MODULE 1
MODERN REALIA OF THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK)

GEOGRAPHY OF THE UK

UK is an abbreviation of “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” (which is the political name of the country). The country is made up of four constituent parts – England, Scotland, Wales (Cymru in Welsh) and Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster)∗. 1. Geographical position of the UK The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles – a large group of islands lying off the north-western coast of Europe and separated from the continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover in the south and the North Sea in the east. The British Isles consist of two large islands – Great Britain and Ireland – separated by the Irish Sea, and a lot of small islands, the main of which are the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, Anglesea and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, the Hebrides – a group of islands off the north-western coast of Scotland, and two groups of islands lying to the north of Scotland: the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands**. The total area of the United Kingdom is 244 square kilometres. 2. State symbols of the UK 2.1. The flag of the UK

The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack*** is made up of three crosses.

The upright red cross is the cross of St George, the patron saint of England.

The white diagonal cross (with the arms going into the corners) is the cross of St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.

The red diagonal cross is the cross of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

The national flag of Wales is a red dragon on a background of white and green. Wales is not represented in the Union Jack because when the first version of the flag appeared Wales was already united with England*, but the Welsh flag is in widespread usage throughout that country.

2.2. The Royal Coat of Arms is the official coat of arms of the British monarch. The Coat of Arms depicts the shield supported by a crowned lion (on the left) and a unicorn (on the right). The shield is quartered: the top left and the bottom right quarters depict the three lions passant guardant which is the symbol for England; the top right quarter – the rampant lion and double tressure fleury-counter-fleury for Scotland; the bottom left quarter – a harp for Ireland. Above the shield there is the crown – the symbol of the monarch. The crest above the crown is a lion statant guardant wearing the imperial crown. The supporters of the shield – the crowned lion and the unicorn symbolize England and Scotland respectively. According to legend a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast; therefore the heraldic unicorn is chained The coat features both the motto of English monarchs, Dieu et mon droit (God and my right), and the motto of the Order of the Garter, Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shamed be he who thinks ill of it) on a representation of the Garter behind the shield. The mottoes are old French and date back to the days when French was the court language. The Queen has a separate version of her arms for use in Scotland, giving the Scottish elements pride of place. The Coat of Arms depicts the shield supported by a crowned lion (on the right) symbolizing England and a crowned and chained unicorn (on the left) symbolizing Scotland. Between each supporter and the shield is a lance displaying the flag of their respective kingdom. The shield is quartered: the top left and the bottom right quarters depict the lion rampant of Scotland; the top right – the three lions passant guardant of England; the bottom left – the harp of Ireland. The crest atop the Crown of Scotland is a red lion, seated and forward facing, itself wearing the Crown of Scotland and holding the two remaining elements of the Honours of Scotland – namely the Sword of State and the Sceptre of Scotland. Above the crest appears the motto, which is an abbreviated form of the full motto: In My Defens God Me Defend. The coat also features both the motto Nemo me impune lacessit (No-one wounds (touches) me with impunity) and, surrounding the shield, the collar of the Order of the Thistle. 2.3. The National Anthem of the United Kingdom is “God Save The King”. It was a patriotic song that dates back to the 18th century. The words and tunes are anonymous. In September 1745 the “Young Pretender” to the British Throne, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, defeated the army of King George II at Prestonpans, near Edinburgh. When the news reached London the leader of the band at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, arranged “God Save the King” for performance after a play. It was a tremendous success and was repeated nightly. Other theatres later started to practice singing the song after a play. Thus the custom of greeting monarchs with “God Save The King” as he or she entered a place of public entertainment was established. The words used today are those sung in 1745, substituting “Queen” for “King” where appropriate. The words of the National Anthem are as follows: God save our gracious Queen! Long live our noble Queen! God save the Queen! Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, God save the Queen. Thy choicest gifts in store On her be pleased to pour, Long may she reign. May she defend our laws, And ever give us cause, To sing with heart and voice, God save the Queen. On official occasions, only the first verse is usually sung. 3. The symbols of the UK’s four constituent parts England Flag: the St George’s cross (see above) A red cross acted as a symbol for many Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries. It became associated with St George who’s claimed to be the patron saint of England (the saint’s day – 23 April). The red cross remained in national use until 1707, when the Union Flag was adopted for all purposes to unite the whole of Great Britain under a common flag. Plant: rose The rose as the national flower of England is used in a variety of contexts. Predominantly, this is a red rose (which also symbolises Lancashire), such as the badge of the English Rugby Union team. However, a white rose (which also symbolises Yorkshire) or a “tudor rose” (symbolising the end of the Wars of the Roses*) may also be used on different occasions. Scotland Flag: St Andrew’s cross (see above) – also known as the Saltire (St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland (the saint’s day – 30 November)) Plant: thistle The national flower of Scotland features in many Scottish symbols and logos, and UK currency. It is also used as the emblem of the Scottish Rugby team. Wales Flag: the Red Dragon (see above) Plant: leek and daffodil (they share the Welsh name Ceninen) It is believed that the leek, if