UK in Russian. What continent is the UK in? Video. Interesting facts about Great Britain

What is the difference between England and Great Britain, the payment of the Lords from the House of Commons, and Prince Harry from Princess Beatrice, you will learn from this article.

Most of us use the words "England" and "Great Britain" as identical concepts, without going into the legal meaning of these concepts. Meanwhile, as they say in Odessa, these are “two big differences, two completely different territories.

England- a territory on the island of Great Britain, its largest administrative unit. The name "England" goes back to the name of one of the Germanic tribes (Angles) who once inhabited this historical region.

Scottish man in traditional dress

In the era of medieval fragmentation of Europe, England was an independent kingdom, whose possessions either increased or decreased depending on the military successes of local rulers.

Great Britain- this is the name of the most large island British archipelago, on which, in addition to England, there are two more independent territories, formerly independent states: Wales and Scotland.

Country England or UK?

The country that we call either England or Great Britain is officially called The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Therefore, strictly speaking, both names are erroneous.

The possessions of the United Kingdom: the island of Great Britain, the north of the island of Ireland, as well as many small islands and archipelagos around the world, such as Gibraltar, Bermuda, the Falklands and the Cayman Islands.

In Russia, this cumbersome name is often shortened to "Great Britain". In Europe, the abbreviation UK is almost always used for abbreviation (from "united kingdom" - United Kingdom).

United Kingdom of Great Britain: general information

What continent is the UK in?

Great Britain, not counting the small islands, is located in british archipelago, in northwestern Europe. This region is often called Foggy Albion because of the abundance of rain, dampness and endless fog that cyclones bring from the Atlantic.

The warm waters of the Gulf Stream soften the climate a little: there are no too cold winters here (with the exception of the highlands of Scotland and Wales), and in summer average temperature keeps around 20 C heat.

Capital of England and Great Britain

London is the capital of Great Britain, it is also the capital of the administrative region of England. This is the largest city of the kingdom, its cultural and economic center. London is also one of the global financial centers of the world.

World-class economic institutions are concentrated here, the main financial flows of the largest transnational corporations and currency centers of smaller states pass through London.

London was founded by the Romans as the capital of the Roman province of Britain, located in the British Isles. The first mention of London is found in 117 by the Roman historian Tacitus - at that time the city had existed for more than 50 years.

London has occupied its leading position among other capitals since the Middle Ages. In terms of influence on world politics, few of the cities of the Old World can compete with the center of the British Empire.

In the 20th century, London also gained fame as one of the world's main centers of fashion and youth subculture. It is to London that we owe the appearance of dandy and casual styles, rock musicians and the Beatles.

Great Britain on the world map

Today, the United Kingdom occupies a modest 78th place in the world in terms of territory. It accounts for only 2% of the earth's surface. We can say that the UK is just a small spot on the world map. But it was not always so.

During the period of greatest prosperity british empire belonged to literally a quarter of the world. At the beginning of the 20th century, Great Britain was largest state from ever existing on the planet (its record has not been beaten so far).

In addition to the crown territories in the British Isles, Great Britain belonged to: Canada, Australia, half of the African continent, India, Oman, Iraq, Honduras, Bermuda and the Bahamas, Malaysia, Burma, New Zealand, New Guinea, Cyprus and other smaller territories. The United States was also a territory of the British Crown until its war of independence in 1776.

Contemporaries said that the sun never sets on the British Empire. In fairness, it should be noted that the colonial policy of Great Britain did not bode well for the conquered territories. In the history of the British Empire, there were many bloody wars and the most brutal punitive operations in the controlled territories.

UK map in Russian

Detailed maps of Great Britain, including a map of attractions, road and railways, administrative division and many others you can see. All maps are available for download.

The political structure of Great Britain

Who is the head of state in the UK?

The UK has a rather complex and confusing system of government. In addition to the monarch, there are such governing bodies of the country as the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Prime Minister.

UK House of Commons

The main task of the House of Commons is to represent the interests of all classes of the population in the adoption of laws in the state. Members of the House of Commons are elected by voting in the administrative districts of Great Britain for a term of 5 years. It is the lowest rung of the UK legislature.

UK House of Lords

The House of Lords represents the interests of the highest aristocracy and clergy in Great Britain. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the House of Lords had the right to reject any bill proposed by the House of Commons, if it considered that this bill infringes on the interests of the nobility.

At present, the Lords can only delay such laws for periods ranging from one month to a year. The duties of members of the House of Lords also include the consideration of judicial appeals.

The seat in the House of Lords is hereditary (with the exception of representatives of the Church, where the members of the Palana of Lords are appointed by the Council of Bishops), and this is one of the most archaic bodies of government in Europe. Members of the House of Lords, unlike the House of Commons, do not receive a fixed salary for attending meetings and are not required to attend every meeting.

