I. The British Isles and Great Britain
1.Full name
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2.Constituents
(1)The Island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales
(2)Northern Ireland
3. Introduction of Each Part
(1)England
England is the largest and most developed of all the three political divisions.
(2)Scotland
Scotland is the second largest both in area and population.
(3)Wales
Wales is the smallest of the three both in area and population.
(4)Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has a population of one and a half million. About one-third of them are Roman Catholics who are opposed to the unification of Northern Ireland with Great Britain.
4.Physiographic Features
Leaving Ireland on one side, the island of Great Britain can be roughly divided into two parts according to their physiographic features:
(1)The Highland Zone of the north and west
(2)The Lowland Zone of the south and southeast
5.Climate and Weather
Britain is well-known for its changeable weather. Britain has a maritime climate characterized by abundant rainfall.
6.Factors Influencing English Weather
(1)The shores of the British Isles, especially the western shores, are bathed by a warm drift of water, the North Atlantic Drift which is a continuation of the Gulf Stream.
(2)For certain periods in winter, the British Isles lie wholly within what has long been called the westerly wind belt. The south-westerly wind is the dominant wind in Britain. Since it comes from the Atlantic Ocean, it is always mild and moist.
(3)The configuration of Britain, particularly the existence of numerous inlets, makes the penetration inland of oceanic influences more effective than would otherwise be the case.
7.Inland Water
Britain has many rivers and lakes, though they are not very large. There is no lack of water in the rivers and lakes in Britain.
(1)The longest river in Britain is the Severn River.
(2)The second longest and most important river in Britain is the Thames River.
(3)In Scotland the most important river is the Clyde River, on which is situated a ship-building center——Glasgow.
8.The English Language
The development of English is usually divided into three major periods: Old English, Middle English, and Modern English.
II. People and the State
1.People
(1)Arrival and settlement of the Celts
(2)Basis of modern English race: the Anglo-Saxons
(3)The Viking and Danish invasions
(4)King Alfred and his contributions
(5)The Norman Conquest and its consequences
2.Party Politics
The two major political parties are the Conservatives and the Labor
3.Central Government
The English Central Government includes the Monarch (king or queen), Parliament, and the Cabinet. But technically, the Government refers to the Cabinet, which is headed by the Prime Minister.
(1)Parliament is the law-making body.
(2)The executive branch, or officially called Her Majesty’s Government, consists of the Cabinet and various departments.
4.Local Governments
The English government is a three-tiered government: central government, county government and district government. The central government enforces laws through local governments.
5.Law
Britain’s legal system is comprised of four elements: acts of Parliament, common law, equity law, and European Community legislation. They are all considered to have the binding force of a written constitution. Parliament can pass any law that is necessary and proper for the nation.
6.Reform of the Law Court
Britain passed a new Court Act in 1971. In the new system, the English law courts are divided into three tiers: magistrates’ courts, circuit courts, and high courts. They make up the British judicial branch.
7.Legal Profession
Britain’s legal profession is comprised of two elements: barristers and solicitors. They are generally called lawyers or counsels.
8.Police Force
Britain now has some 150,000 policemen and police women who are divided into 52 police forces: 43 police forces in England and Wales, 8 in Scotland and one (the Royal Ulster Constabulary) in Northern Ireland. Only the police in London are under the direct responsibility of the Home Secretary of the central government while the policemen outside London are all local forces, employed and paid by County Councils.
9.Religion
There are two established church in Britain: in England the church of England and Scotland the(Presbyterian) Church of Scotland.
10.Characteristics of the English People
In spite of their regional difference, the British people are well known for their national consciousness and patriotism. It is generally acknowledged that the English people are characterized by conservatism or reservation. Politically, many English people are supporters of the Conservative Party. In daily life the English people often refuse to make sudden changes. They tend to cling to what is traditional and familiar.
III. National Economy
1.General Survey
The current UK economy can be broken down into three main areas: “primary” industries, such as agriculture, fishing and mining; “secondary” industries, which manufacture complex goods from those primary products; and tertiary industries, often described as service, such as banking, insurance, tourism, and the selling of goods.
