Modern England. Population in numbers and facts
THE ECONOMY OF THE GREAT BRITAIN THE ECONOMY RANKS 6TH PLACE AMONG THE WORLD ECONOMIES. AMONG EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, THE BRITISH ECONOMY IS IN 2nd POSITION AFTER GERMANY. THE LEADING ECONOMIC INDUSTRY OF MODERN BRITAIN IS THE SERVICE SECTOR. THE SECOND PLACE IS OCCUPIED BY INDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIES, AMONG WHICH MINING AND MANUFACTURING HOLD LEADING POSITIONS IN terms of GDP INDICATORS.
GOVERNMENT THE UK HAS A PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT BASED ON THE WESTMINSTER SYSTEM, WHICH IS ALSO USED AROUND THE WORLD AS A LEGACY OF THE FORMER GLORY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. THE PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN, MEETING IN THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER, HAS TWO CHAMBERS: THE ELECTED HOUSE OF COMMONS AND THE APPOINTED HOUSE OF LORDS. ANY DOCUMENT ADOPTED REQUIRES ROYAL ASSAULT IN ORDER TO BECOME A LAW. PARLIAMENT IS THE PRINCIPAL LEGISLATIVE INSTITUTION OF THE UK
PRIME MINISTER THE POSITION OF THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UK, IS THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT WHO CAN OBTAIN THE SUPPORT OF A MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, USUALLY THE CURRENT LEADER OF THE LARGEST POLITICAL PARTY IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS TE. FORMALLY, THE PRIME MINISTER AND HIS CABINET ARE APPOINTED BY THE MONARCH TO FORM HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, BUT THE PRIME MINISTER HIMSELF ASSEMBLES THE CABINET AND, BY TRADITION, THE QUEEN RESPECTS THE CHOICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER
ROYAL FAMILY BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY A GROUP OF CLOSE RELATIVES OF THE MONARCH OF GREAT BRITAIN. IN 1917, BECAUSE OF THE WAR WITH GERMANY, GEORGE V REFUSED ALL GERMAN TITLES FOR HIMSELF AND HEIRS AND RENAMED THE SAXEN-COBURG-GOTHA DYNASTY THE HOUSE OF WINDSOR. MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY HAVE THE TITLES OF THEIR ROYAL MAJESTY AND THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESS. TODAY THEY PERFORM CEREMONIAL AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS BOTH IN THE UK AND ABROAD, AND OTHER THAN THE MONARCH HAVE NO CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
BRITISH ARMED FORCES THE UK HAS ONE OF THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AND TRAINED ARMIES IN THE WORLD AND AS OF 2008 HAS ABOUT 20 MILITARY BASES AROUND THE WORLD. ACCORDING TO VARIOUS SOURCES, BRITAIN HAS THE THIRD OR FOURTH HIGH MILITARY EXPENDITURES IN THE WORLD, ALTHOUGH IT IS ONLY 27TH IN NUMBER OF TROOPS. TOTAL MILITARY SPENDING IS ABOUT 2.5% OF THE COUNTRY'S GDP
ECONOMY THE UK HAS A PARTLY REGULATED MARKET ECONOMY. AT MARKET EXCHANGE RATES, THE UK IS THE SIXTH BIGGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD AND THE SECOND BIGGEST IN EUROPE AFTER GERMANY. HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY, HEADED BY THE CHANCELLOR, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S PUBLIC FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES. THE BANK OF ENGLAND IS THE CENTRAL BANK OF THE UK AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ISSUING THE NATIONAL CURRENCY, THE POUND STERLING. Bank of England, the central bank of Great Britain.
