GREAT BRITAIN
(The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northen Ireland)
§ North – west part of west Europe (is situated at…)
§ It consists of two large islands (Great Britain, Ireland) and 5000 smaller ones
§ It’s bordered to the south by the English Chanel (separates from continental Europe)
to the east by the Notrth Sea
to the west by the Irish Sea + the Atlantic Ocean
§ It’s neighbours are Ireland (to the west) and France (to the south - east)
§ It covers an area of 250 thousand sq. km
§ It’s made up of four lands: England (London)
Wales (Cardiff)
Scotland (Edinburgh)
Northern Ireland (Belfast)
§ Can be devided into lowland area and the highland area
o Lowlands: southern and eastern England
o Highlands: mainly Scotland and most of Wales
§ Other important mountain regions Pennines - `backbone of England` (the central
upland)
The Cumbrian mountains in the Lake District
§ The highest peaks are Ben Navis (1342, the Highlands of Scotland)
Snow Don (1085, the Welsh Mountains)
§ Also many beautiful romantic lakes in the Lake District and in Scotland (Lomand, Lochness (Loch Ness monster))
§ Climate is temperate, humid (mírný, vlhký), no extreme contrasts in temperatures, rainy most of the year
§ Influnced by Gulf Stream, different from continental
§ Weather is importat topic, changes quickly
§ Agriculture: difference between south and north and between lowlands and uplands
§ North: green pastures, meadows Þ sheep, cow breeding (suitable for…)
§ South: lowland area, rich soil Þ fruits, cereals and other farm crops
(south is heavily populated)
§ Main industries: steel, metals, vehicles, shipbuilding, shipping, banking, textiles, chemicals, electronics, aircraft, machinery, distilling (lihovarnictví)
§ Rich in raw materials: coal, oil, gas, lead
§ Main trading partners: Germany, USA, France, Netherlands
§ Member of all important international organizations: United Nations, G7, European Community, NATO
§ Population: 60 million inhabitans
§ Density: 230 people/sq. km – one of the highest in the world
§ Majority of population speak English (official language)
in some areas still Welsh and Scottish Gaelic
§ Constitutional monarchy with the Sovereign (the Queen) as the head of state
Rather formal role
§ Constitution of UK is unwritten (based on custom, tradition, common law)
§ Executive is represented by the Government (a body of minister), who are responsible to the Parliament
§ The Parliament consists of the Queen, The House of Commons, The House of Lords
§ British parliament system is one of the oldest in the world (dates back to the 13th cen.)
§ Two main political parties: The Labour Party (left)
The Conservative Party (right)
§ The leader of winning party becomes Prime Minister and appoints ministers as the Cabinet (the Government)
§ Celts
o Are said to be the first settlers in Britain (2500 years ago)
o Stonehenge was built by them
o Their language is survived to this day (Scottish Gaelic)
o (Welsh originates from the language of Britons)
o Bronze age before (landmarks, Stonehenge really)
§ Romans
o Invaded the country in 43 AD
o Built camps, cities, roads
o Hadrian’s wall – northern frontier, protected the country from the invasion of Celtic tribes from Scotland
o 5th century – Romans had to leave to defend Rome against German tribes
§ German tribes (Anglos, Saxons)
o Celts returned to western part of country
o German tribes defeated them (Britain became England)
o Seven Germanic kingdoms were established, the Christian religion started to spread (Britain became England)
§ Danes and Vikings
o Attacked the coast and conquered almost all England (8th, 9th century)
o One of the kingdoms survived (king Alfred the Great, later made his seat Wessex (capital Wellington) political and social centre of the country)
§ 11th century, Edward the Confessor, William the Conqueror
o England was ruled by Danish king and Saxon Prince Edward was forced to escape to France
o Brought up by Normans
o He came back as Edward the Confessor
o He gave important positions in state and Church to Normans
o After his death Normans invaded country
o Their leader, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, said that the throne had been promised to him
o He defeated the Saxon King Harold in the Battle of Hastings (1066)
o Established a strong central government who and appointed Norman position
§ Crusades ® Magna Carta
o Aim of crusades (cíl křížových výprav) was to rescue the Holy Land from Moslems (the 12th century)
o Richard I (the Lion Hearth) took part in one of them and had to leave the country
o The British Noblemen were gaining more power towards the end of the 12th century
o He was killed and his son John I, Lackland (Bezzemek) lost almost all English possessions (državy) in France, including Normandy
o He was forced to sign Magna Carta (1215)
o This document enabled (umožňoval) the noblemen to share the power with the king (early form of the parliament)
§ The Hundred Years War (1350 – 1450)
o Started when the English king claimed (vznést nárok na) the French Crown
o Became a conflict between two nations
o The French, led by Joan of Arc, finally won
o English lost their power in France
§ The Wars of the Roses
o Roots: Struggle (zápas) of the party of the king (Richard II., the end of the 14th cent.) and the party of Lancaster
o Took place in the 15th century
o The House of York (The White Rose)
o The House of Lancaster (The Red Rose)
o Lasted 85 years
o ended when Richard III was killed and Henry Tudor became King Henry VIII
§ Tudor Dynasty
o The royal power was growing again
o Henry VIII supported Protestants and established the Church of England
o Had six wives
o Had 3 children
o Edward VI
o Mary I (Bloody Mary)
o Persecuted Protestants, was Catholic after his mother, Spanish Princess
o Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603) was most important of them
o Enforced (prosadit) the Protestant religion bz law
o Trade, culture prospered
o England is the leading power on the sea, later resulted in colonial expansion to America and India
§ Stuarts, the Scottish royal family
o Modern British flag
o Charles I dissolved (rozpustit) the Parliament (1630) but had to Summon up (svolat) his noblemen again (needed money for a war)
o The Parliament opposed strongly
o King arrested some leaders ®beginning of the Civil war
o Charles was executed
o Oliver Cromwell - leader of radical Puritans
o Appointed the Lord Protector, governed England (1653 - 1658)
o After his death his son was unabled to follow him
o The Stuarts to the throne again, Catholic
o Defeated with help of William, the king of Netherlands ® the Glorious Revolution
o After this No Catholic on the throne
The political power got finally into the Parliament
§ Queen Anne
o Formal union of England and Scotland
o Developing importance of minority in the Parliament (opposition, way for the two-party government system)
§ The Napoleonic War
o New struggle between France and England
o Napoleon wanted to invade England, but Admiral Nelson defeated him at Trafalgar (1805)
o French definitely defeated by Wellington with Prussian army at the Battle of Waterloo (1815)
§ The Industrial Revolution
o The end of the 18th century, lot of changes in society
o England transformed from agriculture to a manufacturing country
o...
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