The United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Northern Ireland (the UK) is the official name of the British Kingdom. It occupies most of the territory of the British Isles and consist of four countries. They are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
London is the capital of Great Britain. It's main political, economic and cultural centre. Many tourist go to London to see all famous signs and plunge into the atmosphere of this beautiful city.
The largest cities of Great Britain are London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast.
The population of United Kingdom is over 57 million people. English is the official language. But some people speak Gaelic and Welsh.
The popular belief that it rains all the time in Britain is simply not true. The amount of rain that falls on a town in Britain depends on where it is. Generally speaking, the further west you go, the more rain you get. Usually the temperature is between 5 below zero and 23 above zero. It seldom snows heavily in winter, frost is rare. January and February are usually the coldest months; July and August are the warmest ones. Sometimes the wind brings whirlwinds or hurricanes. Droughts are rare.
The flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union Jack. It is made up of three crosses:the cross of St. George (the patron saint of England), the cross of St. Andrew (the patron saint of Scotland) and the cross of St. Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland).