United Kingdom

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United Kingdom
Uk.gif
Flag of United Kingdom
Capital London
Inhabitants 61.792.000
Language(s) English
United kingdom.jpg

United Kingdom is an island country in northwestern Europe. More than 70 countries are larger in size, and the United Kingdom has only about 1 per cent of the world's people. It has few natural resources.

Yet for hundreds of years, the United Kingdom has been one of the world's most important countries. The British started the Industrial Revolution. They founded the largest empire in history. They have produced some of the world's greatest scientists, explorers, artists, and political leaders.

The United Kingdom is really four countries united under one government. These countries are England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The nation's official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Most people call the country the United Kingdom, the UK, Great Britain, or simply Britain. London is the capital and largest city.


Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface.

The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation.

As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe.

A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside of the European Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. Regional assemblies with varying degrees of power opened in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 1999.


Contents

History

The Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC and its subsequent incorporation into the Roman Empire stimulated development and brought more active contacts with the rest of Europe. As Rome's strength declined, the country again was exposed to invasion-including the pivotal incursions of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the fifth and sixth centuries AD -- up to the Norman conquest in 1066. Norman rule effectively ensured Britain's safety from further intrusions and so that certain institutions, which remain characteristic of Britain, could develop. Among these institutions are a political, administrative, cultural, and economic center in London; a separate but established church; a system of common law; distinctive and distinguished university education; and representative government.

Union

Both Wales and Scotland were independent kingdoms that fiercely resisted English rule. The English conquest of Wales succeeded in 1282 under Edward I, and the Statute of Rhuddlan established English rule 2 years later. To appease the Welsh, Edward's son (later Edward II), who had been born in Wales, was made Prince of Wales in 1301. The tradition of bestowing this title on the eldest son of the British monarch continues today. An act of 1536 completed the political and administrative union of England and Wales.

While maintaining separate parliaments, England and Scotland were ruled under one crown begining in 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I as James I of England. In the ensuing 100 years, strong religious and political differences divided the kingdoms. Finally, in 1707, England and Scotland were unified as Great Britain, sharing a single Parliament and flag (the "Union Jack").

Ireland's invasion by the Anglo-Normans in 1170 led to centuries of strife. Successive English kings sought to conquer Ireland. In the early 17th century, large-scale settlement of the north from Scotland and England began. After its defeat, Ireland was subjected, with varying degrees of success, to control and regulation by Britain.

The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was completed on January 1, 1801, under the name of the United Kingdom. However, armed struggle for independence continued sporadically into the 20th century. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 established the Irish Free State, which subsequently left the Commonwealth and became a republic after World War II. Six northern, predominantly Protestant counties have remained part of the United Kingdom.

British Expansion and Empire

Begun initially to support William the Conqueror's (c. 1029-1087) holdings in France, Britain's policy of active involvement in European affairs endured for several hundred years. By the end of the 14th century, foreign trade, originally based on wool exports to Europe, had emerged as a cornerstone of national policy.

The foundations of sea power were gradually laid to protect English trade and open up new routes. Defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 firmly established England as a major sea power. Thereafter, its interests outside Europe grew steadily. Attracted by the spice trade, English mercantile interests spread first to the Far East. In search of an alternate route to the Spice Islands, John Cabot reached the North American continent in 1498. Sir Walter Raleigh organized the first, short-lived colony in Virginia in 1584, and permanent English settlement began in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. During the next 2 centuries, Britain extended its influence abroad and consolidated its political development at home.

Great Britain's industrial revolution greatly strengthened its ability to oppose Napoleonic France. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, the United Kingdom was the foremost European power, and its navy ruled the seas. Peace in Europe allowed the British to focus their interests on more remote parts of the world, and during this period the British Empire reached its zenith. British colonial expansion reached its height largely during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Queen Victoria's reign witnessed the spread of British technology, commerce, language, and government throughout the British Empire, which at its greatest extent encompassed roughly one-quarter to one-fifth of the world's area and population. British colonies contributed to the United Kingdom's extraordinary economic growth and strengthened its voice in world affairs. Even as the United Kingdom became more imperial abroad, it continued to develop and broaden its democratic institutions at home.

20th Century

By the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901, other nations, including the United States and Germany, had developed their own industries; the United Kingdom's comparative economic advantage had lessened, and the ambitions of its rivals had grown. The losses and destruction of World War I, the depression of the 1930s, and decades of relatively slow growth made it difficult for the United Kingdom to maintain its preeminent international position of the previous century.

Britain's control over its empire loosened during the interwar period. Ireland, with the exception of six northern counties, broke away from the United Kingdom in 1921. Nationalism became stronger in other parts of the empire, particularly in India and Egypt.

