Interesting things about Great Britain for schoolchildren. Interesting facts about Great Britain. Interesting information about the sights of Great Britain. The Queen of Great Britain has no real power

Great Britain is one of the most powerful countries in the world. Many people strive to visit the Kingdom to see the life and everyday life of the inhabitants and see the sights. Interesting information and facts will help you create a short overview about the UK.

Interesting facts about Great Britain allow you to get better acquainted with the culture and traditions of this country:

Features of the population and mentality

The population of Great Britain is multinational. Residents have their own British mentality, which is not always clear to other people, but for the British this is all par for the course.

The people of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are very proud of their origins and roots. And if they are called British or English, it is a great insult to them.
England has the highest rate of obesity among its population in Europe. This happened due to the rapid proliferation of a large number of snack bars throughout the country and sweet vending machines in establishments. The Kingdom has begun to combat this disease by introducing a tax on foods containing a lot of sugar.
The British do not like intrusion into their personal space. They allow hugs and kisses only to those closest to them. They exchange greetings with strangers or unfamiliar people and sometimes shake hands.
Very often on the street you can meet a Briton who wears warm clothes in the warm season. Conversely, in winter, residents can easily wear a T-shirt and shorts.
Residents of Great Britain go to the pub very often. There they can not only sit with a mug of ale, but also enjoy the atmosphere of the establishment and communication with friends. Their pubs are small, but there are always a lot of people in them.

Geography

Great Britain is located in the British Isles. It includes 4 countries that are united into one Kingdom: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Great Britain is washed by 4 seas (Northern and Irish, Celtic and Hebridean) and the Atlantic Ocean.
The climate of the Kingdom is greatly influenced by the warm Gulf Stream.
The highest mountains in Great Britain are in Scotland.
The Greenwich Observatory is located in London, which is the location of the prime meridian and the starting point of time zones.
On land, Great Britain borders only with Ireland; all other borders are along the seas and straits.

Culture

Interesting facts about Great Britain can be found on the Internet. The culture of the country has been influenced by many peoples.

Story

Great Britain with its history is rich in interesting facts that allow you to delve deeper into the essence of the country and learn about historical events:

Little known facts

The UK has some features that distinguish it from other countries:

The Second World War

The British Armed Forces participated in the war from its beginning until the very end. The Second World War was a decisive factor in the collapse of the empire.

Facts about the royal family

The royal family in Great Britain has its own characteristics. They must follow certain rules and behave with dignity in society.

The Queen does not have a passport, but this does not prevent her from traveling without a document. She visits other countries as a diplomatic mission.
The Queen owns lands not only of Great Britain, but also of other states that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. This is approximately 1/6 of the entire territory.
Queen Elizabeth celebrates 2 birthdays. She was born in April, but ceremonial events usually take place in June.
In the royal dynasty, parents are prohibited from traveling with their children. This was created so that in the event of a disaster the Kingdom would have heirs.
Representatives of the royal family are prohibited from signing autographs or taking selfies.

Unusual interesting facts

Interesting facts about Great Britain create the first impression of the country and help you learn all the nuances and features.

Funny UK laws

In Great Britain, as in many other countries, many laws have been invented. They are rarely changed and even more rarely cancelled. Many of the laws are really good, but others are simply ridiculous.

A list of some funny laws that still exist in the UK:

Interesting facts describing culture, history and attractions provide more comprehensive information about Great Britain. This allows tourists to create an individual travel itinerary and fully enjoy their holiday in this wonderful country.

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Interesting facts about England:

Read about things you'll never find in country guides

Did you know that punk rock originated in Great Britain and Vivienne Westwood is considered its queen? What is the shortest flight between the Scottish islands? Editorial tochka.net For all travelers, I have prepared a selection of interesting facts about the country of Foggy Albion.

