Great Britain seems to be smaller than others European countries. The capital of Great Britain - London is one of the world's biggest cities. The area is divided among such regions as are called Scotland, Wales, England and North Ireland. The highest peaks are Ben Nevis and Snowdon, whereas the longest rivers are the Severn and the River Thames.
The name: British Isles refers not only to Great Britain, but also to the islands on the North West coast of Europe such as:
-Great Britain
-Ireland
-the Channels Islands
-the Isle of Man
The Union Jack is the flag of Great Britain. It is consisted of three different crosses:
- red cross in the right side of the flag, which is the symbol of Saint George - a patron of England
- white cross, which is the symbol of Saint Andrew - a patron of Scotland
- red diagonal cross, which seems to be the symbol of Saint Patrick - a patron of Ireland
Language in Great Britain
In Great Britain there are some official languages:
- English
- Irish and Scottish Gaelic
- Welsh
The British political system
The Great Britain is the constitutional monarchy, which means that a king or a queen is the Head of State.
Religion
Until the year of 1534 Great Britain was a Roman Catholic country. Then it turned to be the Protestant country. The reason of this situation was the fact that King Henry VIII wanted to divorce the queen, but the pope didn't agree and the king had a kind of argument with the pope.
Today there are several main religions:
- The Church of England - or in other words the Anglican Church. It is still the main church in England and the British king or queen is also head of this church.
- Roman Catholics
- Protestant Methodist and Baptist (strongly supported in Wales)
Young people in Great Britain:
When you are over 15 years old, you are not a child, but legally you are the young person. When you reached 16 years old you are free to buy alcohol beverages. If are 18 years old, you can vote, get married and even get tattooed…
Festivals in Great Britain
- on 14th February St Valentines Day is celebrated
- Pancake Day
- Ester eggs
- Halloween, which means "holy evening"
- Guy Fawkes Day
- Christmas, which is consisted of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day
