BRITISH – AMERICAN CULTURE

BRITISH CULTURE
Chapter 1: Introduction – The country in terms of geography and politics
1.1. Different names to refer to the United Kingdom
- Geography: The British Isles: the largest island is called Great Britain and the other
large one is called Ireland.
- Politics: 02 states in the British Isles
• The Republic of Ireland governs most of the island of Ireland.
• The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (official name) has
authority over the whole of Great Britain the northeastern area of Ireland and most
of the smaller islands.
- The common name usually used is The United Kingdom
- In everyday speech this is often shortened to the UK.
- In other contexts, it is referred to as Great Britain.
- In writing and speaking that is not especially formal or informal, the name Britain
is used and the normal adjective is British.
1.2. England versus Britain
- There is, perhaps, an excuse for people who use the word ' England' when they mean
'Britain', 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.
- Many aspects of everyday life are organized according to English custom and
practice.
1.3. The two political systems on the British Isle
- Politics: 02 states in the British Isles. The Republic of Ireland governs most of the
island of Ireland. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (official
name) has authority over the whole of Great Britain the northeastern area of Ireland and
most of the smaller islands.
1.4. The meaning of the flag of the UK
- The Union Jack is the national flag of the UK. It is a combination of the cross of
St George, the cross of St Andrew and the cross of St Patrick
1.5. The four nations
- People often refer to Britain by another name. They call it 'England'. But this is not
strictly correct, and it can make some people angry because England is only one of the four
nations.
- Although there is only one government for the whole of Britain, and people have
the same passport regard less of where in Britain they live, some aspects of government
are organized separately (and sometimes differently) in the four parts of the United
Kingdom.
- Welsh, Scottish and Irish people feel their identity very strongly.
Chapter 2: The dominance of England and national loyalties
2.1. The invasion of Roman Empire in the early time
- The Romans imposed their own way of life and culture, making use of the existing
Celtic aristocracy to govern and encouraging this ruling class to adopt Roman dress and
the Roman language (Latin).
- They exerted an influence, without actually governing there.
- The remarkable thing about the Romans is that, despite their long occupation of
Britain, they left very little behind.
2.2. The dominance of England over the 3 other nations (in terms of language and
politics)
- Today English domination can be detected in the way in which various aspects of
British public life.
- Language: English is the main language of four nations.
Ø Standard English grammar and vocabulary is retained for most kinds of
broadcasting although many dialects co-exist, and differences are apparent even
after travelling just a few miles. Regional accents can also be heard on radio and
television (British Culture: An introduction)
- The system of politics that is used in all four nations today is of English origin.
However, the politics unification of Britain was not achieved by mutual agreement. On the
contrary. It happened because England was able to exert her economic and military power
over the other three nations
2.3. The two meanings of national loyalty
- There are millions of people who live in England but who would never describe
themselves as English. These people support the country of their parents or grandparents
rather than England.
- A person whose family are from Ireland but who has always lived in England would
want Ireland to beat England at football but would want England to beat (for example) Italy
just as much.
ð crossover of loyalties
Chapter 3: Geography

It has been claimed that the British love of compromise is the result of the country's
physical geography. This may or may not be true, but it is certainly true that the land and
climate in Britain have a notable lack of extremes.

3.1. Climate
- The climate of Britain is more or less the same as that of the northwestern part of
the European mainland.
• The amount of rain that falls on a town in Britain depends on where it is.
ð the further west you go, the more rain you get
• The mild winters mean that snow is a regular feature of the higher areas only.
The winters are in general a bit colder in the east.
• In summer, the south is slightly warmer and sunnier than the north
- There is a saying that Britain doesn’t have a climate, it only has weather.
ð It is changeable
3.2. Land and Settlement
- Britain has neither towering mountain ranges, nor impressively large rivers, plains
or forests.
- What it lacks in grandeur it makes up for in variety.
• The scenery changes noticeably over quite short distances
ð The south and east: comparatively low-lying: flat plains or gently rolling hills
ð The north and west: mountainous areas although they also have flat areas
- Human influence has been extensive.
• The forests that once covered the land have largely disappeared.
ð Britain has a greater proportion of grassland than any other country in Europe
except the Republic of Ireland.
• Commonly in southern England, the enclosure of fields with hedgerows
increases the impression of variety.
• Much of land is used for human habitation.
 ð Their desire for privacy and their love of the countryside (their love of nature)
ð The English and the Welsh don't like living in blocks of flats in city centres.
ð Cities in England and Wales have been built outwards rather than upwards.
3.3. The Environment and Pollution
- Britain was the world’s first industrialized country.
• Air pollution
ð Its cities were the first to suffer smog
ð Smog (a mixture of smoke and fog): first used in Britain
ð In the nineteenth century London's 'pea-soupers' (thick smogs) became famous
through descriptions of them in the works of Charles Dickens and in the
Sherlock Holmes stories
ð 1952: the situation reached its worst => caused between 4000 and 8000 deaths.
• Water pollution
ð The river Thames had bad smell and was poisoned.
- During the 1960s and 1970s, laws were passed which forbade the heating of homes
with open coal fires in city area and which stopped much of the pollution from factories.