UK Parliament

The Commons Board and the House of Lords are collectively referred to as the British Parliament. If necessary, the monarch can dissolve parliament and announce early elections, or vice versa extend its powers.

Cabinet of Ministers

The Cabinet of Ministers is the highest governing body of the country. Members of the cabinet of ministers head various state structures (departments or ministries). Ministers are appointed from among the representatives of Parliament, their duties include leading ministries, as well as consulting with the monarch on important decisions. The British Cabinet is subordinate to the Parliament.

British Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of Great Britain is the most important official in the country after the monarch. He heads the government, in certain matters he can act on behalf of the monarch. The candidate for the post of prime minister is approved by the king or queen from among the most influential members of Parliament.

Kings and Queens of Great Britain

The UK is one of the oldest monarchies in the world. The highest head in the country is the monarch (king or queen), the throne is transferred by majority inheritance (that is, the eldest in the family).

Despite the fact that outwardly the members royal house Great Britain perform purely representative and ceremonial functions, the monarch in the UK has very real power.

The King or Queen of Great Britain can dissolve the government, assign the title of Lord to citizens of non-noble origin to enter the House of Lords, approve bills, appoint ministers and pardon criminals.

Conservative Party of Great Britain

The Conservative Party of Great Britain (Tory Party) is the oldest political party in Europe, which originated in the 17th century. The party traditionally represents the interests of the nobility, the clergy and the bourgeoisie.

Historically, this is the most influential political force in the kingdom, which invariably holds the majority of seats in Parliament. The brightest prime ministers in recent history Great Britain belonged to the Conservatives: Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron.

The current British Prime Minister, Theresa May, is also a member of the Conservative Party.

Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is one of the oldest reigning monarchs in the world. She took the throne from her father George VI in 1952, the second year, and has been in power for more than 60 years (in 2016, Elizabeth II turned 90 years old). According to most Britons, Elizabeth is an example of an impeccable ruler who has not tarnished her royal title in any way.

Despite belonging to the weaker sex, Elizabeth II is famous for her iron character, and will give odds to many men. Some interesting facts from her biography:

At the age of 18, Elizabeth persuaded her father to let her go to the active army and in 1944 she took courses as drivers-mechanics, after which she entered the military service in the women's self-defense squad and served for about six months until the end of World War II. She is the only lady in the royal family who has taken part in hostilities.

Elizabeth fell in love with her future husband, Prince Philip, as a child. Philip is the heir to the impoverished Greek monarchy, whose representatives were forced to flee their own country after being exiled. Philip's candidacy did not suit Elizabeth's parents and the ruling elite of Great Britain at all, but the princess managed to get consent to the marriage. Moreover, she herself offered him a hand and a heart, without waiting for reciprocal signs of attention.

Elizabeth bought the fabric for her wedding dress with discount coupon cards. In 1947, the British economy had not yet had time to recover from the war, and Elizabeth considered it indecent to spend the kingdom's treasury on magnificent celebrations.

Even at the age of 90, Elizabeth still personally holds all the most important meetings in the state and, as the supreme commander, inspects all the military installations of the kingdom. The heir apparent Prince Charles, she does not trust any of these matters.

The steel character of the queen does not prevent her from having small human weaknesses.

Elizabeth II is considered a trendsetter and a great lover of hats. She wears bright colors regardless of her age, but never crosses the boundaries of strict classics.

According to protocol, the queen cannot appear at official events in the same outfit twice. Each of her toilets is entered in a huge catalog, has its own serial number and is accompanied by a record: where, when and under what circumstances she put it on - this avoids repetition and embarrassment.

The queen is supposed to be the standard of courtesy, but the number of meetings and audiences is so great that it takes too much effort. Elizabeth II has several secret signs by which the courtiers must understand that it is time to end the event. For example, if Elizabeth twists the ring on her finger, the conversation must be completed within the next 5 minutes.

In her busy schedule, Elizabeth II makes sure to set aside time to watch her favorite series and TV shows. She is known to be a fan of the English version of "X-Factor", as well as several series, including "Game of Thrones".

Once a year, Elizabeth takes an extended vacation and retires to a castle in Scotland, where she spends most of her time reading books and walking. In the same place, Elizabeth takes a warm bath every day for several hours, in which, according to the assurances of the courtiers, she cannot do without a small rubber duck, presented to her as a child.

Other representatives of the royal house of Great Britain

Elizabeth II belongs to the royal branch of the Windsors, whose descendants in modern Britain are quite a lot. The British are very sensitive to the institution of the monarchy, among the members of the royal family they have their favorites and scandalous persons, whose name is on everyone's lips.

Princess Diana

Diana Spencer (or Lady Dee) is consistently ranked in the top 10 greatest Britons in national polls. The first wife of Prince Charles (son of Elizabeth II) won the true sincere love of her subjects and millions of people around the world.

She is often called the "Queen of Hearts" for her great contributions to charity, as well as boundless personal charm, modesty and simplicity.