eaten, encourages good health and happiness. This plant, which was worn by the Welsh in the Battle of Crecy** and, by 1536, when Henry VIII gave a leek to his daughter on 1 March, was already associated with St David’s Day. It is possible that the green and white family colours adopted by the Tudors were taken from their liking for the leek. The daffodil has only recently assumed a position of national importance. An increasingly popular flower during the 19th century, especially among women, its status was elevated by the Welsh-born prime minister David Lloyd George, who wore it on St David’s Day and used it in ceremonies in 1911 to mark the investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon. Patron saint: St David (the saint’s day – 1 March; it has been celebrated as such since the 12th century) Northern Ireland Flag: St Patrick’s cross (see above) – also known as the Red Hand Flag (St Patrick is the patron saint of Northern Ireland (the saint’s day – 17 March)) Plant: shamrock (a three-leafed clover) The shamrock is often confused with the four-leaf clover. While the four-leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, the three-leafed shamrock is mainly an Irish Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity and has a different significance. 4. The UK physical geography The physical geography of the UK varies greatly. The geography of England consists of lowland terrain, with mountainous terrain north-west of the Tees-Exe line including the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District (with the highest peak in England – Scaffel Pike, 977 m), the Pennines and limestone hills of the Peak District, Exmoor and Dartmoor. London, on the River Thames, is the capital of England and the United Kingdom as well. Other important cities in England are Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton, Plymouth, Bristol, Nottingham and Sheffield amongst many others. Major rivers are the Severn (the longest river in England and in the UK, 354 km), Thames (346 km), Ouse, Trent, Tyne and Mersey. The geography of Scotland consists of uplands in the south and the north, called Southern Uplands and Northwest Highlands. The highest mountain range is the Grampian Mountains with Ben Nevis at 1343 meters above sea level, being the highest peak of Scotland and the British Isles. There are also numerous bodies of freshwater especially in the Northwest Highlands and the Grampian Mountains including Loch Lomond (the largest lake in Scotland) and Loch Ness. The longest river in Scotland is the River Tay (188 km). Edinburgh is the capital and second largest city. The largest city is Glasgow, other urban areas include Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Ayr and Fort William. The geography of Wales is mostly mountainous. Snowdon at 1085 m is the highest elevation in Wales. Cardiff, on the Bristol Channel, is the capital of Wales. Other important cities in Wales are Swansea, Cardigan, Welshpool, Barmouth, Newport, Bangor, Flint and Wrexham. The longest river in Wales is the River Tywi (103 km). The geography of Northern Ireland includes the Mourne Mountains with its highest peak – Slieve Donard (852 m) – as well as Lough Neagh (388 km2) – the largest lake in Northern Ireland and the largest body of water in the UK. The longest river in Northern Ireland is the River Bann (122 km). Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. There are five settlements with city status: Belfast, Londonderry, Newry, Armagh and Lisburn. 4.1. The UK climate. The UK’s climate varies greatly according to season and location but on the whole can be described as temperate, though significantly warmer than some other locations at similar latitude due to the warming of the waters of the Gulf Stream. The prevailing winds are southwesterly, from the North Atlantic Current. More than 50% of the days are overcast. There are few natural hazards, although there can be strong winds and floods, especially in winter. Average annual rainfall varies from over 3,000 mm in the Scottish Highlands down to 553 mm in Cambridge. The driest period in the UK is late winter/spring, the wettest periods are autumn and winter. The county of Essex is one of the driest in the UK, the Lake District is the wettest region. July and August are normally the warmest month in throughout the UK. Around the coasts, February is normally the coldest month; but inland January and February as the coldest months. The highest temperature recorded in the UK was 38,5 °C at Brogdale, near Faversham, in the county of Kent, on 10 August 2003. The lowest was – 27,2 °C recorded at Braemar in the Grampian Mountains, Scotland, on 11 February 1895 and 10 January 1982 and Altnaharra, also in Scotland, on 30 December 1995. 4.2. The UK natural resources. The UK has a variety of natural resources including: • Geological: coal, petroleum, natural gas (the major ones), limestone, chalk, gypsum, silica, rock salt, china clay, iron ore, tin, silver, gold, lead (produced in small quantities). Coal mining is concentrated in Yorkshire, Northumberland-Darem and Southern-Welsh basins. Oil and gas was discovered under the North Sea during the 1960s and new supplies are still being found today. • Agricultural: arable land, wheat, barley, hill farms, sheep. 4.3. The UK demographics. The UK has a population of about 59 million people (according to the 2001 census). It is the third-largest country in the European Union (behind Germany and metropolitan France) and the 21st-largest in the world. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world, due to the particularly high population density in England. Almost one-third of the population lives in England’s southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban, with about 8,2 million in the capital of London. The UK’s population is predominantly white (92%). Other ethnic groups in the UK include: mixed – 1 %; Asian or British Asian – 4 %; Black or Black British – 2 %; Chinese – 0,5 %; other – 0,5 %*. English is the main language spoken in UK, although with many regional variations in terms of accents and phraseology. About one fifth of the population of Wales speak the Welsh language. Gaelic is spoken by some 70 000 people in Scotland. People in the central lowland of Scotland have for centuries spoken Scots. Many other languages are spoken by the minority ethnic communities of the UK. 5. The UK economic geography The economic geography of the UK reflects not only its current position in the global economy, but its long history both as a trading nation and an imperial power. The UK led the industrial revolution and its highly urban character is a legacy of this, with all its major cities being current or former centers of all forms of manufacturing. However, this in turn was built on its exploitation of natural resources, especially coal and iron ore.