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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THE UK IS A PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL, A MEMBER OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS, G8, G20, NATO, OECD, WTO, COUNCIL OF EUROPE, OSCE. THE UK HAS A "SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP" WITH THE USA AND A CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH FRANCE, A "CARDIATE AGREEMENT", AND ALSO HAS A COMMON NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM WITH THESE TWO COUNTRIES. OTHER CLOSE ALLIES INCLUDE OTHER EU AND NATO AND COMMONWEALTH MEMBERS AS WELL AS JAPAN. BRITISH'S GLOBAL PRESENCE AND INFLUENCE ARE ALSO INCREASED THROUGH TRADE RELATIONS, FOREIGN INVESTMENT, OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AND THE MILITARY.
Where does England begin?
For me personally, England began with a crazy downpour that greeted us at the exit from the airport! It was late evening, it was dark, cold and damp. For some reason, I immediately concluded that this is the weather that is typical for the entire United Kingdom, and that it rains here around the clock. Moreover, England is famous for its fogs and constant rains. However, the morning of the next day turned out to be completely different - the sun came out, and everything suddenly took on an unusually elegant look. There was a feeling of lightness and hospitality.
Readers probably have a question: why England, when the most popular tourist destinations today are Egypt, Turkey and Thailand? I’ll immediately explain that I was in this country together with my husband Andrei: he was on duty, I was for company.
We were in Britain at the end of July - beginning of August, and throughout the three weeks of our vacation the weather changed regularly: there were both cold and rainy days and stuffy days with thirty-degree heat. Although in general the summer months are considered the most favorable in England for walks, trips and sightseeing.
Like the best houses in London
Architecture in England is as varied and unpredictable as the weather. There is no single style in it; it consists of an eclectic variety of architectural styles. At least that's what we came to after walking around London and several small towns. There are both medieval cathedrals and new modern buildings, but they all harmonize with each other in some strange way. The buildings are quite dense, but at the same time creativity is evident everywhere - you won’t see piles of gray high-rise buildings, as in Russia.
Take, for example, London City Hall. We are accustomed to the fact that buildings like the city hall are boring offices in which boring officials sit and do boring paperwork. From the outside, such buildings usually resemble huge stone or glass boxes, in which, for greater importance, sometimes some kind of stone portal is installed, so that the visitor from the very entrance feels awe of the greatness of the city government. And here - some half-cut watermelon made of glass! The Mayor of Greater London, Ken Livingstone, invited one of the most famous British architects to work on the project of this building. They agreed that the building with its entire appearance would prove that London officials are not alien to a penchant for originality and humor, and municipal work is a living, not a dead matter.
As for ordinary Englishmen, they live mainly in townhouses, and their houses are often similar. And from them you would never guess which family lives in this house - low-income or wealthy. However, in some settlements we were amused by the tradition of residents giving names to their houses. So, we met the “Blue House”, “Black House” and a house called “Lagoon of Rocks”. Some people name their home after their own surname. And then it sounds like this: “Adamson House.” Or this: House of Milton.
The British have a developed love for beauty, or rather, for landscape design: even if there is a couple of square meters in front of the house, they will certainly turn it into a nice garden with well-groomed flower beds.
Almost every house has a hedge of trimmed bushes in front of it. Behind the house there is usually a garden with trees, compensating for their lack on city streets.
Unfortunately, we never managed to find out how they live “in the best houses in London”: my husband and I rented a simple apartment in the center of London. The most important and romantic thing in our English “house” was a real fireplace. English architects have an immutable rule: every homeowner has the right to a fireplace. On the roofs of townhouses and high-rise buildings you will see as many pipes as there are apartments in the building.
We paid £300 for each week's rent. (15 thousand rubles in Russian money!) This was considered an excellent option.
There is no such thing as English cuisine!
There is no such thing as “English cuisine”. The British love the cuisines of many people around the world. Both Indian and Japanese cuisines are in demand here, but oatmeal for breakfast has become less popular.
English breakfast is another typical stereotype that comes to mind when traveling to England. In our opinion, before our trip to England, an English breakfast should have included oatmeal, white bread toast and, of course, a cup of aromatic English breakfast tea. Meeting the expectations of tourists, “real English breakfast” is part of English cities.
