1) Great Britain's official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (or UK for short).
2) It is situated on the British Isles.
3) The UK consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
4) The total territory is over 244 thousand square kilometers. The population of the UK is over 67 million (as of Novemeber 2019).
5) The capital of Great Britain is London.
6) The surface of the United Kingdom varies greatly. The northern and the western parts of the country are mountainous and are called the Highlands. All the rest is a vast plain which is called the Lowlands. The mountains are not very high.
7) Yes, there are. The country has a lot of rivers. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one. There are many beautiful lakes in the mountainous part of the country. The best known of them is long narrow Loch Ness, legendary home of the famous monster.
8) The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of Great Britain. It is mild the whole year round. Winters are not cold and summers are not hot.
9) Yes, it is. Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. The main industrial branches are aircraft and navigation equipment, electronics, machinery, chemicals and textile, automobile and ship-building.
10) It is known as one of the world's largest producers of iron and steel products, machinery and electronics, chemicals and textile.
11) Yes, there are. The most famous educational establishments are Oxford and Cambridge universities.
12) Yes, it is. The UK is a constitutional monarchy headed by the Queen. But in practice it is ruled by the government with the Prime Minister at the head.
13) The name of the Queen of Great Britain is Elizabeth II (Elizabeth the second).
14) It consists of 2 chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
15) There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour party, the Conservative party and the Liberal party.
