Great Britain covers the area of 244046 squared kilometers. There are more than 58245000 inhabitants in this country. The capital city of Great Britain is London. There live more than 6809000 people. There are many other big towns, of which most important are: Birmingham (2632000 people); Manchester (2600000 people); Leeds (2053000 people); Glasgow (1700000 people); Sheffield (1297000); Liverpool (1467000). The official language of great Britain is English, although there are several dialects in different areas of GB. Great Britain consists of 4 different countries- England (with the capital city- London); Wales (capital city- Cardiff), Scotland (capital city- Edinburgh) and Northern Ireland (capital city- Belfast).
Typical English gestures and greetings
Most English people say 'hello' to each other when they meet. They also shake hands, which makes the greeting and parting more formal. When you meet someone for the first time, you may say 'how do you do?'. In the groups of friends it is usual to kiss women slightly on the cheek.
Shaking hands is a very popular way of greeting. Some people, in more formal situations say 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.' before the name. Nowadays, even when a child addresses the adult, they use only the first name.
English people are considered very reserved. Most of them don't like loud people and too demonstrative behaviors. They are used to respect each other's personal area and they hate it, when the other comes too close or when they ask too personal questions. It is unacceptable to touch someone during the conversation.
Families
The families in England are quite small. Most families have 1 or at most 2 children. Each year fewer people decide to get married. Those who do, marry when they are older. Most English women don't want to have many children. They decide to give a birth no sooner than they are about 28 years old. They are more interested in making professional careers. They work hard and are more self-sufficient than previously.
The living standard in UK is relatively high. Nevertheless, it is lower than the standard of USA and few European countries. Anyway, the country is considered influential and strong. The most numerous part of British society makes the middle class. There is a growing gap between the poor and the rich people in UK. Most British people (2/3 of the society) have their own apartments or houses.
Food
People all around the world know, how typical English breakfast looks like. It is very fat and unhealthy. It consists of sausages, bacon, fried eggs, mushroom, toasts. Many people eat black pudding or kippers (smoked herring) for breakfasts. Fortunately, nowadays fewer people eat such breakfasts regularly. As people all around the world, the British like toasts, cereal, fruit and yogurts. More and more people eat light breakfasts.
British people are conservative and it is difficult to convince them that anything other than what they know may be good. They started to get to know food from different parts of the world at the beginning of 1960s, and today many of them are open to try different kinds of food. Their diet became more diverse.
People in GB usually eat 3 times a day. At midday, they eat lunch- a rather light meal consisting of salads, sandwiches or soups. When they come back home from work and school, at about 6 p.m. they eat dinner or supper (less formal). There is a tradition of drinking tea in the afternoon. People in Britain at 4 or 5 p.m. drink tea (always with milk!) and eat biscuits and cakes. Today fewer and fewer celebrate this custom.
British social life
As I already mentioned, the British people want others to respect their privacy. When you want to meet someone or visit them, you need to call them first and make an appointment. It is considered rude to come across surprisingly. When someone you know invites you to a meal, it is nice to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine with you. When you go to visit strangers, you can take wine with you.
Sports and recreation
People in Great Britain are very keen on soccer (football), cricket, golf, rugby and tennis. Many people love watching horse racing. However, the most popular outdoor hobby is gardening.
People all around Great Britain like to meet their friends in pubs. It is especially popular among men. They meet there to drink beer and watch football in TV. Although some people visit pubs regularly, most of them prefer to relax at home. Watching TV is the most popular hobby. People from the British Islands watch more TV than people from any European country. Many people like going to the cinema as well.
Shopping
Most shops and offices in Great Britain are open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. However, the number of shops is growing, and the opening hours are less regular than they used to be. As in most other countries, one can go shopping any time during the day and night and on each day of the week.