A “real English breakfast” includes sausage, fried bacon, canned beans, fried eggs, and toast. Yes, and another essential component of a real English breakfast are fried champignons. Not everyone can eat such a heavy and satisfying breakfast in the morning as the British eat. The tradition of eating very high-calorie foods in the morning appeared several hundred years ago, when workers who did not have the opportunity to have lunch tried to fill themselves up for future use before starting a hard day of work.
Also worth noting is the traditional English tea party - an event that relates more to the area of etiquette than to the culinary area. This is “afternoon tea” - the one that is known in all languages of the world as “fife-o-clock” and which the British cannot miss!
Our English walks
During the days of our stay in London, we walked, if not all of it, then definitely half of it. We were impressed by the overall cleanliness. There are many office buildings in the city center near St. Paul's Cathedral (City area). People, whom many jokingly call “office plankton,” literally go out in their hundreds during their lunch break. They are located right on the steps of the stairs or on the lawns near the Cathedral. At the same time, someone eats take-out food, someone reads, someone talks on the phone, someone simply sunbathes on the grass on infrequent sunny days.
Near an office building in Chelyabinsk, for example, we are used to seeing parking lots and people smoking. You won't see this in London. Firstly, the entry of cars into the city center is limited, and secondly, special places are allocated for smokers.
One day we saw a man sleeping on a bench in one of the parks. He was well dressed and completely sober. He was just relaxing! The British have a completely different worldview than we do. Needless to say, even English squirrels have a different perception! Imagine, they calmly rush not only along paths in parks, but also among vacationing people. We observed the following picture: a man was sitting on a bench in the park and reading a newspaper, and a squirrel climbed up his leg. He slowly took the reading away from his face, looked imposingly at the animal... and continued reading.
Lawn litter carries hefty fines ranging from £60 to £80. There are signs everywhere stating that pet owners must clean up after their pets.
In three weeks we visited almost all the famous sights of London - the Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Albert Hall, Hyde Park... In all of the above In places you can sign up for excursions, they cost about 20 pounds.
How we visited the Olympics
Last summer the XXX Summer Olympic Games were held in London. We decided: why not take advantage of this? And spontaneously bought tickets for women's volleyball!
None of the fans who came knew who would play with whom. Imagine our surprise when we learned about the situation: Russia - Britain! When the English women scored against ours, our Canadian neighbor turned to us and apologized: “Sorry!” But Russia won with a score of 3:0. We were so proud of the victory of our compatriots that we didn’t even stay for the second game between Italy and the Dominican Republic, but went to celebrate our team’s victory!
I would like to note the excellent organization of the Olympic Games, when in the city center at every metro station, stop, at all train stations and airports there were volunteers and helped every tourist with questions both about the Olympics and completely abstract issues. There were many live broadcasts throughout the city, and the stadiums where the games were held had a very strong security system.
Complexes and customs of the British
The British, it seemed to us, are incredibly complex people. Overly polite and quite closed. They will say one thing and think something completely different. In England there is a rule of “non-interference in private life”; the British tell only their closest people about their personal affairs, therefore the British at social parties love to “keep secret about someone from the general environment”, in other words, to gossip.
At the same time, they know how to have fun, that's for sure! It is worth noting that the British love to joke and practice their wit with pleasure. Of course, they are very proud of their subtle humor, bordering on irony. They make a holiday out of every event. You can find grandparents dancing in a bar at one in the morning, as well as their children and grandchildren. Families have fun in pubs. At least in honor of Friday. For the British, Friday and Saturday are like city day for us, that is, they pass on approximately the same scale. We celebrated our first Friday in Britain in the small town of Leeds. And they were terribly surprised by what they saw: people were moving through the streets in real crowds, shoulder to shoulder, all drunk and dressed up. The pubs were packed to capacity.
A funny little thing - the British don’t usually dry their umbrellas open. The British say “Bad Lak!” and are asked to dry umbrellas closed.
