United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Population: 67 mln
Capital: London – 9 mln inhabitants
Currency: British Pound
National anthem: God Save The Queen
National Holiday: none, Queens official birthday celebrated on the second Saturday in June
National Symbol: lion (animal), Union Jack (national flag), blue, white and red colours
Ruled by: King Charles III (dynasty Windsor)
Prime Minister: Lizz Truss

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'.

Highest Mountain: Ben Nevis (Scotland), 1345 m

Longest River: Severn, 354 km
Largest Lake: Lough Neagh (Northern Ireland), Loch Ness (largest fresh water lake)

Main Mountain ranges: Highlands (North Scotland), Pennines (North England), Cambrian Mountains
(Wales)

UK Landmarks
London: The capital city has many attractions. London’s Shard skyscraper is the tallest building on
the European continent with 310 m/ 1,015 ft. in height.

Edinburgh: The capital city of Scotland since 1437 is known for its castle and the Royal
mile. The International Fringe Festival in the city attracts more than 250,000 visitors every
year!

Windsor: This quaint town in Southern England is also known for its castle, which is a royal
residence built in the 11th century. Windsor castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world.

Stonehenge is known as the oldest monument in the world dating back over 3,000 years and
thus these huge rocks are older than the Pyramids. 

Loch Ness: Scotland might be know as the country of the Loch Ness monster, however, no
proof could ever be obtained about Nessie. The Loch Ness monster is commonly known as
Nessie. Did you know that 'loch' is Scottish and means 'lake'?

Cardiff: The capital city of Wales is often referred to as the 'City of Arcades'. Cardiff has
the most indoor shopping centres in the UK. However, the Welsh city also has many historic
houses and castles that are worth a visit. 

Belfast: Northern Irelands main business center is located on the banks of the Lagan
River. The city has one of the biggest ports of the UK. Shipbuilding was a major sector for
the city in the last century and once had the biggest shipyard in the world where the RMS
Titanic was built in 1912. At the Titanic Belfast you can learn about the story of the fateful
ship and its voyage.

Famous people:

Queen Elizabeth II (born 21 April 1926 – died 8 September 2022) is the longest reigning
monarch in the world. She reiged in the UK 70 years on the throne. Queen Elizabeth II
ascended the throne after her father King George VI died in 1952. Queen Elizabeth II is the
longest reigning royal in the world and still head of state of 16 Commonwealth countries.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616): nicknamed 'The Bard', Shakespeare is the world's

biggest playwright. His works 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Macbeth' and 'Hamlet' are known by
people from all over the world. Shakespeare's Globe theatre in London is a great place to
experience a play or learn about his famous plays.

Florence Nightingale (1820 - 1910): the English social reformer opened the first school for
professional nursing in 1860 and helped spreading medical knowledge. She travelled widely
in Egypt and Greece before she worked and trained nurses in the Crimean War. She was
nicknamed the 'lady with a lamp'.
J.K. Rowling: author of 'Harry Potter' book series who became the first author who earn one
billion US dollar in her career as a writer in 2014. The seven fantasy novels tell about the
adventures of the young wizard Harry Potter and his friends. 

Ireland

Population: 5,2 mln

Capital: Dublin 1.2 mln inhabitants
Nickname: Emerald Isle
Currency: Euro
National Anthem: The Soldier’s Song (Amran na bhFiann)
National Holiday: 17th March, Saint Patrick’s Day
National Symbol: harp, shamrock (young clover leaf), blue and green (colours)
President: Michael Higgins
Prime Minister: Micheal Martin
Highest Mountain: Carrauntoohill (1038 m)

Longest River: Shannon River (350 km)

Largest Lake: Lough Corrib

USA

50 states (largest: Alaska, smallest: Rhode Island), a federal district (District of Columbia) and 14
terriitories

Flag: 13 stripes – symbol of 13 British colonies that declared independence from the Great Britain in
1776, 50 stars – 50 states (Name: Stars and Stripes)

Motto: In God We Trust

National Anthem: Star-Spangled banner, based on a poem by Francis Scott Key

National symbols: American bison (animal), Oak tree (tree), Bald Eagle (bird), Rose (flower)
Population: 332 mln

