Текст по теме "The United Kingdom"

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated of the north – west coast of Europe between the Atlantic Ocean in the north – west and the North Sea in the east. The UK includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the largest island in Europe. It contains England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom has an area of 244.000 square kilometers (94.249 square miles). The capital of the country is London. English is an official language. The population of the UK is nearly 60 million people. The population lives mostly in towns and cities and their suburbs. For out of every five people live in England. Over 3 million is in Wales.  A little over 5 million is in Scotland. About 1.5 million is in Northern Ireland. London’s population is over 7 million people.

The British nation consists of the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. There are many people of all colours and races in the United Kingdom.

The climate of Great Britain is mild. It is not too hot in summer or too cold in winter. It often rains in England. Rain falls in summer and in winter, in autumn and in spring. Snow falls only in the north and west of the country. England and Ireland are flat, yet Scotland and Wales are mountainous. Many parts of the country have beautiful villages.

There are many rivers in Great Britain. The main river is the Thames. Many ships go up and down the river. The longest river is the Severn. It is 350 kilometers long.

There are many universities, colleges, libraries, museums and theatres in the country. The most famous universities are Cambridge University, Oxford University, Glasgow University.

The UK is a parliamentary monarchy. The British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Prime Minister is the head of the government.

The United Kingdom has some mineral resources. Coal and oil are the most important of them. The United Kingdom is an industrial country. The main industrial centers are Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester. The largest cities of the country are London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin.

Agriculture is an important sector of the economy of the country. The British people grow wheat, fruit, vegetables, and oats.

north-west coast – северо-западное побережье	to consist of – состоит из
the North Sea – Северное море	the climate – климат
to include – включать	mild - мягкий
an island – остров	a flat - равнина
an area – площадь	mountainous – горный
an official language – официальный язык	a library – библиотека
the population – население	a parliamentary monarchy – парламентерская монархия
mostly – в основном, большая часть	the House of Commons – палата общин
a suburb – пригород	the House of Lords – палата лордов
the head of the government – глава правительства	mineral resources – минеральные ресурсы / богатства
coal and oil – каменный уголь и нефть	an industrial country – промышленная страна
agriculture – сельское хозяйство	wheat – пшеница
to grow – выращивать	oats – овёс