What can you tell us about Britain?

The United Kingdom was the world's industrial power and maritime hegemon in the 19th century. It was also the birthplace of early parliamentary democracy. It had advanced science and technology and a high level of art. At its peak, the British Empire controlled a quarter of the world's territory and was known as the "Empire on which the sun never sets." However, in the first 50 years of the 20th century, Britain's national strength declined sharply after experiencing two world wars. In the second half of the century, this huge colonial empire collapsed. On July 1, 1997, the sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred to the Republic of China, marking the end of the British colonial era. Britain itself developed into a modern and prosperous European country. Although it is a member of the European Union, the United Kingdom has refused to join the euro area due to domestic political and economic considerations. Constitutional reform is also a problem facing the UK now.

The United Kingdom is a member of the Commonwealth (the successor organization to the British Empire), the European Union and NATO. She is also a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council with veto power.

See: British monarch, British history, English history, Irish history, Scottish history, Welsh history, British royal flag

[edit] Politics

See: British Politics

The democratic system adopted by the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with the capital located in London. The current monarch of the United Kingdom (also the head of state) is Elizabeth II, who was crowned in 1953. Today, her role is largely symbolic, with real political power in the country being in the hands of the British Parliament.

In the past, Britain was a very centralized country, with the British Parliament located in Westminster Parliament in London responsible for the political affairs of the entire kingdom. However, in recent years, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have each established their own decentralized governments with varying degrees of autonomy.

See: British Law

[edit] Administrative Regions

See: British Administrative Regions

The United Kingdom is divided into four parts: England, Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland, which are then divided into:

English administrative areas (see English county list)

Scotland area list

Wil Northern Ireland division list

Northern Ireland division list

England is divided into 9 administrative regions: North East England, North West England, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands , East Anglia, Greater London, South East England, South West England. In addition to the 32 boroughs (Borough Council) in the Greater London area, each region has counties or special jurisdictions.

Scotland consists of 32 municipalities. There are 22 municipalities in Wales and 24 municipalities, 2 cities and 6 counties in Northern Ireland.

The United Kingdom also has several colonies of different natures:

British Territories

British Crown Colony

The British Monarch He is also the symbolic head of state of 15 other countries, although Britain's political influence over these countries is very limited.

See: British cities

[edit] Geography

See: British geography

Most of England has rolling terrain, with many areas in the north Mountainous areas. The main rivers include the Thames and Severn, and the main cities include London, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Birmingham (Birmingham). The Channel Tunnel near the Port of Dover connects the UK to France across the Channel.

The terrain of Scotland is varied, with plains in the south and highlands in the north and west. The terrain of Wales is rugged, and most of it falls within the range of the Cambrian Mountains. Northern Ireland is hilly and its main city is Belfast.

[edit] Territorial disputes

There is the Gibraltar issue with Spain, the Falkland Islands issue with Argentina, and the Northern Ireland issue with Ireland.

[edit]Economy

See: British Economy

As an important trading partner and financial center, the United Kingdom is one of the largest capitalist economies in Western Europe. . Over the past two decades, the government has significantly reduced state assets and slowed the development of social welfare programs. British agriculture is relatively concentrated, highly mechanized, and very efficient. 1% of the working population can meet approximately 60% of food needs. The UK has large reserves of coal, natural gas and oil; the UK's main energy production accounts for about 10% of total GDP, which is very high among industrial countries. The service industry, especially the banking, insurance and business services industries, account for the largest proportion of GDP, while the importance of industry continues to decline.

[edit] Population

See: British population

According to statistics in 2000, the British population was approximately 58 million.

[edit]Language

The official language is British English. There are other official languages ??outside England, such as Welsh, Scottish Gaelic (Scottish Gaelic), etc. People who immigrate to the UK from all over the world also speak their native language.