According to rumors, Elizabeth II really disliked her daughter-in-law for her popularity among the people (at times she overshadowed the queen herself).

In 1997, Lady Dee suddenly died in a car accident, which still causes a lot of rumors and suspicions: there is a version that members of the ruling family. But even after her death, Princess Diana remains the queen of people's hearts.

Prince William and Kate Middleton

Prince William is the grandson of Elizabeth II, the son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. William inherited many features from his mother (he is also charming, does a lot of charity work), and in recent years he has been rapidly overtaking his grandmother in terms of the degree of adoration of his loyal subjects. He serves as a helicopter pilot for the English medical service and takes part in rescue operations.

Kate Middleton comes from a simple family. With her future husband, Prince William, she met while studying at the university. Shy Kate demeanor is very reminiscent of the British Diana. They admire her attitude towards children, impeccable manners, but most of all the audience is touched romantic story Kate and William, which is very reminiscent of the tale of Cinderella.

Prince Harry

The youngest son of Diana and Prince Charles causes mixed feelings among the British. On the one hand, he does not differ in impeccable behavior, but on the other hand, he is such a cutie that the citizens of Great Britain forgive him everything. In addition, his antics are caused more by curiosity and youthful carelessness than by a spoiled temper.

The loudest "exploits" of Prince Harry: boundless amorousness (photos of Harry with cute young ladies regularly get into the press), hussar antics and merry partying. But there are also serious achievements: Prince Harry took part in the fighting in Afghanistan as an ordinary pilot, and put his life in danger on an equal basis with others without any concessions.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

Sisters Beatrice and Eugenie are granddaughters of Queen Elizabeth II, daughters of her second son, Prince Andrew. Unlike William and Harry, the girls cannot boast of an ideal reputation in the eyes of others, or even relative charm.

The elder Beatrice is often criticized by residents of the UK for being too extravagant and not always in accordance with the protocol. She also gets it for being too curvaceous and an idle lifestyle (in the UK, belonging to the royal house does not at all mean the right to idleness). Otherwise, Beatrice manages to keep within the bounds of decency.

Younger Evgenia is a real headache for her family. The girl regularly excites the British public with her antics and another batch of paparazzi photos: drunken dances, cigarettes and indecent antics are the main thing that Evgenia is famous for.

Video. Interesting facts about Great Britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is an island nation located in northwestern Europe. The country is washed by the waters North Sea from the east, Norwegian - from the north and the Atlantic Ocean - from the west and south. It occupies the entire island of Great Britain, as well as the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and small nearby islands and archipelagos.

detailed map Great Britain demonstrates that the country also extends its sovereignty to a number of island territories in the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas, as well as the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

Great Britain on the world map: geography, nature and climate

Great Britain on the world map occupies 243,809 km 2, of which 229,946 km² falls on the island of Great Britain. Despite its relatively small size, the country has an extremely large extent coastline- 17,820 km.

Length land border while it is only 360 km. The only land neighbor of the UK is Ireland, which occupies most of the island of the same name. However, the overseas territories of the country border on Spain (on a small stretch near the city of Gibraltar) and Cyprus (in the area of ​​the location of sovereign British military bases). Great Britain recognizes more than two dozen states as its maritime neighbors, but the main territory borders only on France through the English Channel and Pas-de-Calais.

Geographic location of Great Britain

The relief of the country is very diverse. The northern regions of Great Britain are represented by the North Scottish Highlands. It is here that on the maps of Great Britain in Russian you can find the highest point of the country - Mount Ben Nevis (1344 m). To the south, the Mid-Scottish Lowland begins, resting on the Pennine Range, which stretches for 350 km from north to south. Behind him begins the Midland - a plain that occupies most of the island. Another small mountain range, Snowdonia, is located in Central Wales in the west of the country.

The Northern Irish enclave of the country, despite its small size, is also distinguished by a variety of relief. It is here that the largest lake in the country, Loch Neagh, is located, whose area is 396 km². In the UK, there are a sufficient number of large deep rivers, but the length of the longest - Severn - does not exceed 354 km.

Animal and plant world

The nature of the country has been subjected to significant human interference since ancient times. Up to 70% of the UK is used for agricultural purposes. And only 10% of the land is occupied by forests. In the northern mountainous regions, mixed oak-pine forests are common. To the south of the bowl there are elms, hornbeams, birches, beeches and ash trees. A significant part of animal species was exterminated. To date, only 53 species of mammals live in the UK. The most common are red deer, wild goats, roe deer, badgers, foxes, otters and weasels. Gray and common seals are often found on the coasts. Coastal waters are rich in commercial fish species - mackerel, herring, sprat, cod and sardine.

Climate

Thanks to the warm current of the Gulf Stream, the country's climate is milder than in countries of the same latitude. Most of the UK lies in the temperate oceanic climate zone. The average winter temperature ranges from 2-4 0 C, and the summer temperature rarely exceeds 15-16 0 C.