If we continue the conversation about the customs of the British, then the most “entertaining topic” in England is queues. You line up everywhere you go. Even at the bus stop. We saw how one day, while waiting for a bus route, one man, quite by accident, apparently lost in thought, walked around the woman in front of whom he was standing. How he apologized! There seemed to be no limit to his embarrassment!
Treats for everyone!
By the way, in England pubs are not just a place where people gather to drink beer, but also a meeting place. Moreover, everyone walks in harmony - each member of the company goes and buys beer for all his friends. Thus, during the meeting, everyone is “marked.” Everyone will drink as many glasses of beer as there are people gathered. Someone may try to avoid the general fun, but everyone will sit and silently condemn him. It’s the same in offices during weekdays: usually the one who goes for coffee or tea prepares drinks for all colleagues - this is customary in any team!
Rhode Island
Vermont
Population density
87.7 people/km²
Paul Le Page (R-ME)
Patrick Deval (D-MA)
John Lynch (D-NH)
Lincoln Chafee (I-RI)
Peter Shumlin (D-VT)
It was home to some of the earliest settlements in North America. Pilgrims from England first settled in New England in 1620 to form the Plymouth Colony. Ten years later, the Puritans settled north of the Plymouth Colony in Boston, forming the Massachusetts Bay Colonies. Over the next 130 years, New England fought in four French and Indian Wars until the British finally defeated the French and their allies in North America.
It was in New England that resistance arose in the late 18th century against the British Parliament imposing new taxes without the consent of the colonists. The Boston Tea Party, which expressed the grievances of the colonial people, prompted Britain to purge the colonial governments. The confrontation led to open war in 1775 and the expulsion of the British from New England in the spring of 1776, and then to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.
Some of the first movements in American literature, philosophy, and education arose in New England. The region played a prominent role in the abolition movement, and was the first region of the United States to be transformed by the Industrial Revolution. Today, New England is one of the world's main centers of education, high technology, insurance, and medicine. Boston is its cultural, financial, educational, medical and transportation center.
Each state is divided into small municipalities known as New England towns, which are governed by town meetings. Since 1970, voters have been more likely to support liberal candidates at the state and federal level than in any other region of the United States.
New England is only one of nine regional US Census Bureau divisions whose name is not derived from its geography, and it is only a few state areas with clear, consistent boundaries. It maintains a strong sense of cultural identity separate from the rest of the country, although the terms of this identity are often contested, combining Puritanism with liberalism, agrarian life with industry, and isolation with immigration.
Story
Indigenous people
The earliest known population of New England were American Indians who spoke various Eastern Algonquian languages. Notable tribes include the Abenaki, Penobscot, Peugeot, Mohecane, Pocomtuc, and Wampanog. Before the arrival of Europeans, the western Abenaki inhabited New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as parts of Quebec and western Maine. Their capital was Norridgewock, in modern Maine.
The Penobscot lived along the Penobscot River in Maine. The Wampanoga occupied southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Pocumtucks lived in Western Massachusetts, Mohecan and Peugeot in the Connecticut area. The Connecticut River Plain, which includes parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut, connects diverse peoples culturally, linguistically, and politically.
As early as 1600, French, Dutch and English traders began trading metal, glass, and textiles as well as beaver pelts while exploring the New World.
Virginia Company
On April 10, 1606, King James I of England issued an order to equip the companies of Virginia, London and Plymouth. These were privately financed enterprises designed to develop English lands for the purpose of trade and return at a profit.
Thanks to the Virginia Company, territories stretching to the northern borders of Maine were developed. In the fall of 1607, the Popham Colony was founded at the mouth of the Kennebec River in Maine. Unlike Jamestown, the colony was unable to hold out and was abandoned the following spring. Captain John Smith, exploring the coast of the region in 1614, called it "New England", he accounted for more than two voyages there, and he also published a description of New England.
The next notable event was the arrival in New England in the winter of 1616-1617, at Bidford Basin, of Captain Richerd Viney. Today it is a large city in Maine. Four years later, the Mayflower Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, marking the beginning of permanent European settlement in New England.
