The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The UK is situated north-west of the European continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. It has a total land area of 244,100 square kilometres, of which nearly 99% is land and the remainder inland water. From north to south it is about 1,000 kilometres long. The UK part of Europe and is a member of the European Union (EU). The official name of the UK is the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". The name refers to the union of what were once four separate nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (though most of Ireland is now independent). The United Kingdom is made up of:

England - The capital is London. Scotland - The capital is Edinburgh . Wales - The capital is Cardiff. Northern Ireland - The capital is Belfast.

What is the capital city of the UK? The capital of the UK is London.

I.

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night is when all Christmas Decorations should be removed so as not to bring bad luck upon the home. If decorations are not removed on Twelfth Night, they should stay up all year.

Why is it bad luck to leave the decorations up after Twelfth Night?

Long ago it was thought that leaving the decorations up would cause a disaster. People believed that tree-spirits lived in the greenery (holy, ivy etc) they decorated their houses with. The greenery was brought into the house to provide a safe haven for the tree-spirits during the harsh midwinter days. Once this period was over it was necessary to return the greenery back outside to release the tree-spirits into the countryside once again. Failure to do this would mean that vegetation would not be able to start growing again (spring would not return), leading to an agricultural disaster. visit projectbritain.com It was also thought that, if you left the greenery in the house, the tree-spirits would cause mischief in the house until they were released. visit projectbritain.com for more information Today people still feel uneasy about leaving the Christmas decorations up after Twelfth Night. Despite decorations now being made of foil or paper, and even though the treespirits are long forgotten, the superstition still survives. visit projectbritain.com for more information Did you know? Until the 19th century, people would keep decorations of holly, ivy, box, yew, lauren and mistletoe up until February 2nd, Candlemas Day, the end of the Christmas season, 40 days after the birth of Jesus. In the reign of Victoria decorations came down on Twelfth Night and generally were burnt.

When is Twelfth Night? 12th night Twelfth Night is the evening of the 5th January.

"The evening of the fifth of January, preceding Twelfth Day, the eve of the Epiphany, formerly the last day of the Christmas festivities and observed as a time of merrymaking". Oxford English Dictionary

II .

Holidays and Notable Special Days in Great Britain

Many festivals and holidays in Britain are centuries old. Every town, village and hamlet in Britain has its own traditions, some involving months of careful planning and preparations of costumes and choreography, others requiring simply a worrying desire to make a complete and utter fool of oneself. The 2007 - 2009 calendar below contains the most important and well known festivals and popular events in Britain. If you are looking for the date of a particular holiday or festival in the UK, then you will find it here. January May September February June October March July November April August December

January 1 New Year's Day (Bank holiday/Public Holiday) February 14 Valentine's Day March 1 St David's Day (Wales National Day) 17 St. Patrick's Day (Ireland's Special Day) March/April Easter April

June Wimbledon Tennis Tournament last two weeks of June August (Bank holiday/Public Holiday) Notting Hill Carnival September Harvest Festival October 31 Halloween November

1 April Fool's Day 23 St George's Day (England's National Day) May ( 2 Bank holidays/Public Holidays) 1 May Day

5 Bonfire Night 11 Remembrance Day 30 St Andrew's Day (Scotland's National Day) December Advent Christmas (Bank holiday/Public Holiday)

III.

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is where the Queen lives.

Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official and main royal London home. It has been the official London residence of Britain's monarchy since 1837. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live there. Who lives in Buckingham Palace today? Buckingham Palace is not only the home of the Queen and Prince Philip but also the London residence of the Duke of York (Prince Andrew) and the Earl and Countess of Wessex (Prince Edward and his wife) and their daughter. Buckinging Palace is also an office

Buckingham Palace is used also for the administrative work for the monarchy. It is here in the state apartments that Her Majesty receives and entertains guests invited to the Palace. .. IV.

Types of Transport in Britain

Roads and motorways are Britain's primary domestic transport routes. There are some 225,000 miles (362,000 km) of roads in Britain.

Travel by car, van or taxi is by far the most common means of transport, accounting for 85 per cent of passenger mileage in Great Britain. (London Transport) Average distances travelled per person in Britain per year in 1999/2001:

walking 189 miles (244 miles in 1985/86), bicycle 39 (44), bus 342 (406),

train 368 (292), car 5354 (3796). Source: National Travel Survey 2001 Cars

Most people in Britain travel by car. About 75% of households have at least one car.