In the UK it's the other way around, or rather car traffic. It was in this country that driving on the left was born.
Edinburgh became the first city in the world to have its own fire service.
In 2008, the emblem of the city of Liverpool was "Superlambananas" - strange yellow creatures with the head of either a llama or a cow and a tail in the shape of a giant banana. These weirdos stared from shop windows and posters, amusing passers-by with their appearance.

"Foggy Albion", the name of the British Isles, known many years ago. England received it thanks to the snow-white chalk cliffs and cliffs of Dover, located on the south coast.
Scotland boasts the shortest flight route in the world. It lasts 1 minute 14 seconds from Westray Island to Papa Westray Island.
On any stamp, the name of the country that issued it is indicated in Latin letters. Only Great Britain is exempt from this obligation, because it was the first to use stamps.
The official holiday "Birthday of the British Monarch" does not coincide with the actual date of birth of the Queen of Great Britain? Elizabeth II was born on April 21, but her birthday is officially celebrated on the third Saturday in June.

UK restaurants usually require diners to pay in cash.
In Scotland, a man who refused to marry a woman who proposed to him was required to pay a fine.
A distinctive feature of the British underground is that not only the lines on the diagrams, but also the carriages of different lines are painted in the corresponding colors.
The motto on the coat of arms of Great Britain is written in French: "Dieu et mon droit" ("God and my right").
The raincoat was invented in 1824 in Scotland by chemist, architect, artist and designer Charles Macintosh, a native of Glasgow. In the UK this item of clothing is still called a "Mac".

The English and Irish parliaments to this day print the acts they pass on vellum - calfskin paper.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, anyone who uncorked ocean bottles containing letters from the queen was executed. After all, in those days there was a position of the royal uncorker of ocean bottles with letters.
Edinburgh was home to Gray Friar's Bobby, a Skye terrier who captured the hearts of the nation by sitting on his late owner's grave for 14 years.
The House of Commons is the only place in Britain where the Queen of England cannot enter because she is not a member of the House.
London is home to the longest shopping street in the world - Oxford Street.
Currently, the three most common topics of conversation in the UK are sport, the X Factor and the weather.

In England, police officers are called bobbies. The word comes from the name of the Prime Minister of Great Britain - Robert Peel (short for Robert - Bob or Bobby).
The UK does not have a single constitutional document.
The most tattooed man in the world, Lucky Diamond Rich, lives on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. 99.9% of the surface of his skin is covered with a tattoo that follows the pattern of a leopard's skin.
The world's first programmer was an Englishwoman, Ada Lovelace.
In the UK there is a profession called queuing.
In the UK there is a very strict law that says it is illegal to hang a bed out of a window.
One of the most famous Scottish drinks, whiskey, was actually invented in China.

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Learning English will be much more interesting if you get to know the countries inhabited by native speakers. In our article today we will tell you some interesting facts about Great Britain - Great Britain.

Some interesting facts about Great Britain

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Britain is located in a northwest direction from the European Continent (Continental Europe). This is a big island, which is surrounded by about a thousand small islands, and it is located just 35 kilometers from France. The official name of Great Britain (official name) is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, i.e. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In turn, Great Britain is divided into England (England), Scotland (Scotland) and Wales (Wales). It is the largest island of the European Continent and the ninth in the world.

The UK is associated with Darwin, Shakespeare, Newton and the Beatles, as well as the world's largest foreign exchange market, inventor of the hovercraft, author of Harry Potter (JK Rowling) and the world's richest football club - Manchester United.

The Tyne, the Thames, the Severn and the Humber are the country's most significant rivers

Christianity is the main religion followed by almost all citizens, the currency is pound sterling, and the official language is, of course, English.

Ben Navis is the highest point of the islands in Scotland, while the Fenlands is the lowest. Interestingly, with a population of 60 million people, the UK is only the third most populous island in the world.

The word British refers to each person inhabiting the country, however, they are also divided into Welsh, Scots and English in their regions.

Did you know that the official British flag is called the Union Jack, and that Britain is the only country in the world that does not include its name on postage stamps?