The name "New England" itself was officially adopted on November 3, 1620, when the charter of the Virginia Plymouth Company was replaced by the Royal Charter of the Plymouth Council for New England, a joint stock company formed to colonize and govern the region. The first colonists arrived in Plymouth and signed the May Flower Act, which became the first governing document of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, to which the entire region would be subject; a royal charter was signed in 1629; its main city and port of Boston was founded in 1630.
Massachusetts Puritans began settling in Connecticut as early as 1633. Roger Williams, exiled from Massachusetts for heresy, led the group south, and founded Providence, in the area that later became the state of Rhode Island in 1636. At this time, Vermont was not yet settled, the territories of New Hampshire and Maine were under the control of Massachusetts.
Colonial Wars
Relations between the colonists and the Indians alternated between peace and armed conflict, the bloodiest of which was Peugeot's War in 1643, which resulted in the Mystic Massacre. Six years later, the Massachusetts Bay Colonies, Plymouth, New Haven, Connecticut, united into what became known as the New England Confederacy (officially the "United New England Colonies"). The Confederation was created primarily to coordinate mutual defense, but was never effective and soon collapsed.
Over the next seventy-four years, there were six colonial wars, fought primarily between New England and New France (see French and Indian Wars). Throughout these wars, New England was allied with the Iroquois Confederacy, and New France was allied with the Wabanaki Confederacy. After the conquest of New England, Acadia in 1710, and the mainland, Nova Scotia was under New England control, but at that time New Brunswick and virtually all of modern Maine remained disputed territory between New England and New France. After the British won the war in 1763, the Connecticut River Valley opened up the region for the settlement of Western New Hampshire, and what is now Vermont.
The New England colonies were made up primarily of farmers who became relatively self-sufficient. Later, with the help of the Puritan work ethic, New England's economy began to focus on crafts and trade, in contrast to the Southern Colonies, which were forced to import many goods from England.
Protectorate of England
In 1686, King James II became concerned about the colonies' increasing independence, including their self-government and charters, their open disregard for the Navigation Acts, and their growing military power. Therefore he established the supremacy of New England, an Administrative Union comprising all the New England colonies. In 1688, the former Dutch colonies of New York and New Jersey were added to the union. The union, imposed from outside and against the deep-rooted democratic tradition of the region, was extremely unpopular among the colonists.
The government significantly changed the statutes of the colonies, including the appointment of royal Governors in almost all of them. Thus, an alarming tension arose between the royal Governors, officials, and the elected bodies of government of the colonies. The governors wanted to regain absolute power, and various local elected officials began to oppose them. In most cases, local city governments continued to operate as local governments, as they had before the appointment of governors.
After the Glorious Revolution of 1689, the Bostonians overthrew the king's viceroy, Sir Edmund Andros. They captured mainstream officials and adherents of the Church of England, in a popular and bloodless uprising. These tensions eventually culminated in the American Revolution, which boiled over with the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1775. The first battles of the war took place in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, and later the siege of Boston by Continental troops took place. In March 1776, British troops were forced to retreat from Boston.
New England and the rise of the United States
Post-Revolutionary New England
After the Revolutionary War, New England ceased to be a significant political entity, but the region remained a cultural region consisting of independent states. By 1784, all states in the region had already taken steps toward abolition, with Vermont and Massachusetts abolishing slavery in 1777 and 1783, respectively.
During the War of 1812, there was a movement in New England to secede from the United States; merchants in New England, just beginning to recover, opposed war with their largest trading partner, Great Britain. Delegates met at the Hartford Convention in the winter of 1814–15. A total of twenty-seven delegates gathered to discuss changes to the US Constitution in order to protect the interests of the region and maintain their political power, feeling that they were being used as pawns in the trade relations of the states.
