1. Great Britain

2. Climate of Great Britain Great Britain is situated on the islands. It is washed by seas from all the sides. That’s why the climate and the nature of Great Britain are very specific. It is not very cold in winter and never very hot in summer. There is no ice on the lakes and rivers in winter. It seldom snows. It rains very often in all the seasons. The weather changes very often. All this is due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. Mark Twain once said about America: “If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes”, but it is more likely to have been said about England. Britain is also famous for its fogs. Sometimes fogs are so thick that it is impossible to see anything within 2 or 3 metres.

4. Sports in Great Britain (3) The British are known to be great sports-lovers, so when they are neither playing, nor watching games, they like to talk about them. Many of the games we play now have come from Britain. One of the most British games is cricket. It is often played in schools, colleges, universities, and by club teams all over the country. Summer isn't summer without cricket. To many Englishmen cricket is both a game and the way of life. But as almost everywhere else in the world, the game, which attracts the greatest attention, is football, or soccer. There are plenty of professional and amateur soccer clubs all over Britain. International football matches and the Cup Finals take place at Wembley Stadium. Rugby football is also very popular, but it is played mainly by amateurs. Next to football, the chief spectator sport in British life is horseracing. A lot of people are interested in the races and risk money on the horse, which they think, will win. Derby is perhaps the most famous race-course competition in the whole world. Britain is also famous for motorcar racing, dog-racing, boat racing, and even races for donkeys. The famous boat racing between the teams of Oxford and Cambridge attracts large crowds of people.

6. Great Britain (1) The full name of the country the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a great number of small islands. Their total area is over 314 000 sq. km. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. Northern Ireland occupies one third of the island of Ireland. It borders on the Irish Republic in the south. The island of Great Britain consists of three main parts: England (the southern and middle part of the island), Wales (a mountainous peninsula in the West) and Scotland (the northern part of the island).