Surprisingly, there are more chickens in England than people! And of all the mammals living throughout the country, 40% are rodents: squirrels, mice, voles, rats and beavers. Deer (deer) is the largest animal in Great Britain.

The British love bacon and can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As for national cuisine, most of those who are familiar with it will unanimously confirm that it is tasteless, bland and primitive. But the British are obsessed with tea, from which they create a cult, ritual and are sure that it is a panacea for all ills.

All schoolchildren are required to wear a school uniform, but it may vary depending on the school. The word “Students” is used to refer not only to students, but also to all schoolchildren, so the word “pupil” is hopelessly outdated. As for the word "school", it does not necessarily refer to school, because... Universities can also be called that way, for example law school (legal) or medical school (medical). Free public schools are state schools, and all Public schools are paid, because They are private, but it is rare that a child will want to study there of his own free will - this is a tough institution. Did you know that if an English student plays truant, his parents will face criminal charges? This law was probably adopted after corporal punishment of schoolchildren was finally ended in 1999.

Although everyone has heard about English rain, the real event is snow, which is a novelty in England, but as soon as even a centimeter of snow falls, life in the country is suspended, especially for road and air transport, and the British pull out air mattresses, to ride them down the slide and make little snowmen.

The British simply adore cats and dogs, and it is almost impossible to find stray animals on the streets, which cannot be said about the foxes that live in all English parks and frighten passers-by at night. The cry of foxes, which can even crawl into the house, will seem especially creepy. By the way, one of the ancient traditions - fox hunting - is still observed in Britain. One of the most delightful sights is swans swimming in the Thames, and legally they all belong to the Queen.

In the UK, many things may seem strange, such as nameplates nailed to park benches in memory of a friend, husband or relative who has already passed away. There are also ironic ones, for example, “ memorial to the unknown husband – much imagined, much desired, never found” which translates as “in memory of the husband I dreamed of, thought about, but never found.”

Of course, this is only a small part of the interesting facts about Britain and the British, so more will definitely follow.

Dostoevsky noted such a feature of Russians as the talent to perceive the culture of other countries and peoples as their own. That is, not just an interest in the topic, but the ability to dive deeply into it. As for England, its influence on world culture is difficult to overestimate. And for Russians, the heroes of Dickens, Poe and Conan Doyle are as dear as the characters of Dostoevsky, Chekhov and Goncharov. Today we will talk about interesting facts from the history and everyday life of England.

From the outskirts to the empire

From the 16th to the 20th centuries, Britain was the largest colonial empire, without exaggeration, the center of the world. Peter I went there to study shipcraft, English tea was drunk in all aristocratic circles, no matter in which country. English has long been considered an international language, and almost every country has its own film adaptation of Sherlock Holmes (and the Soviet version with Livanov is considered one of the best, even the British themselves admit this!).

But it was not always so. At the beginning of the first millennium, Britain was the outskirts of the Roman Empire. As for English, for some time French was considered official! More precisely, it lasted from 1066 to 1362. The monarch's motto, engraved on his Coat of Arms, is written in French. It sounds like this: “Dieu et mon droit,” which translates as “God and my right.” It is clear that we are talking about God-given power.

Christmas

One more fact. Christmas is traditionally one of the favorite holidays of the British. But there was a period when it was banned. This is the middle of the 17th century, when England was under the rule of Cromwell's protectorate.
Not very pleasant, but interesting fact. When it comes to genocide, we immediately remember the Holocaust and the Turkish massacre of the Armenians, and also the systematic extermination of the indigenous population of the New World by the Americans. But the history of England also had its bloody periods. For several centuries, genocide of the Irish population was carried out in Britain.

Let us mention Cromwell once again and in connection with this. When the Lord Protector's troops entered Ireland in 1649, he ordered the complete destruction of not only the Irish garrison, but also the Catholic priests. Another major incident occurred in Wexford, but there the army already dispensed with orders, having independently shown such an inhuman initiative.

