13/10/2019
UNITED KINGDOM
The United Kingdom (U.K.) is a union of four lands.England,Scotland and Wales take up the island of Great Britain while the provine of Nothern Ireland consists of six counties in Ireland.The U.K. also has close economic and political links with self governing territories such as the Isle of Man, in the Irish Sea,and the Channel Islands,off the coast of northwest France.
The U.K is an industrial nation with a large population for its size.However,outside its crowded towns and cities there is dramatic and beautiful countryside,including the heather- covered glens of Scotland,the deep valleys and mountains of Wales,and the rolling,grassy fields of England, and Nothern Ireland.A mild and wet climate makes much of the land green and fertile.
The sea has played an important role in the history of this nation.During 1700s and 1800s, the British Navy was the most powerful fleet in the world.British control of the seas enabled it to build a vast overseas empire and become a great trading nation.
Today , the U.K is still a major industrial power, but its political influence on world affairs has declined.
Although the U.K. is a monarchy, real political power lies with Parliament. During recent years many people in Scotland and Wales have campaingned for separate parliament. In Northern Ireland, some of the population want to be part of the Republic of Ireland. Since 1969, this caused a bitter civil conflict ,but a ceasefire in 1994 brought hopes for peace.
