What is Britain?

Lesson 2

Counties & Cities

Regions of England

North West

West Midlands

South West

North East

Yorkshire

East Midlands

East of England

Greater London

South East

Shires

Shires were formed in Anglo-Saxon times (~500AD to 1066 AD) to raise taxes.

Each Shire had a fort – these have become the county towns of today.

Counties

In the Middle Ages (1066 – 1400) Britain was divided into “counties”

A “County” was the realm of a “Lord” (aka Count in Europe).

Today

Today’s counties are a mix of the old shires and the old counties.

Boundaries have changed a lot.

Some old shires and counties have disappeared.

There are some “new” counties

Some Counties still retain the name “shire” as a suffix.

E.g. the city of Nottingham is in the county of Nottinghamshire

e.g. Nottinghamshire

e.g. Warwickshire

London

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England.

Worldwide influence and a major financial centre. Population of Greater London is 7,421,228 (a

population of over 12 million in the wider metropolitan area).

The largest city in the European Union. A very diverse range of peoples, cultures, and

religions. It has a great number of important buildings,

including world-famous museums, theatres, concert halls, airports, railway stations, palaces, and offices.

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city in north west England, on the north side of the Mersey (river) estuary.

The population of the borough is 1,362,026. Liverpool is an internationally famous as a port. The home city of The Beatles. Two internationally-known football clubs,

Everton F.C. and Liverpool F.C. Inhabitants of Liverpool are called

"Liverpudlians" and nicknamed "Scousers“. They are noted for their distinctive accent and

dialect, called Scouse.

Leeds

Leeds is a city in Yorkshire in the north of England. The River Aire runs through the city.

The City of Leeds has a population of 726,939.

An inhabitant of Leeds is a “Loiner’.

Nottingham

Nottingham is a city in the East Midlands of England.

Nottingham lies on the River Trent. A population of 270,300 in Nottingham itself,

with around 613,723 people living in the surrounding area (Greater Nottingham).

Nottingham is famous for lace-making and Robin Hood.

Nottingham is the fastest growing city in England.

Scotland

Consists of a mainland area and several island groups, including Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides

3 main geographical areas make up the mainland: From north to south

1. The mountainous Highlands.

2. The low-lying Central Belt.

3. The hilly Southern Uplands.

Scotland

Most Scottish people live in the Central Belt, which contains three of the country's six largest cities (Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Stirling) and many large towns.

Most of the remaining population lives in the North-East Lowlands.

Wales

Wales is located on a peninsula in central-west Great Britain. The entire area of Wales is about 20,779 km2.

Wales is 274 km long and 97 km wide. Wales has over 965 km of coastline.

There are several islands off the Welsh mainland, the largest being Anglesey in the northwest.

Wales

The main population and industrial areas are in South Wales, consisting of the cities of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.

Ireland

Northern Ireland is unofficially known as 'Ulster'. Northern Ireland is a region of the United Kingdom.

The Republic of Ireland, with its capital in Dublin. This state is also called "Ireland" or "Éire".

Ireland

A ring of coastal mountains surrounds low central plains.

The highest peak is Carrauntuohill at 1041m.

The island is bisected by the River Shannon, the longest river in Britain (259 km).

Ireland

The island's lush vegetation, a product of its mild climate and frequent but soft rainfall, earns it the name "Emerald Isle".

The island's area is 84,079 km²

UK v Taiwan

UK TAIWAN

Language English Mandarin

Money Pound Sterling New Taiwan Dollar

Area 244,110 km2 36,179 km2

Population 58,784,000 21,463,000

Pop. Density 241/km2 593/km2

GNP / capita US$ 18,410 US$ 12,490

<14 years 18 22

15-65 66.3 70

65+ 15.7 8

Side by side

Flags & Symbols - England

The cross of St. George

The Red Rose

Flags & Symbols - Scotland

The cross of St Andrew

The Scotch Thistle

Flags & Symbols- Wales

The Dragon of Cadwallader

The Daffodil The Leek

Flags & Symbols – Ireland (official)

The Republic of Ireland

Northern Ireland

Flags & Symbols – Ireland (unofficial)

The cross of St. Patrick

The Shamrock

The United Kingdom

England

Scotland

N. Ireland

The Union Jack