[edit]Culture

See: British Culture

William Shakespeare is arguably one of the most famous playwrights in the world, and other famous British Writers also include the Bront? sisters, Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, J.K. Rowling and Tolkien. In addition, famous British political thinkers include John Locke, who first proposed the theory of "separation of powers", and representatives of utopian socialism, Thomas More and Robert Owen, etc.

Contemporary Britain has a diverse musical culture. In terms of classical music, well-known symphony orchestras from the UK include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra. Many world-famous musicians were born in England.

Major Musicians

The Beatles

The Rolling Stones

Led Zeppelin

Deep Purple

Black Sabbath

Queen

Sex Pistols

Police

Pink Floyd

Radiohead

David Bowie

Coldplay

Spice Girls

Robbie Williams

Motorhead

Darkness

British theater performances are also famous internationally, including the Royal National Theatre.

Holiday 1 Date Chinese Translation Local Name Remarks

January 1 New Year's Day...

January 2 The Day following New Year's Day only applies to Scotland

St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, a Catholic holiday, only applies to Northern Ireland

... Good Friday Good Friday Easter The Friday before

… Easter Monday The first Monday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, not applicable in Scotland

… Early May Bank Holidays Early May Bank Holiday The first Monday in May

... Spring Bank Holiday The last Monday in May

July 12 2 Orangemen's Day (Battle of the Boyne's Day) only applies to Northern Ireland

... Summer Bank Holiday The last Monday in August

November 5th Bonfire Night unofficial holiday

Christmas Day on December 25th...

Boxing Day (opening gift day) on December 26th...

Annotation

Unless otherwise specified (see Note 1), the above holidays generally apply to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The holiday date is subject to announcement by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

[edit] Education

There are two most famous universities in the UK: Cambridge University and Oxford University, collectively known as Oxbridge. They have trained countless famous scientists, writers, philosophers, politicians, and engineers for Britain and the entire world, such as Isaac Newton, Shelley, Byron, James Watt, Charles Darwin, -{zh-cn :Tony Blair;zh-tw:Tony Blair;zh-hk:Berry}-, Stephen Hawking and Alexander Fleming, etc.

London is the capital of the United Kingdom and the second largest city in Europe after Moscow. London has a history of more than two thousand years, and successive dynasties have established their capitals here. Before Rome invaded London in the first century, London was an unknown town. By the third century, London's population had grown to 40,000 people, covering an area of ??about 120 square hectares. After King Alfred of the British Viskes (Anglo-Saxon) dynasty came to power, the Romans were driven out of London. Since then, London began to decline, which lasted until the ninth century. During the Tudor Dynasty (1485-1603), London prospered again, and its important position was also displayed. By the time of Elizabeth I, the population had grown to 250,000.

In 1965, London was officially renamed Greater London. Greater London consists of 33 boroughs (Borough) including the City of London, East London, West London, South End, and Port District. The population More than 6.67 million.

The City of London, located in the east of Greater London, is a world-famous financial center with a financial industry history of more than 600 years. The City of London has an independent administrative body. The mayor is given the title of baronet and has a higher status than the chairman of the Greater London Council. East London is a slum area, mostly populated by residents from Asian or African countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Tanzania. West London is known as a wealthy area. Most of the residents are lawyers, senior government officials, big bosses, royal aristocrats and other wealthy people.

Tourist Attractions:

Buckingham Palace is where the British royal family lives and works. Now Queen Elizabeth II often summons prime ministers and ministers here, receives and entertains foreign heads of state, accepts letters of credence from foreign envoys and other activities. In the 1830s, King George IV hired Britain's most famous architect John Nash to rebuild it. After Queen Victoria inherited the throne in 1838, Buckingham Palace became the exclusive place for monarchs of all generations. The main palace faces the east, with a rectangular courtyard in the middle, where the Queen and foreign heads of state review the honor guard. In the square in front of the main palace, the Royal Guards practice here every day, and the changing of the guard ceremony is held at 11:30 every morning. The entire Buckingham Palace is surrounded by iron railings. Outside the iron railings facing the main building of Buckingham Palace, there is a square. In the center of the square stands a gilded Victorian statue monument, surrounded by four groups of stone sculptures.

