THE UK AND THE BRITISH ISLES

UNIT 1: THE COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE (IDENTITY)

- INTRODUCTION
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of Europe, consisting of Great
Britain, Ireland and the many smaller adjacent islands. These islands form an archipelago of more
than 6,000 islands. Great Britain (Britain for short) is made up of England (in the south of the main
island), Scotland (in the north of the island) and Wales (in the central-west of the island). These
countries share the same monarch as head of state and all elect their representative to the
Parliament of Westminster, but also have different levels of political autonomy and are proud of
their traditions and cultural identities. The origin of adjective “Great” in the name of Great Britain
was used to distinguish it from the smaller area in France which is called “Brittany” in modern
English. The name “Britain” comes from the Latin Britannia, the name that the Romans gave to
their southern British province (which covered approximately the area of present-day England and
Wales). It is also the name given to the female embodiment of Britain, always shown wearing a
helmet and holding a trident (the symbol of power over the sea), hence the patriotic song which
begins ‘Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves’. The figure of Britannia has been on the reverse
side of many British coins, for more than 300 years. Today, the statue of Britannia is in Plymouth
(UK). Ireland is politically divided into Northern Ireland (Ulster- in the north-east of the island of
Ireland) and the Republic of Ireland (Eire) in the South. The United Kingdom (UK) is a political
term or sovereign state which includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland
is an independent republic.
- HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM
The name Britain comes from the Latin Britannia, the name that the Romans gave to the whole
island. c. 925 – The Kingdom of England. Established by the unification of Anglo-Saxon tribes
across modern day England. 1536 – Kingdom of England and Wales. A bill enacted by King Henry
VIII which effectively made England and Wales the same country, governed by the same laws. The
term Great Britain was used under King James I who ruled the two kingdoms of Scotland and
England (1603). By the Act of Union of 1707 England, Wales (which had been under the control of
the English monarch since the 13 th century) and Scotland joined to form the United Kingdom of
Great Britain governed by the Parliament in London. In 1801 the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland was created by the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland.
Following Irish independence and the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, in 1922 its name changed to the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- BRITISH IDENTITY
Officially the people living in the United Kingdom are British – British citizens with UK passports.
However, in the last few decades more and more people have questioned their British identity and
most of them prefer to be identified by their regional cultural identity. Welsh, Scottish and Irish
people feel their identity very strongly and do not like being called ‘English’, or sometimes even
British. The English themselves have seldom made any distinction between the terms ‘British’ and
‘English’. But now that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been granted a limited degree
of autonomy by Parliament, the English may need to define what it means to be English. They
have neither an anthem nor a flag since the present national anthem ‘God Save the Queen’ and
the Union flag both represent the whole of the UK. Many English people, especially fans in sports
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grounds, have unofficially adopted the ‘Red Cross of St George’ as their flag and Elgar’s ‘Land of
Hope and Glory’ as their anthem (see the table ‘Identifying symbols of the four nations’).
In July 2007, Prime Minister Gordon Brown ordered all government buildings to fly the Union flag
365 days a year. He said it represented what the country had in common and the values it held
dear, a sense of civic responsibility, a belief in fairness. He said that all “those things that unite us”
were reflected in the symbols of the Monarchy, Parliament and the Union Jack. The British Flag,
correctly known as the Union flag but commonly called the Union Jack, has been used since 1603
when Scotland and England were united. It is the union of the other flags of the countries: it has a
blue background and a white cross (from the flag of St Andrew, patron of Scotland), a red cross
(from the flag of St Patrick, patron of Northern Ireland) and a white background with a red cross
(from the flag of St George, patron of England). They all come together to make a single flag, the
Union Jack.
Albion comes from a Celtic word and was an early Greek and Roman name for Great Britain. The
Romans associated Great Britain with the Latin word ‘Albus’ meaning white. The white chalk cliffs
around Dover on the English south coast are the first land formations one sights when crossing the
sea from the European mainland.
Briton is a word used to describe a citizen of the United Kingdom. Ancient Britons is the name
given to the people who lived in southern Britain before and during the Roman occupation (AD 43-
410). Their heirs are thought to be Welsh and their language has developed into modern Welsh
language.