It should be noted that in the mountainous and most northern regions these figures will be 2-3 degrees lower. The number of rainy and cloudy days in the country is high, so the rainfall in the most humid western regions can reach 3000 mm per year. However, in most areas of the UK, the average rainfall does not exceed 800 mm.

UK map with cities. Administrative division of the country

The UK has a very confusing structure. Apart from overseas territories, the country is divided into 4 main parts, which are actually autonomous states. These are England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Moreover, each of the parts has its own internal administrative division, which differs from the others. So Northern Ireland is divided into 6 counties and 11 districts, Scotland - into 32 districts, and Wales - into 9 counties, 10 city-counties and 3 cities. England has the most complex division: 28 counties, 6 city-counties, 9 regions, 55 unitary units, Greater London and the Scilly Archipelago, which has a special legal status. A map of Great Britain with cities in Russian makes it clear that most of the country's population (up to 85%) lives in England, which occupies about 53% of the area of ​​Great Britain.

London- the capital of Great Britain and the third most populous city in Europe. Located in the southeast of the country on the banks of the River Thames. It is one of the key economic and financial centers of the world.

150 km northwest of London is Birmingham is the second largest city in the UK. Historical Center British industry and engineering. It is also one of the leading European scientific and educational centers.

City of Leeds located closer to the geographical center of the country in Yorkshire and is the third largest city in the UK. After the capital, it is the second most important financial center of the country.

England is very often used in other meanings: Great Britain, Britain, the United Kingdom. England on the world map is the largest historical and administrative part United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. The capital of England - London. This city is the largest city in Great Britain and the European Union. England occupies southeastern part Great Britain.

The flight time to London, the capital of Great Britain, is short and families with small children will not need to make a transfer in order for the child to take a break from the flight.

From North the country borders on Scotland, and from the west with Wales. England is separated from France by two straits: the English Channel and the Pas de Calais, under which a large Eurotunnel passes, which connects Europe and Great Britain by rail. The coast of England is washed by the waters of two seas: the North and Irish, and the waters atlantic ocean. A detailed map of England with cities in Russian is presented on our website.

The southern half of England is in the plains, which are separated by hills and uplands. In the north, the country becomes mountainous and here are the Pennines, which stretch for 350 kilometers. Mountains separate the northwest of the country from Yorkshire and the northeast. The Pennines are also often referred to as "the backbone of England". The highest point in England is Scafell Pike, which has a height of about 978 meters. Eastern part England occupies a swampy lowland, which has been drained for agricultural work.

GREAT BRITAIN

(United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

General information

Geographical position. Great Britain is a state in the north-west of Europe. It consists of the island of Great Britain, which contains England, Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland, which occupies part of the island of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are dominions of the United Kingdom, but are not part of it.

Square. The territory of Great Britain occupies 244,110 sq. km.

Main cities, administrative divisions. The capital of the Great Britain is London. Largest cities: London (7,335 thousand people), Manchester (2,277 thousand people), Birmingham (935 thousand people), Glasgow (654 thousand people), Sheffield (500 thousand people), Liverpool ( 450 thousand people), Edinburgh (421 thousand people), Belfast (280 thousand people).

Great Britain consists of 4 administrative and political parts (historical provinces): England (39 counties, 6 metropolitan counties and Greater London), Wales (8 counties), Scotland (9 districts and insular territory) and Northern Ireland (26 counties). The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands have a special status.

Political system

Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II (in power since 1952). The head of government is the prime minister. Legislative power is vested in Parliament, which consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

Relief. On the territory of England are the Pennines (in the north of the region) with the highest point - Mount Scafell Pike (2178m). South of the Pennines and east of Wales stretches a vast plain that occupies most of central and southern England. In the extreme south are the Dartmoor Hills (about 610 m above sea level).

Scotland, which is mostly mountainous, can in turn be divided into three regions: the Highlands in the north, the Central Lowlands in the center and the Suzen Uplands in the south. The first region occupies more than half of the territory of Scotland. This is the most mountainous region of the British Isles, cut in many places by narrow lakes. In the Grampian Mountains of this region is the highest point in Scotland and the entire United Kingdom - Mount Ben Nevis (1343 m). The central region is more or less flat with few hills. And although it occupies only a tenth of the territory of Scotland, the majority of the country's population is concentrated here. Most South Region- moorland, much lower than the Highlands. >

Wales, like Scotland, is a mountainous region, but the mountains here are not so high. The main mountain range is the Cambrian Mountains in the center of Wales, the Snowdon massif (up to 1,085 m high) is located in the northwest. Most of the territory of Northern Ireland is occupied by a plain, in the center of which is Loch Nee. In the northwest are the Sperin mountains, on northeast coast- The Antrim Highlands and the Murn Mountains in the southeast of the region, they also contain the highest point in Northern Ireland, Slieve Donard (852 m).