In 1926, the U.K., completing a process begun a century earlier, granted Australia, Canada, and New Zealand complete autonomy within the empire. They became charter members of the British Commonwealth of Nations (now known as the Commonwealth), an informal but closely knit association that succeeded the empire. Beginning with the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, the remainder of the British Empire was almost completely dismantled. Today, most of Britain's former colonies belong to the Commonwealth, almost all of them as independent members. There are, however, 13 former British colonies -- including Bermuda, Gibraltar, and the Falkland Islands -- which have elected to continue their political links with London and are known as United Kingdom Overseas Territories.

Although weakened by economic and political nationalism, the Commonwealth offers the United Kingdom a voice in matters concerning many developing countries. In addition, the Commonwealth helps preserve many institutions deriving from British experience and models, such as parliamentary democracy, in those countries.


Culture

England

Art & Architecture

England's greatest artistic contributions have come in the fields of theatre, literature and architecture. The country is also, right or wrong, a treasure house of art and sculpture, from every age and continent. Most visitors are overwhelmed by the stately homes of the aristocracy, and England's fine collection of castles and cathedrals. Though motorways, high rise and tawdry suburban development characterize England's 20th century architectural heritage, modern architects like Sir Norman Foster and Richard Rodgers are creating dramatic and innovative structures like the Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge and Lloyds of London building.

Literature

Anyone who has studied English literature at school will remember ploughing through Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens and Morrissey, and painful though it might have been at the time, no-one can deny England's formidable contribution to the Western literary canon.

Language

Perhaps England's greatest cultural export has been the English language, the current lingua franca of the international community. There are astonishing regional variations in accents, and it is not unusual to find those in southern England claiming to need an interpreter to speak to anyone living north of Oxford.

Religion

The majority of English who profess religious beliefs belong to the Church of England, which became independent of Rome in the 16th century. Other significant protestant churches include Methodist, Baptist and Salvation Army. One in 10 Britons consider themselves Catholic, and there are now over a million Muslims and sizeable Hindu, Jewish and Sikh populations. Despite this variety of religions, most English are fonder of their churches as architectural icons of grandeur and stability than as houses of religious piety.

Scotland

Historically, the Scots have been under-represented in British art and music, but they have packed a mighty wallop in the worlds of science, literature and philosophy. Scots came up with logarithms, the second law of thermodynamics and the laws of electrodynamics; they revolutionized steam power and invented bitumen, waterproofing, the telephone, the television and radar. Scots have been pioneers in anatomy, antiseptics and the development of penicillin. One of them, Adam Smith, even came up with the wacky idea of the invisible hand of capitalism. The Scots attribute this impressive roll call to the country's long-standing emphasis on a good education.


Different Arts

Scotland has an impressive artistic legacy, kicking off with the wild man himself, Robbie Burns, and is continuing this reputation, as Hollywood fetes members of the Mac Pack such as Ewen McGregor and Robert Carlyle, and literary festivals go gaga over grunge-and-drugs writers like Irvine Welsh. Perhaps the most famous icon of Scottish traditional culture is the Highland bagpipe, which achieved the height of its popularity during Queen Victoria's reign - she liked to be woken by one playing outside her window. Tartans, that other Scottish icon, date back to the Roman period, but were only associated with particular clans after the 17th century. Although kilts and other highland dress were banned after the Jacobite rebellions, they were revived in the following century. The mainstay of traditional culture was the ceilidh, or visit, a social gathering held after the day's work when a local bard would tell folk stories and legends and play songs. Ceilidhs are still held, though these days there are fewer stories, more dancing, and plenty of alcohol.

Religion

It's probably true to say that religion has played a more influential part in the history of Scotland than it has in any other part of Britain. Christianity reached Scotland in the 4th century, and with the Reformation the Scottish Church rejected the Pope's authority. Later a schism developed amongst Scottish Protestants, the Presbyterians favouring a simplified church hierachy. Two-thirds of Scots belong to the Church of Scotland, although the more rigorous United Free Presbyterian church is more popular in the Highlands and Islands. There are large Catholic populations in Glasgow, and some of the islands were secretly converted to Catholicism after the Reformation. Although not remotely on the scale of Northern Ireland, sectarian tensions can be felt in Glasgow, especially when the Protestant Rangers play the Catholic Celtic.

Language

Until the 12th or 13th century, Gaelic was spoken in all of Scotland, although Lallans (an English dialect with French and Scandinavian influences) has been spoken in the Lowlands for centuries. Now only about 66,000 people speak Gaelic, mainly in the Hebrides and northwest Scotland. Efforts are being made to halt its decline, and there are numerous Gaelic words that linger in everyday speech and make Scottish English almost impenetrable to foreigners.