2.Company Law and Framework of Industry
Britain’s forms of industrial organizations and patterns of ownership are varied. Britain has a number of state-owned enterprises and large amount of private-owned companies.
3.Heavy and Light Industries
(1)Britain was once the largest coal producer in the world and coal played a very important role in the industrialization of Britain.
(2)Oil reserves in Britain belong to the state and most oil production is also under the control of the government.
(3)Britain’s largest manufacturing industry is the iron and steel industry.
(4)Britain has a large motor vehicle industry.
(5)Britain’s new industries include microprocessors and computers, biotechnology and other high-tech industries.
4.Textile Industries
Britain once had the world’s largest textile industry and possessed more than half of the total spindles of the whole world. They were for many years the mainstay of Britain’s prosperity and contributed to the accumulation of capital for capitalist development.
5.Agriculture
Britain’s agriculture is highly mechanized. The main agricultural products in Britain are wheat, barley, potatoes, sugar-beets and oats. Much of its barley crop is turned into whiskey.
6.Transportation and Communication
Britain has built a modern transportation system. Britain is known for its merchant marine and it has 300 seaports. Britain’s railroads are among the densest and most heavily used in the world.
7.British Disease and Thatcher’s Medicine
(1)British Disease
Britain’s declining productivity, soaring inflation, and high unemployment rate gave birth to the mocking term “British Disease”.
(2)Thatcher’s Medicine
Thatcher’s new program, known as a Thatcherism, advocated tight fiscal and monetary policies, curbs on trade unions, reduction of taxes, and privatization of state-owned enterprises.
8.Cities
(1)London
London is the capital of England and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the political centre of the Commonwealth*, and a major port.
(2)Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, the administrative centre of the region of Lothian.
(3)Liverpool
Liverpool is the second largest port of England
(4)Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital of Wales, a port and administrative headquarters of south and mid-Glamorgan.
(5)Manchester
A port in the northwest of England, is an industrial and commercial centre.
(6)Belfast
