Автор статьи
Валерия
Эксперт по сдаче вступительных испытаний в ВУЗах
The name and symbols of Great Britain
Read and translate the text:
Great Britain: the name and symbols
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country situated on the British Isles, lying off the north — west coast of the continent of Europe. The British Isles are composed of about 4000 islands of different size. The largest of the British Isles is Great Britain which contains England, Wales and Scotland. The second largest island of the British Isles is Ireland. It is shared by two separate and independent states. The larger part of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland, an independent state with its capital in Dublin. Northern Ireland, which occupies north — eastern part of the island, remains a part of the United Kingdom with London as its Capital.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has acquired its official name since 1922. The United Kingdom is an entity of less than 300 years old — the state which emerged from the union of the ancient separate Kingdoms of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
The union of England with Wales dates from 1301 when Edward I’s son was announced Prince of Wales. But only in 1485, a Welsh Prince, Henry Tudor became King (Henry VII) of England. And it was his son Henry VIII who formally incorporated Wales in 1535.
The union of England and Scotland dates from 1603 when King of Scotland James VI inherited the crown of England after the death of childless Elizabeth I. He became King James I of England. Scotland and England joined in an Act of Union in 1702.
Ireland used to be Britain’s oldest colony, as its conquering started as early as the 12th century. In 1155 King Henry II of England was made King of all Ireland by the Pope of Rome. Irish legislature and parliament were abolished by the Act of Union in 1801. In the same year a new national flag «Union Jack» was established and the country’s official name became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Nowadays the UK is personified under the name of «Britannia», as a helmeted woman seated on a globe with one arm on a shield and grasping a spear with her free hand. 
The UK’s national flag is Union Jack.
Union Jack presents the combination of colours and crosses reflecting the peculiarities of the existing at that time national flags of England, Scotland and Ireland. The name, the colours and crosses symbolize the union of the united parts of the country. Union Jack comprises three crosses. The red upright cross on the white field is St. George Cross — the patron saint of England. The diagonal white cross on the blue field is St. Andrew’s Cross — the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross on the white field is St. Patrick’s Cross — the patron saint of Ireland.
The national anthem is the oldest in the world, established in 1745 and based on a song of the 17th century. The beginning of it runs as follows:
God save our gracious Queen,
God save our noble Queen,
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us.
God save the Queen!
Besides Union Jack there is Royal personal flag: 
National emblems are:
The red rose — of England:
The thistle — of Scotland: 
The leek and daffodil — of Wales: 
The shamrock — of Northern Ireland: 
О сайте
Ссылка на первоисточник:
http://www.ulspu.ru
Поделитесь в соцсетях: