Great Britain

Great Britain is situated in the British Isles. It consists of three parts: England, Wales and Scotland. The British Isles are situated in the north-east of the Atlantic Ocean. From Europe they are divided by the English Channel. The surface of G. B. covers the whole British island and a small part of Ireland. The islands are divided by the Irish Sea.


The most mountainous area of G. B. is Scotland. The highest British mountain is Ben Nevis – it measures 1 343 m. The biggest river in G. B. is the Thames. The longest river is the Severn. Other important rivers are for example the Trent, the Tay and the Tweed.



The greatest number of lakes are in Northern Scotland and in the Lake District. Many tourists visit Windermere Lake. The largest lakes are, however, in Northern Ireland: Loch Ness. Winter temperatures are higher and summer temperatures are lower.



G. B. has various natural riches: black coal, sand, chalk, iron … There are many branches of industry. The most advanced are chemical, textile and aviation industries, electronics industry. The important centres are London, Manchester, South Wales.



London is the capital of The United Kingdom of G. B. and Northern Ireland. It is seat of central government and commercial and cultural centres. There are two cities in the centre of London: the City of London and the City of Westminster.



I want to visit London, because it's famous for its shops, theatres and sights. A symbol of building is Big Ben. We can admire the galleries, museums (the British Museum, Madame Tussaund, …), libraries, gardens and parks (Hyde Park, Green Park, …). London is home to about 9 million inhabitants.



Places of interesting G. B.:

Oxford, Cambridge – there are English university. Canterbury, York, Manchester, …



Typical holidays in G. B.:

St David's Day – 1 March



St Patrick's Day – 17 March



St George's Day – 23 April



May Day
Spring Bank Holiday – the holiday takes place each year on the last Monday in May in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.



Summer Bank Holiday – a bank holiday on the last Monday in August, when many people go to the coast, or to events such as the Edinburgh Festival.

Guy Fawkes Day, Remembrance Day, …