Geological structure and minerals. On the territory of Great Britain there are deposits of coal, oil, natural gas, iron ore, rock and potash salts, tin, lead, quartz.

Climate. The climate of the country varies depending on the region. In England, the climate is mild due to the relative warmth of the seas surrounding it. Average annual temperature is about +11°С in the south and about +9°С in the northeast. The average July temperature in London is about +18°C, the average January temperature is about +4.5°C. Average annual rainfall (most heavy rains go in October) is about 760 mm. Scotland is the coldest region in the UK. The average January temperature is about +3°C, and snow often falls in the mountains in the north. The average July temperature is around +15°С. Most a large number of precipitation falls in the west of the Highlands region (about 3,810 mm per year), the least - in some eastern regions(about 635 mm per year). The climate of Wales is mild and humid. The average January temperature is around +5°C. Average July - about +15°C. Average annual rainfall is approximately 762 mm in the central coastal region and over 2,540 mm in the Snowdon Massif. The climate of Northern Ireland is mild and humid. The average annual temperature is about +10°С (about +14.5°С in July and about +4.5°С in January). Rainfall in the north often exceeds 1,016 mm per year, while in the south it is about 760 mm per year.

Inland waters. The main rivers of England are the Thames, the Severn, the Tyne, and the picturesque Lake District is located in the Mersinnins. The main rivers of Scotland are the Clyde, the Tay, the Force, the Tweed, the Dee and the Spey. Loch Ness, Loch Tay and Loch Catherine stand out among the numerous lakes. The main rivers of Wales are the Dee, Usk, Teifi. The largest lake is Bala. The main rivers of Northern Ireland are the Foyle, the Upper Ban and the Lower Ban. Loch Neagh (about 390 sq. km) is the most big lake British Isles.

Soils and vegetation. The vegetation of England is quite poor, forests occupy less than 4% of the region, most often there are oak, birch, pine. In Scotland, forests are more common, although moorland dominates the region. Oak and coniferous trees (spruce, pine and larch) grow mainly in the forests in the south and east of the Highlands. In Wales, the forests are mostly deciduous: ash, oak. IN mountainous areas coniferous trees are widespread.

Animal world. Deer, fox, rabbit, hare, badger are common in England; among the birds - partridge, dove, raven. Reptiles, of which there are only four species in all the British Isles, are rare in England. The rivers of the region are mainly inhabited by salmon and trout. For Scotland, the most characteristic deer, roe deer, hare, rabbit, marten, otter, wild cat. Of the birds, partridges and wild ducks are found mainly. There are also many salmon and trout in the rivers and lakes of Scotland. Cod, herring, haddock are caught in coastal waters. In Wales, the fauna is almost the same as in England, with the exception of the black polecat and pine marten, which are not found in England.

Population and language

The population of the United Kingdom is approximately 58.97 million people, average density population of about 241 people per sq. km. Ethnic groups: British - 81.5%, Scots - 9.6%, Irish - 2.4%, Welsh - 1.9%, Ulsters - 1.8%, Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese, Arabs, Africans. The state language is English.

Religion

Anglicans - 47%, Catholics - 16%, Muslims - 2%, Methodists, Baptists, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs.

Brief historical sketch

In 43 AD e. Britain became part of the Roman Empire and remained there until 410, when the Celts, Saxons and other tribes replaced the Romans.

In 1066, the petty kingdoms of Great Britain were conquered by the Norman commander William and united into a single state.

In 1215, King John the Landless signed a guarantee of rights, providing for the rule of law "Magna Carta" (a document to this day is one of the main parts of the country's constitution).

In 1338, England entered the war with France, which lasted more than a hundred years (until 1.453). Almost immediately after its end, a war broke out for the English throne (the War of the Scarlet and White Roses - two rival dynasties of Lancaster and York, as a result of which both dynasties died), ending in 1485 with the victory of the Tudor dynasty "

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603), England developed into a great maritime power and conquered vast colonies on several continents.

In 1603, when the Scottish king James VI ascended the English throne as King James I, Scotland and England were effectively united into one state. However, the Kingdom of Great Britain was proclaimed after the signing of the act of unification in 1707, from the same time London became the capital of a single state.

In 1642-1649. the conflict between the royal house of the Stuarts and Parliament led to a bloody civil war, which resulted in the proclaiming of a republic led by Oliver Cromwell. The monarchy was soon restored, but the rights of the king were significantly curtailed and, in fact, the full power was in Parliament.

At the end of the XVIII century. Great Britain lost 13 American colonies, but significantly strengthened its position in Canada and India.

In 1801, Ireland was annexed to the kingdom. In 1815, Great Britain played a big role in the defeat of the Napoleonic army, which strengthened its position as one of the most important European powers. After that, the country lived in peace for a century, expanding its colonial possessions, which especially grew during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901).

