introduction to the UK

1. BRITISH CULTURE AND
SOCIETY
Mohamed V University-Agdal
English Studies S2
Prof. Zeddari Ikbal

2. England
• England - St. George
(23rd April) and the Rose
The national flower of
England is the rose. The
flower has been adopted
as England’s emblem
since the time of the Wars
of the Roses - civil wars
(1455-1485) between the
royal house of Lancaster
(whose emblem was a red
rose) and the royal house
of York (whose emblem
was a white rose).

3. Northern Ireland
• Northern Ireland - St. Patrick
(March 17th) and the Shamrock
The national flower of Northern
Ireland is the shamrock, a three-
leaved plant similar to clover. An
Irish tale tells of how Patrick used
the three-leafed shamrock to
explain the Trinity. He used it in his
sermons to represent how the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
could all exist as separate
elements of the same entity. His
followers adopted the custom of
wearing a shamrock on his feast
day.

4. Wales
• Wales - St. David
(March 1st) and the
Daffodil
The national flower
of Wales is the
daffodil, which is
traditionally worn on
St. David’s Day. The
vegetable called leek
is also considered to
be a traditional
emblem of Wales.

5. Scotland
• Scotland - St. Andrew
(Nov 30th) - the Thistle
and Scottish Bluebell
The national flower of
Scotland is the thistle, a
prickly-leaved purple
flower which was first used
in the 15th century as a
symbol of defence.

6. The Union Jack

8. Country Area (sq km) Population
England 129,634 49,753,000
Scotland 77,179 5,119,000
Wales 20,637 2,937,000
Northern Ireland 13,438 1,692,000

9. Regions in England

10. The southeast
• A mixture of lowlands and
chains of small hills.
• A horseshoe-shaped ring of
chalk hills known as the Downs
run down to the sea through
Kent,The garden of
England, and Sussex.,
• The South Downs reach the
coast near Brighton, the North
Downs at Dover, where they
end in the famous white cliffs.

11. The south west
• The southwest is known
for farming, fishing and
dairy products. The region
covers most of an area
known as the West
Country.
• Rocky, moorlands exmoor
and dartmoor
• Salisbury Plain occupies
most of the central part of
southern England. Many
people travel to see
Stonehenge there.
• Bristol is a major city,

12. Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain

13. East anglia/East of England
• The East of England is a
very flat area, so it is
important for agriculture
(cereals, sugarbeet, fruit
and vegetables, turkeys,
sheep and cattle),
• Cambridge, Norwich
ipswich,

14. West Midlands/the black country
• A mixture of valleys, hills, and
moors.
• Birmingham, "city of 1001
trades », is a major centre of
industry,
• Stoke-on-Trent is the centre of
the ceramics industry.
• Stratford-upon-Avon in
Warwickshire is famous for the
birthplace of the writer William
Shakespeare.

15. The East Midlands
• The East Midlands is the
fourth largest region in
England.
• Most of the East Midlands
is low-lying.
• Nottingham and Leicester
are known for their
chinaware.
• Grimsby is a fishing port

16. North West • The pennines has large
deposits of coal iron ore,
• Manchester and Liverpool
are the Northwest's largest
cities and both are important
ports.(cotton goods, 19th c)
• Liverpool is also famous as
being the home of the
Beatles.

17. Yorkshire and Humber
• Engineering and textiles are
the region's two top
industries, and are
concentrated in West and
South Yorkshire.
• Sheffield's silver and steel
industries have a worldwide
name.
• For many years Yorkshire's
coalfields provided much of
the fuel used in British
industry, but most mines
have now closed.

18. • Historically, Northumberland
North East mined iron core, lead and
silver. Northumberland's
shipbuilding and glass-
making have also declined.
• Now the county produces
electrical machinery and
pottery.
• There are manufacturing and
engineering industries in
parts of Durham and Tyne
and Wear.

19. • North of the border
with england are the
southern
uplands,sheepfarming,
• 80 per cent of the
popoulation live in the
Central plain
• The highlands( tourism
and whisky production)

20. Major Scottish cities.
• Glasgow is associated with heavy industry and poor housing (the
Gorbals),
• A city of artistic heritage in design and architecture
• Religious divisions due Immigration from Northern Ireland.
• Edinburgh, the Athens of the North, is the capital of Scotland.
• It has a middle-class image as it is
associated with scholarship, law
and administration.
• The Annual Edinburgh Festival of the arts.

21. Wales
• The south east is most heavily populated
• Cardiff is the capital with a population of about a quarter a
million
• It used to be an industrial area
• The rest of wales is mountainous
• The north is closer to Liverpool in England
• Mid-wales is closer to the West Midlands in England
• Snowdon is "probably the busiest mountain in Britain.”
• It is located in the largest National park.

22. Northern Ireland
• Belfast is known for the manufucture of linen
• A shipbuilding city.
• The rest of Northern Ireland is agricultural with beautiful
scenery.
• The Giant’s Causeway on the north coast is specatcular

24. What do we call someone from these
cities?
• City Nickname
• Cornwall ……………
• Manchester ……………
• Nottingham ……………
• Sheffield ……………
• Birmingham ……………
• London ……………
• Newcasle ……………
• Glasgow ……………
• Liverpool ……………

25. • City Nickname
• Cornwall cornish
• Manchester mancunian
• Nottingham Nottinghamian
• Sheffield Sheffielder
• Birmingham Brummy
• London Londoner
• Newcasle Geordie
• Glasgow Glaswegian,
• Liverpool liverpudlian