5.1. The UK manufacturing

The top concerns of heavy manufacturing in the UK are:

3 oil and gas production: UK is the world’s ninth largest oil producer and the fifth largest gas producer;

4 power generation: UK has the largest energy resources of any EC country (oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power);

5 mineral and metal products: UK is a one of the major steel producers; in addition to its large output of aluminum and copper, UK also produces specialized alloys for the aerospace, electronic, petrochemical, nuclear and other fuel industries. The ceramics industry manufactures domestic pottery, sanitary ware and tiles;

6 chemical industry: the most rapid growth in recent years has been in pharmaceuticals, pesticides and cosmetics;

7 mechanical engineering: major products include plant and machinery for industries such as chemicals, power and water, as well as fabricated steel for bridges, buildings and industrial installations;

8 electrical, electronic and instrument engineering;

9 motor vehicles production: car output is dominated by Rover (which is British), Ford, Peugeot Talbot and Nissan;

10 shipbuilding and marine engineering.

11 light industry includes textiles, clothing and footwear manufacturing. UK’s wool textile industry is one of the largest in the world and is centered in northern England. The linen industry is based in Northern Ireland.

Besides, among ten largest manufacturing concerns in UK are BAT Industries (tobacco products, food, drinks, etc.). Scotch whisky is one of UK’s top five export earners.

Other major industries include timber and furniture, paper, printing and publishing, rubber tyres and tubes, toys, sports equipment and jewellery.

5.2. The UK agriculture. Most UK agriculture is intensive and highly mechanized, with the use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides routine. By European standards it is very efficient, although that does not necessarily make it profitable. East Anglia and South East England have been centers for grain production, with some areas of South East England also specializing in market gardening. The county of Kent was so well-known for this that it is often referred to as the Garden of England and was particularly noted for hop growing. Over half of full-time farmers in the UK are devoted mainly to dairying or beef cattle and sheep. Dairy farming is prevalent in South West England.

