The UK



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?

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].

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.