A Modern, Thriving Society
The UK today
10% of the British population born outside the UK - Divers in ethnic and religious terms
Located in the North West of Europe.
Longest Distance - John O’Groats in Scotland to Land’s End in England (870 miles)
CapitalCities of the UK:
- England - London
- Wales - Cardiff
- Northern Ireland - Belfast
- Scotland - Edinburgh
UK Currency - Pound Sterling
- Coins - 1p < 2p < 5p < 10p < 20p < 50p < £1 < £2
- Notes - £5 < £10 < £20 < £50
Language - English
- Wales - Welsh
- Scotland - Gaelic
- Northern Ireland - Irish Gaelic
Population - over 66 million (as per 2017)
- 84% in England, 8% in Scotland, 5% in Wales, 3% in Northern Ireland
- 2005 - under 60 million
- 1951 - 50 million
- 1901 - 40 million
- 1801 - 8 million
The UK is historically a Christian country.
- Christians - 70%
- Muslims - 4%
- Hindu - 2%
- Sikh 1%
- Jews and Buddhists - Less than 0.5% each
- Atheist - 21%
Official Church of the State - Church of England (Episcopal Church in Scotland)
- Protestant Church
- Head - King Charles III
- Spiritual Leader - Archbishop of Canterbury (appointed by PM)
National Church of Scotland - Church of Scotland (Presbyterian Church)
- Moderator - Chairperson of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
There is no established Church in Wales or Northern Ireland.
Patron Saint’s Days
- St David (Wales) - 1st March
- St Patrick (Northern Ireland) - 17th March
- St George (England) - 23rd April
- St Andrew (Scotland) - 30th November
Westminster Abbey has been a Coronation Church since 1066.
- Final resting place for 17 Monarchs.
Customs and traditions
Religious Festivals
Christmas Day - 25th December (Birth of Jesus Christ)
Christmas Eve - 24th December
Boxing Day - 26th December
Easter - In March or April (Death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and his rising on Easter Sunday)
- Lent - 40 days before Easter
- A day before Lent - Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day
- Lent Begins - Ash Wednesday
Diwali (Festival of Lights) - In October or November (Celebrate the victory of good over evil) - Hindus and Sikhs
Hanukkah - In November or December (To remember Jew’s struggle for religious freedom) - Jews
Eid al-Fitr - End of Ramadan - Muslims
Eid ul Adha - Sacrifice an animal - Muslims
Vaisakhi - 14th April (Founding of Khalsa) - Sikhs
Traditional Dates
New Year - 1st January (night of 31st December - New Year’s Eve)
Hogmanay - 31st December
Valentine’s Day - 14th February
April Fool’s Day - 1st April
Mothering Sunday - Sunday three weeks before Easter
Father’s Day - 3rd Sunday in June
Halloween - 31st October
Bonfire Night - 5th November
Remembrance Day - 11th November
Popular Sports
The UK has hosted:
- Olympic games in 1908 / 1948 / 2012.
- Paralympic Games in 2012.
Cricket - Originated in England
- Ashes - Test match series between England and Australia
Football - UK’s only international tournament victory, World Cup of 1996
Rugby - Originated in England
- Tournaments - Six Nations Championship / Super League
Horse Racing - Association with Royalty
- Royal Ascot (Berkshire) / Grand National (Aintree) / Scottish Grand National (Ayr)
Golf - St Andrew in Scotland is home to Golf
- Open Championship - Only major tournament held outside the US
Tennis - Evolved in England (1st club was founded in Leamington Spa in 1872)
- Wimbledon Championship - Oldest tennis tournament / only Grand Slam event played on grass
Water Sports - Sailing and Rowing
- 1st Person to sail single-handed around the world - Sir Francis Chichester
- 1st Person to do the same thing without stopping - Sir Robin Knox
Motor Sports - Started in the UK
- Formula 1 World Championship -
British winners - Damon Hill and Lewis Hamilton
Skiing - 5 ski centres in Scotland
- Europe’s longest dry ski slope is near Edinburgh.
Notable British Sportsmen and women
Sir Roger Bannister: First man to run a mile in under four minutes in 1954.
Sir Jackie Stewart: Won the Formula 1 world championship three times.
Bobby Moore: Led England to World Cup victory in 1966.
Sir Ian Botham: Renowned for his achievements in English Test cricket.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean: Olympic gold medallists in ice dancing.
Sir Steve Redgrave: Won gold medals in rowing at five consecutive Olympic Games.
Baroness Tanni-Grey Thompson: Multiple Paralympic gold medallist and record holder.
Dame Kelly Holmes: Double gold medallist in the 2004 Olympic Games.
Dame Ellen MacArthur: Fastest person to sail around the world solo as of 2004.
Sir Chris Hoy: Achieved six gold and one silver Olympic medals in cycling.
David Weir: Six-time Paralympic gold medallist.
Bradley Wiggins: First Briton to win the Tour de France.
Mo Farah: Olympic gold medallist in 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2012 Olympics.