5.3. The UK fishing industry. The UK is one of the world’s leading fishing nations. The fishing industry provides 59% by quantity of British fish supplies. A lot of coastal towns have large fishing industries.

5.4. The UK service sector is the dominant sector of the UK economy accounting for 65% of UK’s gross domestic product. It includes:

16 retailing: UK has a mixture of large shopping facilities with both large “out of town” stores and in-town shopping centers;

17 financial services: (stock exchange, now concentrated overwhelmingly in the City of London and Canary Wharf);

18 tourism: the 6th largest industry in the UK and employs nearly 1,5 million people;

19 insurance: UK has the world’s biggest insurance industry – with about 20% of the international market.

5.5. The UK creative industries include advertising, film and television production, product design, book and music publishing, fine art and antiques markets.

5.6. The UK transport is well developed with an integrated system of airports (471 including international ones (Heathrow, Birmingham, Glasgow)), seaports (Felixstowe, Tilbury, Southampton – three major ones that handle most freight traffic), railways (National Rail network) and roads.

6. London – the capital city of the UK

London, the capital of England and the UK, is the world’s ninth-largest city with the population of over 8 million people. It originated nearly 2 000 years ago with the arrival of the Romans soon after their invasion of Britain in AD 43. London is situated on the banks of the river Thames, in southeast England. London is made up of two ancient cities which are now joined together. They are: • the City of London, known simply as “the City” which is the business and financial heart of the United Kingdom. It is also known as the Square Mile (2.59 km2/1 mi2). It was the original settlement (ancient Londinium). • the City of Westminster, where Parliament and most of the government offices are located. Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the Queen and the Royal family are located there too. Together they all make up a region known as Greater London.

Each London district has places of interest that are of historical and cultural significance.

The City The City of London is the principal financial district not only of London, but of the UK and Europe and one can find banks of many nations in the famous Threadneedle Street and the surrounding areas. Here, too, the Bank of England is situated. Nearby is the Stock Exchange. A little further along in Leadenhall Street is Lloyds, the most famous insurance company in the world. Fleet Street is famous as the home of the nation’s newspapers but, in fact, only two of them – The Daily Express and The Daily Telegraph – are still in Fleet Street. However, people still say “Fleet Street” when they mean “the press”. Historic buildings in the City: St Paul’s Cathedral – an Anglican cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of London. The present St Paul’s Cathedral was designed by the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren, after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married there in July 1981.

The Tower of London, first built by William the Conqueror more than 900 years ago. The tower’s primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I). This last use has led to the phrase “sent to the Tower” (meaning “imprisoned”). It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The West End The West End occupies the area of central London north from The Mall to Oxford Street. It includes Trafalgar Square, the main shopping areas of Oxford Street and Bond Street, and the entertainment centers of Soho, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Shaftesbury.

Trafalgar Square, built in the early 20th century to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. There is a statue of Admiral Lord Nelson standing on top of a column in the middle of Trafalgar Square. It is a famous meeting place in London Soho is an entertainment district which for much of the later part of the 20th century had a reputation for its night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s the area has undergone considerable transformation and is now a fashionable district of upmarket restaurants and media offices. Piccadilly Circus – at the junction of five busy streets – is a famous London landmark. It is full of colorful electric displays. At its heart is a bronze fountain topped by a figure of a winged archer. The statue is popularly called EROS, the pagan god of love, but it was in fact designed in the 19th century as a symbol of Christian charity – a monument to Lord Shaftesbury, a philanthropist.

The East End The East End has many places of interest including many of London’s markets (for example Columbia Road Flower Market, Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane Market, Petticoat Lane Market). Docklands in the East End is a thriving and vibrant area with a wide range of shops, restaurants, pubs and wine bars.

24 Westminster

Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. It has a large concentration of London’s historic and prestigious landmarks and visitor attractions, including Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and much of the West End of London.

It is also the area of royal parks – St James’s Park, Hyde Park with its Speaker’s Corner, Regent’s Park – present home of London Zoo.

