15.

tétel (Magyarország és a célnyelvi országok)

Hungary is situated in the center of the continent, Europe. It is in Europe's eastern part.
This is the Carpathian Basin. Visitors already found a Hungarian State one thousand years
ago. Its capital is Budapest, and this is a small country. The country occupies a territory of
about 93 000 square kilometers. The longest distance from north to south is 268 km. The
longest distance from east to west is 526 km. It shares borders to the north with the Slovak
Republic, to the north-east with Ukraine, to the east with Romania, to the south with
Croatia and Serbia, and the west with Austria and Slovenia. Our country can be divided
into three large regions: Transdanubia, the Great Plain, and the Northern Mountains.
There are several ranges of hills, mainly in the north and west. The Great Plain stretches
east from the Danube to the hills of the Carpathian Mountains. As much as 50 % of the
country's territory is flat, and the Great Hungarian Plain occupies its entire eastern part.
The small Plain lies along the north-west border. The two important rivers, the Danube
and the Tisza, cut across the country from north to south. Lake Balaton is the largest
inland water in Central Europe. A range of medium-height mountains stretches across the
country. West of the Danube, the Transdanubian Range is about 500 metres high, divided
Keszthely hills, the Bakony, Vértes, Gerecse, Pilis and Visegrád mountains. East of the
Danube, the Northern Mountain Range rises to heights of 500-1000 meters, divided into
the Börzsöny, Cserhát, Mátra, Bükk and Zemplén Mountains. The highest point is Kékes
in the Mátra Mountains. The Hungarian "Puszta" is a favorite tourist destination. Visitors
can see the characteristic animals and ethnographic traditions in the Hortobágy National
Park and the Kiskunság National Park when the horse shows are held. The climate is
temperate continental. The coldest month is January, and the warmest month is August.
The winters are cold and cloudy, and the summers are warm and hot. Hungary is a
parliamentary republic. There are parliamentary elections every four years, and the
president's leader asks the winning party to form the government. This small country is
one of the great survivors of history: states and empires emerged, expanded, or
disintegrated and disappeared around it. The traditional Hungarian dishes abound in
piquant flavors and aromas. Dishes are flavourful, spicy, and other rather heavy. People
with sensitive stomachs should be careful. Flavors of Hungarian dishes are based on
centuries-old traditions in spicing and preparation methods. It is famous for the
embroidery of Matyó, red pepper, Hortobágy, and its cuisine. Hungary has a vibrant
cultural life. There are a lot of popular cultural events. A lot of tourists go to us to see the
open-air summer festivals. These festivals are held in different towns, such as Szeged,
Sopron, and Szentendre. The capital of Hungary is Budapest. The biggest cities are
Debrecen, Miskolc, Szegen and Pécs. There are plenty of sights in Budapest, for example
Halászbástya, Gellért Hill, Mátyás Templom, Hősök Tere, Citadella, Hungarian National
Museum ect. I recommended these to the tourists. The British Isles is the name given to
England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland in the geography books. The United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the UK) is the name of the Queen's land reigns over.
England occupies about 244,100 square kilometers area. Its population is 57 million, and
its currency is Pound Sterling (£, font). The capital is London, and the spoken languages
are English and Welsh. Britain has a two-party system of the Labour and the Conservative
Party. The governmental model that has been operating in Britain since 1688 is called
Constitutional Monarchy. This means that it has a monarch (King, Queen) as the Head of
State. The monarch has very little power and can only reign with the support of
Parliament. Parliament consists of two houses: the House of Commons and the House of
Lords. There were several well-known prime ministers in the UK. British people watched
much television and said to be the world's most dedicated home-video users. This doesn't
mean that they've given up reading. In Britain, more papers are sold than in any other
country in the world. Some of these people have the reputation of being shy and reserved
with strangers. But others are extroverts and talk to anybody. British people don't like
answering personal questions about their private lives. You must never ask them how
much money they earn or how old they are. Everybody knows that all Englishmen wear
bowler hats, pinstripe suits, and carry umbrellas; Scotsmen are mean, hate spending
money, and drink whiskey all day long; Welshmen do nothing play rugby and sing (and
some British people tell jokes about Irish). Interestingly enough, the English drive on the
left. Tourists must be cautious if they want to drive and walk in England. It isn't easy to
get used to their traffic. What's more, the steering wheel of their cars is on the right side.

Scotland:
There are three large geographical areas in Scotland: the Highlands, the Lowlands, and the
Islands; 5 million people live in Scotland. Edinburgh is the capital; Glasgow is the chief
industrial and commercial city. Places to visit:
- The Edinburgh Festival – for music and drama
- Loch Ness – to catch a glimpse of the monster?
England:
- Hadrian's Wall – named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian – was completed in the 2nd
century. It is a colossal fortification all along the Scottish border.
- The Lake District is an area of mountains and lakes that looks more significant than it
is. It has dramatic, romantic scenery.
- Stratford-on-Avon – the birthplace and burial place of William Shakespeare. The
Royal Shakespeare Company plays here at the Festival Theatre as well as in London.
- Stonehenge (it is made of stones, the great circle of standing stones is believed to have
had some religious or astronomical purpose)
- Windsor – the town on the River Thames. Its castle is a royal residence.
- Eton – close to Windsor. The famous public school here was founded in 1440.
- Canterbury – the Cathedral and the Archbishop of Canterbury's residence, Church of
England's religious head.

- Oxford and Cambridge – the famous (and the oldest) university towns in Britain.The
Sights of London
- The Tower of London (an ancient fortress; to play an important part in British history;
to serve as a palace and a prison; to be a museum; crown jewels; to be guarded by
beefeaters), raven (holló)
- Buckingham Palace (residence of the Queen; changing of the guard at 11:30)
- Westminster Abbey (to contain tombs and monuments of famous Britons; to be the
scene of coronations and royal weddings)
- Houses of Parliament (to have parliamentary sessions; a flag on Victoria Tower; Clock
Tower – Big Ben), House of Lords, House of Commons
- ST. Paul's Cathedral (second largest dome in the world; built by Sir Christopher Wren
in the 17th century)
- Trafalgar Square (the heart of London; fountains and pigeons; Nelson's Column
(Nelson was an admiral, who defeated Napoleon's troops in a battle at Waterloo; The
National Gallery)
- The Monument (to commemorate the Great Fire of London in 1666)
- Downing Street No. 10. (residence of the Prime Minister; Gordon Brown, to be
guarded all day)
- Famous bridges: Westminster Bridge, Tower Bridge
- Famous museums: The British Museum, The New London Museum, Tate Gallery,
Victoria, and Albert Museum
- Madame Tussaud's Waxworks (in Baker Street, famous people, politicians, actors… in
waxwork)

Wales:

The capital is Cardiff, where 2.9 million inhabitants live in Wales. The highest number
live in the industrial areas of South Wales. There is the Welsh language. Welsh folklore
and language strengthen each other. Every year a national festival of traditional poetry and
music is held. It's called the "Eisteddfod."
Northern Ireland:

The country's capital is Belfast. It is a land of lakes, rivers, and varied sea coasts. It is an
excellent place for outdoor sports and for tourism – when times are peaceful. Above all,
the Northern Irish people are friendly and generous.