Підбірка "10 питань про Велику Британію"

Q1. What is the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain?

The United Kingdom is made up of the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain, on the other hand, comprises only England, Scotland and Wales. It is the largest island of the British Isles. Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic form the second largest island.

The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not part of the United Kingdom. They are largely self-governing with their own legislative assemblies and systems of law. The British Government is, however, responsible for their defense and international relations.

In this site the term "Britain" is used informally to mean the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Q2. What are National Parks and where are they?

National Parks aim both to protect the outstanding countryside within their boundaries and to provide opportunities for outside recreation for their many thousands of visitors each year.

There are seven National Parks in England - Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, North York Moors, Northumberland, the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales.

There are three National Parks in Wales - Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and the Pembrokeshire Coast that together account for about 20 per cent of the total land area.

In Scotland there are four Regional Parks - Loch Lomond, Fife, Clyde Muirshiel, Pentland Hills - and 40 National Scenic Areas plus 77 national nature reserves.

Q3. Which religions are represented in Britain?

Everyone in Britain has the right to religious freedom. Britain is predominantly Christian - one British citizen in 10 is a member of the Roman Catholic Church and there are 1.7 million members of the Anglican church - the "established church", that is the church legally recognized as the official church of the State.

In Scotland, there are 1.1 million members of the Presbyterian Church - the established church in Scotland. In Northern Ireland, about half the people regard themselves as Protestants and nearly 40 per cent as Roman Catholics.

In Wales, the Anglican church was disestablished in 1920. This means that there is no one officially established church, but Methodism and Baptism are the two most widespread religions.

Britain has one of the largest Muslim communities in Western Europe, estimated to be between 1 and 1.5 million people, with over 600 mosques and prayer centers. One of the most important Muslim institutions in the Western world is the Central mosque in London and its associated Islamic Cultural Centre.

The Sikh community in Britain comprises between 400,000 and 500,000 people, with the largest groups of Sikhs concentrated in Greater London, Manchester and Birmingham. The oldest Sikh temple was established in London in 1908.

The Hindu community in Britain accounts for a further 320,000 people. The first Hindu temple was opened in London in 1962, and there are now over 150 throughout Britain. Other religious groups include about 285,000 members of the Jewish faith.

Q4. What are Britain’s main imports and exports?

Despite having only one per cent of the world’s population, Britain is the fifth largest trading nation in the world. The chemical industry is Britain’s largest export earner, and the third largest in Western Europe. Since the 1970s, oil has contributed significantly to Britain’s overseas trade, both in exports and a reduced need to import oil. British Petroleum (BP) is Britain’s biggest and Europe’s second biggest industrial company.

UK pharmaceutical companies make three of the world’s best selling medicines: "Zantac" (made by Glaxo Wellcome) for ulcer treatment; "Tenormin" (ICI), a beta-blocker for high blood pressure; and "AZT" (Glaxo Wellcome), a drug used in the treatment of AIDs.

Britain is also a major supplier of machinery, vehicles, aerospace products, electrical and electronic equipment. Britain is responsible for 10 per cent of the world’s export of services, including banking, insurance, stockbroking, consultancy and computer programming.

Britain imports six times as many manufactures as basic materials. EU countries account for seven of the 10 leading suppliers of goods to Britain and Germany is Britain’s biggest supplier of imports. Food, beverages and tobacco account for half of non-manufactured imports, whilst machinery and road vehicles account for two-thirds of finished imported manufactures. Other major imports include chemicals, fuels, clothing and footwear.

Q5. What does the Union Flag stand for and how should it be flown?

The flag of Britain, commonly known as the Union Jack (which derives from the use of the Union Flag on the jack-staff of naval vessels), embodies the emblems of three countries under one Sovereign. The emblems that appear on the Union Flag are the crosses of three patron saints:

the red cross of St.George, for England, on a white ground;

the white diagonal cross, or saltire, of St. Andrew, for Scotland, on a blue ground;

the red diagonal cross of St.Patrick, for Ireland, on a white ground.

The current version of the Union Flag appeared in 1801, following the union of Great Britain with Ireland, with the inclusion of the cross of St.Patrick. The cross remains in the flag although now only Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.

Wales is not represented in the Union Flag because, when the first version of the flag appeared, Wales was already united with England. The national flag of Wales, a red dragon on a field of white and green, dates from the 15th century and is widely used throughout the Principality.

The Union Flag should be flown with the broader diagonal band of white uppermost in the hoist (near the pole) and the narrower diagonal band of white uppermost in the fly (furthest from the pole).

Q6. What are "GMT" and "British Summertime"?

GMT or "Greenwich Mean Time" is the local time of the 0 degree meridian that passes through Greenwich in London, from which the standard times of different areas of the globe are calculated. Thus it is the standard time for Britain, and a basis for other time zones in the world.

