the beginning of the 19°century it was only a rather small town. It began to grow when the iron and coal produced in the nearby valleys began to be exported all over the world. The crisis of the iron and coal industries caused a long economic decline of the town. Cardiff is now dedicated to commerce and administration. Most of the population is concentrated in the north-east and in the industrial south-east. The weather in Wales tends to be variable and mild because of the Gulf Stream. The Cambrian Mountains. Mount Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales and England (1,085 m.). The patron saint of Wales is St. David, who lived in the 6° century. There are many legends about him.