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Topic: The United Kingdom of G.B. and Northern Ireland

Whether you’re interested in culture or countryside, the UK has something for you. With a long, fascinating history and rich traditions, it certainly won’t leave you bored. 

The United Kingdom of G.B. and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consists of two large islands, G.B. and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometres.

The UK is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. GB consists of England, Scotland and Wales and doesn't include Northern Ireland. The capital of the UK is London.

The British Isles are separated from European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of GB is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south with its beautiful valleys and plains is called the Lowlands.

There are a lot of rivers in GB, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. The UK has a humid oceanic climate. It has warm summers and cool winters with some rain all year. The weather in GB is very changeable. A fine morning can change into a wet afternoon and evening and vice versa. The English people say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." The English also say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long.

The weather is the favourite conversational topic in GB. After they greet each other they start talking about the weather.

The most unpleasant aspect of English weather is fog and smog. This is extremely bad in big cities especially in London. The fog spreads everywhere so cars move along slowly and people can't see each other. They try not to be run over by a car but accidents arestill frequent in the fog.

With an amazing range of scenery, from mountains to winding rivers, the UK is a magical country with something to suit every taste.