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TEST - vypracované otázky na test o GB (climate, politics - conservative party, differences in naming, geopgraphy, roman britain) (climate,_conservative_party,_differences_in_naming,_geography,_roman_britain.doc)

CLIMATE-The climate of all of the United Kingdom is classified is a mid-latitude oceanic climate with warm summers, cool winters and plentiful precipitation throughout the year. The principle factors of influence on the climate include the UK's northerly, its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and, especially, the warming of the waters around the British Isles by the Gulf Stream. The weather can be notoriously changeable from one day to the next but temperature variations throughout the year are relatively small. England has a mild climate, rarely experiencing extremes of cold or heat. The temperatures are usually between -5 to 25°C. This is partially due to the North Atlantic drift making the seas surroundings England relatively warm. Rainfall levels vary widely throughout England. The Lake District is the wettest part of the country with average annual totals exceeding 2000 mm similar to the Western Highlands of Scotland. The Pennines and moors of S-W England are nearly as wet Precipitation hardly varies during the year averaging annually in total about 760 mm. S-E England is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean to the West and so is one of the driest parts of the country. In Scotland extreme seasonal variation are rare and temperate winters and cool summers are the outstanding climatic features. The temperatures are usually between -3,1 to 15°C. In the Western coastal region conditions are milder than in the East because of the Gulf Stream. Annual precipitation is 1117 mm. The climate of Wales is also mostly moist and mild. The average daytime temperature in January is 5,6°C and in July it is 15,6°C. Average annual rainfall for Wales is 1066 mm.The climate of Northern Ireland is mild and damp throughout the year. The prevailing Westerly winds from the Gulf Stream are largely responsible for the lack of extreme summer heat and winter cold. The average annual temperature is approximately 10°C. The annual precipitation frequently exceeds 1016 mm in the North and is about 460 mm in the south.

HISTORY - The origins of the CP (official the Conservative and Unionist Party) can be traced back to the royalist “Tory Party”, an English political fraction which emerged in the latte 17th century. The “Tories" supported the Duke of York (later King James VII & II) during the exclusion crises of 1671-1681. The Tories more often than not formed the government from the accession of King George III in 1760 until the Great Reform Act of 1832. The Tory Party defended the interests of conservatives - merchant class, official administerial groups, country gentry. They believed in traditional values and practices. They opposed the Whighs – a reforming political party which represented the aristocracy and the moneyed middle class.  (the Liberal Party evolved form the Whigs during the 1830s). At the beginning of the 19th century, the Tory Party collapsed and the Conservative Party emerged to replace it during the early 1830s. George Canning first used the term 'Conservative' in the 1820s and was later officially adopted by Sir Robert Peel. Today the CP is sometimes called the Tory Party, supporters and members are sometimes called Tories, although the proper name is Conservatives. During the 20.century the CP spent more years in power than in opposition. Its longest serving Prime minister during that time was MT(1979-90). She resigned while in office and was replace by John Major without a general election being held. W.Hague took over the leadership following the crushing defeat of his predecessor in the 1997 general election. In the same way I.D.Smith became leader of the Conservative Party in 2001. Than it was Michael Howard in 2003 and from 2005 D.W. Cameron.

POLITICS-The CP is the main right-wing (right-of-centre) political party of the United Kingdom. The CP advocates a mixed economy which some industries and businesses are privately owned and other are state owned or nationalised. During the 1980s the Conservative Government, led by the Prime Minister M. Thatcher privatised many nationalised industries (British Airways, B.Gas, B.Steel, B.Telecom). Opponents to privatisation accused the conservatives of selling off the country’s assets. The CP also encourages free enterprise with little or no state control and it is also in favour of property ownership. Another one of the main Conservative policies is the low personal taxation. The CP has also been traditionally associated with policies of law and order. Other key Conservative policies include reform of education, welfare and the National Honor Society with a view to minimalising state regulation. They are also noted for their broadly Eurosceptic stance

DIFFERENCES-The official name is “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” and it is usually shortened to Britain or the UK. For convenience, the term “the United Kingdom” is more usually used. The terms “Great Britain” of “Britain” are sometimes used erroneously to refer to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

        The British Isles is the name for a collection of about 4000 islands, including Great Britain and Ireland. The name the British Isles is usually only seen on maps.

        Great Britain is the name for the largest of the islands. It includes England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. The abbreviation for Great Britain is “GB”.

        The United Kingdom is a political term, which includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All of these countries are represented in Parliament in London and the abbreviation “UK” is used on most official documents produced by Parliament.

        Everybody from the UK is British, but only people from England are English (Wales-Welsh, Scotland-Scottish, NI-either British or Irish)

GEOGRAPHY-        The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state th situated in North-West Europe separated from the mainland Europe by the North Sea (N, E) and the English Channel (S-E). Its territory and population are primarily situated on the island of Great Britain and in Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland, with additional settlements on numerous smaller islands in the surrounding seas. The United Kingdom is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean (W), and its ancillary bodies of water, including the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea, and the Irish Sea. The mainland is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel and Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland.

         The total surface area of the United Kingdom is cca. 245000 km2. The highest point is the peak of Ben Nevis in the Grampian Mountains in Western Europe, the lowest point is the Fens in the East of England. The main rivers are the Thames, Sever, Humber, Avon, Exe and Mersey.

ROMAN BRITAIN-In 55 B.C. a Roman army of about 10000 men crossed the channel and invaded Britain. But the Celts attacked the Romans and so the first Roman invasion of the British Isles did not lead to any significant or permanent occupation. In the next year Caesar again came to Britain. The Romans who were much better trained and had better arms defeated the Celts in several battles. Some of the chiefs submitted and promised to pay tribute to Rome. Caesar then went back to Gaul. Although Julius Caesar came to Britain twice, he was not able to conquer it. In 43 A.D. an expedition was ordered against Britain by the Emperor Claudius.  Roman army of about 40 000 men invaded Britain and conquered the South-East, other parts were taken during the next 40 years. Britain became a Roman colony called Britannia. But the Romans were unable to conquer the Scottish Highlands and the province of Britain consisted only of the southern part of the island. The Roman invasion was not completely peaceful. In AD 60 the Iceni, a tribe led by Queen Boudicca, destroyed thee cities, including London. The Romans stopped the rebellion brutally and Boudicca killed herself. The tribes of Scotland never completely surrendered to the Romans. As a result in 122 A.D., Emperor Hadrian built a long wall in the North to defend the border between England and Scotland. From one end to the other forts were built a mile apart. Hadrian’s Wall was overrun several times by Scottish tribes and was finally abandoned in 383 A.D. The Romans remained in Britain for about 4 centuries. During that time Britain was a Roman province governed by Roman governor.In 407 A.D. the Roman Empire was collapsing and the Roman legions had left Britain to fight the barbarian tribes on the continent.

ROMAN INFLUENCE-As a result of the conquest signs of Roman civilization spread over Britain. Straight roads and bridges of stones were built for the Roman legions. Some of them exist till today. The Romans began to build towns. They set up their trade centre in London and built major cities in Bath, Chester, Lincoln, Gloucester and York. The cities contained beautiful buildings, squares, temples and public baths. The town Bath became famous for its hot springs. Splendid villas with mosaic floors and central heating were built. Every Roman town had a drainage system and a good supply of pure water. The Romans were great road-makers. One of the chief roads was Watling Street (Dover-London-Chester-Wales). The chief exports were corn, lead and tin. Fine pottery and metal ware were imported.