Small white van parked in between cars Motorcycles

Motorcycling is popular in Britain, both as a means of transport and as a pastime with over one million motorcyclists. A moped with an engine capacity up to 50cc can be ridden at the age of 16 with a provisional licence. The maximum legal speed a moped can be ridden is 30 mph (50kph). A full motorcycle licence can be obtained at the age of 17 after passing a test. Lorries

Most goods are transported by roads in lorries At the beginning of the 20th century, railway trains and canal barges were the main means of transporting heavy goods. Now around 65% are carried by lorries. Buses and Coaches

We have single decker and double decker buses. You can see them in our towns and cities. We use coaches for travelling longer distances or for going on school outings.

The red double decker buses (pictured below) are famous all over the world. You can see loads of them in London. A Double Decker bus for you to colour Make a London bus out of paper

There are two main kinds of buses in London: the red double-decker and the red singledecker.

The main places a bus goes to are shown on the front of the bus. Some double-deckers have automatic doors and you pay the driver when you go in. On single-deckers you sometimes buy your ticket from a machine in the bus. Most London buses have a conductor who will come round and collect fares. Sightseeing buses There are many sightseeing, open top, buses in London and other cities.

Trams

Taxis
In London, the taxis are black but in the rest of the country they are different colours. Black Cabs are the only taxi you can hail from the street (though they now come in other colours as well). With the "for hire" sign lit, the driver is obliged to stop for you. A london taxis for you to colour

Trains

The rail network in Britain is one of the most extensive in Europe with over 11,000 miles (17,500km) of lines, some 2,500 stations and around 1,500 trains a day. Interesting Facts

Britain pioneered railways. The Stockton and Darlington railway (1825) was the first public passenger railway in the world. The major stations in London are: Euston, St Pancras, Victoria and Charing Cross.

The Tube

"The Tube" is the name of London's underground system

The London underground railway system (or 'tube', as it is known locally) celebrated its centenary in 1990 and is internationally famous, ranking alongside the Paris metro and the New York subway. London's tube network covers the largest area of any underground rail system, with 242 miles (391km of tracks, of which around 106 miles (171 km) is underground, and 267 stations. The tube runs to all areas of central and greater London,

connecting all mainline stations. When in London, "the Tube" is a great means of getting around!

Interesting Fact

London was the first city in the world to have an underground railway, called the 'tube'. The first line was built in 1890. Euro Trains The trains travel under the sea in a very long tunnel called the Channel Tunnel. The tunnel was completed in 1995 and is 50 metres below the sea bed. Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking London, Ashford, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Avignon, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris and the French Alps. Journey Times London to Paris - 2 hours 15 mins London to Brussels - 1hr 51 mins London to Lille - 1hr 20 mins Eurostar only transports people, if you would like to take you car you have to go on the Euro Shuttle. The "Shuttle" service joins Calais to Folkestone in 35 minutes. We drive our cars onto the Shuttle trains. Airports

ENGLAND : There are 470 airports in England. London has five airports : Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead, London City and Luton. The first three have underground connections to the centre of London and are the main London airports.

Heathrow and Gatwick Airports are the two main centres for overseas flights. London (Heathrow) Airport is one of the largest airports in the world and has two tube stations. The number of passengers arriving and departing to or from London's airports equalled over 120 million in 2004. Heathrow handled 67m passengers, making the airport the busiest and best connected in the world. Source; CAA, BAA SCOTLAND : Prestwick airport. Ships

Shipping still remains the main form of cargo transport in to and out of Britain, despite the opening of the Channel Tunnel to France in 1994. The busiest sea port is Dover. Many ferries cross the seas between England and Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and France V.

What to see and do in London

(Flat Stanley visits the main London attractions all the way from North Carolina in the USA) London attracts very large numbers of visitors and tourists. In 1991 London registered 16 million visitors (ie those staying at least one night); by 1999 this figure had increased to 28 million. Tourist attractions are mainly in Central London. Use the Tube Map to work out how you would travel to the places mentioned below. The most popular and our favourite are: Changing of the Guard The Changing of the Guard takes place at two separate locations in London:

Foot Guards at Buckingham Palace Two Household Cavalry regiments at Horse Guards on Whitehall

Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace Nearest Tube: Victoria, St James's Park or Green Park

Buckingham Palace The Queen's Guard changes in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11:30am every day in the summer and every other day in the winter. It is best to arrive by 11 am as several other ceremonies happen outside the palace. There is no Guard Mounting Ceremony in very wet weather. From August to about April the guard change is held every other day, from April to July it is held daily, check the schedule for further details Please note that in August you might not see the soldiers wearing the red uniforms

as often other regiments guard the Queen during this month. Changing of the Guard at Horse Guard Parade, Whitehall Nearest Tube: St James's Park At Horse Guards Arch, Changing of the Guard takes place daily at 11.00 am (10.00 am on Sundays) and lasts about half an hour; it is normally held on Horse Guards Parade by the arch of Horse Guards Building at Whitehall.