Hyde Park is the largest park in London. It was converted into a park at the end of the 18th century. The park has lakes, lawns and flower beds. There is an exquisitely carved marble arch in the northeast corner of the park. It was originally in front of Buckingham Palace and was moved here in 1851 when Buckingham Palace was expanded. Not far from the Arch is the world-famous "Free Forum", also known as the "Speech Corner". Every Sunday afternoon, people come here from all over to watch people standing on steps or wooden boxes giving speeches. The contents of the speeches are diverse, such as religious beliefs, peace, the green movement, socialism, male chauvinism, and even fascism. However, it is not allowed to preach armed struggle, nor can it make personal attacks on the royal family.

Regent's Park is in the north of London, covering an area of ??more than 210 hectares including the zoo. It was originally initiated by zoologist Ford Lafleur and others, and organized the Zoological Society of London in The zoo established in 1826 has become the second largest park in London after more than a hundred years of development. It has an amphitheater, a children's playground, a tennis court, etc. It is a good place for people to exercise, play, walk and relax. The zoo in the park is one of the world's famous zoos, with a complete range of animals. A pair of giant pandas donated by the Chinese government in 1974 are also here. There are specially trained dolphins in the dolphin pool in the park, and their performances are fascinating.

The Palace of Westminster (Houses of parliament) is the largest Gothic building in the UK and the seat of the UK's highest legislative body, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Rebuilt from 1840 to 1857. The main building is a palace building with a length of 287 meters in three rows at the front and back. Seven buildings are connected at the two ends and in the middle to form a whole. The northeast corner of the main body is the famous "Big Ben" clock tower. There are beautiful flower beds, lawns and exquisite marble sculptures surrounding the palace. In front of the palace is the famous Parliament Square, surrounded by statues of British historical figures, including the statue of Churchill built on November 1, 1971.

Big Ben is the iconic building in London. Located at the north corner of the Parliament Building, the clock tower is 79 meters high. Big Ben is embedded in the upper part of the bell tower. The circular clock dials on the four sides of the bell tower are 6.7 meters in diameter. The total weight of the bell is 21 tons. It was built in 1859 under the supervision of Sir Benjamin Hall, the then Minister of Works. In order to commemorate his achievements, it was named "Big Ben" clock. Big Ben chimes every hour based on Greenwich Mean Time.

Westminster Abbey is located west of the Houses of Parliament. Built in 1065, successive British kings and queens have held coronation ceremonies and royal weddings here. Most of the dead kings of the past dynasties are also buried in this church. After the victory of the British bourgeois revolution in the seventeenth century, this place was no longer the only place dominated by royal cemeteries. The tombs of famous scientists Newton, Darwin, novelists Dickens, Hardy, poetess Browning, poet laureate Tennyson and many other celebrities have also entered. to this resort. The list of all officers and soldiers who died in World War II is also kept in the church.

Tower Bridge is a Gothic suspension bridge on the River Thames. Built in 1894, the bridge is connected by four tower-shaped buildings, with the two towers in the middle towering over the Thames. There is a museum inside the Tower Bridge, where you can visit the two huge boilers, steam engines and transmission mechanisms that opened and closed the bridge deck. Climbing to the sky corridor between the tops of the two towers, you can have a panoramic view of the scenery on both sides of the Thames River.

The Tower of London is located near the Tower Bridge and construction began in 1078. The high city walls are made of stone strips and are very strong. The White Tower is the oldest building in the Tower of London and was only completed in 1097. The White Tower is a Romandy-style building, square and three-story high, with four towers at the four corners. The tower in the northeast corner is round, the other three are square.

