Britain / Great Britain / UK / British Isles
Britain is made up of:
- England - The capital is London.
- Wales - The capital is Cardiff.
Great Britain is made up of:
- England - The capital is London.
- Scotland - The capital is Edinburgh .
- Wales - The capital is Cardiff.
Great Britain is divided into small regions called counties.
The UK part of Europe and is a member of the European Union (EU).
What is the official name of the UK?
The official name of the UK is the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".
The United Kingdom is made up of:
- England - The capital is London.
- Scotland - The capital is Edinburgh .
- Wales - The capital is Cardiff.
- Northern Ireland - The capital is Belfast.
The Union Flag, popularly known as the Union Jack, symbolises the union of the countries of the UK.
- England,
- Scotland and
- Ireland (now only Northern Ireland)
England is the biggest country in the UK
England contains about 84% of the UK population.
The capital, seat of government, and the largest city in the United Kingdom is London.
The British Royal family live in England
Most of the world assumes that British people are "English"
This of course is wrong. British people can be Scottish, Welsh, Irish (living in Northern Ireland) or English.
Scotland
Scotland is Famous for....
Its fresh water lochs (lakes) . One of the most famous is Loch Ness where a mysterious monster is said to live.
It is also famous for its clans, kilts, medieval castles, as well as poetry and songs of Robert Burns.
Famous Scots includ, Arthur Conan Doyle, and the actor Sean Connery.
Famous musicians of Scotland include Annie Lennox, Wet Wet Wet and Simple Minds.
Edinburgh – the capital of Scotland, like Rome, was built on seven hills.
Country Facts
Flag: / Cross of St AndrewNational Day: / 30 November
Capital City: / Edinburgh
Major Cities: / Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow
Nationality : / Scottish and British
Highest point: / Ben Nevis (1,343 m)
Official Animal / Unicorn
Wales
Wales is a mountainous country on the western side of Great Britain.
Technically, Wales is a principality. This means that it is ruled by a prince. Traditionally the Prince of Wales is the eldest son of the English monarch.
The national game of Wales is Rugby
Famous Welsh people
Wales is known for its great actors - Richard Burton, and today Sir Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta Jones. It is also known for its Celtic traditions and the Red Dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) on its flag.
- Laura Ashley - famous fashion creator.
- Sir George Everest - famous traveler and explorer, The highest peak in the world is named after him.
Roald Dahl (1916–1990), author
Tom Jones, singer
Country Facts
Capital City: / Cardiff(Caerdydd)Major Cities: / Cardiff, Swansea and Newport
Nationality : / Welsh and British
Highest point: / Snowdon 1085 metres (3559 ft)
Official Animal / Dragon
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland lies in the northeast of the island of Ireland
In 1801 the whole of Ireland became part of the United Kingdom.
After years of civil war, Ireland became a republic
The southern part of the island is the Republic of Ireland, or Eire.
Northern Ireland is famous for ...
/ The Giant's CausewayHMS Titanic ship was built in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland.
Country Facts
National Day: / 17 March St Patrick's DayCapital City: / Belfast
Major Cities: / Belfast, Londonderry, Lisburn, Newtonabbey, Bangor, Craigavon
Nationality : / British and Irish
The British Queen
/ Queen Elizabeth II
Born: 21 April, 1926.
Queen since 6 February 1952
HM Queen's Diamond Jubilee 2012
The Official Title of the Queen
Her Majesty The Queen
Royal Homes
Among the official royal residences are Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral Castle
How many grandchildren does the Queen have?
The Queen has 8 grandchildren: William, Harry, Peter, Zara, Beatrice, Eugenie, Louise and James
How many great grandchildren does the Queen have?
The Queen has 5 great granchildren: Savannah, Isla, George , Charlotte and Mia Grace.
SYMBOLS OF ENGLAND
The three national symbols of England are the St. George's cross (usually seen as a flag), the red rose and the Three Lions crest (usually seen as a badge).
St George's Flag, the England Flag / Three Lions EmblemThe red rose is widely recognised as the national flower of England. / The oak is the national tree of England
The Royal Family
Queen Elizabeth / Prince Charles / Prince WilliamRoyal Guards (Find out about the Queen's Guards)
Life Guard / Foot Guard / Life Guard on Horseback / Beefeater
On the Street
Red Double Decker buses / Black taxi cabsPillar Box (Post Box) / Telephone box
Famous People
Winston Churchill / Queen Victoria / David Beckham
Famous Landmarks
(Find out more....)
Buckingham Palace / London Eye / Big Ben
Canary Wharf Tower
The Tallest building in the UK is in Canary Wharf, part of the London Docklands.
The O2 - Millenium Dome
The O2 in London is the largest dome in the world,
Food and Drink
Fish and chips / Cup of tea
Sports
Football / Cricket / Wimbledon
(The home of Tennis)
England's national sport is cricket although to many people football (soccer) is seen as our national sport.
Cricket
Football is our most popular sport. Some of England's football teams are world famous, the most famous being Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Arsenal F.C. - Team nicknamed The Gunners who play at the Emirates Stadium in London.
Chelsea F.C. - Team nicknamed the Blues and can also be nicknamed the Pensioners. They play at Stamford Bridge in London.
Leicester City - They are nicknamed the Foxes.
Liverpool F.C. - They are nicknamed the Reds and are one of England's most successful clubs and have been home to great players such as Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard.
Manchester City F.C. - They have nicknames of the Citizens and the Blues.
Manchester United F.C. -They are nicknamed the Red Devils and play at Old Trafford in Manchester. They are one of the most successful English clubs and have had great players such as David Beckham, George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.. They play at White Hart Lane in London. They are nicknamed Spurs
.West Ham United F.C. - Team play at the Olympic Stadium in London. They are nicknamed the Hammers.
Rugby
Rugby originated from Rugby school in Warwickshire. It is similar to football, but played with an oval ball. Players can carry the ball and tackle each other. The best rugby teams compete in the Super League final each September.
American Football derived from our game of Rugby
Tennis
The world's most famous tennis tournament is Wimbledon. It begins on the nearest Monday to June 22, at a time when English often have the finest weather. Millions of people watch the Championships on TV live. It is traditional for visitors to eat strawberries and cream whilst they watch the tennis.
January- 1st New Year's Day
- 14th Valentine's Day
- 1st St David's Day
(Wales National Day) - 17th St. Patrick's Day
(Ireland's Special Day)
- Shrove Tuesday
- Lent
- Easter
April - 1st April Fool's Day
- 23rd St George's Day (England's National Day)
- Wimbledon Tennis Tournament
August
- Notting Hill Carnival
October
- 31st Halloween
- 5th Bonfire Night
- 30th St Andrew's Day
(Scotland's National Day)
- Advent
- 25th Christmas
- 26th Boxing Day
So why do we do what we do
on Halloween Day, in England? /
Jack-o-lanterns- Pumpkin Lantern
Fire.
Apple Bobbing (Duck-apple)
Dressing up
The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween
Trick or Treat
Halloween was a time for making mischief - many parts of England still recognise Halloween as Mischief Night - when children would knock on doors demanding a treat (Trick or Treat) and people would disguise themselves as witches, ghosts, kelpies and spunkies, in order to obtain food and money.
Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night) on 5th November is the most widespread and flourishing of all British customs.
Today, Guy Fawkes is burned on top of large bonfires. As the bonfires burn fireworks are let off in wonderful and spectacular displays.