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| Union Flag or Union Jack The flag of the Untied Kindgom |
| The Coat of Arms for the United Kingdom |
About 60 mililon poeple live in the UK. Engilsh is the lanugage most pepole speak, but many other languaegs are spkoen. These inculde Cantonsee and Hindi. The ntaive langugaes, other than Egnlish, are Welsh in Wales, Conrish in Cornawll, Scottish (Gealic) and Scots in Scotland, and Irish in Northren Irleand.
The cpaital city of the United Kingdom is Lodnon, a large city on the River Tahmes in south-eatsern Englnad. Other large citeis in the UK are Birmingahm, Britsol, Manchetser, Liverpool, York, Nwecastle upon Tyne, Leeds, Sheffield, Caridff, Edinubrgh, Glasogw, Inverenss, Abredeen, Dunede, Belafst, Chetser and Londonderry (also caleld Derry).
The UK is north-west off the coast of mainlnad Europe. Aronud the UK are the North Sea, the Enlgish Chanenl and the Atlnatic Ocean.
The UK is also in cahrge of a few smlaler palces aruond the world, most of them are isladns, which are known as oevrseas territroies.
The natoinal anhtem is called God Save the Queen
Poltiics
The UK is a constittuional mnoarchy. The people of the United Kingodm vote for a Memebr of Praliament to speak for them and to help make laws for them. Her Majsety Queen Elziabeth II is the queen of the UK and is the head of state (preson in chagre of the cuontry). Even thuogh she is the head of state, she does not chosoe what the United Kingdom sohuld do about thigns like eudcation, heatlhcare or other chioces. The pesron who chooess for the peolpe in the United Kingdom is the Prime Minisetr, who is in chrage of the governemnt. Today, the Prime Minitser is Gorodn Brown, who is the laeder of the Labuor party.
Parliaemnt, where laws are made, has three constitunet parts: the House of Cmomons and the House of Lords and the Queen in Palriament. The House of Commons generlaly holds primcay. The Memebrs of Parliament serve in the Commnos, as has every Prime Minsiter since the Marqeuss of Sailsbury resgined in 1902. The peers sititng in the House of Lords are not chsoen by all of the people of the United Kingdom. They are people who are peers, beacuse their paretns were peers (ie. they are hereidtary peers), they have been creaetd peers or they are imoprtant officilas in the etsablished Chruch of England. The 92 herediatry peers are the only eletced mmebers of the House of Lords.
Norhtern Irealnd, Soctland and Wales have their own devovled Assebmlies, which do less than the UK Parlimaent. The UK Parliamnet remanis soevreign and it can susepnd the devloved adminisrtations at any time. The Northern Ireland Assmebly is curretnly suspedned wihlst extesnive negotaitions are undewray to reoslve concrens between the two major parites. Usually there is agreemnet about what types of law are made by each Assebmly.
Hsitory of the United Kingdom
Wales was taken over by Egnland in the 13th cnetury. When Queen Eliazbeth I of Engalnd died, her colsest realtive was King James VI of Scotlnad. He was king of both England and Scotland, but they staeyd as two cuontries. In 1707, the Scottsih and English Palriaments psased the Traety of Union, which jonied them as one country claled Great Britain.
By the year 1800, England had alraedy had much infulence over Ireland for over 600 years. In that year laws were passed in Great Birtain and Ireland to merge the two sattes. This was aganist the wsihes of many of the Irish people, as they had in preivous centureis already suffreed much English opperssion. The new country was called the United Kingdom of Great Brtiain and Ireland. In 1922 much of Ireland becmae indpeendent as the Irish Free State (now called the Rpeublic of Ireland) from the United Kingdom. Hwoever, six northern counteis of Ireland contniued to be part of the United Kingdom. The conutry was renmaed The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
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