“Landn is the capital of great britain and northern island” - this phrase with a varying degree of broken pronunciation can be spoken by anyone who has ever started to learn English. Indeed, everyone knows the capital, but is it so easy to remember what the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland looks like, how do the Scots differ from the British, and which of the regions is considered the most industrialized? We offer to recall what they forgot, and to find out what they did not know before about the mysterious Foggy Albion.
History
To begin with, the history of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as it is now called, began many centuries ago. The first Roman conquerors arrived on the lands of modern Britain, who founded the fort, which later became the capital of the world empire. In the eleventh century, the territory inhabited by the descendants of the Romans was conquered by the Norman conquerors. It is 1066 that is considered the beginning of the history of the kingdom as an independent state entity.
Years passed, centuries passed, the kingdom was continually shaken by feuds and wars with countries of continental Europe. In the fifteenth century, the War of the Scarlet and White Roses led to the overthrow of the then ruling dynasty and the accession of the Tudors to the British throne. This family held on to power for many years, laying the foundation for the colonial empire, it was under them that the United Kingdom reached its highest power. Wise kings combined successful foreign policy with domestic one - in the seventeenth century the Tudors, still on the throne, annexed Scotland to England. A century later, the stability of the empire with many overseas possessions shook the national upsurge and the struggle for US independence, but even the loss of land beyond the Atlantic could not cause serious damage - at that time England’s iron hands were squeezing both India and Ireland. The Napoleonic wars only strengthened the position of the British Empire on the world stage, and in the twentieth century the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland even entered as a powerful industrial power.
Modernity
But already in the twenties, the rebellious Ireland was still able to achieve independence, after the Second World War, India demanded sovereignty, and in the fifties and sixties the empire completely ceased to exist. Currently, the coat of arms, anthem and flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland unites England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, 49 former colonies and 12 possessions of the great empire, called the British Commonwealth.
Emblem
We now turn to such signs of sovereignty as the anthem and coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The latter is not only a symbol of Britain itself, but also a personal emblem of the ruling dynasty. It combines all four nations that make up the kingdom: in the center there is a shield divided into four parts, where the leopards (England), the golden lion (Scotland), the lyre (Northern Ireland) and the unicorn (Wales) are represented at their feet - thistle (floral symbol of Scotland), shamrock (Northern Ireland) and rose (England). At the top of the coat of arms, royal power is embodied by a crowned leopard. The words on the emblem read “Shame on anyone who thinks about it” —the ribbon wraps a shield around them — and “God and my right” is the motto of the ruling monarch, placed directly below the shield. Thus, the emblem in this situation combines all the symbols of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, demonstrating the unity and cohesion of a great power.
Flag
But what about a symbol like the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? After all, everyone knows him, right? He is already considered a kind of business card island state. It is worth noting that this year it, used for the first time in 1606, celebrated its anniversary - the 410th anniversary. This flag is called the Union Jack.
Flag history
Its occurrence is associated with the development of the kingdom's fleet - some sign was needed to identify the ships, so they decided to combine the cross of St. Andrew (Scotland) and St. George (England) on one canvas, however, the flag received official status only after the union was signed between the two countries in the seventeenth century. With the accession of Ireland, this is the very beginning of the nineteenth century, a diagonal cross was added to the flag. Thus, the modern flag also displays all the components of the kingdom, except for Wales, whose national banner shows a red dragon that does not seem to fit into the concept of the British flag.
Politics
The head of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the monarch of the ruling dynasty. Currently, this is Elizabeth II Windsor. The problem of the British monarchy is that the king or queen, although on the throne, does not have the right to make decisions. All power is concentrated in the hands of parliament - thus, the kingdom is the clearest example of a constitutional monarchy. Parliament, in turn, is divided into the House of Lords (whose members are not elected by citizens) and the House of Commons (formed as a result of democratic elections) and is headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the ruling monarch. Moreover, it is important to note that the UK and Northern Ireland do not have a Constitution as such - there is no clearly written code of laws. Thus, the Queen’s powers are limited to agreeing or disagreeing with bills and the right to dissolve parliament, while the rest of the royal prerogatives (the official name has the power of the ruling monarch) are carried out only through the Prime Minister. We can say that the function of the British monarchs is purely decorative - they are present at ceremonial events, head various foundations, and participate in various ceremonies. The most famous phrase: “The king reigns in Britain, but does not rule” perfectly reflects the real political situation in the United Kingdom.
London
Speaking about Britain, one should not forget about London - the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland really deserves attention. The population of the main city and its environs, the so-called London urbanized zone, is twelve million people, the city is so multinational that it is difficult to convey. Historically, it is divided into several regions: City is a financial center, where about 300 thousand people arrive every day, the West End is the most prestigious area of luxury apartments and mansions, ancient buildings and elite educational institutions, the East End is the industrial heart of the city, filled with unsightly gloomy houses and ship docks. The historical past of London will not leave indifferent any tourist - Big Ben, Tower, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Madame Tussauds - there are hundreds of places to visit in this city. Special attention should be paid to the company scarlet telephone booths, soldiers of Her Majesty and double-decker buses - these can be considered symbols of the city.
