The United Kingdom (The UK) of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometers. The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and doesn't include Northern Ireland. But in practice the name "Great Britain" is used to mean the United Kingdom. The capital of the UK is London. The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and west of England are mountainous, but all the rest of east, centre and southeast are a vast plain. Mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain (l343m). There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one. The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round. The UK is one of the world's smallest countries. Its population is over 57 million. About 80% of the population are urban. The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world's largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is ship-building. The name Britain is very old, but history can explain where it comes from. The tribes of the first people who lived on the island were called Britons, so Britain was the land of the Britons. In the 15-th century some tribes from the northern part of the continent of Europe landed in Britain. They were the Angles, the Saxons and the Juts. Those were wild, fearless people. Several states were formed. One of them was East Anglia, which later became England. In 1066 the Normans conquered England. The Normans and the Anglo-Saxons formed the English people. The UK is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is a king or a queen. A constitutional monarch is one who can rule only with the support of the Parliament. The first monarch was William the Conqueror. In 1264 the firs parliament of nobles met together. Since then the British Parliament has been the main law-making body, and the British Constitution has grown up slowly as the result of countless Acts of Parliament. The British Constitution is an unwritten constitution. It is not contained in a single legal document, but every Act of Parliament is like a law. The Bill of Rights was the first step towards constitutional monarchy. This Bill prevented the monarch from making laws or having an army without Parliament's approval. Since 1689 the power of Parliament has grown, while the power of the monarch has become weaker. Nowadays, while the monarch is formally the head of the state, in practice the Sovereign reigns, but does not rule. The UK is governed by the Government - a body of Ministers who are the leading members of the political party in power and who are responsible to Parliament. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The national Flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union Jack ­"Union" for union of England and Scotland, "Jack" because the flag is flown on the jack staff of ships to show their nationality. It is made up of three crosses: St. George's cross of England, a red cross on a white field, St. Andrew's cross of Scotland, a diagonal white cross on a blue field, and St. Patrick's cross of Ireland, a diagonal red cross on a white field. The UK is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. England has always played the most powerful part in the history of the British Isles. 1066 is the most famous date in the English history. This is the date of the successful Norman invasion of England when the Norman leader, known in history as "William the Conqueror", became king of the country. England is the richest and most populated in the country. The north and the west of England are mountainous, but all the rest of the territory is a vast plain. The capital of England is London. The national symbol of England is a red rose. Wales is the smallest land in the United Kingdom. The Welsh fought for many years for their freedom. Henry VIII united England and Wales under one Parliament in 1536. Wales has considerable variety, from the picturesque mountains of the north to the mining and industrial areas of the south. The capital of Wales is Cardiff, an important industrial centre and port. Most people in Wales live in the coastal plains. The national symbol of Wales is a leek or a daffodil. Scotland was an independent kingdom for a long time. There were constant wars between England and Scotland, until in 1707 England and Scotland were joined and Parliaments of England, Scotland and Wales were united. Scotland is a land of mountains, wild moorlands, narrow valleys and plains, famous lakes and no end of large and small islands off the coast. One-third of the people in Scotland live in or near its capital, Edinburgh, and its great industrial center, Glasgow. The national symbol of Scotland a thistle. Ireland was united with Britain in 1801. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland lasted for 120 years, until 1922. In that year the Independent Republic of Ireland was formed. Northern Ireland continued to be part of the United Kingdom with its own local parliament in Belfast. The territory is small. It is a land of lakes, rivers and a varied sea coast. Some places are known for their wild beauty. The capital city is Belfast. The national symbol of Ireland a shamrock.