The White Tower contains armor, weapons from various periods, and rare treasures, including an "Imperial Crown" from Queen Victoria's coronation in 1938. With the White Tower as the center, there are 13 towers around it for inner defense. The Blood Tower was once used to hold important prisoners. Edward V and the Duke of York both died in the Blood Tower. The outer layer of defense includes six towers including the middle tower and well tower and two shuttle castles. Most are cylindrical. The outermost layer of the tower is a wide and deep moat. The Tower of London became one of the main residences of British kings in 1140. James I was the last king to live there, and the tyrant was executed in the tower in the early 17th century. Since then, the Tower of London has become a prison and execution ground for prisoners, and many celebrities have been executed here.

The London Eye is on the banks of the Thames River. 135 meters high. It is one of the monumental buildings in London to commemorate the new millennium and will become the world's largest Ferris wheel. From the gondola of the Ferris wheel, you can see the scenery within a 25-mile radius of London. (Lodon Eye Homepage)

St.paul's Cathedral is the largest church in London. It was built in 604 AD and was destroyed by a fire in 1666. It was rebuilt from 1675 to 1710. It was damaged during World War II and later repaired. The main body of the cathedral is a two-story cross-shaped building with a dome more than 100 meters high in the middle. The lower level of the dome is a circular stone railing. The front of the church is made up of 12 tall circular stone columns, with a statue of St. Paul standing at the tip of the gable. The floor inside the church is paved with beautiful patterns of black and white marble. On both sides are the tombs of the last king of the British Saxon Dynasty, Admiral Nelson, former Prime Minister Wellington and others. In 1981, Prince Charles' wedding was also held here.

Trafalagar Square is the most famous square in London. It was built in the early 19th century to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar Head. In the center of the square stands a 56-meter-high cylindrical monument. The bronze statue at the top of the monument is Admiral Nelson who died in the naval battle. There are four sculptures depicting naval battles on the base of the stone pillar. The monument was built from 1840 to 1843. Its majestic scale and exquisite craftsmanship are unique in Britain.

The National Gallery was founded in 1824 and has a collection of paintings before the 20th century. It is the museum with the largest collection of Italian Gothic and Renaissance paintings outside of Italy. In 1824, the British Parliament passed a budget of 60,000 pounds to purchase a collection of 38 paintings from the wealthy businessman Julius Angerstein to establish the British National Gallery. The current building was opened in 1838 and the new Sainsbury's Wing was built in 1991. The current gallery is divided into four wings: east, west, north, west and Sainsbury's, respectively displaying masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Van Dyck, Van Gogh, Rubens, Rembrandt, Monet and other artists. The Sainsbury Wing exhibits paintings from 1260 to 1510, the West Wing exhibits paintings from 1510 to 1600, the North Wing exhibits paintings from 1600 to 1700, and the East Wing exhibits paintings from 1260 to 1510. Paintings from 1700 to 1900 are on display. (National Gallery Homepage)

10 Downing Street is the residence of the British Prime Minister. Downing Street was built in the 1780s by a knight named Downing. Downing served as captain of Cromwell's general reconnaissance team and British ambassador to the Netherlands. In repayment for his life-saving grace, King Charles II of England promoted him to the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer and donated this land to him. Downing built 15 small buildings here. After Downing's death, King George II donated No. 10 Downing Street to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Robert Walpole, in 1732. It has been the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer for more than 200 years. Because there was no prime minister in the UK at that time, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was Head of the British government. It was only after the British passed the King's Minister Act in 1937 that the position of Prime Minister was established. Since then, No. 10 Downing Street has become the official residence of the Prime Minister. In addition to the Prime Minister's official residence, various British government ministries are gathered around Downing Street.