Caledonia, Cambria and Hibernia were the Roman names for Scotland, Wales and Ireland (in that
same order). Erin is a poetic name for Ireland. The Emerald Isle is another way of referring to
Ireland, evoking lush greenery of its countryside. Just pretend like you understood the sentence. I
don’t know what it means either, so don’t feel like you’re the only retard. Cymru is also a name for
Wales.

John Bull is a fictional character who is supposed to personify Englishness and certain English
virtues. He can be compared to Uncle Sam in the USA. He appears in hundreds of nineteenth
century cartoons. Today, somebody dressed as him often appears at football or rugby matches
when England are playing. His appearance is typical of an eighteenth-century country gentleman,
evoking an idyllic rural past. John Bull is a popular character who was used in British political
cartoons in the 19th and early 20th centuries. He is usually portrayed as a stout man in a tail coat
with breeches and a Union Jack waistcoat. He wears a top-hat and is often accompanied by a
bulldog. He is a jovial farmer who believes in common sense, good manners and fair play, and is
the epitome of ’a good chap’. The character was created in 1712 to represent the Kingdom of
Great Britain, but it was not widely accepted in Scotland and Wales as he was viewed there as
English rather than British.

The Bulldog Spirit is a phrase devised during the war and related to Churchill's attitude to "rally
the troops" and the British people during wartime.

The dominant culture of people in Ireland, Wales and highland Scotland was Celtic. That of people
of England and lowland Scotland was Germanic. The difference was reflected in the language they
spoke. People in Celtic areas spoke Celtic languages and people in Germanic areas spoke Germanic
THE UK AND THE BRITISH ISLES

dialects. The nations also tended to have different economic, social and legal systems and they
were independent of each other.
Geographical Identity
People from Liverpool -> Liverpudlians or Scousers
People from Newcastle -> Geordies
People from Manchester -> Manchurians
People from Glasgow -> Glaswegians
People from London -> Londoners
Northerners -> people living in the North of England -> consider themselves being more tough,
honest and warm-hearted than the ‘soft hypocritical unfriendly’ Southerners
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally,
it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End. Linguistically, it refers
to the form of English spoken by this group.
England
Capital: London
Flag: white with a red cross (St. George’s cross)
Plant: rose
Colour: white
Patron saint: St. George
Saint’s day: 23 April
Names: John Smith
Insulting names: bowler hat.
Anthem: God save the Queen! (1745)
The English are over polite. English mock themselves a lot. They have many meanings of the word
‘sorry’. ‘My home is my castle.’
Wales
Capital: Cardiff
Flag: flag is white and green with a red dragon. The Dragon of Cadwallader.
Plant: leek/daffodil
Colour: red
Patron saint: St. David
Saint’s day: 1 March
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Names: David Jones

Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (1856)
Insulting names: Dai (welsh for David), taffy.
Instruments: harp
The Welsh are being associated with a great singing ability. They’re small, musical and often
referred to retarded. Owain Glyndwr (Owen Glendower in English) was a national hero for the
Welsh. In the fifteenth century Glyndwr captured all the castles which the English had built to help
them rule in Wales and established and independent Wales with its own parliament. St. David is
the only one born in Wales.
Scotland
Capital: Edinburgh
Flag: blue with white cross (St. Andrew’s cross)
Plant: thistle
Colour: blue
Patron saint: St. Andrew
Saint’s day: 30 November
Names: Ian McConnor
Insulting names: Jocks.
Anthem: Flower of Scotland (1965)
Instruments: bag pipes
The Scots are very careful with money (cheap). Scotland has its own banknotes and own way of
speaking English.
Burn Suppers is a celebration on 25th of January. They read work of the poet Robert Burns (18th
century Scotland’s national poet), wear kilt, sing traditional songs, dance traditional dance called
reels and eat haggis. Which is made from sheep’s heart, lungs and liver.
Northern Ireland
Capital: Belfast
Flag: white with a red cross (St. Patrick’s cross)
Plant: shamrock
Colour: green
Patron saint: St. Patrick
Saint’s day: 17 March
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Names: Sean O’Brien