Jessica Ennis: Gold medallist in the heptathlon at the 2012 Olympics.
Andy Murray: First British man since 1936 to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Ellie Simmonds: Paralympic gold medallist and record holder in swimming.
Arts and Culture
Music
The Proms is an 8-week summer season of Orchestral Classical music.
- Organised by the BBC
Large Music Venues - Wembley Stadium / the O2 / SECC
Famous Music Festivals - Glastonbury / Isle of Wight Festival / V Festival
National Eisteddfod of Wales - Annual Cultural Festival
Mercury Music Prize - best album from the UK and Ireland
The Brit Awards - for a range of categories, such as best British group and solo artist
Some British influential composers are Henry Purcell, George Frederick Handel, and Benjamin Britten.
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones bands represent British Pop Culture.
Theatre
Theatreland - London’s west end
Pantomimes - Fairy stories and light-hearted plays with music and comedy
Edinburgh Festival -> the Fringe - mainly theatre and comedy performances
Laurence Olivier Awards - Best Director, Actor, Actress, etc.
Work of Gilbert and Sullivan, and Andrew Lloyd Webber are famous internationally.
Art
Galleries:
- In London - National Gallery / Tate Britain / Tate Modern
- In Cardiff - National Museum
- In Edinburgh - National Gallery of Scotland
Turner Prize celebrates contemporary art.
The Pre-Raphaelites - a group of artists in the second half of the 19th century.
British influential artists include Thomas Gainsborough, David Allan, and Henry Moore.
Architecture
In the Middle Ages - Great cathedrals and churches were built.
- The White Tower in the Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror.
In the 17th century - St Paul’s Cathedral (Sir Christopher Wren)
In the 18th century - Dumfries House in Scotland
- Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown built grounds around country houses.
In the 19th century, the medieval Gothic style became popular again.
- Houses of Parliament and St Pancras Station were built.
In the 20th century, Sir Edwin Lutyens set New Delhi to be the seat of government in India.
Fashion and Design
Leading fashion designers of recent years are Mary Quant, Alexander McQueen, and Vivienne Westwood.
Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature - Sir William Golding / Seamus Heaney / Harold Pinter
JRR Tolkien - Lord of the Rings (the country’s best-loved novel)
Man Booker Prize for Fiction - best fiction from the Commonwealth, Ireland, and Zimbabwe.
Famous British authors - Jane Austen / Charles Dickens / J.K. Rowling
Leisure
Gardening
Allotment - Additional rented land to grow fruits and vegetables
Famous Gardens:
- In England - Kew Gardens, Sissinghurst, and Hidcote
- National flower - Rose
- In Scotland - Crathes Castle and Inveraray Castle
- National flower - Thistle
- In Wales - Bodnant Garden
- National flower - Daffodil
- In Northern Ireland - Mount Stewart
- National flower - Shamrock
Cooking and Food
England - Roast Beef / Yorkshire Pudding / Fish and Chips
Wales - Welsh Cakes
Scotland - Haggis
Northern Ireland - Ulster Fry
Film
In 1896, films were first shown publicly in the UK.
In the 1930s, British Studio flourished.
The 1950s and 1960s were a high point for British Comedies.
Annual British Academy Film Awards (hosted by BAFTA) are the British equivalent of the Oscar
Television and Radio
Most Popular TV Programme - Coronation Street and EastEnders
TV License - Must for anyone with a TV, computer, or a medium that can be used as a TV
- Free for people over 75 and 50% discount for blind people.
- Money from TV licences goes to BBC.
British Broadcasting Corporation (BB) is the largest broadcaster in the world.
- Only wholly state-funded media organization that is independent of government
Pubs and Nightclubs / Betting and Gambling
Traditional pub games - Pool and Darts
Related Age:
- Drinking wine or beer with a meal in a hotel or restaurant - 16 years
- Entering betting shops or gambling clubs - 18 years
- Participating in National Lottery - 16 years
Places of Interest
There are 15 National Parks in England, Wales, and Scotland.
National Trust preserves important buildings, coastline, and countryside in the UK.
- Founded in 1895 by 3 volunteers (currently 61,000).
Big Ben - nickname for the great bell of the clock at the House of Parliament in London
- Elizabeth Tower - Clock’s name in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
The Eden Project (Cornwall) - Giant greenhouses (Biomes) house plants from all over the world
Edinburgh Castle (Edinburgh) - looked over by Historic Scotland, a Scottish govt. Agency.
The Giant’s Causeway (Northern Ireland) - Land formation of columns made from volcanic lava.
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (Scotland) - The largest expanse of freshwater in mainland Britain.
London Eye (River Thames) - Ferris Wheel, 443 feet tall
Snowdonia (North Wales) - The highest mountain in Wales (Snowdon)
The Tower of London - Built by William Conqueror in 1066.
- Yeoman Warder (Beefeaters) / Crown Jewels
The Lake District (England) - Largest National Park
- Windermere - Biggest stretch of water in Britain
- Wastwater - Britain’s favorite view