London Wax Museum (Madame Tussaud's) is also called Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. It was built in 1835 by the French Madame Dussault (1761-1859). The Wax Museum displays different content on four floors. Among the exhibits are wax statues of famous leaders, politicians, well-known writers, famous actors, famous athletes and other prominent figures in world history. These wax figures are made exactly according to the size of the person, and the image is realistic and lifelike. There are also wax statues describing British history and customs on display. For example, the grand occasion when Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, the chatting activities of people in cafes in the seventeenth century, etc. The basement is like walking into a hell. The lights are dim and the atmosphere is gloomy. You can see various instruments of torture, gallows, and prisoners being tortured in Europe and the United States. The prisoners are moaning miserably.

www.madame-tussauds.com

The British Museum was built in 1753. The rich collection of cultural relics in the museum is unmatched by any museum in the world. From the end of the 18th century to the middle of the 19th century, the British Empire expanded to the world, dominated the world, plundered the culture of various countries, and transported precious cultural relics from various countries to London. The number was so large that the British Museum could not accommodate it, so it could only be stored in various museums. Currently, the British The museum's collection of cultural relics accounts for only one-fifth of its total collection. Its contents include: Egyptian Antiquities Museum, Greek and Roman Antiquities Museum, Oriental Antiquities Museum, West Asian Antiquities Museum, Gold Coin and Badges Museum, Library and Painting Museum, etc. The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities is the largest exhibition hall with more than 70,000 various ancient Egyptian cultural relics, such as large stone sculptures of humans and animals, inscriptions and murals, mummies, gold and jade jewelry, etc. They have a history of 2,000 to 2,500 years and represent It represents the high civilization of ancient Egypt. The large number of cultural relics on display in the Greek and Roman Museum reflect the splendid culture of Greece and Rome from the Bronze Age in more than 2,000 BC to the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century AD. Among them is a famous museum built in the fifth century BC. Greek temple, namely the Temple of the Goddess of Athens. In the Oriental Cultural Relics Museum, cultural relics from China occupy several halls, including exquisitely crafted bronze bottles from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, bronze mirrors from the Qin and Han dynasties, and "Nv Shi Zhen" from the Six Dynasties period. Picture>, gold and bronze Buddhas, white marble standing Buddha statues from the Sui Dynasty, porcelain from the Tang and Song Dynasties, gold and jade products from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as a large number of copper coins, lacquerware, sculptures, silks, paintings and two large stone lions at the back entrance of the museum. , there are more than 20,000 pieces. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00-17:00, Sunday 12:00-18:00, tickets are free. Please see the British Museum Homepage for details.

Tate Gallery is one of the three major modern art museums in the world. Converted from a former power plant, it is located on the banks of the Thames and houses works by the greatest modern artist of the 20th century, including Picasso. Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday 10:00-16:00, Friday and Saturday 10:00-22:00. (Tate Gallery Homepage)

Suburban attractions:

Greenwich (Greenwhich) is located in the southeastern suburbs of London. It consists of Greenwich Park, Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum, and Royal Naval College. In terms of location, this is the "throat" of London, with direct access to the Port of London from the sea via the Thames River. Due to the dangerous terrain, the British regent Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, built a watchtower on Greenwich Hill in the 1530s to observe ships entering London. In 1675, due to the development of navigation, the observation tower was converted into the Royal Observatory. At the international conference held in Washington in 1884, it was decided to use the longitude of Greenwich as the prime meridian and the starting point for calculating time and geographical location in the world. Since then, countries around the world have adopted Greenwich Time as the standard time. In the Meridian Hall of the Observatory, there is a copper wire embedded in the middle of the marble. The copper wire extends to the cement floor outside the courtyard wall, which is the meridian. This line divides the earth into eastern and western hemispheres. There is also a large clock installed in 1851 on the outer wall of the planetarium gate. Countries around the world use this time as a standard to correct their own time.

Windsor Castle is located 32 kilometers west of London. It is a palace of the Queen of England. It was built in 1078 by William I. It is the largest castle in England. After the Duke of Normandy conquered Britain, in order to suppress the people's resistance, in addition to building the London Castle, he also built nine large castles around the castle with a radius of more than 30 kilometers, spaced about 30 kilometers apart. Castles, Windsor Castle is one of them. Windsor Castle has solid walls, luxurious palaces and churches. The palace displays many famous paintings, precious hardwood furniture and priceless treasures. The environment of Windsor Castle is quiet and beautiful. The castle is surrounded by a large garden covering an area of ??about 900 hectares.