Captured Irish were turned into slaves and treated no better than the Americans treated black slaves. For some time, England simply led in terms of indicators in the world slave trade. Not only the Irish, but also the Scots were white slaves. An estimated thirteen million African slaves were also brought to England.

Unique fact: We know John Locke as a humanist and the author of the civil society project. So, he himself took part in the slave trade, and also used his talent as a statesman in the field of drawing up the constitution of the slave-holding southern states of America. Not only the above-mentioned peoples had a hard time. In the 19th century, the Chinese also suffered when China was a semi-colony of England. English businessmen naturally got the Chinese hooked on opium.

Just as the Spaniards, Portuguese and themselves exchanged gold for trinkets from the Indians, savvy merchants received gold, silver and fur from the Chinese for opium. The Chinese began to resist this, which resulted in an armed confrontation. This period was called the “Opium Wars.”
The shortest war of the British was the war with Zanzibar, which lasted only thirty-eight minutes. Naturally, England won.

The story is too bloodthirsty. Let's say one more fact and that's it. By the way, he is not so gloomy, rather the opposite.

Skinheads

The skinhead subculture is associated in the mass consciousness exclusively with its negative aspects: beating of national minorities, aggression, militarism, nationalism and intolerance in general. But initially it was a musical get-together, brewing in its own cauldron and not disturbing others. They appeared, naturally, in England. Initially they were called “HardMod’s” (derived from “mods” - another English subculture, roughly speaking - mods).

English skin's really resembled mods in their external style, and also had similarities with the Jamaican subculture of rudboys. Social composition - people from poorer sections of the population (by the way, in England there is a particularly acute class differentiation, the concept of self-made man is not popular there USA). Skinheads listened to reggae music, as well as ska, and relaxed in their clubs. It was initially a completely de-ideologized and apolitical subculture. Moreover, among the London skins there were also black guys.

That is, there was no racism in the first place. But this was the so-called “first wave”. But the second one made aggression its attribute. This aggression was born out of hostility towards the Pakistanis, although it was initially more class-based, since they did not like the skins of the Pakistanis who were engaged in trade. From there it started to “come in large numbers”, and then it became overgrown with ideological aspects. By the way, the characters in A Clockwork Orange are based on skinheads.

The most interesting facts about England

Charlie, Charlie, funny weirdo

Everyone knows the great Charlie Chaplin, perhaps the most famous actor. But did you know that he comes from England. He was born in London, in a poor part of it, simply in the slums. Since childhood, Charlie has had a strong desire to escape hopeless poverty. His mother was an actress, not a very successful one, however. The boy was accustomed to the artistic life from childhood. He started with music halls and the stage of amateur theaters. Real fame came to him in America when he decided to try his hand at cinema.

Soon the image of the “little man” became internationally recognizable in all corners of the world: little Eskimos, Turks, Germans, Russians, Indians giggled joyfully, watching the antics of the funny little man with a cane and a mustache. Hitler considered Chaplin his enemy number one, since he ridiculed him in his “The Great Dictator” and essentially predicted the beginning of World War II, as well as the collapse of the Fuhrer’s inhumane ideas. Chaplin, just like the English language, became the property of the world, although he originally came from England.

Food and drink

Interesting fact: the British don't castrate pigs, so the signature steak and bacon they like to start the day with has a specific smell (you know). And in general, in the morning hours, this same grunty stench hangs over the streets, because restaurants prepare their own specialties. The national cuisine of England is quite poor; Indian restaurants are more popular there. By the way, contrary to the stereotype, the British do not have oatmeal for breakfast (Oatmeal, sir!) or soft-boiled eggs, but fatty foods.

The smell of bacon...

The steak, which is already quite fatty, is fried in a large amount of oil. The obesity rate in the country is colossal; England leads the world in this indicator. Personally, we did not know about this fact before and the British for the most part seemed to us so fit and elegant, well, like your Sherlock Holmes!
If we're already talking about the kitchen, then the tea stereotype hits the bull's eye. The British love to drink tea; they cannot imagine life without it.