Belfast, whose industries are shipbuilding and linen, is an industrial seaport and the capital of Northern Ireland
| I．不列颠群岛及大不列颠
1．全称
大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国
2．组成部分
（1）大不列颠岛：英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士
（2）北爱尔兰
3．各部分简介
（1）英格兰
英格兰是三个中最大的和最发达的政治分区。
（2）苏格兰
苏格兰在面积和人口上是第二大区。
（3）威尔士
在面积和人口方面，威尔士是最小的一个区。
（4）北爱尔兰
北爱尔兰的人口有1.5百万。约三分之一的人是罗马天主教徒，他们反对北爱尔兰与英国的统一。
4．自然地理特征
爱尔兰不算在内的话，根据地理特征，大不列颠岛大致可以分为两部分，：
（1）北部和西部高原区
（2）南部和东南部平原区
5．气候和天气
英国的天气是出了名的多变。英国属于海洋性气候，显著的的特点是丰富的降雨。
6．影响英国的天气因素
（1）不列颠群岛的海岸，特别是西海岸受到墨西哥暖流的延续，北大西洋暖流的影响。
（2）在冬季一定时期，不列颠群岛一直都处在被称为西风带的区域内。西南风是英国最主要的风。因为它来自于大西洋，它始终都是温和湿润的。
（3）英国的地质构造，特别是众多的入口的存在，使得内陆海洋的影响比其他情况下更大。
7．内陆水域
英国有许多河流和湖泊，尽管他们不是很大。英国的河流和湖泊里永远都不会缺水。
（1）英国最长的河是塞文河。
（2）英国第二长的河流是泰晤士河。
（3）苏格兰最重要的河流是克莱德河上，其上有一个造船中心——格拉斯哥。
8．英语
英语的发展通常分为三大阶段：古英语，中古英语和现代英语。
II．人民和国家
1．人民
（1）凯尔特人的到来和定居
（2）现代英语的民族基础：盎格鲁-撒克逊人
（3）维京人和丹麦人的入侵
（4）艾尔弗雷德王和他的贡献
（5）诺尔曼征服及其后果
2．政党
两个主要政党是保守党和工党
3．中央政府
英国中央政府包括君主（国王或女王），议会和内阁。但严格说来讲，是指由首相领导政府内阁。
（1）议会是立法机构。
（2）行政部门，或正式称为女王陛下的政府，包括内阁和各部门。
4．地方政府
英国政府是一个三层次政府：中央政府，县政府和区政府。中央政府通过地方政府执行法律。
5．法律
英国的法律系统由四个部分组成：议会条例，普通法，衡平法，以及欧洲共同体立法。他们都有成文宪法的效力。国会可以通过对国家来说是必要的和适当的任何法律。
6．法院的改革
英国在1971年通过了新法院法。在新的系统中，英国法院分为三级：裁判法院，巡回法院和高等法院。他们构成了英国的司法部门。
7．法律职业
英国的法律职业是由两个要素：大律师和律师构成。他们通常被称为律师或法律顾问。
8．警察部队
英国现有大约150000名男警察和女警察，他们被分为52个警察部队：英格兰和威尔士43个，苏格兰8个，北爱尔兰1个。仅在伦敦，中央政府的内政大臣对警察负有直接责任，伦敦以外的警察都是地方部队，由县议会雇用和支付。
9．宗教
英国有两个国教：英格兰地区是英格兰教会，苏格兰地区是长老会。
10．英国人的特性
尽管存在区域差异，英国人的民族意识和爱国主义众所周知。人们普遍认为，英国人比较保守。在政治上，许多英国人都是保守党的支持者。日常生活中的英国人经常拒绝做出突然的变化。他们倾向于坚持传统的和熟悉的东西。
III．国家经济
1．总的调查情况
国民经济可以被分成三个主要的领域：第一产业，如农业，渔业和采矿业；第二产业，用第一产业的产品制造复杂产品；第三产业，经常说成服务业，如银行业，保险业，旅游业，以及商品零售。
2．公司法和产业结构
英国的工业组织和所有制模式形式是多种多样的。英国有很多国有企业和大量的民营企业。
3．重工业和轻工业
（1）英国曾经是世界上最大的煤炭生产国，煤炭在英国的工业化进程中起了非常重要的作用。
（2）英国石油储量属于国家，大多数石油生产也在政府的控制下。
（3）英国最大的制造业是钢铁工业。
（4）英国汽车行业很大。
（5）英国新的行业包括微处理器和计算机，生物技术和其他高新技术产业。
4．纺织行业
英国曾经有世界上最大的纺织业，拥有全世界的总锭的一半多。多年以来，他们一值是英国繁荣的支柱，为资本主义发展积累资金。
5．农业
英国农业高度机械化。在英国，主要农产品有小麦，大麦，土豆，甜菜和燕麦。大部分的大麦作物被用来制作威士忌。
6．交通和通讯
英国已建成一个现代化的交通运输系统。英国以其商船而闻名，拥有300个港口。英国的铁路是全世界最密集的和用得最多的。
7．英国病和撒切尔夫人的药
（1）英国病
英国的生产力下降，通货膨胀，高失业率导致了有嘲弄意义的“英国病”这个术语的出现。
（2）撒切尔的药
撒切尔夫人的新计划，称为撒切尔主义，主张严格的财政和货币政策，限制工会，降低税收，以及国有企业的民营化。
8．城市
（1）伦敦
伦敦是大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国的首都，英联邦的政治中心和主要的港口。
（2）爱丁堡
爱丁堡是苏格兰的首都，洛锡安地区的行政中心。
（3）利物浦
利物浦是英国第二大港口。
（4）加的夫
加的夫是威尔士的首府，格拉摩根南部和中部的港口和行政总部。
（5）曼彻斯特
英格兰西北部的一个港口，是一个工业和商业中心。
（6）贝尔法斯特
贝尔法斯特的产业是造船和亚麻，是一个工业港口和北爱尔兰的首都。
|
收藏
点赞!
反对!