The Life Guards at Horse Guard Building For more information on the Queen's guards see our Queen's Guard pages Tower Bridge (photos)

www.towerbridge.org.uk Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognisable bridges in the World.

.. VI. The River Thames Travel down the Thames on our virtual tour The Thames is only 346 km (215 miles) long. It is England's longest river and the second longest river in the United Kingdom. Long ago, before Britain was separated from continental Europe, the Thames was a tributary of the Rhine. The English Channel was formed about 7,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age. The Route of the River Thames The River Thames rises in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire, and flows roughly eastwards passed Oxford (where it is known as the River Isis), until the Chilterns and on through London to the North Sea. Travel down the Thames on our virtual tour. Trade and Transport The river has been an important trade and transport route since prehistoric times. London's fame and fortune is due its river. All through the Middle Ages the Thames was one of London's main highways. Barges and river boats brought fish, wood and wool to the City, while hundreds of watermen in small rowing boats ferried people up and down. By the 1700s, trading ships were arriving carrying all kinds of goods for sale in the City. Tea, silk and a fortune of spices came from the East. Sugar was brought from the Caribbean, timber from Norway and iron ore from Sweden. The Thames was so busy that traffic on the river could hardly move. Sometimes, dozens of ships queued for days along the banks, waiting to get to a dock to unload. Royal Palaces along the River Thames Seven past or present palaces line the banks of the river at Windsor, Hampton Court, Richmond, Kew, Westminster, the Tower of London and Greenwich.

Flooding The River Thames is prone to tidal surges. This happens when a high tide is blown up the Thames estuary by very strong winds. The water level of the Thames rises quickly and spills over the banks. The Thames Flood Barrier was built at Woolwich to protect London from flooding. It is usually left open to let ships go through. In times of tidal surges, the gates are shut to keep the water out of the estuary. .. VII. What are the differences between

British English and American English?

Print off worksheet (copysheet) for this page There are many British words which are different to American words. For example:

A lorry is a slimmer truck. A lift is an elevator. A fortnight is two weeks. A chemist is a person who works in a drugstore. A dual carriageway is a freeway.

Lisa and Sofia Efthymiou, an American mum and daughter, have listed below a few of the differences between British and American words. Visit also our Glossary of British Words We have arranged the words in categories to make viewing easier for school work.

British and American Vocabulary Clothes At School On the Road Buildings / Shops Parts of a Car In and around the House People Sport

Let's Eat! British and American Spellings Clothes

Other Words Test Yourself

In the UK, we would be embarrassed if people saw our pants. why?

British English Trousers Pants / Underwear / Knickers Jumper / Pullover / Sweater / Jersey Pinafore Dress Vest Waistcoat Wellington Boots / Wellies Mac (slang for Macintosh) Plimsolls Trainers Braces Suspenders Dressing Gown Nappy Pinny / Apron Polo Neck Dressing Gown Swimming costume / Cozzy Pants

American English

Underwear / panties Sweater Jumper Undershirt Vest Galoshes Rain Coat Gym Shoes Sneakers Suspenders Holds up stockings Robe Diaper Apron Turtle Neck Bath Robe Bathing Suit Back to the Top

At School
"Stop mucking around and get on with your work," shouted the teacher to two students who were off task. British English Friend / Mate Glue Rubber Maths Public School State School Holiday School dinner Staff Room Plimsolls "Mucking Around" / Off Task Play Time / Break Time Open Day / Open Evening Marking Scheme Drawing pins Friend Gum Eraser Math Private School Public School Vacation Hot Lunch Teachers Lounge Gym Shoes Off Task / Fooling Around / "Goofing Off" Recess Open House Grading Scheme pushpins or thumbtacks Back to the Top American English

On the Road
In the UK, we drive slowly over sleeping policemen. Are we afraid of waking them up? British English Sleeping Policeman /speed bump American English Speed bump

