Transcript Chapter 6

Chapter 7
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
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Country name: United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Capital: London
Location: Western Europe, islands including the
northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland
between the North Atlantic Ocean and the
North Sea, northwest of France
Border countries: Ireland
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Government type: constitutional monarchy
Population: 60,094,648 (July 2003 est.)
Languages: English, Welsh (about 26% of the
population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic
(about 60,000 in Scotland)
Religions: Anglican and Roman Catholic 40
million, Muslim 1.5 million, Presbyterian 800,000,
Methodist 760,000, Sikh 500,000, Hindu 500,000,
Jewish 350,000
GDP – per capita: purchasing power parity $25,500 (2002 est.) (24th in the world) (2002 est.)
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Industries: machine tools, electric power
equipment, automation equipment, railroad
equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles
and parts, electronics and communications
equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum,
paper and paper products, food processing,
textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods
Currency: British pound (GBP) (CIA, World
Fact Book)
Important Facts
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Among the top 10 destinations in the world
24,2 million international tourist arrivals
 $ 17,8 billion international tourism receipts (WTO,
2003)
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Coastline: 12,429 km
Terrain: mostly rugged hills and low mountains;
level to rolling plains in east and southeast
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Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing
southwest winds over the North Atlantic
Current; more than one-half of the days are
overcast (CIA, World Fact Book)
Selling Points
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Historic sites, museums, theater, Stonehenge and
other antiquities, London, rural scenery, the
crown jewels, formal gardens, walking trails,
county estates, canal trips, shopping, friendly
people and cultural events.
Brief Introduction
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there are bonds between UK and USA AND
Canada (literature, law, tradition)
neighboring Ireland is more beautiful, UK still
has stunning beauty, particularly in Scotland
countryside, rose gardens in the villages are
among the loveliest in the world
London
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London metropolitan area is fairly large - its population
is 7,7 million
things of interest are within 5 km radius of Covent
Garden.
a visitor can walk around or use the Tube (subway), a
half-day city tour
Tower of London (dating to 1066 - a medieval prison,
guides in medieval dress, crown jewels on display)
St. Paul’s Cathedral (where Diana and Charles got
married)
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British Museum (elements of world history on display
including two Magna Cartas, the Rosetta Stone, the
Eldin Marbles – statues from the Acropolis in Athens,
Egyptian mummies)
Westminster Abbey (royalty is crowned here)
The Big Ben (the clock tower atop Parliament)
Tate Gallery and National Gallery (paradise for art
lovers)
Buckingham Palace (changing of the guard at 11.30 am)
Houses of Parliament
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Trafalgar Square (pigeons and towering statue of Lord
Nelson)
Hyde Park (world famous Speaker’s Corner for Sunday
morning speeches of anyone)
Victoria and Albert Museum (decorative objects)
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
Tower Bridge
Regent Street (between Piccadilly and Oxford Circus heaven for shoppers)
Harrods, Selfridges (famous shops)
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Leicester Square (the center of the “legitimate” theater
street; full of restaurants, cinemas like WB, discos) and
China Town
Museums (the Natural History Museum - animated
dinosaur exhibit, the London Transport Museum, the
Museum of Mankind, the Science Museum, the
National Maritime Museum in Greenwich - pieces from
Titanic)
Greenwich (the Old Royal Observatory - where one
can stand on the Prime Meridian, the Tunnel under the
Times river by foot)
Vicinity of London
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Chartwell (home of Winston Churchill)
Runnymede (place where Magna Carta was
signed)
Windsor Castle (one of the Royal Households)
Hampton Court Palace (beautiful tapestry, art
and formal gardens )
Anthrop Park (childhood home of Princess
Diana, converted to a museum dedicated to
Diana)
Cambridge
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a picturesque town, built near an ancient bridge over
the River Cam (Cam-Bridge)
known for its university opened in 13th century
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old stone buildings
16th-century King’s College Chapel
Trinity College
Fitzwilliam Museum and the Museum of Archeology and
Anthropology
botanic gardens
University’s fine choir
Oxford
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home to oldest university in Britain, founded in 1263.
the university has 35 colleges, each with its own
tradition, architecture and history.
Carfax Tower (to see the entire town view)
Magdalen College
Radcliffe Camera (one of the Oxford’s many libraries)
botanic gardens and the Tom Tower in Christ Church
College
Oxford Story Museum (uses audiovisual displays to
bring the history of the town)
Stonehenge
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the circle of megalithic stones older than a
thousand years in Salisbury Plain
24 km north at Avebury, there is another
complex of standing stones
Stratford-upon-Avon
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hometown of William Shakespeare
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
The Bard
Shakespeare’s birthplace
 The Guildhall (where he went to school)
 The Trinity Church (where he is buried)
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Leeds Castle
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11th century old castle
Still occasionally used by the Prime Minister
has excellent art
Canterbury
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200 year old city
11th century cathedral containing Thomas a
Becket’s tomb
The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
The Canterbury Pilgrims Way Museum (colorful
retelling of Chaucers tales)
York
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a walled medieval city
churches, narrow streets, shops, timbered homes
with gabled roofs
14th-century York Minster is one of the largest
medieval cathedrals in Europe
reputed to be the most haunted city in England
Lake District
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has an amazing scenery
popular with anglers, honeymooners and walkers
place to relax, enjoy the scenery, hike
Scotland
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famous for its pubs, country inns, friendly
people, bagpipe and kilt
a cozy and warm area with a rebellious history
and moody weather
the annual Edinburgh Festival is one of the best
art events in the world
Edinburgh;
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has two towns, the “New Town” and the “Old
Town” divided by Princes Street Gardens
world’s first urban planning project created 200
years ago the New Town
 Edinburgh Castle (treasures include the Scottish
crown jewels)
 National Museum of Antiquities
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Glasgow;
used to be a shipbuilding port, now center for arts,
entertainment, and education
 Scotland’s largest city
 Glasgow Cathedral (Gothic architecture, 12th
century)
 museums, concert halls, theatres, opera house
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The Highlands;
rich in history and legend, wild beauty, very old
fortresses
 Oban (one of the most attractive seafront towns)
 Dunadd Fort (the first capital of the Scots)
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Golf
Scotland gave golf to the world, has world renown
golf courses
 St Andrews (reputed to be the first golf course)
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Wales
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compared with Scotland and Ireland, Wales is a
bit reserved, still has its full share of Celtic
mystique
has beautiful scenery, misty valleys, cozy cottages,
castles
Cardiff (the capital);
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has an intimate feel with a lovely pedestrian mall, the
Victorian arcade , Snowdonia National Park and Wye
Rive Valley (castle ruins)
Northern Ireland
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misty green meadows, soft blue skies and
dramatic coastline: overshadowed by the
troubles between Catholic and Protestants
outgoing people and lively pubs
Belfast (the capital);
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offers beautiful architecture and Giant’s Causeway
(37000 ancient hexagonal basalt columns, origin is
not known)
The Channel Islands
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are geographically (may also be culturally) closer
to France than England
The two most popular islands; Jersey and
Guernsey (place like England 20 years ago)
wildflowers, sand dunes, soaring cliffs