Insulting names: mick, paddy and leprechaun
Instrument: harp
Anthem: God save the Queen!
The Irish are great talkers and great drinkers. They are not reliable, not hard working. They have a
rich folklore and very lively
The peace wall, built in 1984, is a wall that separates the Catholics from the Protestants in Belfast,
Northern Ireland.
The dominance of England
It cannot be denied that the dominant culture of Britain today is specifically English. The system of
politics that is used in all four nations today is of English origin and English is the main language of
all four nations. Today, English domination can be detected in the way in which various aspects of
British public life are described. For example, the supply of money in Britain is controlled by the
Bank of England (there is no such thing as Bank of Britain). Another example is the name of the
present monarch. She is universally known as Elizabeth II, even though Scotland and Northern
Ireland have never had an Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I of England and Wales ruled from 1553 to 1603.
Other examples:
English is the main language of four nations
England is the biggest country in the UK and contains about 84% of the UK population
The capital of the UK is in England (London)
The system of politics that is used in all nation is of English origin
The British Royal family live in England
The classes
Although definitions of social class in the United Kingdom vary and are highly controversial, most
are influenced by factors of wealth, occupation and education. Until recently the Parliament of the
United Kingdom was organised on a class basis, with the House of Lords representing the
hereditary upper class and the House of Commons representing everyone else, and the British
monarch is often viewed as being at the top of the social class structure.
The British society has often been considered to be divided into three main groups of classes:
The Upper Class Often people with inherited wealth. Includes some of the oldest families, with
many of them being titled aristocrats.
The Middle Class The majority of the population of Britain. They include industrialists,
professionals, business people and shop owners.
Lower- or Working-class People who are agricultural, mine and factory workers.
The traditional British family of married father and mother with 2.4 children has
THE UK AND THE BRITISH ISLES

changed in the last 30-40 years: 30% of parents are unmarried, 44% of new babies are
born outside marriage, 25% of children are raised in a single-parent family. The number
of divorces has fallen owing to the decline in marriage. Actually Britain has the highest
proportion of divorces in Europe.
Moreover, the number of mixed-race families has increased, as well as that of single people
living alone. It is unusual for adults of different generations to live together. Young people leave
home when they go to university or start a job, while about 65% of elderly people live alone.
In June 2007 «The Guardian» reported that the number of marriages in England
and Wales had slumped to the lowest level on record. For the first time fewer marriages
were held in churches and other religious institutions than in a registry office or other
places allowed to conduct civil ceremonies. The Civil Partnership Act came into force
in December 2005 and after a year there were 18,000 civil partnerships. The act gives
unmarried couples similar legal rights to married ones, such as property rights and
pension benefits. It also allows same-sex couples to make a formal legal commitment
to each other by forming civil partnerships.
Blue collar: working man’s clothes, manual labour. White collar: office worker, non-manual

- WHAT ARE THE ENGLISH/BRITISH LIKE?