Car park Car Journey / drive Zebra Crossing / Pedestrian Crossing Lollipop Man or Lady Motorway Traffic Jam / Tailback Lorry Articulated Lorry Petrol Pavement Petrol Station Skip Diversion Fire Engine Phone Box

Parking Lot Road Trip Cross Walk Crossing Guard Freeway Traffic Jam Truck Tractor Trailer / Trailer Truck Gas / Gasoline Sidewalk Gas Station Dumpster Detour Fire Truck Telephone Booth Back to the Top

Buildings / Shops
British English Semi-Detached House Flat (one storey) appartment Terrace (row of houses joined) Chemist Cafe / Caff (not 24 hrs) Bungalow Duplex Apartment Town House Drug Store / Druggist Diner House (one story) Ranch House Back to the Top American English

Food
Are you Peckish? (Are you Hungry?) What's for afters? Have you had your pudding yet? Are you feeling peckish (hungry)? That food looks very scrummy (delicious) British English Biscuit / Bickie (A cookie is a large biscuit) Scone Fairy Cake Courgette Sweets Sausage / Banger Crisps Chips (French Fries in McDonald's) Starter Puddings / Afters / Dessert / Sweets Jacket Potato / Baked Potato Jam Jelly Aubergine Sandwich / Butty / Sarny Ice lolly Bill (at restaurant) Grill Cookie Biscuit Cup Cake Zucchini Candy Sausage Potato Chips French Fries Appetizer Dessert Baked Potato Jelly Jello Eggplant Sandwich Popsicle check Broil American English

Food / Grub / Nosh Rasher Eggy bread (fried) Runner beans

Food A slice of bacon French Toast Green beans

Soldiers (We dip soldiers in our soft boiled Finger sized slices of toast. eggs) Take-away Scotch Pancakes Take out Flapjacks

Flapjacks in England are oats mixed with honey and/or golden syrup and baked then cut into slices. sometimes raisins are added to the mixture. Find out more:

about the food we eat in England and in the rest of the UK about British Slang words Back to the Top

Parts of a Car
British English Bonnet Windscreen Boot Reversing lights Exhaust pipe Hood Windshield Trunk Back-up lights Tail pipe / Muffler Back to the Top American English

In and around the House

I watch the telly whilst lying on the settee. Whilst is used in British English. It is another word for while British English American English

The Toilet / Loo / The John / Bog / WC / Visiting the little boys (little girl's room).

Bathroom / Restroom

Bathroom - the room where the bath is. If you asked us for the bathroom we will think you want to have a bath! Tap Garden Wardrobe Bin / Dust Bin Telephone / Blower / Phone Television / Box / Telly/ TV Cooker Couch / Sofa / Settee Hand Basin / Sink Run the bath Faucet Backyard / Yard Closet Trash Can Telephone TV / Television Range or Stove Sofa Sink Fill the tub Back to the Top

People
British English Girl / Lass Boy / Lad Man / Bloke / Gentleman / Guy / Chap Lady / Woman Policeman / Bobby / Copper Postman Dustman Friend / Pal / Chum / Mate / Buddy Cashier American English Girl Boy Man / Guy Lady Policeman / Cop Mailman Garbage Man Friend / Buddy Teller

Lollypop Man Nutter Mum / Mummy / Mom Back to the Top

Crossing Guard Crazy Person Mom

Sport
British English Football Rounders Bat (table tennis) Soccer Baseball Paddle (ping pong) Back to the Top American English

Other Words
British English Torch Plaster Autumn Bank Holiday Lift Queue There's a queue. Quid (slang for pound) Surgery Trodden on I'm knackered Kip / sleep American English Flashlight Band-Aid Fall National Holiday Elevator Stand in a Line There's a line. Bucks Doctor's office Stepped on I'm Beat sleep

Nick Wireless / Radio Starkers / naked Come round Off you go It's gone off Lady bird

steal Radio Naked Come over Go ahead It's spoiled Lady bug

BRITISH FOODS
VIII. Afternoon Tea and High Tea in England

Please note: We have mainly written about England, as that is the country within the UK where our students live. We would be very happy for schools and visitors to send us information we can add to our website on Wales and Scotland. AFTERNOON TEA (The traditional 4 o'clock tea) This is a small meal, not a drink. Traditionally it consists of tea (or coffee) served with either of the following:

Freshly baked scones served with cream and jam (Known as a cream tea) Afternoon tea sandwiches - thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off. Assorted pastries Afternoon tea is not common these days because most adults go out to work. However, you can still have Afternoon tea at the many tea rooms around England. text taken from and copyright of projcetbritain.com Afternoon tea became popular about one hundred and fifty years ago, when rich ladies invited their friends to their houses for an afternoon cup of tea. They started offering their

visitors sandwiches and cakes too. Soon everyone was enjoying Afternoon tea. text taken from and copyright of projcetbritain.com HIGH TEA (The traditional 6 o'clock tea) text taken from and copyright of projcetbritain.com The British working population did not have Afternoon Tea. They had a meal about midday, and a meal after work, between five and seven o'clock. This meal was called 'high tea' or just 'tea'. (Today, most people refer to the evening meal as dinner or supper.) Traditionally eaten early evening, High tea was a substantial meal that combined delicious sweet foods, such as scones, cakes, buns or tea breads, with tempting savouries, such as cheese on toast, toasted crumpets, cold meats and pickles or poached eggs on toast. This meal is now often replaced with a supper due to people eating their main meal in the evenings rather than at midday. text taken from and copyright of projcetbritain.com

Crumpets

MEALS and MEAL TIMES

Some people have their biggest meal in the middle of the day and some have it in the evening, but most people today have a small mid-day meal - usually sandwiches, and perhaps some crisps and some fruit. We have three main meals a day:

Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00, Lunch - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m. Dinner (sometimes called Supper) - The main meal. Eaten anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (Evening meal)

Traditionally, and for some people still, the meals are called:

Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00, Dinner (The main meal) - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m. Tea - anywhere from 5:30 at night to 6:30 p.m.

On Sundays the main meal of the day is often eaten at midday instead of in the evening. This meal usually is a Roast Dinner consisting of a roast meat, Yorkshire pudding and two kinds of vegetables. BREAKFAST What is a typical English Breakfast? Most people around the world seem to think a typical English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans all washed down with a cup of coffee. Now-a-days, however, a typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast, orange juice and a cup of coffee. Many people, especially children, in England will eat a bowl of cereal. They are made with different grains such as corn, wheat, oats etc. In the winter many people will eat "porridge" or boiled oats. The Traditional English Breakfast

The traditional English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, baked beans and mushrooms. Even though not many people will eat this for breakfast today, it is always served in hotels and guest houses around Britain. The traditional English breakfast is called the 'Full English' and sometimes referred to as 'The Full English Fry-up'. LUNCH What is a typical English lunch?

Many children at school and adults at work will have a 'packed lunch'. This typically consists of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a drink. The 'packed lunch' is kept in a plastic container. Sandwiches are also known as a 'butty' or 'sarnie' in some parts of the UK. My favourite sandwich is prawn and mayonaise. I also love tuna and mayonaise and ham and pickle sandwiches. See a sample menu of food served in pubs Sample menu of food served for School Dinners DINNER The evening meal is usually called 'tea', 'dinner' or 'supper'. What is a traditional English Dinner? A typical British meal for dinner is meat and "two veg". We put hot brown gravy, traditionally made from the juices of the roast meat (but more often today from a packet!) on the meat and usally the vegetables. One of the vegetables is almost always potatoes. This traditional meal is rarely eaten nowadays, a recent survey found that most people in Britain eat curry! Rice or pasta are now favoured as the 'British Dinner'. Vegetables grown in England, like potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbages and onions, are still very popular. We can also buy vegetables from many countries all through the year The Sunday Roast Dinner Sunday lunch time is a typical time to eat the traditional Sunday Roast. Traditionally it consists of roast meat, (cooked in the oven for about two hours), two different kinds of vegetables and potatoes with a Yorkshire pudding. The most common joints are beef, lamb or pork; chicken is also popular. Beef is eaten with hot white horseradish sauce, pork with sweet apple sauce and lamb with green mint sauce. Gravy is poured over the meat.

. IX.

A flag containing three other flags.

The Union Flag - the flag of the United Kingdom (UK) The Union Flag, popularly known as the *Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. It is the British flag. It is called the Union Flag because it symbolises the administrative union of the countries of the United Kingdom. It is made up up of the individual Flags of three of the Kingdom's countries all united under one Sovereign - the countries of 'England, of 'Scotland' and of 'Northern Ireland' (since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom). As Wales was not a Kingdom but a Principality it could not be included on the flag. The following pages will tell you how the Union Flag (Union Jack) came to be the UK's national flag and the making of the United Kingdom.