Hampton Court Palace is about 23 kilometers away from London. It was built in 1515 by the British politician Cardinal Wolsey. In 1526, the palace was given to King Henry. VIII. Henry VIII added a tower for his mistress. From 1696 to 1704, Christopher Wren expanded it. The palace is very grand and luxuriously decorated. Among them are the Renaissance painting exhibition room, Henry VIII's living room, King William III's living room, the Queen's living room, etc. There is a large garden covering an area of ??24 hectares around the palace. The trees, flowers and plants in the garden are beautifully arranged and trimmed, and it is a typical Western garden scenery.

Transportation

The transportation in London is very convenient. There are about 7,000 buses and more than 350 bus lines. In the UK, cars drive on the left. London is the first city in the world to build subways, and it is also the city with the most developed subways.

The first subway was opened to traffic in October 1863. After more than a hundred years of development and improvement, an underground transportation network has now been formed. The subway has ten lines, a total length of more than 400 kilometers, and more than 280 stations. From Heathrow International Airport, you can take the subway directly to the city center. The operation of the subway is completely automatically controlled, with automatic ticket sales, automatic ticket checking, and automatic adjustment of the temperature of the air in the subway. Since London's subway was built earlier, it has more and more complex lines. Some transportation hubs have several lines at different depths. The entrances and exits of subway stations are more complicated. You must know the route in advance, otherwise it is easy to go to the wrong place.

Airports: There are five international airports in London city plus suburbs. They are London Heathrow Airport, London City Airport, London Stansted Airport, London Gatwick Airport, and Luton Airport. The largest of these is Heathrow Airport.

Heathrow Airport, airport code LHR, is located in the west of London, 15 miles from the city center. Europe's largest airport. The airport connects to the city with the Heathrow Express, which departs from Paddington Station every 15 minutes and can be reached in 15 minutes. There is a direct check-in counter at Paddington where you can check in before boarding the train. You can take the Piccadilly Line to the city by subway and it takes 50 minutes. In addition, there is AIRBUS from the airport to the city. You can take the long-distance bus The Oxford Express from Oxford, which takes 70 minutes. The airport is divided into four terminals, Terminal 1 is mainly for British Airways, Terminal 2 is for European airlines, Terminal 3 is for international routes, and Terminal 4 is for continental European routes. The route to China is at Terminal 3. Before boarding, you must know the Terminal number you want to board (usually it will be marked on the ticket). BAA-Heathrow Homepage.

Gatwick Airport, airport code LGW, is 44 kilometers/28 miles south of London. To get to the airport, you can take the Gatwick Express train from Victoria Station. In addition, the Speedlink bus connecting Gatwick and Hearthrow takes about 60 minutes and costs 17 pounds. BAA-Gatwick Homepage.

London City Airport (London City Airport), airport code LCY, is 6 miles from the city center. There are airport buses at Liverpool Street station. London-City Airport Homepage

London Stansted Airport, airport code STN, is 55 kilometers/34 miles northeast of London. Take the Stansted Express train at Liverpool Street Station; take the Jetline long-distance bus at Victoria Coach Station. BAA-Stansted Airport Homepage

London-Luton Airport, airport code LTN, north of London. It is the base for British airlines Easyjet, Monarch and Britannia. There are flights to major British cities and European resort cities. To get to the airport, you can take the Thameslink train from King's Cross Railway Station, which costs 10 pounds for 30 minutes, or take the Green Line long-distance bus from Victoria Coach Station. London Luton Airport Homepage

Accommodation:

Accommodation in London is more expensive than in other major European cities. High-end hotels in the city along Park Lane and Oxford Street cost more than 200 pounds.

The area where mid-range hotels are relatively concentrated is near Victoria Station, and the cost is about 100 pounds