After resolving the dispute in New York, Vermont was admitted to statehood in 1791, formally completing certain areas of New England. On March 15, 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise, the territories of Maine, formerly part of Massachusetts, were admitted to the Union as a free state. Today, the New England region is defined as consisting of six states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
For the rest of the time before the American Civil War, New England differed from the rest of the US states in its political views, which resulted in many differences with the rest of the country. Massachusetts and Connecticut were among the last refuges of the Federalists, and when the Two Party system came into effect in 1830, New England became a bastion of the new Whig Party. The Whigs were generally dominant throughout New England, with the exception of the more democratic Maine and New Hampshire. Leading statesmen - including Daniel Webster - hail from this region. New England left contributions in other areas of life. Many famous literary and intellectual figures representing the United States before the Civil War were from New England, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, George Bancroft, and William H. Prescott.
Industrial Revolution and the Abolitionist Movement
New England was the key to the Industrial Revolution in the United States. In 1787, it became home to the first spinning mill in America, the Beverly Cotton Manufactory, which was founded on the north shore of the seaport of Beverly, Massachusetts. The manufactory is also considered the largest cotton mill of its time. Technological developments and advances at the Manufactory led to the development of more modern textile mills, including the Slater Mill in Patucket, Rhode Island. The Blackstone Valley, which runs through Massachusetts and Rhode Island, was nicknamed the America of the Industrial Revolution. Cities such as Lawrence and Lowell in Massachusetts, Wansocket in Rhode Island, and Lewiston in Maine became centers of the textile industry, thanks to innovations at the Slater Mill and Beverly Cotton Mill.
Geography
The New England states have a total area of 71,991.8 square miles (186,458 km2), making the region slightly larger than Washington State and larger than England. Maine makes up nearly half of New England's total area, but is only 39th largest among the states, slightly smaller than Indiana. The remaining states are among the smallest in the United States, including the smallest state, Rhode Island.
Topography
Climate
Weather conditions vary throughout the region. The states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont have a humid continental climate, short mild summers and cold winters. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, southern Maine, southern New Hampshire and Vermont have a humid continental climate with long, warm summers but also cold winters. Due to the dense deciduous forest, autumn brings vibrant color to New England, which arrives earlier than other nearby regions, bringing in many tourists.
Average precipitation ranges from 40 to 60 inches (1,000 to 1,500 mm) per year, although northern Vermont and Maine have slightly less, from 20 to 40 inches (510 to 1,000 mm). Snowfall often exceeds 98 V (2500 mm) per year. What makes the ski resorts of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont extremely attractive in the winter.
The lowest recorded temperature in New England was −50 °F (−46 °C) in Bloomfield, Vermont on December 30, 1933. Rhode Island is the warmest state in New England, Maine the coldest and the largest, nearly half of all of New England.
Demography
Largest cities
List of most populous cities based on the 2010 census.
- Boston, MA: 617594 (4552402)
- Worcester, Massachusetts: 181045 (798552)
- Providence, Rhode Island: 178,042 (1,600,852)
- Springfield, Massachusetts: 153,060 (692,942)
- Bridgeport, CT: 144229 (916829)
- New Haven, CT: 129,779 (862,477)
- Hartford, CT: 124775 (1212381)
- Stamford, CT: 122643 (part of Bridgeport's MSA)
- Waterbury, CT: 110366 (228984)
- Manchester, New Hampshire: 109565 (400721)
- Lowell, Massachusetts: 106519 (315158)
- Cambridge, Massachusetts: 105162 (part of Greater Boston)
In the 20th century, the growth of cities in the regions surrounding New York City had an important impact on neighboring Connecticut, with which it has close ties.
Ecology
Economy
Review
Export
Production
A 2010 study from the University of Connecticut found that five out of six states ranked 43rd in manufacturing costs, meaning that manufacturing in New England tended to be more expensive than other parts of the U.S. Only Maine was less expensive. Vermont, Rhode Island and New Hampshire rank last.
