Chapter One
Who Are the British?
The Country and the People
1. Geographical Position of UK
Of the British Isles the Great Britain is the largest island, often shortened as Britain for the convenience’s sake.
for an equal status of Welsh language with English and expected more native language and culture in schools, the media and in public life.
The Welsh , like the Scots, fall into two groups: those sheep farmers from the mountainous regions of the north and those who live and work in the highly industrialized south which is notorious for low wages and awful living conditions of the coal miners. Two very different passions (hobbies) have emerged for the hard-working Welsh: rugby football and choral singing. (Refer to P.7)
5. Geographical features Maps A. The Highland Zone a. The Highlands of Scotland b. The Central Lowland (Middle Valley) of Scotland B. The Lowland Zone a. The Midlands of England b. The North Eastern Lowlands 6. People Although the United Kingdom covers only a small area of the earth’s surface, it represents people of many different origins and cultures. The present-day British people are a mixture of ethnic groups.
The people of English origin make up the majority of the nation, but there are also the Scottish people, the Irish people, the Welsh people, and some other minority groups. In spite of the historical background, today all the them are British since almost everyone’s ancestor had come to the British Isles from somewhere else. That’s the reason why the three terms, the English people, the British people, and Britons are interchangeable.
3. Divisions of Great Britain
Traditionally Great Britain is divided into three parts or countries: England in the south, Scotland in the north, and Wales in the southwest. Maps
7. Who are today’s Britons?
a. The Stone Age hunters and gatherers arrived in Britain as early as about 10,000 years ago. b. The Neolithic people (新石器时代) followed as settled agriculturalists who kept animals and made simple pottery. c. From around 2000BC to 1500BC, the Bronze Age, huge monuments henges were erected by the Stone Age people possibly for religious purposes. Stonehenge d. Celtic peoples arrived by the end of the Bronze Age, around 700 BC, with iron-working skill.
Characteristics of the Scots They are noted for being inventive, hardworking, serious-minded and cautious with money. A separate assembly was intended to give the Scots greater say in their affairs. But the results of the referendum held in 1979 frustrated this effort. Famous exports whisky Famous Scottish Writers Robert Burns (1759-1796) Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) Robert Louis Stevenson (பைடு நூலகம்850-1894)
Maps of UK
7. The Scotts
Highlanders The Scots, particularly the Highlanders from the mountainous north, try to maintain their separate identity. The Picts(比克特人) and the Celts (凯尔特人) were their earliest known ancestors. The language (the Gaelic language ) still spoken in remote areas comes from the ancient language of the Celtic tribes. Lowlanders Most Scots known as Lowlanders are concentrating in the densely-populated town and cities of the southern Scotland for great job opportunities and industrialization.
8. The Welsh
The Welsh have been united with England since the 1535 Act of Union (联盟法). Like the Scotts they have a strong awareness of their cultural heritage and show great love to music and poetry. Like the Scotts, an intended Welsh assembly was not favored by most Welsh, though they struggled
The national characteristics of the Irish people portrayed in the literary works are being introspective dreamers and poets, argumentative and aggressive. The long and violent history of Ireland 1)The whole island was colonized by England in 1159 and the situation was worsened when the Irish refused to accept the Protestant Reformation. Their stubborn faith in Catholicism despite cruel persecutions by the English led to constant uprisings.
2. Names
The full name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (U.K.).
It mainly consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
4. Divisions of Ireland
The struggle for independence led to the establishment of the Republic of Ireland in 1927. The remaining part is Northern Ireland known as Ulster.
Outstanding Welsh writers are Dylan Thomas(1914-1953) , Gwyn Thomas and Richard Llewellyn.