Two main islands: Great Britain and Ireland
Introduction to British and American Culture
The Four Regions of the U.K.
England
130,000 square kilometers Three regions and geographical features The River Thames London
Scotland
78,000 square kilometers Geographical features Edinburgh Glasgow
Introduction to British and American Culture
The Four Regions of the U.K.
Wters Geographical features Cardiff
Northern Ireland
14,000 square kilometers Geographical features Belfast
Introduction to British and American Culture
Introduction to British and American Culture
Geographical Features
Position British Isles The Four Regions of the U.K. Climate Features
Introduction to British and American Culture
Introduction to British and American Culture
The Land
Names
The full and official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, usually abbreviated to the United Kingdom or U.K., Great Britain, or simply Britain, or sometimes informally England. Question: Why don’t people of Scotland, Wales and North Ireland like to be called “English people”?
Climate Features
A temperate maritime climate Three features
There is often a lot of fog or smog in winter. There are many more rainy days than sunny days. The weather is quite instable and changeable.
It was once called “an empire on which the sun never sets” .
Introduction to British and American Culture
The British Isles
Explanation of the term: The British Isles is the name of some islands in Western Europe, separated from the European continent by the North Sea, the Strait of Dover and the English Channel. Among the islands, Great Britain and Ireland are the two main ones. The country of the U.K. mainly consists of these two islands.
What famous cities or interesting tourist sites do you know about this country? _____________________________
Introduction to British and American Culture
Introduction to British and American Culture
Position
Britain is situated in Western Europe and is separated from the European continent by the North Sea, the Strait of Dover and the English Channel.
Before You Read
Warm-up
Can you see a big clock in the picture on the right? Do you know its very famous name? _____________________________
When you are referring to the meaning of “ying guo” in English, which of the following terms do you use most often? a. Great Britain b. England c. Britain d. U.K. e. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland f. The United Kingdom _____________________________