1. Chapter 6: WESTERN EUROPE TODAY Section 1: The British Isles I. The United Kingdom A. The British Isles include the countries of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The United Kingdom has four regions - England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

2. B. Northern England, Scotland, and Wales have rugged hills, low mountain ranges, and treeless, windy highlands called moors.

3. C. Manufactured goods and machinery are the country’s leading exports. Computer and electronic industries are growing. Most people now work in service industries. D. The United Kingdom must import one-third of its food. The country’s limited farmland and growing season make it impossible to feed its large population.

4. E. The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy, or a form of government in which voters elect representatives to a lawmaking body called Parliament. Parliament has two houses - the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

5. The political party that has the largest number of members in the House of Commons chooses the government’s leader, the prime minister. ABOVE ARE TWO OF ENGLAND’S MOST NOTED PRIME MINISTERS…CAN YOU NAME THEM?

6. F. The United Kingdom is also a constitutional monarchy, in which a queen or king is the official head of state. The monarch represents the country at public events but has little power. WHO IS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND?

7. G. About 90 percent of the people live in cities and towns. With more than 7 million people, London is one of Europe’s most heavily populated cities.

8. II. The Republic of Ireland A. Surrounded by the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea, the Republic of Ireland has lush green meadows and tree-covered hills. As a result, it is called the Emerald Isle.

9. B. Much of the area is rich in peat, or wet decaying plants, which can be dried and used for fuel. Peat is dug from bogs, or low swampy lands.

10. C. Farming is important in Ireland, but manufacturing employs the most people and contributes the most to the Irish economy. D. Ireland joined the European Union in an effort to market its products more widely.

11. E. Ireland has suffered hundreds of years of unrest under British rule. In 1921, the southern part of Ireland won its independence from the United Kingdom. The northern part remained with United Kingdom.

12. F. Fighting between Catholic Nationalists, who want to unite with Ireland, and Protestant Loyalists, who want to stay British, has led to many deaths.

13. G. The Celts settled Ireland around 500 B.C. Today a form of the Celtic language, called Gaelic, and English are Ireland’s two official languages.

14. EXIT STRATEGY