Agriculture
Energy
Employment
Taxes
Real estate
Control
Historical reference
Town meeting
Elections
Political parties
New Hampshire
Policy
Laws and movements
Education
Colleges and Universities
Private and independent secondary schools
Public education
Scientific journals and press
Culture
Cultural roots
Accents
Social activity and music
Mass media
Comedy
Literature
Sport
Professional and semi-professional teams
Famous places
Historical
Transport
see also
Notes
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In modern Britain there is a class system, even if it bears the imprint of a feudal past. A small group of British families own inherited fortunes, educate their children in expensive schools and play important political roles. The monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is considered the head of state, and the House of Lords in Parliament consists of peers, half of whom are nobles. However, control of the government has passed to the House of Commons, the Prime Minister and other political figures who do not belong to noble families achieve this position on the basis of their achievements, winning elections, and not by right of birth.
Around one quarter of Britons are classified as “middle class”. Many have quite a decent income from work and business and investments in the form of stocks and bonds.
About half of the UK population is below the middle class in terms of their status; they consider themselves “working class”, having modest incomes from manual labor.
In recent decades, there has been a decline in industrial output, such as a decline in coal production and steel production, which has led to high levels of unemployment among workers. Some found themselves simply destitute, joining another quarter of Britons deprived of all social and economic benefits. People from the lower class (in other words, the poor) are concentrated in the northern and western regions of the UK, which have been hit by a severe economic crisis.
The modern British class system combines elements of caste society and meritocracy, as a result of which society is largely stratified, the status of people is unequal, at the same time, some of them move up or down the social ladder. As a consequence of the historical class system, one can regard the fact that social mobility is less characteristic of Great Britain than the United States. The greater system of inequality that exists in the UK is reflected, for example, in the importance given to the emphasis.
Characteristic speech patterns arise in any society when people are separated from each other by generations. Americans consider an accent as a sign indicating a person’s place of residence (few will confuse the nasal accent of people from the Midwest and the drawn-out pronunciation of southerners), for the British it is a feature of belonging to a certain social class, the difference between representatives of the elite who speak literary English from them. It is said that the two accents are so different that the British seem to be the only people divided by a common language.
Great Britain is one of the most important countries in the world. The centuries-old history, rich culture, traditions and much more attract people from all over the world not only for tourism, but also for studying or living.
The capital of Great Britain - London - according to statistics, is included in the list of the most expensive cities on the planet. It is in this cultural capital that all high-ranking political figures try to visit, acquire land and establish connections.
Greater London grew out of the ancient City of London, the center of which is marked by the London Stone. London City developed and grew very quickly during the reign of Queen Victoria. Today, the capital of Great Britain is one of the main centers where the largest businessmen conduct their business, as well as the place for numerous financial transactions. In addition, it is impossible to overestimate its global influence on all areas of political and cultural life in the world. Tourists love this city for its grandeur and unique atmosphere, which combines ancient traditions and the modern rhythm of life.
Tourism is one of the many developed areas in the UK. In fact, it is very difficult to see all the monuments of architecture and art: Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery, the British Museum, the Tower of London - this is just a small list of attractions, without visiting which not a single excursion is complete.
Interestingly, the capital of Great Britain has a different territory depending on its geographical or political definition. For geographic maps, London is the entire urban area, however, according to official figures, London consists of two cities: the City of Westminster and the City of London.
Coming to London, every tourist is sure that he cannot do without English. However, if you listen closely, London's youth and adults speak very different languages. This is not surprising, since many residents of the city come from former British colonies.
It's no secret that most parents who have sufficient financial resources try to send their children to study in the UK. Education received in the country is valued all over the world. Teaching in London and other parts of the country is carried out entirely in English, which ensures its mastery in “perfection”. English education is another area that sets the country apart from the world.
More recently, the capital of Great Britain was forced to receive a huge number of tourists who arrived to watch the magnificent wedding ceremony of the couple between Kate Middleton and Prince William. The ceremony took place at Westminster Cathedral. The newlyweds received congratulations from many guests, including Dmitry Medvedev, British Prime Minister David Cameron and many other celebrities from around the world.
