The UK
1..Where is the UK situated?
There are two large islands and several much
smaller ones lying off the north-west coast of Europe. Collectively, they are
known as the British Isles. The largest island is Great Britain. The other large island is
Ireland. ”.
2.What is the country’s full name?
The official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
3.How many states are there in the British Isles? Which are they?
There are two states in the British Isles. One is
the Republic of Ireland, also called
Eire (its Irish name); the other state is the United Kingdom (UK), which governs the whole of Great Britain and
the north-eastern area of Ireland.
4.What countries is the UK made of? Which are their capitals?
The UK consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland. They have their capitals: London,
Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast respectively.
(There are also over 5,000 smaller islands. These are the Orkneys, the
Shetlands, the Outer and Inner Hebrides, the Channel Islands, the Isle of
Wight, the Scilly Isles and others. The most important of these are the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. They are in a way
independent, because they have their own parliaments, their own taxes, which
are lower than the taxes in Britain. Still, they are ruled by a Lieutenant
Governor appointed by the British government.)
5.What is the original Roman name
of the country?
The country’s original Roman name was Albion. When the Romans were crossing
the channel in 43 AD, the white chalk cliffs around Dover were the first part
of England they saw. So they exclaimed, “Albion”, which comes from the Latin
word albus, meaning “white”.
6. How are the British Isles separated from the Continent?
Britain is separated from the Continent by the English Channel (La Manche is its French name), which at its narrowest part is
called the Strait of Dover or Pas de Calais. It divides Britain from
France and is 20 miles wide. Britain is separated from Belgium and Holland by
the North Sea. Its western coast is
washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The Irish Sea lies between Ireland and Great
Britain.
7.What is the official language of the country?
English is the official language of the UK, but
it is not the country’s only language; in Wales the Welsh language is spoken as
a mother tongue by about 20% of the population. In Scotland Gaelic is spoken as
a second language, and efforts are being made to ensure its survival.
11. What political system does the UK have?
12. How are the Queen’s powers limited?
12. How are the Queen’s powers limited?
Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. It means it is a country governed by the
king or queen, whose power is not absolute but constitutional. It is also a parliamentary democracy. That is, the
country’s government is controlled by a parliament which has been elected by
the people.
13. Who is the actual ruler of the country?
In practice, the reality is very different. The
powers of the Queen of Great Britain are only constitutional. They are limited
by Parliament. When she opens Parliament each year, the speech she makes has
been written for her. She reads out the script word for word. Although she
appoints all the Ministers, including the Prime Minister, everything is done,
however, on the advice of the elected Government, and the monarch takes no part
in the decision-making process. In reality, the Prime Minister is the actual
ruler.
14. Name the three branches of the British government
The organs of government in the UK are:
·
the legislative body, which enacts laws;
·
the executive body, which enforces the passed laws;
·
the judicial body, which interprets laws and statues; it is
independent of the legislative and executive bodies.
15. Where is the seat of the British Parliament?
The British Parliament works in a large building called the Palace of Westminster or popularly
known as the Houses of Parliament. It
contains offices, committee rooms, bars, libraries and even some places of
residence. It also contains two large rooms where the two Houses meet.
16. Who opens Parliament every year?
Every autumn at the State Opening of Parliament, Elizabeth II, who
became Queen in 1952, enters the Houses of Parliament to make a speech. Crowned
and wearing many of the finest Crown Jewels, she makes her speech from the
Throne in the House of Lords. In her speech she says what “my government”
intends to do in the coming year. It is her
government, her armed forces, her law courts, her people.
17. How many Houses does Parliament consist of?
The British Parliament is the legislative
body of the government. It is divided into two chambers or houses: the
House of Commons (the Lower House) and the House of Lords (the Upper House).
(The
Tudor dynasty established a system of government departments, staffed by
professionals from the common people. Thus Parliament was split into two
‘Houses’. The House of Lords consisted of feudal aristocracy and the leaders of
the Church; the House of Commons consisted of the representatives from the
towns and the less important landowners in rural areas. The monarch relied on
the House of Commons for policy-making. Their voice was more decisive.)
18. Who is the House of Lords/Commons presided by?
The House of Commons is presided over by the Speaker. It is a very important position. In fact, the Speaker is officially the second most important ‘commoner’ (non-aristocrat) in the kingdom after the Prime Minister. The Speaker chairs and controls discussion in the House, decides which MP is going to speak next and makes sure that the rules of procedures are observed.
The Lord
Chancellor presides over the Lords. He presides sitting on the Woolsack.
19.What color are the benches of the Lords Chamber/ Commons Chamber?
The peers’ benches in the House of Lords are covered with red leather.
The benches in the House of Commons are covered with green leather.
MPs sit on two sides of the hall, one side for the governing party and
the other for the Opposition. The first two rows are occupied by the leading
members of both parties called front-benchers.
The floor is also covered with green carpet bearing on either side a
red stripe, over which no member may cross when addressing the House.
20.What is a Woolsack?
By tradition the Woolsack is stuffed with wool from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and from Commonwealth countries[1].
By tradition the Woolsack is stuffed with wool from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and from Commonwealth countries[1].
Eire [ 'eǝrǝ ]
Hebrides ['hebrıdı:z]
Scilly
Isles ['sılı
aılz]
Edinburgh ['edinbǝrǝ]
La Manche [la'ma:nʃ ]
Pas de Calais [pa:dka'le]
Swansea ['swɔnzı]
Glasgow ['gla:zgǝu]
Dundee [dʌn'dı:]
Bangladesh [bæɳglǝ'deʃ]
Henry
VIII
The
Rejection of the Roman Church
In 1525 King Henry VIII decided to divorce his
queen. When he asked the pope for permission to divorce Queen Catherine, he was
refused. Henry got angry and ended all the contacts between England and Rome.
In 1534 Parliament declared Henry VIII the head of the Church of England. Thus
the Anglican Church was formed. All church lands came under his control and
gave him a large new source of income.
[1]
Many countries all over the world were once ruled by Britain. All of them were
included into the British Empire and were its colonies. India, Pakistan,
Ceylon, for example, were among them. These countries are independent states
now. In 1949 Britain and the former colonies founded the Commonwealth. The
Commonwealth includes many countries such as Ireland, Burma, the Sudan, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand and others. The Queen of Great Britain is the Head of
the Commonwealth and the Queen of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.