Read and Speak. Круглова М.В. - 59 стр.

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TEXT 3A. THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND

NORTHERN IRELAND

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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) occupies

most of the territory of the British Isles. It consists of four main parts, which are:

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London,

Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the official name of

the state which is sometimes referred to as Great Britain or Britain (after its major

isle), England (after its major historic part) or the British Isles.

The UK is an island state: it’s composed of some 5,500 islands, large and small.

The two main islands are Great Britain (in which are England, Wales and Scotland)

to the east and Ireland (in which are Northern Ireland and the independent Irish

Republic) to the west. They are separated by the Irish Sea.

The UK is one of the world’s smaller countries (it’s

twice smaller than France or Spain), with an area of

some 244,100 square kilometers. The UK is situated

off the west coast of Europe between the Atlantic

Ocean on the northwest and the North Sea on the east

and is separated from the European continent by the

English Channel (or La Manche) and the Strait of

Dover (or Pas de Calais).

The population of the United Kingdom is over 57

million people. There are fourteen other countries in the world with more people.

English is not the only language which people use in the UK. English is the

official language. But some people speak Gaelic in western Scotland, Welsh - in parts

of northern and central Wales.

The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of three

crosses. The upright red cross is the cross of St. George, the patron saint of England.

The white diagonal cross is the cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The

red diagonal cross is the cross of St. Patrick, the patron of Ireland.