The official title of the UK:the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandThe national anthem:God Save the QueenThe UK is made up of: Great Britain (the formerly separate England and Scotland, and Wales. )Northern Ireland，Numerous smaller islandsLocation of the UK: The mainland areas lie between latitudes 49°N and 61°N and longitudes 8°W to 2°E Total territory: 242,910 square kilometersInteresting Fact: No one in the UK lives more than 120 km (75 miles) from the sea.England: it consists of lowland terrain, with some mountainous terrain in the north-west, north and south-west. Scotland: Its geography is varied, with lowlands in the south and east and highlands in the north and west. Wales: It’s mostly mountainous. South Wales is less mountainous than North and Mid Wales.Northern Ireland: It’s mostly hillyThe longest river: Severn River (354 kilometers long) 第二：Thames (332 kilometers long)The largest Lake: Lough Neagh(内伊湖，北爱尔兰中东部湖泊）Main characteristics: Temperate, with warm summers, cold winters and plenty rainfallThree major features: Winter fog Rainy days Instability/changeabilityLondon:the capital of England and of Great Britain,the political center of the Commonwealth, a major port,one of the world's leading banking and financial centers.标志建筑：The River Thames The palace of Westminster Big Ben，London Eye，Westminster Abbey，St. Paul's Cathedral ，Tower of London，Hyde Park，Buckingham Palace，Buckingham PalaceEdinburgh：Capital of Scotland，administrative, financial, legal, medical and insurance center of Scotland，beautiful scenery ，renowned architecture标志性建筑：Edinburgh Castle，Palace of Holyrood圣十字宫Cardiff ：Europe's youngest capital city，has been the capital city of Wales for around 50 years，home to an enormous amount of urban regeneration and restoration ，has recently become one of the most fashionable cities in the United Kingdom.标志性建筑：Cardiff City Hall，Millennium Stadium，Cardiff CastleBelfast ：the second largest city ，capital of Northern Ireland，an important historic city标志性建筑：Belfast Castle，City Hall人口：Overall population: over 60 millions分布：England: about 50 million，Scotland:over 5 million，Wales: around 3 million，Northern Ireland: about 1.7millionEthnicity：The majority of this population are descendents of the Anglo-Saxons .Most people in Wales and Scotland are descendents of the Celtic people .The Irish people were also Celtic in origin immigrants .Education:two systems of education –the state school and public schoolGenerally, there are three steps for British Education System: Compulsory Education(5-16), Further Education and Higher EducationThe Complete System of the British Education SystemMost Famous public schools in Britain are Eton College, Harrow School, Winchester College and Rugby School. Further education helps provide the academic router or vocational route.Higher Education –Oxford (1167) and Cambridge (1209), the oldest universities in the world.其他：Sports –England was the first home of many modern world’s most popular sports. Cricket (most English), Soccer, Rugby, Horse Racing, Golf, Fishing, HuntingScience –Sir Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton’s theory, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolutionArt, Music and Film; LiteratureCharacters –Exclusiveness, conservativeness, politeness, love of privacy, sense of humorHolidays –Boxing Day, 12.26Religion –mostly ChristianizedCustom:John Bull –image of an British, nickname for Britain. Short, fat, with a tall hat on his head and apair of boots of his feet.origin-十八世纪初，作家兼御医Dr. Arbuthnot写了一本《约翰牛传》(The History of John Bull)，主张英、法和平相处，书中主角的名字就叫作John Bull，作者用他来代表英国。

从此以后，John Bull成了英国和典型英国人的代名词。

Three Don’ts –Don’t jump the queue, don’t ask a woman her age, don’t try to bargain.Three INGs –betting, drinking (beer, wine and tea), tipping政治：The Monarchy –head of state, hereditaryParliament –the legislature body, consisting of three elements: the Crown, the House of Lords (the Upper House) and the House of Commons (the Lower House).The titles: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Baron, Lord Baronet, Sir.The Government –the cabinet, the Prime Minister (No. 10 Downing Street)The Two-Party System –the Conservative Party (the Tory) and the Labor Party (after 1945), the Liberal Democratic Party (the Whig)。