Vocabulary notes:

G R E A T B R I T A I N

Great Britain lies to the north-west of the continent of Europe. Its official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is situated on two large islands, the larger of which is Great Britain, the smaller is Ireland. In addition to these two islands, it includes over 500 small islands.

The total area of Great Britain is 242,432 sq. km. Great Britain consists of four main parts: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Administratively Great Britain is divided into 55 counties.

London is the capital of Great Britain. The biggest cities are Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cardiff and others. There are no very long rivers in Great Britain. The most important rivers are: the Thames (the deepest river), and the Severn (the longest one). The rivers seldom freeze in winter.

English is the official language, although the Welsh language has equal status in Wales. Many other languages are spoken by the ethnic minority communities, which make up around 3 million people. The population of Great Britain is nearly 59 million people.

England is the largest part of Great Britain (it occupies over 50% of the territory and the population amounts to 83% of the total population). The people of England call themselves English. England is an industrial country and was the country in which the development of industry took place.

Wales is a peninsula in the south-west of the island of Great Britain. It occupies about 9% of its territory with the population of 4.8% of the total population. The people of Wales call themselves Welsh. The Welsh speak their own language.

Scotland is the most northern part of Great Britain with the territory of 32% of the total territory and with the population of 9% of the total population. The people of Scotland call themselves Scottish. There are distinct Scottish customs and ways of speaking the English language. Both in Scotland and in Wales there are strong demands for more recognition of their national distinctions through the system of government. Scotland has always had a separate educational system as well as a legal system and local administration.

Northern Ireland has a long history of differences between the Protestant and Catholic sections of the community, based on religion, cultural traditions and national identity. Most Protestants wish Northern Ireland to remain in the United Kingdom, while most Catholics favour unification with the Irish Republic. The British Government is seeking the ways to ensure a political settlement acceptable to all sections of the community.

State organs of the United Kingdom include the monarchy, the legislative, executive and judicial organs of Government.

Britain’s hereditary monarchy is the oldest institution of government, dating back to at least the 9-th century. The present Queen - Elizabeth II - succeeded to the throne in 1952. Although she has a largely ceremonial and politically impartial role as head of state, she serves as a personal symbol of national unity. The Queen is also head of the Commonwealth and presides over the Church of England.

Britain is a parliamentary democracy, with a constitutional monarch. The House of Commons and the House of Lords with the monarch make up Parliament. Parliament is the legislature and the supreme authority. Parliament passes laws, approves taxation and debates the major issues of the day.

The executive consists of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Shadow Cabinet. The Prime Minister heads the Government and appoints ministers, about 20 of whom are in the policy-making Cabinet.

There are two main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour Party and the Conservative Party.

The administration of justice in Britain is independent of both Parliament and the Government. The judiciary determines common law and interprets statute. Every citizen has the right to equal treatment before the law. Less serious cases are tried by lay magistrates in magistrates’ courts and county courts. People accused of more serious crimes are tried in open court by a judge and jury in Crown Court. The House of Lords is the final court of appeal. A person who needs legal advice or representation in court may get help with the costs out of public funds.