Chapter 4: London and England

London (the largest city in Europe) dominates Britain
4.1. The long history of London
- About 50 A.D, the Roman Empire founded the city Londinium, which was a great
place for building port by the end of the 2nd century. It had forums, public baths and
amphitheaters.
- When the Roman Empire was declining, they left Britain and abandoned the city.
- In 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England. During his reign,
the Tower of London and London Bridge were built.
- In 17th century, London suffered from the Great Plague and the Great fire of London.
- In 19th century, Big Ben rang out for the 1st time and London Underground opened.
 4.2. The center of politics, commerce and culture of the whole Kingdom
- London is home for the headquarters of all government departments, Parliament,
the major legal institutions and the monarch.
- It is the country's business and banking centre and the centre of its transport network.
- It contains the headquarters of the national television networks and of all the
national newspapers.
- Two other well-known areas of London are the West End and the East End.
• West End: many theatres, cinemas and expensive shops. At the heart of West
End, there is city of Westminster is the site of some of the finest and most
historically important buildings in England and includes some of the most
desirable residential properties.
• East End: the poorer residential area of central London.
4.3. A popular tourist destination
- London is popular as a tourist destination.
• Big Ben, Tower of London, London Bridge and the River Thames
• London Eye
• The British Museum
• Buckingham Palace
• Westminster Abbey
• Hyde Park
- The readers of Business Traveller magazine often vote London as their favorite city
in the world to do business.
4.4. Southern, Midlands, and Northern England
Southern England
- Southern England has the reputation of being “commuter land”.
- This is the most densely populated area in the UK which does not include a large
city, and millions of its inhabitants travel into London to work every day.
 - The region known as 'the West Country' has an attractive image of rural beauty in
British people's minds.
- There is some industry and one large city (Bristol was once Britain's most important
port after London), but farming is more widespread than it is in most other regions. Some
parts are well-known for their dairy produce and fruit.

The Midlands
- Birmingham is Britain's second largest city.
- Despite the decline of heavy industry in modern times, factories in this area still
convert iron and steel into a vast variety of goods.
- Although the midlands do not have many positive associations in the minds of
British people, tourism has flourished in “Shakespeare country”, and Nottingham has
successfully capitalized on the legend of Robin Hood.

Northern England
- Northern England was the area that led the Industrial Revolution.
- In the mind of British people, the prototype of the noisy, dirty factory that
symbolizes the Industrial Revolution is found in the industrial north.
- The pattern of settlement in the north of England is often different from that in the
south. Open and uninhabited countryside is never far away from its cities and towns. The
typically industrial and the very rural interlock. => The setting for Emily Bronte’s novel
Wuthering Heights.
- Further away from the main industrial areas, the north of England is sparsely
populated. It is the favourite destination of people who enjoy walking holidays and the
whole area is classified as a National Park.
Chapter 5: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
5.1. Scotland
Geography and Climate
Scotland has three fairly clearly-marked regions:
- The southern uplands = low land – an area of small towns of largely sheep farming.
- The central plain – the most densely populated are (80% of the population of
Scotland) a region of North Sea oil industry, and once the most industrial zone.
- The high lands, sparsely populated (fewer than a million people live there) – famous
for whisky production and tourism with beautiful mountains, deep valleys and numerous
islands off the west coast
Capitals and Large Cities
Glasgow is the third largest city in Britain.
- The most industrialized city in Scotland (Gorbals, although now rebuilt, was famous
for heavy industry and worst housing conditions)
- The world-known city of artistic heritage
- The European forefront of design and architecture
- Big immigration from Ireland
ð it reflects the divisions in the community that exist in Northern Ireland
Edinburgh – capital of Scotland
- Half of the size of Glasgow
- Associated with scholarship, law and administration
- Well-known for many fine historic buildings and its topography – so called “Athens
of the North”
- Internationally famous for the annual Edinburgh Festival
Main Industries
- Agriculture and forestry
- Fishing
- Mineral resources
- Fracking
 5.2. Wales
Geography and Climate
- The south-east of Wales: densely populated
- Most of the rest of Wales: mountains
- More closely related to England than to the other parts of Wales due to mountain
- Mount Snowdon in the north west: beautiful nature and the largest National Park in
Britain
Capital and Large Cities
- Cardiff, the capital of Wales: not much populated either but just the most industrial
villages in Britain
- Swansea is considered the second largest city in Wales.
- Newport is the third.
Main Industries
- Agriculture
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Services
- South Wales’ economy: coal mining
5.3. Northern Ireland
Geography and Climate
- Particularly beautiful nature: the Giant’s Causeway → enormous stepping-stones
- Climate in Northern Ireland is duller than in rest of Great Britain.
Capital and Large Cities
- Capital city: Belfast
- 2nd largest city: Derry
- 3rd largest city: Lisburn
Main Industries
- Except for Belfast: famous for the linen manufacture and shipbuilding
- Much of the land of N.I: largely agriculture