In terms of tea consumption, they are ahead of the rest. Usually this product is bought in small showroom shops, since in ordinary supermarkets they mainly sell packaged consumer goods. It must be said that the tradition of tea gourmetism is slowly taking root in Russia, which is good news!
By the way, about other drinks. In England, they are madly fond of beer and prefer to drink it in pubs. On a Friday evening they are simply crowded. And those unfortunate people who couldn’t find a free seat order beer and drink it on the street, even if it’s cold there.

Facts about schools in England

Criminal penalties for not attending school... for parents

This social institution is traditionally taken seriously. Parents may even be held criminally liable for their offspring’s failure to attend classes. True, apparently, you need to skip a fair amount. Schoolchildren are required to wear a school uniform. Moreover, it can be used to judge the status of the educational institution. In schools that are simpler, there is a standardized uniform and it is the same everywhere. The uniform of each elite school is unique. In this regard, it is interesting to recall Lindsay Anderson’s film “If”. Malcolm McDowell's hero is a student at one of the boarding schools. The rules there are strict, any disobedience is punished.

The scene of the flogging of the main character is indicative. And Peter Weir's film Dead Poets Society also talks about an educational institution with conservative teachers. In general, this topic is very popular in English cinema. It is known that school is a model of social life, only more exaggerated. The England of the Thatcher era was fully embodied in English schools. By the way, corporal punishment in schools was abolished quite recently. In public schools - in 1987, and in private schools - in 1999. As for Scotland, they did it even later.

Not a pupil, but a student!

A private school in England is called a Public school, and a public school is called a State school. In our country, only students of universities (and, possibly, technical schools) are called students. And in England, students are also schoolchildren.

We were taught in secondary school that a student is “pupil”, but the English themselves do not use this word. And the word school is not only “school”, it could well be a university. However, our universities are also sometimes called “higher schools.”

Everything is strict at school, but graduates have the right to complete anarchy on graduation day. On this day, beer and other alcoholic drinks flow like a river, and drunken boys and girls are a normal decoration of any lawn. The police are keeping an eye on them, but not with the goal of putting them in jail, but so that nothing happens to them, and then they will take them home. We don’t know the exact fact about this, but in general this is what eyewitnesses say.

These are the interesting facts we told you today. And our conclusion is simple. Differences in cultures and national characteristics make peoples interesting to others. And at the same time, the inhabitants of England have more in common with Russians than might seem at first glance.

It is difficult to meet a person who has not heard anything about England. Especially now, when there is so much news around the English political situation. But let's put politics aside! Below we present to you 10 facts about England that you might not know.

1 Foggy Albion

How many times have you heard the phrase “Foggy Albion”? We're sure there are a lot. But in reality it is not so foggy. Yes, you can find fog on the islands, but it’s as if it never happened in your city. The climate of England is much milder than in other countries. It is precisely because it is surrounded by water that the temperature does not change as much as on the continent. In summer, the average temperature will not exceed 30 degrees, and it will be difficult to reach this mark (average temperature 26-27 C). And thanks to the rains in the first half of summer, you will not die from the heat.

As for winter, those who like snowy and frosty weather are better off moving closer to the poles. And all because the temperature is unlikely to drop below zero. If here -18 is a normal temperature in winter, then in England this means terrible frost. The average temperature in winter is usually 2-3 degrees Celsius, and snow can only fall around Christmas, and then only a little.

In general, if you decide to move to England, then you don’t have to take thick fur coats with you, but it’s better to stock up on jackets and jeans, because it doesn’t get too hot here either.

Although you can take T-shirts and tank tops with you if you don’t want to stand out from the crowd. The British wear summer clothes until frost sets in. Severe people, you can't say anything.

2 5 o'clock

Are you familiar with the stereotype that the British always drink tea every day at five o’clock in the evening? Now, this is not entirely true. Yes, the British are madly fond of tea, but they often drink tea after every meal. And yes, they will definitely invite you to have a cup of tea with them, and it will not be very polite on your part to refuse.