Capital: Washington D.C – 7,5 mln inhabitants

Largest Cities: New York (8,5 mln), Los Angeles (3,9 mln), Chicago (2,7 mln), Brooklyn (2,3 mln),
Houston (2,3 mln)

Highest Mountain: Denali (formerly known as McKinley) – 6190 m

Longest River: Missouri River – 3767 m

Hottest Place: Death Valley, also Death Valley’s bedwater Basin is the lowest point in North America
– 86 m below sea level

Largest Lake: Lake Superior, shared with Canada

Highest waterfalls: The Colonial Creek Falls – 783 m, the Oloupena Falls in Hawaii – 900m

National Holiday: independence Day (4th July) commemorates the Declaration of Independence in
1776.

46th President: Joe Biden

New York was founded by The Netherlands/Dutch as New Amsterdam. Its nickname is Big Apple.
Famous people: Among the American people everybody should have heard of are:

 George Washington (1732 - 1799): first president of the USA

 Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865): president during the American Civil War
and fighter for the abolishment of slavery
 Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826): one of the founding fathers of the nation,
author of the Declaration of Independence
 Sequoyah (1767-1843): inventor of the Cherokee alphabet
 Pocahontas (1595 - 1617): native American who save Jamestown chief and
became the wife of British colonist John Rolfe
 Neil Armstrong (1930 - 2012): astronaut and first man on the Moon
 Amelia Earhart (1897 - 1937): first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean
 Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962): first lady and civil rights activist
 Walt Disney (1901 - 1966): film producer 'Cinderella' and founder of the
Disney theme parks
 Ella Fitzgerald (1918 - 1996): jazz singer and musician
 Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968): leader of the Civil Rights Movement
 Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987): film director and artist, famous for his painting of
Campbell Soup Cans 
 Ellen Ochoa (born 1958): engineer and first female Hispanic astronaut
AUSTRALIA

Name: Commonwealth of Australia

Population: About 25.5 million (2021)
Capital: Canberra with 462,000 people (2021)
National Symbols: Golden wattle (flower), opal (gemstone), green and gold (colours) and the
Commonwealth Star (a seven-pointed star)
National Animals: Kangaroo, emu
National Holiday: 26 January (Australia Day)
National Anthem: Advance Australia Fair
General Governor of Australia: David Hurley
Prime Minister: Anthony Albanese

Highest moutain: Mount Kosciuszko (2228m)

Longest mountain range: The Great Divining Range (east coast)

Uluru (Ayers Rock) is the largest alone standing rock in the world.

Longest River: Murray River (2500 km)

The Great Barrier Reef is the biggest coral reef in the world.

Biggest City: Sydney (5 mln people)

Largest desert: The Great Victoria Basin (western and south Australia)
NEW ZEALAND

Population: 5 million (2021)

Capital: Wellington with 415,000 people
Official Languages: English, Maori and Sign Language
National Symbols: Silver fern (plant), kiwi (bird), black, white and red (colours)
National Holidays: 6 February (Waitangi Day) and 25 April (Anzac Day)
National Flag: The stars represent the constellation of the Southern Cross
National Anthem: God Defend New Zealand
General Governor of New Zealand: Cindy Kiro
Prime Minister: Jacinda Ardern

The main cities in New Zealand are: Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga.
More than half of the population of New Zealand lives in these four cities. 

Highest mountain: Aoraki (3724m)

Biggest lake: Lake Taupo
Canada

Population: Almost 38 million people (2021)

Capital: Ottawa 1.4 million inhabitants 
Name: Canada, originally from Iroquois name 'kanata' which means settlement or village
Official Languages: English, French
Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics and Protestants)
National Colours: Red and white
National Symbols: Maple leaf, red and white flag, maple tree (national tree), beaver (national
animal)
Government: The prime minister elected in 2015 is Justin Trudeau.
National Day: 1 July is Canada Day
General Governor of Canada: Mary Simon
Canada is among the ten most sparsely populated countries in the world. More than half of the
population live in the Canadian provinces Ontario and Quebec. About 90% of the people in Canada
live within 160 km/ 100 miles of the US-Canada border. Close to the border there are also the main
urban areas such as Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto.
Toronto is the largest city in Canada housing about 6.2 million people.