Summer time or BST (British Summer Time) runs from the end of March to the end of October (the last Sunday in each month), when clocks are advanced one hour ahead of GMT to gain maximum use of daylight hours.

Q7. Does Britain have a National Day?

National Days in Britain are not celebrated to the same extent as National Days in countries like France or America.

Scotland’s National Day is St. Andrew’s Day (30 November), which has now largely been overshadowed by Burns’ Night. St.Andrew, one of Christ’s twelve apostles, is the patron saint of Scotland. Some of his bones are said to have been brought to what is now St.Andrews in Fife during the 4th century. Since medieval times the X-shaped saltire cross upon which St.Andrew was supposedly crucified has been the Scottish national symbol.

St. David’s Day (1 March) is the national day of Wales. St.David (c.520-588), the patron saint of Wales, was the founder and first abbot-bishop of Menevia, now St.David’s in Dyfed, South Wales. The day is commemorated by the wearing of daffodils or leeks by patriotic Welsh people. Both plants are traditionally regarded as the national emblems of Wales.

England’s national day is St.George’s Day (23 April). St.George is the patron saint of England. A story that first appeared in the 6th century tells that St.George rescued a hapless maid by slaying a fearsome fire-breathing dragon! The saint’s name was shouted as a battle cry by English knights who fought beneath the red-cross banner of St.George during the Hundred Years War (1338-1453). This is immortalised in Shakespeare’s play Henry V in the lines:

"I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,

Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot:

Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge

Cry "God for Harry! England and Saint George!""

Today the red cross of St.George still flies above every English parish church to mark the saint’s day.

St.Patrick’s Day (17th March) is an official Bank Holiday in Northern Ireland. The work of St.Patrick (c.389-c.461) was a vital factor in the spread of Christianity in Ireland. Born in Britain, he was carried off by pirates, and spent six years in slavery before escaping and training as a missionary. The day is marked by the wearing of shamrocks (a clover-like plant), the national badge of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Q8. How do the British celebrate traditional and religious holidays?

Christmas Day

In Britain, Christmas Day is normally spent at home, with the family, and it is regarded as a celebration of the family and its continuity. Preparations start well in advance, with the sending of Christmas cards and installation of a decorated Christmas tree in a prominent place in the home. Although it is now a firmly established tradition, the Christmas tree was first popularised by Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, who introduced the custom from his native Germany in 1840.

Some houses are decorated with evergreens (plants which do not lose their leaves in winter); a wreath of holly on the front door and garlands of holly, ivy and fir indoors. Bunches of mistletoe are often hung above doorways - any couple passing underneath must exchange kisses! Traditional food is prepared: sweet mince pies, a rich Christmas cake and the Christmas pudding. Everyone has their own favourite recipe, but they’re all packed full of spices, nuts, dried fruit and brandy.

Presents are bought and wrapped, and traditionally placed under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Christmas is both a secular and a religious holiday, and many families like to attend a midnight service at church on Christmas Eve, or celebrate Christmas in church on Christmas morning.

The excitement begins for children on Christmas Eve, when they hang up their stockings (an old sock or, more ambitiously, pillow cases) around the fireplace or at the foot of the bed for Father Christmas to fill with presents. The English Father Christmas or Santa Claus is first recorded in his traditional red and white outfit in a woodcut of 1653, but the story of Santa arriving in his reindeer-drawn sleigh and descending down the chimney to fill children’s stockings with presents derives from the USA.

Practically everyone sits down to a Christmas dinner in the early afternoon of Christmas Day, traditionally roast turkey, but some families prefer goose or roast beef. The turkey is followed by the Christmas pudding, brought to the table flaming hot. Brandy is poured over the pudding, then lit. The day ends with everyone relaxing, watching television or playing guessing-games like charades.

Boxing Day

Boxing Day (26 December) is so-called because it’s a time when tradespeople receive a "Christmas Box" - some money in appreciation of the work they’ve carried out all year.

Traditionally a time for visiting family and friends and indulging in more feasting, Boxing Day is a popular day for football matches and other sporting fixtures.

The day is a public holiday, so shops and banks are closed. More recently, some shops have broken with tradition and now open on Boxing Day to encourage shoppers who can’t wait to spend their Christmas money!

New Year

New Year is often launched with a party - either at home with family and friends or a gathering in the local pubs and clubs. Merrymaking begins on New Year’s Eve and builds up to midnight. The stroke of midnight is the cue for much cheering, hooting, whistling, kissing and the drinking of toasts.

