"On the continent people have good food; in England people have good manners".
George Mikes (1912-1987) - Hungarin Writer
History:
5000 - 2000 BC: Stone Age settlers arrived because they
crossed the English Channel and introduced
farming.
55 BC: Julius Caesar tried to conquer Britain.
43 BC: Roman Emperor Claudius and 40,000 troops
invaded and Britannia became a Roman
province.
410: The Roman occupation was officially over.
668: The English church was founded.
866: Vikings, called "the Great Army" invaded
England.
1215: The Magna Charta was completed.
1337: A war with France began and it should last
100 years.
1534: King Henry VIII formed the new church of
England.
1600: The British Company in East India
established.
1837: Queen Victoria was crowned.
1858: India became a British Crown Colony.
1914: World War I began.
1919: World War I ends and the "Treaty of
Versailles" was signed.
1945: World War II ends.
1947: India gained its Independence from Britain.
Politics:
The UK is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch. A king or queen is the head of the state and this is Queen Elisabeth II at the moment, and a prime minister is the head of the government (James Cameron at the moment). In elections, the greater society is able to vote for Members of the Parliament to represent them. The monarchy plays still an important role but in politics it is more representative than executive nowadays.
Also, the UK has a unitary system of the government, which means a system where the power is centralized, although some powers have been transferred to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Culture and Religion:
The most important aspect, which is connected to the British culture, is the monarchy. Queen Elisabeth II is the head of the state and is well known almost everywhere in the world. Even if the Monarchy does not have its original power anymore, the Royal family is very popular and highly regarded in the UK.
Another important aspect that is connected to the British culture is the British sense of humor. Especially, the black humor is a British specialty. It can be used in several ways, to establish a positive atmosphere, to criticize and to introduce new and strange ideas.
Religion does not play a major role in the UK anymore. The British people are generally not very interested in the formal practice of religion, even sixty percent of adults do not believe in God. 36 Percent of the UK population identifies themselves with the official Church of England. Other religious persuasions do not play an important role in the UK because only 18 percent in total believe in other religions than in the Church of England.
Mass Media:
The most popular Newspapers in the UK are "The Sun" and the "Daily Mail with an enormous circulation over 3,274,000 and 2,353,000. Another big fish in the Media field of the UK is the TV station: BBC. It is the world's largest broadcaster and the most trusted media brand.
All over the world, the UK is known for its respect and tolerance of free speech that is a common law in Britain.
Sources:
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/unitedkingdom/uktimeln2.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/02436/en/empires/british/timeline.html
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121015000000/http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Centralgovernmentandthemonarchy/DG_073438
http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/United-Kingdom.html#b
http://www.harzing.com/ukculture.htm
http://www.royal.gov.uk/HMTheQueen/HMTheQueen.aspx
http://www.egok.co.uk/tv.html
http://www.medianewsline.com/bbc-worlds-largest-broadcaster-most-trusted-media-brand/
http://www.findlaw.co.uk/law/government/constitutional_law/fundamental_rights/500150.html
Pictures:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAg0-_UHStNs1zKXUc9rKtUl_FDBG7gT2sYi_VSdm-4tv8_alVbjL-0O8eEp2Vyxx0BRPReqxW99FCsxZHnw3a9htl-mg_8F2s5a_KM6ziwi8OMYZiQBIHeBWoEVFS6yEFILRBNGEPwbU/s1600/Big_Ben_1-27-2004%255B1%255D.jpg
http://forexnewsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/uk-map-flag1.jpg
http://www.ruhrnachrichten.de/storage/pic/mdhl/artikelbilder/lokales/rn/dolo/do-lokal/2836823_1_zzdo-Royal_dpa.jpg?version=1322153574
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