Like most major cities in the world, people of different faiths and nationalities live together in London. The government supported the policy of state multiculturalism, however, British Prime Minister David Cameron, following Angela Merkel, opposed this doctrine. He proposed making certain demands on national groups and communities, without which they would not receive government support not only in financial matters, but they would also be prohibited from promoting their cultures in prisons and universities. This question remains open to this day.
In 2012, the youth of London, world celebrities, the adult generation and many tourists will be looking forward to the start of the Summer Olympics, which will be held in the British capital. The most famous athletes will gather to find out who is the best, who deserves the highest praise and awards. The emblem of the Olympic Games in London will be an image made up of four irregular polygons that display the numbers of the year 2012. Separate parts of the polygons will contain the Olympic rings and the name of the capital.
McEwan masterfully combines a laconic narrative style with an unpredictable ending. Its story centers on two friends, the editor of a popular newspaper and the composer composing the Millennium Symphony. True, practically nothing remained of their friendship, only hidden anger and resentment. It is worth reading to find out how the confrontation between old comrades ended.
In this collection we have included the writer’s most English novel, in which he tries to explain what good old England is. The events take place on the island-attraction of White, where all sorts of stereotypes about the country are collected: the monarchy, Robin Hood, The Beatles, beer... Indeed, why do tourists need modern England if there is a miniature copy that combines all the most interesting things?
A novel about the love of Victorian poets of the 19th century, which is intertwined with the history of modern scientists. A book for the intelligent reader who will enjoy the rich language, classic plots and numerous allusions to cultural and historical phenomena.
Coe composed jazz music for a long time, which was reflected in his literary work. “What a scam!” akin to improvisation, this is a bold and unexpected novel.
Michael, an average writer, gets the opportunity to tell the story of the rich and very influential Winshaw family. The problem is that these greedy relatives, who have taken over all spheres of public life, poison the lives of other people and do not inspire sympathy.
If you've seen Cloud Atlas, this incredible twisted story was created by David Mitchell. But today we recommend that you take up reading another, no less interesting novel.
"Dream No. 9" is often compared to the best works. A young boy, Eiji, comes to Tokyo in search of the father he has never met. In eight weeks in the metropolis, he managed to find love, fall into the clutches of the yakuza, make peace with his alcoholic mother, find friends... You have to figure out for yourself which of this happened in reality and which in a dream.
“Tennis Balls of Heaven” is a modern version of “The Count of Monte Cristo”, supplemented with new details and meanings. Although we know the plot, it is simply impossible to stop reading.
The main character is student Ned Muddstone, for whom everything in life is going better than ever. He is handsome, smart, rich, well-mannered, from a good family. But because of a stupid joke from envious comrades, his whole life changes dramatically. Ned finds himself locked in a mental hospital, where he lives with only one goal - to get out in order to take revenge.
The novel about the life of 30-year-old Bridget Jones is popular all over the world. Thanks in part to the Hollywood adaptation starring Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth. But mostly because of the eccentric and so charming Bridget. She counts calories, tries to quit smoking and drink less, experiences setbacks in her personal life, but is still optimistic about the future and believes in love.
There are books in which you forgive the simplicity of the plot, the banality of the scenes, and stupid coincidences simply because they have soulfulness. "Bridget Jones's Diary" is that rare case.
The story of the boy with the scar is a true cultural phenomenon. The first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was rejected by 12 publishers, and only the small Bloomsbury, at its own risk, decided to publish it. And it was right. "" was a resounding success, and Rowling herself received the love of readers around the world.
Against the backdrop of magic and enchantment, we are talking about familiar and important things - friendship, honesty, courage, readiness to help and resist evil. That's why Rowling's fictional world captivates readers of all ages.
"The Collector" is John Fowles' most frightening and at the same time exciting novel. The main character, Frederick Clegg, loves collecting butterflies, but at some point he decides to add a cute girl, Miranda, to his collection. We learn this story from the words of the kidnapper and from the diary of his victim.