After the First World War, Great Britain was in a difficult economic situation, which partly played in favor of the Irish liberation movement, and in 1921 Ireland declared independence.

After the Second World War, national problems in Scotland and Northern Ireland became more acute. The events in Northern Ireland took on a particularly dramatic character, where a war had actually been waged since 1969.

In August 1994, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced a unilateral ceasefire, and the peace process, which began in the early 1990s with negotiations between the British and Irish governments, moved a little faster. However, dissatisfied with the course of the negotiation process, the IRA militants resumed their terrorist activities in early 1996. An agreement was reached between England and Ireland to settle their differences by peaceful political means.

Brief economic essay

Great Britain is an economically developed industrial country. Extraction of oil, natural gas, coal. The leading industry is mechanical engineering, including electrical and radio-electronic, transport (aerospace, auto and shipbuilding), tractor and machine tool building. The oil refining, chemical (production of plastics and synthetic resins, chemical fibers, synthetic rubber, sulfuric acid, mineral fertilizers), textile, and food industries are well developed. Large footwear, clothing and other branches of light industry. The main branch of agriculture is meat and dairy and dairy farming. Grain farming predominates in crop production; sugar beet cultivation, potato growing. Fishing. Export: machinery and equipment, oil and oil products, products of the chemical industry. The UK is a major exporter of capital. Foreign tourism.

Currency unit- GBP.

A Brief Outline of Culture

Art and architecture. In the UK, the largest, unusually folded and integral in composition megalithic complexes Neolithic and Bronze Age (Stonehenge, Avebury), the remains of Roman buildings I-V centuries, stone carving and metal products of the Celts, Picts, Anglo-Saxons. By the 7th - 10th centuries include churches (in Earl Barton, 10th century) derived from folk frame buildings, and miniatures with a complex curvilinear pattern. Anglo-Norman churches (in Norwich, Wixester) with narrow, long naves, choir and transept and powerful square towers, tower-like castles (Tower of London, begun around 1078), colorful miniatures of the Winchester school are characteristic of the Romanesque style of the 11th-12th centuries . Developed from the 12th century English Gothic (the first Gothic construction in Europe - in Durham Cathedral) is represented by cathedrals in Canterbury, Lincoln, Salisbury, York, Westminster Abbey in London; they are characterized by a combination of simplicity and massiveness of elongated squat volumes with an increasing abundance of decor, an ever more complicated pattern of wide facades; decorative finesse

teas gothic paintings, miniatures, sculptures, tombstones with stone or engraved figures on copper sheets. Late Gothic (“perpendicular style”, from the second half of the 14th century) is marked by the richness of carved decoration of light, spacious interiors of churches and secular buildings (St. the emergence of easel, including portrait, painting.

The Reformation (begun in 1534) gave English culture a purely secular character, and after the English revolution of the 17th century. in construction and everyday life, the desire for rationality and comfort intensified.

In painting of the XVI-XVII centuries. the main place was occupied by the portrait: the traditions of H. Holbein, who came to Great Britain, were developed by the English miniaturists N. Hilliard, A. Oliver, S. Cooper; the type of spectacular aristocratic portrait of the 17th century, introduced by foreigners who settled in Great Britain - L. van Dyck, P. Lely, G. Neller, acquired from their English successors - W. Dobson and J. Riley, great simplicity, rigor and objectivity.

The classically clear buildings of I. Jones (Banquet Hall in London, 1619-1622) served as the starting point for the development of English classicism of the 17th-18th centuries, distinguished by restrained, strict solemnity, and a clear logic of the composition of urban ensembles (Greenwich Hospital, 1616-1728, architect K Wren and others, Fitzroy Square, about 1790-1800, architects R. and J. Adam, in London), churches (St. Paul's Cathedral, 1675-1710, and 52 churches in London, built by C. Wren after fire of 1666).

Great Britain was the birthplace of the romantic trend of pseudo-Gothic and landscape "English" parks (W. Kent, W. Chambers).

The rise of English art in the 18th century opens with the work of W. Hogarth. A galaxy of brilliant portrait painters: A. Ramsey, J. Reynolds, H. Raeburn skillfully combined the ceremonial impressiveness of the composition with the naturalness and spirituality of the image. National schools of landscape (G. Gainsborough, R. Wilson, J. Krom; watercolorists J. R. Cozens, T. Girtin) and genre painting (J. Moreland, J. Wright) have developed.

In the first half of the XIX century. along with the romantic fantasy graphic artist W. Blake and the bold colorist landscape painter W. Turner, the founder of the plein-air realistic landscape J. Constable, the subtle landscape painter and historical painter R. P. Bonington, the masters of the watercolor landscape J. S. Kotman and D. Cox.

