Unit 1 a Brief Introduction of the UK

4. Invasion by Normans In 1066, England was invaded by the Normans under William of Normandy, from northern France, who were descendants of Vikings.
3. Invasion by Vikings From the late 8th century on, raiders from Scandinavia, the Vikings, threatened Britain shores. King Alfred, the Great turned the tide in the south against the Vikings.
Scotland
Area:78 772 km² (30 414 miles² ), roughly 30% of the area of the UK Climate: temperate and very changeable, but rarely extreme Geography Population Language
The imperial effects on today’s UK
Close relationships with the Commonwealth countries, which used to be a part of the British Empire
The make-up of the British population. Now the UK is a multiracial society.
A complicated country with a complicated name
The full name of the country: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Complication: English or British? England? Great Britain? UK? British Isles?
Symbols of England
What images are associated with England?
St George's Flag: Flag of England
Three Lions Emblem
Princess Diana, England's Rose
History of Invasions
Lead-in questions
What do you say “英国人”in English？
What is the full name of “英国” in English？ How many parts does the UK consist of ? What are they? What is the difference between England, Great Britain, UK, and British Isles?
Before the 1st century AD, Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people: a powerful culture originating in central Europe.
1. Invasion by Romans In 43 AD, Britain was invaded by the Roman Empire, and England and Wales became a part of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.
At the peak of its power, it was often said that "the sun never sets on the British Empire" because its span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous colonies or subject nations.
"the sun never sets on the British Empire"
During the five decades following World War II, most of the territories of the Empire became independent. Many went on to join the Commonwealth of Nations, a free association of independent states. Some have retained the British monarch as their head of state.
The next few hundreds years following Norman invasion can be seen as a process of joining together the various parts of the British isles under English rules. ቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱt the same time power was gradually transferred from the monarch to the parliament.
The Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as the Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, most of which are former British colonies, or dependencies of these colonies (the exceptions being the United Kingdom itself and Mozambique).
Regions of the UK England
Wales Scotland
Northern Ireland
England Great Britain
UK British Isles
The imperial past and its effects on today’s UK
Regions of the UK
England
Wales Scotland Northern Ireland
England
Capital (and largest city): London
Area: 130 423 sqkm Official languages: English Population 2008: above 50 million (UK: about 60 million )
The Battle of Hastings, defeated an English army under King Harold, marks the last time that an army from outside the British Isles succeeded in invading.
class structure in the UK
Britain is a society with a class-structure, divided by economics and cultural differences. It is more obvious than other societies. Hereditary aristocracy Upper-middle class Middle class Lower middle class Working class
The Roman Empire
2. Invasion by Anglo-Saxons As the Roman armies and Roman protection were withdrawn from Britain, and Britain was again divided into small kingdoms, and again it came under threat from Germanic peoples: the Angles, and the Saxon. The Anglo-Saxons succeeded in invading Britain, and either absorb the Celtic people, or pushed them to the western and northern edges of Britain.
population
The Highlands
The more rugged Highland region contains the majority of Scotland's mountainous terrain, including the highest peak, Ben Nevis, 1 344 m (4 409 ft) .
Geography
The geography of Scotland is highly varied, from rural lowlands to barren uplands, and from large cities to uninhabited islands. Scotland is divided into: the Highlands the central lowlands the Southern Uplands.