On the surface the English usually appear reserved and
unflappable. They do not like any excess of emotion and
feelings should be shown with moderation. The proper way to
behave in all situations is by using tact and diplomacy as well as
showing modesty and indifference to almost everything.
Appearance is very important.
The English are famous for being polite and having good
manners. The first rule children come across at an early age is the
importance of saying ‘Please’, ‘Thank you’ and ‘Sorry’. Supplication,
gratitude and, most important of all, apology are central to English
intercourse, which is why English people seem to express them
endlessly.
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The English are said to ‘keep a stiff upper lip’ (to avoid the
visible tremble which betrays emotion). This characteristic pose
involves keeping the head held high (pride), the upper lip stiff
(control of emotions) and the best foot forward (determination).
In this position, conversation is difficult and intimacy of any kind
almost impossible. But it portrays the presence of that attribute
which the English think they are expected to project – absolute
self-control. There are, however, specific occasions on which it
is considered proper to show one’s feelings openly, for instance,
sporting events, funerals or welcoming home someone thought
to have been dead. At times like these it is permissible to show
a certain amount of emotion, but only if one looks suitably
embarrassed afterwards.
The English also believe in minding their own business. The
queue is one of the few places where they may talk to each other
without having been formally introduced. The others are when
taking the dog for a walk, or any serious catastrophe, such as an
accident or being trapped in a tunnel in an underground train.
However, it is firmly understood that any friendships made remain
outside with the dogs or stop when rescue arrives.
When it comes to physical contact, the English are deeply
reserved. They do shake hands with each other, but as little as
possible and their preferred handshake is brief and vigorous. The
standard greeting “How do you do” and the reply “How do you
do” signal the end of the ritual and hands should be withdrawn
from contact.
The English have a well-developed sense of individual personal
freedom. They are fond of their rights, including the right to
preserve one’s personal space. This is an area surrounding each
individual which it is not good manners to invade. People will
THE UK AND THE BRITISH ISLES

leave a step between them and the next person on an escalator

even if it’s crammed. This has nothing to do with a morbid fear of
body odour, it is more an extension of the ‘an Englishman’s home
is his castle’ belief. Think of it as an invisible moat. Learn to shake
hands at a distance.
The English value customs and traditions very much. For
their public and private ceremonies they like parading in gilded
coaches, wearing embroidered clothes or bright-coloured uniforms, with brass bands playing
traditional music. Eighteenth
century wigs are still worn by the judiciary! Tradition represents
continuity, it gives them a sense of permanence in an age of
change and should be preserved – red pillar boxes, marmalade,
the pint, Wellington boots, as well as the Monarchy itself!
The English consider themselves to be among the most civilized
nations in the world. Civilized not so much in terms of culture,
perhaps, as in social behaviour. They consider themselves to be
law-abiding, courteous, tolerant, decent, generous, gallant, steadfast
and fair. They also take pride in their self-deprecatory sense of
humour which they see as the ultimate proof of their magnanimity.
And they consider themselves superior to all other nations.
The English are used to being seen as stereotypes and prefer
it that way. They don’t mind in the least that England is seen as
peopled by amateur detectives, football hooligans, silly-ass nobility
and suitable servile peasants, all meeting for a pint of warm beer at
an old style pub.
- MULTICULTURAL BRITAIN
The UK is ethnically diverse, partly as a
legacy of the empire. Lately the country
has been struggling with issues such as
multiculturalism, immigration and national
THE UK AND THE BRITISH ISLES

identity. There is also a great concern about

terrorism after the suicide bombers attacked
London’s transport network in 2005. Many
people think that a stronger sense of shared
British values is needed to foster integration
within a mixed society. Britain became a multicultural society when immigrants were recruited
from Commonwealth countries to work in Britain. 2. Immigrants started to come to Britain in large
numbers during the 1950s. 3. They come mostly from West.
Indies, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and they found jobs in
public transport, catering, the Health Service and in the
textile and iron industries. 4. Not really. Many of them have
found it difficult to adapt to British society and they maintain
their own traditions and languages. 5. They live according
to their traditions. Many groups have their own newspapers
and special television and radio programmes. Although
non-white people still suffer some forms of discrimination,
the attitude of British people towards immigrants has
mostly been quite liberal. 6. The largest communities of Asians are in Bradford, Birmingham and
London. About 65% of ‘corner shops’ (selling groceries,
sweets, newspapers, etc.) are run by Asians. 7. Yes, British lifestyle has been influenced by the
immigrants’ culture especially regarding foods such as curry, spices and special breads.
THE UK AND THE BRITISH ISLES