As for the tea itself, contrary to popular belief, there is little tasty tea in England. To drink a really good cup of tea, you need to look for a specialized store, because the tea in supermarkets is mostly quite mediocre. And also, contrary to the stereotype, the British do not like tea with milk, and do not drink liters of it. And in general, the question “Should you add milk to your tea?” you will be asked last.

3 Winter in England

By the way, due to the climate (see point 1), lakes and rivers in England do not freeze in winter, so there are many photographs of winter landscapes that look a little unusual, but no less beautiful. And due to the fact that there is little snow, a unique, but no less fabulous atmosphere is created, which all photographers will surely fall in love with.

Well, since we’re talking about snow, 10-15 cm of snow already means that you can safely stay at home. There will be no traffic, you will be told to stay at home, and the city will patiently wait for the snow to melt, because there are no snowplows here and there won’t be any. Just like that.

4 England is a paradise for animals

Queen Elizabeth with her dogs

The British are big animal lovers. You won’t see stray cats or dogs on the streets, and if you do, they will be well-fed, healthy and clean, they are probably regularly looked after by the employees of some cafe where the animal lives, so technically they are not homeless. By the way, back in 1824 the “Society for the Protection of Animals from Cruelty” was created, and it has royal status. So cats and dogs have lived in safety for almost 200 years. By the way, the Society for the Protection of Children in England was created in 1884. Therefore, children in England live in safety. The British have set their priorities.

5 Foxes on the streets of London

Royal fox hunt in England

These animals can be found even in cities. Although they usually live in parks, they go out at night and scare passing cyclists by throwing themselves under their wheels. This is probably how the foxes take revenge on the British for still organizing fox hunts. In the previous paragraph, we said that the people of England are very fond of animals. Well, they love traditions more.

6 Censorship in England

Whatever the case, censorship on English television is all right. She simply doesn't exist. Yes, in the English language obscene expressions have already become the norm and do not cause such violent indignation as among Russian speakers, but if we hear obscene expressions on television - something out of the ordinary, in England they will treat it normally. “The F Word,” as they put it, can be said quite calmly by announcers, especially if a person is being quoted.

7 Polite Englishmen

The stereotypical Englishman is polite, correct and meek. Actually, this has some similarities with reality. The English are really very polite and will apologize, ask for forgiveness or say "please" to everyone at all times. For example, if you pushed a person on the street, or stepped on someone’s foot in transport, they will immediately tell you “Oh, sorry” and in no case will they cause a scandal or look askance. However, don’t be fooled, because it’s not about you. In modern England, “thank you, forgive me, please” are just interjections. They will even apologize to the bedside table if they get caught.

8 A little about languages in England

Unlike Americans, the British are very ashamed of the fact that everyone knows their native language, and they usually only speak English. So, when communicating with a native Englishman, you will probably hear that you speak English very well. But you shouldn't be so proud of yourself. Even if you only say “London is the capital of Great Britain” with a very strong Russian accent, you will still be praised and told that you speak perfect English.

9 Red telephone booth

The same symbol of London as the double-decker bus. However, not everyone knows that before becoming what we know, the booth went through many deformations. Here, for example, is its first version (left) and latest (right):

And here is the same booth from the inside.
Now you have definitely seen everything.

10 “Boxes” in which the British live

This is probably what one could call apartments, pubs (which the British love very much), shops, restaurants, etc. In England everything is so cramped, narrow and tiny that you're about to step on someone's foot, so it's understandable why they apologize so much. If you don’t like being in a crowd or constantly touching some people, then we do not advise you to go to England, because this cannot be avoided there. However, this somehow brings the British together. Strangers can sit next to you if there is an empty seat at your table, and this will not be considered rude. They won't even be interested in you, they just want to sit around.

Speaking of pubs! The British really love them madly, which is why it is in pubs that every evening you can find a huge number of Englishmen relaxing after a hard day with friends.

This is what England is like! We hope you enjoyed this little “trip”.