London. British Museum (which houses world-famous archaeological finds, collections of drawings, coins, medals, specialized exhibitions are regularly held); The Victoria and Albert Museum (which is one of the most interesting museums applied arts with the richest collections of items from almost all countries of the world, all styles and eras, national collections of post-classical sculpture, photography, watercolors); Museum of Natural History with magnificent collections of animals, insects, fish, a specialized exhibition of dinosaurs; Museum of London History with a collection of exhibits from the time of the Roman Empire to the present day; the Tate Gallery with magnificent collections of British and European paintings of the late 19th and 20th centuries; National Gallery with a collection of Western European paintings from the 13th century. to the 20th century; London Gaol - a medieval horror museum with torture chambers; Madame Tussauds is the world famous wax museum; cathedral of st. Paul (XVII-XVIII centuries); The Tower of London is a museum complex, which, in particular, contains the jewels of the British crown; Westminster Abbey (XI century) - the place of coronation of all British monarchs; the Palace of Westminster (Parliament Building), the most famous part of which is the clock tower with the Beat Ben bell; Buckingham palace-royal residence. Trafalgar Square with Nelson's Column, erected in honor of the victory at Trafalgar; a large number of parks, among which Hyde Park with a "speakers' corner" stands out; Regent's Park with a magnificent zoo, Kew Gardens with a greenhouse, an aquarium and the Butterfly House, where tropical butterflies fly all year round. Edinburgh. Edinburgh castle; church of st. Margaret (XI century); Castle Rock Castle, the royal residence in Scotland, Holyrod Palace; church of st. Gilles (XV century); the Scottish Parliament building (1639); home of a 16th-century Protestant reformer John Nonce; National Gallery of Scotland; National Portrait Gallery of Scotland; Royal Museum; Museum of Modern History; Museum of Scottish History. Belfast. City hall; Protestant Cathedral of St. Anna; Ulster Museum. Glasgow. Cathedral of St. Mungo (1136 - mid-15th century); Glasgow Museum, one of the best in Britain art galleries; Hunterian Museum; Botanical Garden; zoo. Cardiff. Cardaf Castle (XI century); Cathedral of Llandaf; church of st. John the Baptist (XV century); National Museum Wales. Stratford-upon-Avon (England). House-Museum of W. Shakespeare; Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Invernes (Scotland). Castle of the 12th century; the remains of the fort GUv.; nearby is famous lake Loch Ness, where a monster with the affectionate name Nessie supposedly lives.

The science. D. Priestley (1733-1804) - chemist who discovered oxygen; T. Mor (1478-1535) - one of the founders of utopian socialism; W. Gilbert (1544-1603) - physicist, researcher of geomagnetism; F. Bacon (1561-1626) - philosopher, founder of English materialism; W. Garvey (1578-1657) - the founder of modern physiology and embryology, who described the large and small circles of blood circulation; R. Boyle (1627-1691) - chemist and physicist, who laid the foundation for chemical analysis; J. Locke (1632-1704) - philosopher, founder of liberalism; I. Newton (1643-1727) - mathematician, mechanic, astronomer and physicist, creator of classical mechanics; E. Halley (1656-1742) - astronomer and geophysicist, who calculated the orbits of more than 20 comets; J. Berkeley (1685-1753) - philosopher, subjective idealist; S. Johnson (1709-1784) - lexicographer who created the Dictionary of the English Language (1755); D. Hume (1711_1776) - philosopher, historian, economist; V. Herschel (1738-1822) - the founder of stellar astronomy, who discovered Uranus; G. Kort (1740-1800) - inventor of the rolling mill; E. Cartwright (1743-1823) - inventor of the loom; T. Malthus (1766-1834) - economist, founder of Malthusianism; D. Ricardo (1772-1823) and A. Smith (1723-1790) - the largest representatives of classical political economy; J. Watt (1774-1784) - inventor of the steam engine; J. Stephenson (1781-1848) - inventor of the steam locomotive; M. Faraday (1791-1867) - physicist, founder of the theory of the electromagnetic field; J. Nesmith (1808-1890) - creator of the steam hammer; C. Darwin (1809-1882) - naturalist, creator of the theory of evolution; J. Joule (1818-1889) - physicist, experimentally substantiated the law of conservation of energy; J. Adams (1819-1892) - astronomer and mathematician who calculated the orbit and coordinates of Neptune; G. Spencer (1820-1903) - philosopher and sociologist, one of the founders of positivism; J. Maxwell (1831-1879) - physicist, creator of classical electrodynamics; W. Batson (1861-1926), biologist, one of the founders of genetics; G. Rutherford (1871-1937) - physicist, one of the founders of the theory of radioactivity and the structure of the atom; A. Fleming (1881-1955) - microbiologist who discovered penicillin; J. Keynes (1883-1946) - economist, founder of Keynesianism; J. Chadwick (1891-1974) - physicist who discovered the neutron; P. Dirac (1902-1984) - physicist, one of the creators of quantum mechanics; F. Whittle (b. 1907) - inventor of the turbojet engine.

