1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

2. Geography The UK is an island nation in Western Europe. The UK lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and comes within 35 km (22 miles) of the northwest coast of France, from which it is separated by the English Channel. Northern Ireland shares a 360 km international land boundary with the Republic of Ireland.

3. The Country/ies This is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. There are four countries in the UK:  England  Scotland  Wales  Northern Ireland

4. Population The population of Britain is over 68 million:  England - 49 million (London – almost 8 million)  Scotland - 5 million (Edinburgh – 489 thousand)  Wales - 3 million (Cardiff – 350 thousand)  1,5 million - Northern Ireland (Belfast – 296 thousand)

5. England  Stonehenge – a historical place made of big stones in the south of England. Scientists are still trying to discover, why it was built. Some of them think that it was a religious place for burials; others think that it was used as a calendar.  Liverpool – the home of the famous band called the Beatles  Oxford, Cambridge – the famous university towns  Stratford upon Avon – the birthplace of William Shakespeare, a famous English writer and dramatist (Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet)  London – the capital city of England

6. London  London is the capital city of England and one of the world’s largest.  It is situated in the south of England and its population is about 7,5 million people.  London is a multicultural city – people of different origins, races and religions live there.  London is crossed by the river Thames.  Today, it is one of the world's leading business, financial and cultural centres.  There are 5 airports and a large port in London – the most important airport is called Heathrow.

7. London  The Houses of Parliament  Big Ben –clock tower; belongs to the Houses of Parliament  The London Eye – the world’s largest observation wheel and the London’s most popular tourist attraction  The Tower of London – former prison, fortress; the crown jewels can be seen there  The Tower Bridge – a bridge which is near the Tower of London  Buckingham Palace – residence of the Queen; open for public in summer; changing of the guard  10 Downing Street – residence of the Prime Minister

8. London  St. Paul’s Cathedral  Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum – figurines of famous people made of wax  Trafalgar Square - Nelson’s column; New Year’s celebrations there; famous for its pigeons  Piccadilly Circus – the biggest and oldest square in London; heart of London’s entertainment world – shops, restaurants, small theatres and night clubs; statue of EROS – the god of Love  Oxford Street – the biggest shopping street in London  Hyde Park – the biggest park in London; the Speaker’s corner (people can say their opinions on public, religious and political issues)

9. Scotland  Edinburgh – capital of Scotland; rich cultural life, historical buildings, education – “Athens of the North”; Edinburgh Castle - fortress  Glasgow –the biggest city in Scotland; important economic and tourist centre of Scotland  Lake Loch Ness – lakes are in Scotland called “Loch” – one of the biggest lakes; people believe that a monster called Nessie lives in it  Highlands - historic region covering the northern two-thirds of the country; spectacular sceneries

10. Wales  Snowdonia – National Park; mountains and hills; local legends – King Arthur  Many castles – e.g. Caernarfon Castle (one of the largest castles in the country; medieval fortress)  Seaside resorts – west and south-west coasts; beaches; popular holiday destinations

11. Northern Ireland  Belfast – capital; centre for industry, the arts, higher education, business, and law; port; castle (fortress)  Causeway Coast with Giant’s Causeway – natural wonder; natural rock formation created by cooling lava  Londonderry (Derry) – historic walled city; live music in the streets; music festivals