Lesson Two Overview on UK

— United Kingdom, constitutional monarchy in northwestern Europe, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The name Britain is sometimes used to refer to the United Kingdom as a whole. The capital is London, which is among the world's leading commercial, financial, and cultural centers. Other major cities include Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester in England, Belfast and Londonderry in Northern Ireland, and Swansea and Cardiff in Wales.

— England is the largest and most populous division of the island of Great Britain, making up the south and east. Wales is on the west and Scotland is to the north. Northern Ireland is located in the northeast corner of Ireland, the second largest island in the British Isles.

— The island of Great Britain can be divided into two major natural regions—the highland zone and the lowland zone. The highland zone is an area of high hills and mountains in the north and west. The lowland zone in the south and east consists mostly of rolling plains.

— The Atlantic Ocean has a significant effect on Britain’s climate. Although the British Isles are as far north in latitude as Labrador in Canada, they have a mild climate throughout the year.

— This is due to the Gulf Stream, a current of warm water that flows up from the Caribbean past Britain. Prevailing southwesterly winds moving across this warmer water bring moisture and moderating temperatures to the British Isles. The surrounding waters moderate temperatures year-round, making the UK warmer in winter and cooler in summer than other areas at the same latitude

— Red, white, and blue flag is combined the Crosses of St. George(England), St. Andrew(Scotland), and St. Patrick (Ireland). Initially the flag was called a jack only when it was flown on the British naval vessels. It was commonly called the Union Jack by the late 17th century, and that name became official in the late 19th century. The Union Jack is flown on land for government and military purposes, and at sea it serves as a flag for the Royal Navy. The general public uses it unofficially as a civil flag.

— The Union Jack is the most important of all British flags and is flown by representatives of the United Kingdom all the world over. In certain authorized military, naval, royal, and other uses, the Union Jack may be incorporated into another flag. It is part of the flags of such Commonwealth nations as Australia, New Zealand, as well as of the U.S. state of Hawaii, the Australian states (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia , Victoria and Western Australia), and some Canadian provinces (British Columbia, and Manitoba).

— The full-faced shield shows England (three lying golden lions)quartered with Scotland(a standing red lion) and Ireland(a golden harp), used since the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The shield is encircled the motto of the order, “Evil to him who evil thinks”.

— The dexter supporter, a royally crowned gold lion guardant, and the sinister supporter, a silver unicorn with gold horn, represent England and Scotland, respectively. Atop the shield is the royal crown surmounted by a lion guardant. The motto “Dieu et mon droit” (“God and my right”), first used by Richard I, appears on the scroll below.

— The ground beneath the full achievement is strewn with the floral and plant badges of England (rose), Scotland (thistle), Ireland (shamrock), and Wales (leek).