Literature. The epic poem "Beowulf" (7th century) has come down to us in the lists of the 10th century. On British soil in the VIII-X centuries. the religious lyrics of the Anglo-Saxons, theological works, chronicles arose. After the conquest of England by the Normans in the XI-XIII centuries. trilingual literature develops: church writings in Latin, chivalric poems and poems in French, English traditions in Anglo-Saxon. The synthesis of the culture of the era of mature feudalism and the anticipation of the early Renaissance are characteristic of the Canterbury Tales (XIV century) - a collection of poetic stories and short stories by J. Chaucer. In the prologue to this work, a description is given of people of all classes and professions going on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. The medieval romance of chivalry is combined here with the prosaic humor of the townspeople; in the assessments of life phenomena, the emergence of early humanism is felt. The Hundred Years' War with France, then the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, slowed down the development of literature. Among the few monuments is the presentation in prose of the legends about the knights of the "Round Table" - "The Death of Arthur" by Thomas Malory (XV century). At the beginning of the XVI century. Thomas More, the author of Utopia, which contained not only criticism of the feudal system, but also a picture of an ideal state, is speaking.

At the beginning of the XVII century. the genre of essays (F. Bacon) and characteristics (G. Overbury) appears. The dramaturgy of the mature English Renaissance reached its highest artistic height. In the XV century. the genres of morality and interlude appear in the theater. In the folk theater, which experienced rapid development in the 2nd half of the 16th century, an original national dramaturgy arose: K. Marlo (1564-1593), T. Kid (1558-1594) and others. Their activities paved the way for the creativity of the great playwright W. Shakespeare (1564-1616). In his comedies, he reflected the cheerful spirit of the Renaissance and the optimism of the humanists; among his works are chronicle plays from the history of England ("Richard III", "Henry IV", etc.). Tragedies (Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, etc.) became the pinnacle of Shakespeare's work.

J. Milton (1608-1674) during the Restoration period created an epic poem on the biblical story "Paradise Lost" (1667).

The leading ideological trend of the XVIII century. enlightenment becomes. The primacy in literature passes from poetry to prose; a bourgeois novel arises, the creator of which was D. Defoe (1661-1731), who became famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe (1719). Satire J. Swift (1667-1745) "Gulliver's Travels" (1726) brought the author worldwide fame. Sentimental novels by S. Richardson (1689-1761), written in epistolary form, gained fame. The satirical line in social comedy continued to develop and culminated in the work of R. B. Sheridan (1751-1816), author of the satirical comedy The School of Scandal (1777).

The revival of interest in folk poetry led to the popularity of the Scottish poet R. Burns (1759-1796). In the 90s of the XVIII century. the works of the romantics W. Wordsworth (1770-1850), S. T. Coleridge (1772-1834), R. Southey (1774-1843), sometimes united by the concept of "lake school", appear. The second generation of English romantics - J. G. Byron (1788-1824), P. B. Shelley (1792-1822), J. Keith (1795-1821). W. Scott (1771-1832) creates the genre of the historical novel.

30-60s of the XIX-period of the heyday of critical realism: in the novels of Ch. 1810-1865). Thackeray creates a "novel without a hero" "Vanity Fair" (1847-1848). At the end of the XIX century. in the English novel there is a sharp contrast between the neo-romanticism of R. L. Stevenson (1850-1894) and the harsh realism of T. Hard (1840-1928) and S. Butler (1835-1902). Representatives of English naturalism J. Moore (1852-1933) and J. Gissing (1857-1903) were followers of E. Zola.

In the 90s. the period of modern English literature begins. At its threshold stands a brief period of decadence and symbolism, presented by O. Wilde (1854-1900). The coryphaeus of English symbolism is the Irishman W. B. Yeats (1865-1939).

The last decade of the 19th century and the years preceding the First World War were marked by a powerful development of critical realism, for example, the plays of B. Shaw (1856-1950, Heartbreak House, Back to Methuselah, etc.), fantastic and philosophical novels by H. J. Wells (1866-1946, "The First Men in the Moon", etc.), the trilogy "The Forsyte Saga" and "Modern Comedy" by J. Galsworthy (1867-1933), the works of W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965, "The Burden of human passions", "The Razor's Edge", "Moon and a penny", "Theatre", etc.), E. M. Forster (1879-1970), Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) and others. J. Conrad stands apart ( 1857-1924), who combined the romance of sea voyages and descriptions exotic countries with subtle psychology. Poetry is most originally represented by R. Kipling (1865-1936).

The main place in the literature of the pre-war period remains with the novel, in which modernist experimentation arises. The Irishman J. Joyce (1882-1941) in his novel "Ulysses" (1922) applied the method of "stream of consciousness" in literature, marking the smallest details of the inner life of the characters.