The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) meet.

At the north-eastern end of the Palace of Westminster is the great bell of the clock in London. This is the world’s largest, four-faced, chiming clock and the third largest, free-standing clock tower in the world.

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch.

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Westminster Abbey (whose formal name is the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster) is a Gothic monastery church that is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs.

Glossary

|arable (of farmland) |capable of being farmed productively |
|banner |a long strip of cloth bearing a slogan or design, hung up or carried on poles |
|Coat of Arms |the distinctive heraldic bearings or shield of a person, family, corporation, or country |
|county |a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government |
|demographics |characteristics and statistics of human population: the characteristics of a human population or part of it, |
| |especially its size, growth, density, distribution, etc |
|dexter |(heraldry) on or towards the bearer’s right-hand side and the observer’s left of a coat of arms. The opposite|
| |of sinister. |
|fervour |feelings of great warmth and intensity |
|fleury-counter-fleury |= flory counter flory: the terms fleury (fr. fleur), flory, fleurty, floretty, flourite, or flurte, and |
| |similar variations, signify adorned with, or ending in, fleurs-de-lis. The term fleurs-de-lis is also |
| |sometimes used in the sense of fleurs-de-lis being conjoined with the charge |
|GDP |gross domestic product: measure of the United States economy adopted in 1991; the total market values of |
| |goods and services by produced by workers and capital within the United States borders during a given period |
| |(usually 1 year) |
|guardant |full face: describes an animal on a coat of arms that has its face turned toward the observer |
|Holy Trinity |the union of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost in one Godhead |
|hop (n) |twining perennials having cordate leaves and flowers arranged in conelike spikes; the dried flowers of this |
| |plant are used in brewing to add the characteristic bitter taste to beer |
|investiture |the ceremonial act of clothing someone in the insignia of an office; the formal promotion of a person to an |
| |office or rank; the ceremony of installing a new monarch |
|lance |a long pointed rod used as a weapon |
|latitude |an imaginary line around the Earth parallel to the equator |
|limestone |a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium that was deposited by the remains of marine animals |
|natural hazards |natural disasters (such as tornadoes, floods, etc.) |
|Order of the Garter |the highest British order of knighthood |
|overcast |the state of the sky when it is covered by clouds |
|passant |walking: said of any animal on an escutcheon, which is represented as walking with the dexter paw raised |
|rampant |(heraldry) on hind legs: describes a heraldic beast depicted rearing up, in profile, and with its forelegs |
| |raised, the right one above the left |
|silica |a white or colorless vitreous insoluble solid (SiO2); various forms occur widely in the earth’s crust as |
| |quartz or cristobalite or tridymite or lechartelierite |
|sinister |(heraldry) on or towards the left-hand side and the observer’s right of a coat of arms. The opposite of |
| |dexter. |
|temperate (of weather or climate) |free from extremes; mild; or characteristic of such weather or climate |
|terrain |a piece of ground having specific characteristics or military potential |
|tressure |an inner border with ornamental fleur-de-lis on a heraldic shield |

( It is important to remember that Southern Ireland – that is the Republic of Ireland (also called Eire) – is completely independent.
** The Isle of Wight, the Orkneys, Hebrides and Shetlands are part of the United Kingdom, although the Isle of Man is not.
*** The flag is normally called the Union Jack because it represents a union of countries – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

* Wales was united with England in 1536.
* The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars fought in medieval England from 1455 to 1485 between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The name Wars of the Roses is based on the badges used by the two sides, the red rose for the Lancastrians and the white rose for the Yorkists.
** The battle of Crecy (1346) was fought during the Hundred Years War between the English and the French. The English won a decisive victory in this battle thanks to the value of Welsh longbows used.
* For centuries people from overseas have settled in Britain, either to escape political or religious persecution or in search of better economic opportunities. Jewish refugees who came to Britain towards the end of the 19th century and in the 1930s were fol3Klowed by other European refuges after 1945. Substantial immigration from the former colonies in the Caribbean and South Asian sub-continent dated principally from the 1950s and 1960s. There are also sizable groups from the United States and Canada, as well as Australians, Chinese, Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Italians and Spaniards.