Tradition has it that the first person over the threshold on New Year’s Day will dictate the luck brought to the household in the coming year. This is known as First Footing. At midnight on 31 December, particularly in Scotland and northern England, "first footers" (traditionally a tall, dark, good-looking man) step over the threshold bringing the New Year’s Luck. The first footer usually brings a piece of coal, a loaf and a bottle of whisky. On entering he must place the fuel on the fire, put the loaf on the table and pour a glass for the head of the house, all normally without speaking or being spoken to until he wishes everyone "A Happy New Year". He must, of course, enter by the front door and leave by the back.

In Wales the back door is opened to release the Old Year at the first stroke of midnight. It is then locked up to "keep the luck in" and at the last stroke the New Year is let in at the front door.

In Scotland the New Year remains the greatest of all annual festivals. Called "Hogmanay" (a word whose meaning has never been satisfactorily established), it’s marked by an evening of drinking and merrymaking, culminating at the stroke of midnight when huge gatherings of people at Edinburgh’s Tron Kirk and Glasgow’s George Square greet the New Year by linking arms and singing "Auld Lang Syne".

Halloween

Halloween (31 October) and its associations with witches and ghosts derives from the Celtic Old Year’s Night - the night of all witches, when spirits were said to walk the earth. Witches and supernatural beings are still remembered all over Britain, when bands of children roam the streets in ghoulish costumes, carrying Halloween lanterns - pumpkins hollowed out with a ghostly face cut into one side, which glows when a candle is placed inside.

In recent years the custom of "trick or treating" has gained in popularity. Although we commonly associate this practice with America, the custom originated in England as "Mischief Night" when children declared one "lawless night" of unpunished pranks (usually May Day eve or Halloween).

Halloween parties (usually for children) include games such as apple bobbing, where apples are either floated in water or hung by a string. The object of the game is for the players to put their hands behind their back and try to seize an apple with their teeth alone.

Easter

Easter day is named after the Saxon goddess of spring, Easter, whose feast took place at the spring equinox. Easter is now the spring feast of the Christian church, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. It falls on a Sunday between 22 March and 25 April, according to the church calendar.

Traditionally Easter eggs, dyed and decorated or made of chocolate, are given as presents symbolising new life and the coming of spring.

Egg rolling competitions take place in northern Britain on Easter Monday; hard-boiled eggs are rolled down a slope, with the winner being - according to local preference - the one which rolls the furthest, survives the most rolls, or is successfully aimed between two pegs! The best publicised event takes place at Avenham Park in Preston, Lancashire.

Q9. What is the most popular food in Britain?

Britain’s most popular "fast food" has got to be fish and chips. Fish and chip shops first made an appearance at the end of the 19th century and since then have been a firm favourite up and down the country. The dish is simplicity itself: fish (usually cod, haddock or plaice) is dipped in a batter made from flour, eggs and water and then deep fried in hot fat. Chips are made from thick batons of potato and deep fried.

Fish and chips are served over the counter wrapped in paper, and traditionalists prefer to eat them straight out of the paper because they taste better that way!

The best-known British dish eaten at home has been roast beef, traditionally eaten on Sunday. The dish used to be so popular in England that the French still refer to the British as "les rosbifs"! Roast beef is served with roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy - a sauce made from meat juices and stock, thickened with flour. Yorkshire pudding - batter baked in hot fat in the oven - is a favourite accompaniment to roast beef.

Q10. Why do the British like drinking tea?

Everything in Britain, says a popular song, stops for tea. It’s certainly true that tea is the most popular drink in Britain - far more popular than coffee, which is favoured throughout Europe and America. The Dutch brought the first tea to Europe in about 1610, but it was not until 1658 that the first advertisement for tea appeared in a London newspaper. By 1750, tea had become the principal drink of all the classes in Britain, yet at that time a pound of the cheapest tea cost about one-third of a skilled worker’s weekly wage! Tea was jealously guarded by the lady of the house, and kept in special containers called tea-caddies, often with a lock, and carefully doled out by the teaspoon.

Gradually, tea-drinking developed into a fashionable social ritual and tea gardens blossomed in places like Vauxhall and Marylebone in London, where couples could stroll in the afternoon and enjoy a cup of tea with bread and butter and cakes. Tea parties were also popular at home, and soon the ritual of "afternoon tea" was firmly established. Today, throughout the homes, tea-shops and hotels of Britain, the custom of tea-time continues, and it remains a feature of any cricket match or summer fête.

High Tea is a more substantial evening meal, popular in northern England and Scotland.

Tea in Britain is traditionally brewed in a china teapot, adding one spoonful of tea per person and one for the pot. Great importance is attached to the use of freshly boiled water, which is poured onto the leaves and then the tea is left to "brew" for a few minutes. Most people in Britain prefer a rich, strong cup of tea with milk, and sugar is sometimes added to taste.