Hi you there.

What is Britain exactly?

Let´s have a look at what is more interesting to my students.

LANGUAGES

The main language in Great Britain is English. Over 95% of the British population are monolingual English speakers. But of course, depending on the place your living, there are different accents. In Scotland 1.4% speak Scottish Gaelic as well as English, so we can say these people are bilingual. In Northern Ireland 6.6% of the population are bilingual in Irish Gaelic and English. In Wales 21% also speak Welsh.

There are also large numbers of community languages, brought into the country and sustained by recent immigrant communities, which account for more than 5.5% of the population. The largest group are South Asian languages.

WEATHER

Generally, the climate of the UK is cool and often cloudy, hot temperatures are infrequent.

The climate is defined as a temperate oceanic climate. Regional climates are often influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and latitude. Northern Ireland, Wales and western parts of England and Scotland, being closest to the Atlantic Ocean, are generally the mildest, wettest and windiest regions of the UK, and temperature ranges here are seldom extreme. Eastern areas are drier, cooler, less windy and they also show the greatest daily and seasonal temperature variations. Northern areas are generally cooler, wetter and have slightly larger temperature ranges than southern areas.

The warmest temperatures in summer appear in the south and south-east of England. In Wales and the south-west of England the temperatures are also higher as in Scotland, the north-east England and Northern Ireland. In the summer, there can sometimes be a large difference in temperature between the far north of Scotland (including the Islands) and south-east of England. Usually the difference is between 10 and 15 °C. But sometimes there is a difference of as much as 20 °C or more

RELIGION

The main religion in Britain is Christianity. Most Christians belong to the church of England or Scotland. These are Protestant Churches, but there are also many Roman Catholics.

Although religious faith in Britain is predominantly Christian, most of the world’s religions are also practiced. Christianity is followed by Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and Buddhism. But according to measures of 2011, 25.7% of the population in Great Britain doesn’t follow any religion. Just 4.4% follow Islam, 1.3% Hinduism, 0.4% Buddhism. And 7.5% aren’t stated.

SYMBOLS

Each country has its own famous places, people and objects associated with them,that represent it.

T

The Oak

The oak is the national tree of England. The oak tree represents strength, beauty and survival through trials. As such, it is the perfect representation of this enduring country. King Charles II escaped parliamentarians after his father was executed and hid in an old oak tree. Since then, this escape has been called the Royal Oak

Red Telephone Box

Red telephone box, the traditional British red telephone box can still be seen in many places throughout the UK. The colour red was chosen to make them easy to spot. From 1926 onwards,the telephone boxes were emblazoned with a crown, representing the British government. The red phone box is often seen as a british cultural icon throughout the world.

Red Post Box

The Post box, has a picture of a crown on it, as well as the telephone box. The crown on the postbox also has the monarch's initials underneath. Post Boxes come in all shapes and sizes, with different markings.

Post boxes can be found from every Monarch since Queen Victoria: Edward VII, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II.

VR is Queen Victoria

EIIR is Queen Elizabeth the Second

The letter R which stands for Regina (Queen) or Rex (King).

Red Double-Decker Buses

Red Double Decker buses used for mass transport in the United Kingdom and many other European countries, the most iconic example being the red London bus.The rare open platform, popular with passengers, was abandoned for safety reasons, as there was a risk of passengers falling when running and jumping onto the bus.

The Lion

The lion is symbolic of bravery, it was frequently used to depict the courageous warriors of medieval England. Today, it remains the national animal of the country and is used extensively in sports. team names, logos, icons, and so on.

The English Rose

The English Rose





FAMOUS LANDMARKS

London Eye

London Eye, the London Eye was formally opened by then Prime Minister Tony Blair on 31 December 1999, but did not open to the paying public until 9 March 2000 because of a capsule clutch problem. On June 2008 it was announced that 30 million people had ridden the London Eye since it opened.

Big Ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London and is usually extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower as well. Previously, it was known simply as the Clock Tower. It is a British cultural icon, the tower is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and is often in the establishing shot of films set in London.

Tower Bridge

Tower bridge, has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognisable bridges in the World. It is the London bridge you tend to see in movies and on advertising literature for London.

TYPICAL FOOD AND DRINK

BREAKFAST
  • English breakfast
The traditional English breakfast includes bacon, scrambled eggs, fried or grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, toast with butter, baked beans and sausages.






LUNCH/DINNER
  • Roast dinner
It is a traditional British main meal that is traditionally served on Sunday, consisting of roasted meat, roast potato,vegetables,Yorkshire pudding, stuffing,gravy...
The meal is often comparable to a less grand version of a traditional Christmas dinner.



  • Bangers and mash
Made of sausages and mashed potatoes, and may consist of one of a variety of sausages made of pork or beef,the dish is sometimes served with gravy, fried onions, baked beans, or peas.



DESSERTS

  • Trifle
It is a dessert made with fruit, a thin layer of sponge fingers or sponge cake soaked in sherry or another wine, and custard. It can be topped with whipped cream.



  • cakes
A classic cake is made with butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Baking powder is in many cakes. The ingredients are sometimes mixed without creaming the butter, using recipes for simple and quick cakes.







  • custard
Made with a combination of milk or cream, egg yolks, fine sugar, flour, and usually a flavoring such as vanilla, chocolate, or lemon.

  • English crumpets
They are round and generally biscuit-size,they have a spongy texture full of nooks and crannies for absorbing melted butter and other delicious toppings.








AFTERNOON TEA
  • Tea & cake
Probably tea and cake are one of the most symbolic foods that are represented when thinking of England.

TAKEAWAYS

  • Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a hot dish of English origin consisting of fried fish and hot chips. It is a common take-away food,cod and haddock appear most commonly as the fish used for fish and chips,but white fish can be used too.
         
  • subway
It is fast food that primarily sells sandwiches and salads.Subway also sells breakfast sandwiches, english muffins,flatbread,drinks,etc...
  • McDonald's
  • Burger King
  • KFC
It stands for Kentucky Fried Chicken, more commonly known by its initials KFC, it is fast food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken.

  • There are also a variety of Indian,Italian and Chinese restaurants.

BRITISH CARS

English cars are an icon of this country and some of the most important are: Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Morgan or Mini Cooper. All of them are very luxurious cars and have got prestege all around the world.

One of the most known brands is Rolls Royce, because their engines are developed from plane engines, what makes them better than their competitors, but also much more expensive. This brand was founded in 1906 by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, and nowadays they are under the control of BMW. In 2003 the company splitted up, dividing themselves into Rolls Royce and Bentley, which is part of the Volkswagen Group.

Another well-known brand is Jaguar, it was founded in 1922. Jaguar´s cars are luxurious and comfortable, but they are also known for their success in racing as the Le Mans 24 hours race

Aston Martin is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, which became really popular when it´s cars started to appear in James Bond´s films. The best example of their cars is the DBS. Mini Cooper, also known as "Mini" started to be produced in the 60´s, and was created because its producers wanted to have an small car that regular people could buy, but having the guarantee of a British car.

And finally Morgan. This brand was founded in 1909 and is the best example of a great car. Even knowing that its price is maybe too high, the car worth it because a Morgan is the best in each area that you can imagine.

So if you like good cars and you are up for paying the price don´t doubt about it and buy a piece of England.

Morgan and Mini Cooper

Morgan and Mini Cooper