Food & Drinks

Scotland's chefs have an enviable range of fresh ingredients at their disposal - meat, seafood and vegetables, as well as a reputation for some of the best game dishes in the world (think smoked salmon, venison and grouse). Other legendary Scottish meals include porridge, shortbread, haggis (a delectable mix of chopped lungs, heart and liver mixed with oatmeal and boiled in a sheep's stomach with surprisingly tasty results - vegetarian versions are also available), Scotch broth and that modern gourmet creation, the deep-fried Mars bar. Whisky is still the country's biggest export.

Christmas

The Scots celebrate Christmas rather somberly and reserve their merriment for New Year's Eve which is called Hogmanay. This word may derive from a kind of oat cake that was traditionally given to children on New Year's Eve. The first person to set foot in a residence in a New Year is thought to profoundly affect the fortunes of the inhabitants. Generally strangers are thought to bring good luck. Depending on the area, it may be better to have a dark-haired or fair-haired stranger set foot in the house. This tradition is widely known as "first footing."

Wales

Customs

The eisteddfod is a thoroughly Welsh institution that tends to leave the non-Welsh mystified. The word means a gathering of bards, and traditionally the eisteddfod was a contest involving poetry and music. The first was held in 1176, but their popularity dropped off after the 17th century when they raised the ire of the dour nonconformist Protestants. In the 1860s the National Eisteddfod Society was established to revive the old traditions, and there are now three major eisteddfodau as well as several local contests. The Welsh male voice choir is another Welsh institution, associated with the coal mining communities of South Wales. These choirs have their routes in Methodism, and their repertoires are particularly strong on hymns. Although many of the communites which spawned them have turned up their toes, the choirs are hanging in (although some have had to open their doors to women and visitors).

Music

The pop music of Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey have recently been joined by some fine Welsh rock music released by the Manic Street Preachers, Super Furry Animals, Stereophonics and Catatonia.

Language

The one thing that marks Wales out so distinctly from the rest of Britain is the survival of Welsh as a living language. Welsh is an Indo-European language, from a Celtic offshoot, although the Roman occupation gave the language a Latin influence. The language was fully developed by the 6th century, and is one of the oldest in Europe. These days only 20% of the population, mostly in the northwest and west, speak Welsh. Activists have worked to bring the language back to life - several bilingual publications are produced and Welsh S4C (Channel 4 Wales) televises daily Welsh programs. A Welsh Language Board was set up in 1988 and in 1994 the Welsh Language Act - giving Welsh equal validity and making it illegal to discriminate against Welsh-speakers - was introduced.

Food

Welsh food is not particularly well-known, but it does exist. The leek, of course, is the national symbol, but you'll also find laver bread (a mixture of seaweed, oatmeal and bacon served on toast), cawl (a vegetable broth flavoured with lamb) and Glamorgan sausages, a meatless delight made from cheese, breadcrumbs, herbs and leek.

Religion

Wales is a nation of nonconformists, so it's not surprising that Protestant nonconformist sects took off in a big way here. Christianity has been in Wales since the 5th century, and during the Reformation Wales became part of the Anglican church. In the 18th century the new industrial working classes proved fertile recruiting ground for various sects, particularly the Baptists, Methodists and Congregationalists. By 1851 80% of the population was nonconformist and in 1920 the Anglican church pulled out of the country. The nonconformists are traditionally rather puritanical, and until recently pubs stayed shut on Sundays. These days, however, only 220,000 Welsh people identify as being nonconformists.

Christmas

Caroling is particularly popular in Wales where it is called eisteddfodde and is often accompanied by a harp. In some rural areas a villager is chosen to be the Mari llwyd. This person travels around the town draped in white and carrying a horse's skull on a long pole. Anyone given the "bite" by the horse's jaws must pay a fine.

Events

coming soon...

National holidays

  • Jan 1: New Year's Day
  • Jan 2: Bank Holiday (in Scotland only )
  • Mar 17: St Patrick's Day (in N. Ireland only)
  • 1st Monday in May: May Day Bank Holiday
  • Last Monday in May: Bank Holiday
  • Jul 12: Battle of the Boyne Day in Northern Ireland only
  • 1st Monday in August: Summer Bank Holiday in Scotland only
  • Last Monday in August: Summer Bank Holiday except Scotland
  • Dec 25: Christmas Day
  • Dec 26: Boxing Day (St Stephen's Day for Roman Catholics)
  • Good Friday
  • Easter Sunday
  • Easter Monday

Holidays falling on a weekend are celebrated on the Monday following. If two consecutive holidays fall on a Saturday and Sunday, they are observed on the Monday and Tuesday following.

Scottish clearing banks observe the British, not the Scottish Bank Holidays.


Embassies

 

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