COUNTRY AND PEOPLE 1/Geographically speaking The British Isles North west coast of Europe Group of islands the islands of Great Britain, Ireland &over 6000 smaller islands 4 nations Great Britain “Gre[.]
COUNTRY AND PEOPLE 1/Geographically speaking The British Isles - North-west coast of Europe - Group of islands - the islands of Great Britain, Ireland &over 6000 smaller islands - nations Great Britain - “Great Britain” is the name of just the single large island –made up of E, Ccot and Wales - Island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe - The ninth largest island in the world & the largest European island Britain: Scotland, England, Wales & Northern Ireland The United Kingdom of GB and Northern Ireland - The United Kingdom -The U.K 2/ Politically speaking states in British Isles: The Republic of Ireland (Eire): govern most of the island of Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the United Kingdom or the UK or Great Britain): authorize the rest of British Isles In 2001, Britain's population is made up of: 54,154,000 White 1,053,000 Indian 747,000 Pakistani 566,000 Black Caribbean 485,000 Black African 283,000 Bangladeshi 248,000 Non-Chinese Asian 247,000 Chinese 30,000 Other 3/ The Four Nations A long gradual process of political unification Wales + England (13 century) Scotland + England ( 17 century) Ireland+ Great Britain (18 century) Northern Ireland + Great Britain ( 1920) →The United Kingdom of GB and Northern Ireland British as nationality but different signs of national identity Racial differences: Celtic race vs Germanic race Celtic languages vs English Economic, social and legal differences British – Briton – English British - people who live in Britain Briton - a word used in official contexts & formal writing to describe a citizen of the U.K English - people who live in England - Scottish people or Scots => anyone born in Scotland, or to anyone whose linguistic, cultural, family ancestral or genetic origins are from within Scotland - Welsh people - Irish people The Dominance of England Population, Language, Custom and practice, Economic and military power, Other aspects of public life John Bull : looked upon with affection as English personification: honest, generous, straightforward, with a zest for life and ready to stand up and fight for what he believes in HISTORY I PREHISTORY 2000 years ago: Iron Age Celtic culture The Celts: arrived from Europe from 8th century BC onwards Chief significance: sense of mystery (astonishing monumental architecture, remains of which exist in the country) Little known about the early inhabitants Prehistoric remains: Silbury Hill, Stonehenge From the 8th century BC onwards, Celts arrived II THE ROMAN PERIOD (43-410) The Roman province of Britannia covered most of England & Wales Impose own way of life, culture Celtic aristocracy to govern Roman dress & Roman language (Latin) Celtic tribe (Scots) migrated from Ireland to Scotland => allies of the Picts and opponents of the Romans => Division of the Celts - The Britons in England and Wales - The Gaels in Ireland and Scotland => distinct branches of the Celtic group of languages Long occupation (43-410) but little influence Imposed way of life and culture Use of towns: villas, baths, temples, roads but soon destroyed Lasting reminder: place names (Britannia, Londinium, Chester, Manchester) III THE GEMANIC INVASIONS (410-1066) waves of Germanic invasions The Anglo-Saxons The Vikings 5th century: a number of tribes from the north-western European mainland invaded & settled in large numbers tribes: the Angles, the Saxons => Anglo-Saxons => grasp the south-east 6th century: Their way of life predominated in all of England & parts of southern Scotland The Anglo-Saxons: Had great effect on the countryside Introduced new farming methods Founded the thousands of self-sufficient villages => formed the basis of English society Christianity spread (Rome, Ireland) Germanic culture 9th century: The Vikings (Danes) conquered, settled the north & west Scotland, some coastal regions of Ireland Conquest of England was halted when they were defeated by King Alfred of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex => divided England between Wessex (S+W) and Danelaw (N+E) Large scale: Angle+land = England Use of countryside: new farming method, self-sufficient villages →basic of English society The cultural differences between Anglo-Saxons & Vikings (Danes): small Led the same way of life & spoke the same Germanic tongue The Danes soon converted to Christianity => political unification 10th century: England =>1 kingdom with a Germanic culture V THE NORMAN INVASION (1066-1485) The successful Norman invasion of England brought Britain into the mainstream of western European culture The Norman invasion: small scale but strict feudal system Strict feudal system: imposed Peasants: English-speaking Saxons Lords, barons: French-speaking Normans => English class system System of government: Anglo-Norman kingdom => The most powerful political force Conquests of Wales, Scotland & Ireland Evolution of Parliament GEOGRAPHY I CLIMATE - No climate => weather - Very variable – changes so frequently => difficult to forecast - No “extreme” weather - Not “very” hot, not “very” cold Further West => more rain Mild winters = snow: higher areas Winter: colder in the East than in the West Summer: warmer & sunnier in the South than in the North Spring - March to May Summer - June to August Autumn - September to November Winter - December to February II LAND & SETTLEMENT No towering mountain ranges, large rivers, plains, forests - South, east: - Low-lying, flat plains, rolling hills - North, west: Mountainous areas - Blocks of flats - Outward > upward III LONDON - Largest city in Europe - Headquarters of government departments, Parliament, major legal institutions & the monarch - Headquarters of national TV networks & national Newspapers - Population: 1/5 of population of UK West End Theatres, cinemas, expensive shops East End - Poor residential area of central London - Large numbers of immigrants - Home of the Cockney LONDON Cosmopolitan 137 languages/ district Losing place as one of the world biggest financial centres Cultural variety, long history IV SOUNTHERN ENGLAND The county of Kent Garden of England Many kinds of fruit & vegetables The Downs Hills in a horseshoe shape Sheep farming White cliffs of the south coast Services & light manufacturing Little heavy industry The West country Bristol Dairy produce, fruit South-west peninsula: - Rocky coast - Small bays - Wild moorlands Tourist industry East Anglia North-east London Large expanses of uniformly flat land Dry climate Grow wheat, arable crops V THE MIDLANDS Birmingham Heavy industry Iron, steel => variety of goods Industry areas: - The Potteries - Derby - Leicester - Nottingham Grimsby: fishing ports * Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare’s birthplace) Nottingham Heavy industry Coal Iron ore VI NORTHERN ENGLAND Western: Manchester area Cotton goods Eastern: Bradford, Leeds Woolen goods Southern: Sheffield Steel goods Northern: Newcastle Shipbuilding Lake District (North-western corner of country) Largest National Park in England VII SCOTLAND Southern uplands: Sheep farming Central plain: 80% of population Oil industry Highlands: Tourism Whisky Glasgow (3rd largest city in Britain) Heavy industry Artistic heritage Glasgow school Edinburgh (capital) Historic buildings Topography (the Athens of the North) Edinburgh festival of the arts VIII WALES Cardiff (capital) South Wales: Coal mine High proportion of industrial villages Most of the rest of Wales: mountainous IX NORTHERN IRELAND Belfast Manufacture of linen Shipbuilding The rest of Ireland Agriculture Giant’s Causeway (enormous stepping stones) ... Wales + England (13 century) Scotland + England ( 17 century) Ireland+ Great Britain (18 century) Northern Ireland + Great Britain ( 1920) →The United Kingdom of GB and Northern Ireland British... Britons in England and Wales - The Gaels in Ireland and Scotland => distinct branches of the Celtic group of languages Long occupation (43-410) but little influence Imposed way of life and culture... genetic origins are from within Scotland - Welsh people - Irish people The Dominance of England Population, Language, Custom and practice, Economic and military power, Other aspects of public life