Longest river: McKenzie (4241 m)

Biggest lake: Great Bear Lake (entirely in Canada), Lake Superior (the largest lake in North America,
shared with the USA)
Highest mountain: Mount Logan (5959m)

Canada shares the largest waterfalls of the world by water volume. These are the Niagara Falls on
the border to the USA.

Vancouver: The main city in the western parts of the country is great for outdoor sports as well as
indoor explorations. Here you can find many attractions for children which include the Maritime
Museum and the Science Museum as well as the fantastic Grouse Mountain Skyride or doing the cliff
walk and crossing the Capilano River over the Capilano Suspension Bridge.

Niagara Falls: One of Canada's biggest tourist attractions, they were formed in the last Ice
Age. The Niagara Falls are the largest waterfalls in Canada by volume of water.

Quebec City: The Old Town was founded already in 1608. You must see the Frontenac castle
buildings from the 18th and 19th century and in winter have fun on the ice slide!

Toronto: The CN Tower and the Roger's Center are great attractions in this city at the shores of Lake
Ontario. The CN Tower is actually the tallest freestanding structure in the western hemisphere, while
Roger's Center is a huge stadium and spots the world's first retractable roof.
The UK Landmarks

England is a land of ancient cities, royal palaces, massive

cathedrals, and legendary sites. Mighty castles, stately homes,
glorious gardens, and tiny picturesque villages enhance the
natural beauty of the countryside.

Stonehenge
Stonehenge is the most famous prehistoric monument in Britain.
It is a circle of stones.

This stone circle is called Stonehenge

People began building Stonehenge about 5,000 years ago,

dragging each stone into place.

Stonehenge is situated on Salisbury Plain in the county of

Wiltshire.
Age estimated at 3100 BC
Location Wiltshire, UK
Type of stone Bluestone, Sarson, Welsh Sandstone

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle has been a royal residence for over 900 years and
today is one of the homes of King Charles III. The royal standard
flies from the round tower of the Castle when the King is in
residence.

Windsor Castle has dominated the river Thames for over 900
years. It was built by the Normans from timber and later rebuilt in
stone.
 Hadrians Wall

Hadrian's Wall, a stone wall barrier built to separate the Romans

and the Picts tribes in Scotland 2000 years ago.

Kings College, Cambridge

King’s College, founded in 1441 by Henry VI, is a constituent

college of the University of Cambridge. The chapel, is home to the
world-famous Choir.
 The White Cliffs of Dover

The White Cliffs of Dover are truly one of the most famous English
landmarks. These distinctive cliffs have been a welcoming site for
returning sailors through the many centuries.

Blackpool Tower

Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in

England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. It is
said to be the most famous seaside landmark in England.
 London Landmarks
Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is one of the most popular landmarks in

London. It is the London home of the British Royal family. The
600 room palace is surrounded by a 40 acre garden.

The Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster, known also as the Houses of

Parliament, is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the
United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of
Commons) conduct their sittings..
 Tower of London

This royal fortress, on the north banks of the River Thames, was

built by William the Conqueror, following his successful invasion in
1066.

The Tower, or Bloody Tower as it is known, has been host to

many famous executions and imprisonments, including those of
Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey and Sir Walter
Raleigh.
 The London Eye

The London Eye, next to County Hall, is another of London’s most

modern landmarks. It is the world’s biggest ferris wheel.

St Paul's Cathedral

The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is the second biggest dome in the

world, after St Peter's in Rome.
The first St Paul's Cathedral was built in 604 AD but burnt down in
675. The rebuilt cathedral was again burnt down in the Great
Fire of London in 1666.

On 2nd September, 1666, the Great Fire of London

destroyed a large area of the city including St. Paul's Cathedral.
Sir Christopher Wren was given the task of designing and
rebuilding St. Paul's - a task that was to take him thirty-five years
to complete. The most dramatic aspect of St. Paul's was its great
dome. It was the second largest dome ever built (the largest was
St. Peter's Basilica in Rome).