A bit of history
The name of the country comes from the English Great Britain – Great Britain, and Britain – from the name of the British tribe. In the V-VI centuries. The British Isles were conquered by the Anglo-Saxons. In 1066, after the Norman conquest of England, the political unification of the country took place, in the second half of the 13th century an English parliament arose, and an estate monarchy took shape. In 1534, during the Reformation, the English Church was established. In the 17th century, the English Revolution took place, which led to the establishment of capitalism, which, in turn, shaped the emergence of political parties – the Tory (conservative) and the Whig (liberal). In 1707, England and Scotland were united by the “Act of Union” into the Kingdom of Great Britain with a common legislative assembly, and from 1801 the state became known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. At the end of the 18th – beginning of the 19th centuries. the creation of the British colonial empire begins, and in the 19th century the British Empire becomes the largest colonial power in the world. In 1922, six Irish provinces seceded and formed the independent state of Ireland, and in 1929 Great Britain changed its name to the modern United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. During the First World War, Great Britain was one of the main participants in the Entente, and during the Second – the anti-Hitler coalition. Today the UK is one of the most developed countries in the world, it leads the Commonwealth of Nations, and is also a member of NATO, the EU and the G8. six Irish provinces seceded and formed the independent state of Ireland, and in 1929 Great Britain changed its name to the modern United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. During the First World War, Great Britain was one of the main participants in the Entente, and during the Second – the anti-Hitler coalition. Today the UK is one of the most developed countries in the world, it leads the Commonwealth of Nations, and is also a member of NATO, the EU and the G8. six Irish provinces seceded and formed the independent state of Ireland, and in 1929 Great Britain changed its name to the modern United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. During the First World War, Great Britain was one of the main participants in the Entente, and during the Second – the anti-Hitler coalition. Today the UK is one of the most developed countries in the world, it leads the Commonwealth of Nations, and is also a member of NATO, the EU and the G8.
Cultural heritage
The culture of Great Britain is incredibly diverse, because here, in addition to the original ones, there are cultures that came to the country during its colonial conquests – from Africa, India and the Caribbean. Britain’s contribution to world heritage is significant in all areas of culture.
Architecture: a monument of primitive art at Stonehenge, Roman architectural monuments in Bath and London, the remains of Romanesque castles in Dover, Nottingham, Rochester, Newcastle; Tower of London and White Tower in the Tower, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kensington Palace, Tower Bridge, Parliament and Big Ben clock tower, etc.
PaintingCast: William Blake, Frank Bramley, Samuel Birch, Thomas Gainsborough, George Doe, John Constable, Joseph Crawhall, Walter Langley, Thomas Lawrence, Richard Redgrave, Joshua Reynolds, William Turner, Edward Alexander Wadsworth and others.
Literature: Shakespeare, Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Robert Burns, Charles. Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jonathan Swift, Rudyard Kipling, Walter Scott, Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, Agatha Christie, John Ronald Tolkien, George Orwell, Young Fleming, Joan Rowling and many others.
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, John Lennon, Freddie Mercury, Chris Norman, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen and others.
The scienceCast: Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, John Stuart Bell, Robert Boyle, Max Born, James Joule, Henry Cavendish, James Maxwell, Rutherford, Michael Faraday, Thomas Young and others.
Cinematographer: Peter Ustinov, Harry Oldman, Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Malcolm McDowall, Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Grant and others.
Kitchen
British cuisine, like its culture, is extremely diverse. In addition to the traditional dishes of Great Britain itself, which include culinary recipes from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, British cuisine also combines the traditions of Chinese, Indian, Italian and French cuisines. But some dishes are undoubtedly associated with the cuisine of the United Kingdom. At first glance, British cuisine is unpretentious and heavy – on the example of the traditional fish & chips dish (fish and chips). However, this is not quite true. Many of the dishes that are prepared in the UK are exquisite and very tasty, while each part of the Kingdom is famous for its dishes. In Wales, lamb in mint sauce, red seaweed and fruit bread, in Northern Ireland, wonderfully cooked trout, “champ” or “colcannon” – potatoes with green onions or cabbage, in Scotland soups “bought skink” (fish) and “koki-leek” (chicken), potato salads “clapshot” (with turnips) and “stoviz” are very tasty ” (with meat), or the famous “haggis” – a mutton tripe with offal and seasoning. The most delicious roast beef, beef steak baked in dough, shepherd’s mutton pie, as well as traditional puddings with various fillings and additives, among which, perhaps, the most popular and easy to prepare is Yorkshire pudding, are extremely tasty. Great Britain is also famous all over the world for its first-class drinks – excellent Scotch and Irish whiskey, London gin and English ale, known since the 15th century. And, of course, one cannot help but recall the “afternoon” English tea, which the British drink everywhere – at work, at home, in tea houses, cafes.
British holidays
New Year – January 1;
Easter – April;
Easter Monday
May Day – the first Monday in May;
Spring Bank Holiday – last Monday in May;
August Bank Holiday – the last Monday in August;
Christmas – December 25;
Boxing Day – the second day of Christmas, December 26;
Christmas Bank Holiday – 27 December.
Also, in England, St. George (April 23), in Wales – St. David (March 1), in Northern Ireland – St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) and Orange Day (July), and in Scotland – St. Andrew (November 30).
