1) Great Britain has the official name – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (or UK – for short).
2) It is situated on the British Isles.
3) England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are the parts of Great Britain.
4) The total territory is over 244 thousand square kilometers (the 75th place among other countries in the world). The population of the UK is over 57 mln.
5) The capital of Britain is London.
6) The surface of the United Kingdom varies greatly. The northern and the western parts of the country are mountainous and are called the Highlands. All the rest is a vast plain which is called the Lowlands. The mountains are not very high.
7) The country has many rivers. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one. There are many beautiful lakes in the mountainous part of the country.The best known of them is long narrow Loch Ness, legendary home of the famous monster.
8) The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of Great Britain. It is mild the whole year round. Winters are not cold and summers are not hot.
9) Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. The main industrial branches are aircraft and navigation equipment, electronics, machinery, chemicals and textile, automobile and ship-building.
10) It is known as one of the world's largest producers of iron and steel products, machinery and electronics, chemicals and textile.
11) Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The most famous educational establishments are Oxford and Cambridge universities.
12) The UK is a constitutional monarchy, headed by the Queen. But in practice it is ruled by the government with the Prime Minister at the head.
13) The name of the Queen of Great Britain is Elizabeth II.
14) It consists of 2 chambers: The House of Lords and the House of Commons.
15) The country has a multiparty system. There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labour party, the Conservative party arid the Liberal party.