UNIT 2: GEOGRAPHY
SEAS, COASTS AND SMALLER ISLANDS
The British Isles are surrounded by a lot of seas: the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to
the south, which separates Great Britain from France, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west.
The Irish Sea divides GB from Ireland and it is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the North
Channel and to the Celtic Sea by St. George’s Channel.
The coasts of the UK vary greatly. They include the chalk cliffs of Kent and Dorset, such as the
famous White Cliffs of Dover, the rocky and deeply indented coasts of western Britain and the
low-lying coasts of eastern England between the Humber and the Thames estuary. One of the
features of the northern coast, especially round Scotland, is the presence of numerous inlets and
narrow fiords of sea (the firths) often found at the mouth of a river. So, to sum up, northern coasts
are indented with numerous inlets and narrow arms of sea called firths, often at the mouth of a
river, eastern coasts are low-lying and southern coasts are often hilly, with cliffs of limestone such
as the world-famous white cliffs of Dover. The Irish coasts are indented in the north and west and
low-lying.
The smaller islands around GB and Ireland are: the Isle of Wight, in the channel, the Channel
Islands (Jersey, Guernsey and Sark) near the coast of France, the Isles of Scilly near Cornwall, the
isle of Man and Anglesey in the Irish Sea, the Hebrides, west of Scotland, the Shetlands and the
Orkneys off the north coast of Scotland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands have large
administrative autonomy.
MOUNTAINS AND HILLS

In GB the highest lands are found in the north and west. Starting from Scotland the main
mountains and hills are: the Highlands, which are broken into two sections by the deep valley of
the Great Glen: The Northwest Highlands and the Grampians with Ben Nevis (1,345 m), the
highest peak in Britain, the Southern Uplands of Scotland and the Cheviot Hills, which run along
the Scottish border. The Pennines, commonly called the “backbone” of England, the Cumbrian
Mountains, in the Lake District, with Scafell Pike (978 m), the highest mountain in England, the
Cambrian Mountains with Mount Snowdon (1,085 m), the highest peak in Wales, the Cotswold
Hills, the Chiltern Hills, the North Downs and the South Downs in the south of England, and the
Cornwall and Devon Moors in the southwest.
RIVERS AND LAKES

Britain is rich in rivers. Almost every town stands on a river, every village upon a stream. The most
important waterway is the Thames, which rises in the Cotswold Hills and flows east through
Oxford, Windsor and London and out into the North Sea. The other main rivers flowing east are
the Great Ouse, the Humber, formed by the confluence of the Yorkshire Ouse and the Trent, the
Tees, the Tyne and in Scotland the Tay and the Spey. The main rivers flowing west are the Severn,
THE UK AND THE BRITISH ISLES

the longest river in Britain, flowing into the Bristol Channel, the Mersey, with the port of Liverpool
on its estuary, and, in Scotland, the Clyde, which flows through Glasgow. The main rivers flowing
into the Channel are the Exe and the Avon.
British lakes are very picturesque. In Scotland the most important are Loch Ness, Loch Lochy and
Loch Lomond. In England there is the world-famous Lake District with Windermere, the chief lake.
The largest lake in the whole of the British Isles is Lough Neagh, in Northern Ireland.

THE WEATHER

The British climate is mild in relation to the latitude of the country owing to the influence of the
surrounding seas and the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current fed with water from the Gulf of
Mexico, which reaches the British Isles from across the Atlantic. Rainfall is particularly abundant in
the west, while the frequent passage of depressions makes the weather very changeable. Britain
has rain throughout the year but the east is drier than the west. This is due to the effect of the
highland areas of western Britain, which act as barriers to the wet winds blowing from the ocean.