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Explore the United Kingdom's history, formation, key cities like London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff, and its symbolic coat of arms and national emblems. Discover fascinating insights!
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Spotlight on English-speaking countries Грекова Вероника Александровна, кандидат психологических наук, доцент кафедры «Мировые языки и культуры» ДГТУ, методист (иностранные языки) МАУ города Ростова-на-Дону «Информационно-методический центр образования»
English-speaking countries The UK government classifies the following overseas countries as majority native English speaking: Antigua and Barbuda Australia The Bahamas Barbados Belize CanadaDominica Grenada Guyana Ireland Jamaica New Zealand St Kitts and NevisSt Lucia St Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago The United KingdomThe United States of America
The biggest English-speaking countries The united kingdom of great Britain and northern Ireland,The united states of America, Canada, Australia, new Zealand
Formation of the UK The UK was created in 1707. However, at that time it included only the kingdom of England and the kingdom of Scotland. In 1801 the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland merged to form the UK of GB and Ireland. And in 1922 a part of Ireland decided to be independent. Then the state was renamed the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" – its formal name at present. As for Wales, it became a part of English Kingdom in the 16th century and under England's authority, Wales became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 and then in 1801 the UK.
London The Romans founded London on the River Thames in 43 AD. Its name is derived from the Celtic word Londinios, whichmeans the place of the bold one. London (then called Londinium) had also been the capital of Roman Brittania, but during the early days the Roman administration was in Colchester (Camulodinum) London did not become the capital city of England until the 12th century. Winchester was the capital of England before London.
Edinburgh Edinburgh began as a fort. Its origins as a settlement can be traced to the early Middle Ages. In the 7th century the English captured this part of Scotland and they called this place Eiden's burgh (burgh is an old word for fort). By the middle of the 14th century was being described as the capital of Scotland.
Belfast The history of Belfast as a settlement goes back to the Bronze Age. The name comes from Irish Béal Feirste, meaning ’’mouth of the sandbacks’’ Belfast was made the capital of Northern Ireland in 1920.
Cardiff Cardiff began as a Roman fort (in about 55 AD they built a fort on the site of Cardiff). Cardiff was proclaimed the capital of Wales only in 1955 (Wales did not have an official capital before that). Caerdyf (Welsh word) has its origins in the words meaning “the fort of the Taff” The River Taff is a large river in Wales.
Names of members England – ‘Englaland’, meaning the landoftheAngles – a Germanic people who settled in Britain. Scotland – ‘Scoti’ – dark because of the mist. Wales – Volcae – walha, variably spelled as walask,walahisk, walhisketc. 'strange, foreign, Romance.' Ireland – Éire – Ériu – a Gaelic goddess – the matron goddess of Ireland, a goddess of sovereignty, a goddess of the land Great Britain – Britannia – inhabited by the Britons – an ancient Celtic people.
English-speaking countriesThe UK – Great Britain Union Jack Coat of Arms
Union Jack It is made up of three crosses. The upright red cross is the cross of St. George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross is the cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
Coat of arms The coat of arms representsa quartered shield. In the first and fourth quarters you can see lions which symbolize England, in the second there is a rampant lion and a fleur-de-lis [flɜ:də'li:] which symbolize Scotland and in the third there is a harp for Ireland. The shield is being taken by a guardant lion (a symbol of England) wearing St. Edward’s crown and a unicorn which symbolizes Scotland. Under the shield you can also see a flowerbed with Tudor roses (England), a thistle (Scotland) and a shamrock (Ireland).
Lion It traditionally symbolizes bravery, strength, and royalty, because historically it has been regarded as the king of beasts. The lion seems to have shown up on individual English royals' coats of arms back in the 12th century, and it was certainly used by continental royals and semi-royals before William the Conqueror got himself across the Channel. Later, it was simply incorporated into English royal coats of arms, which were in turn incorporated into British/United Kingdom arms.
Tudorrose Once upon a time there were two dukes in Britain. The symbol of the first one was a red rose of the second one was a white rose. They were at war for the throne of England. The winner was the duke whose symbol was a red rose. So, when he became the king he made this flower the symbol of the country. This war is known as the Wars of the Roses in 1455-1485.
Thistle Legend has it that at some point during the invasion the Norsemen tried to surprise the sleeping Scottish warriors. In order to move more quiet at night the Norsemen removed their shoes. But as they were barefoot they came across an area of ground covered in thistles and one of them unfortunately stood on a thistle and screamed in pain. The Scottish woke up and the important role that the thistle had played was recognized and so it was chosen as Scotland's national emblem.
The kilt For anyone of Scottish ancestry, the kilt is a symbol of honor for the clan which they belong. The kilt is more than just a covering. In the past it allowed those who wore it to move much more freely, especially in the Highlands of Scotland. Bagpipe: The bagpipe is the national instrument of Scotland.
The Daffodils and the leek Why the leek? The legend says that St David advised the Britons on the eve of a battle with the Saxons, to wear leeks in their caps so that they could easily distinguish friend from foe. This apparently helped to secure a great victory. Why daffodils? Possibly the reason why the daffodil is used as an emblem is that the word for daffodil and for leek are the same in Welsh (Cenhinen = Leek, CenhinenPedr = Daffodil). This confusion means that both have been adopted as national emblems.
Shamrock Why a shamrock? It was the Celtic druids who started the shamrock on its path to Irish glory! They believed the no. 3 to be a perfect number and, as such, to have mystical powers. Then St Patrick according to legend used the plant to illustrate the Christian concept of the Trinity i.e. to show how one God divided into three: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
harp Why a harp? While its earliest origins are lost, the Irish harp has a certain history dating back at least 1000 years. Brian Boru, the last High King of Ireland (1014), is said to have been an accomplished player. It was de rigeur for Scottish and Irish kings and chieftains to have their own resident harper who, in turn, enjoyed high status and special privileges.
Saint George The Patron Saint of England is Saint George. It seems that the Emperor Diocletian had St. George tortured to make him deny his faith in Christ. However despite some of the most terrible torture even for that time, St George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally beheaded in Palestine. The best-known story about St. George is his fight with a dragon. In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil. According to one of the legends. St. George killed a dragon on the flat topped Dragon Hill in Uffington, Berkshire, and it is said that no grass grows where the dragon’s blood trickled down. His Day is celebrated annually on 23 April.
Saint Andrew The Patron Saint of Scotland is Saint Andrew. Not much is known about the life of St Andrew or exactly how he came to be patron saint of Scotland but he was believed to have been a fisherman and one of Jesus’ first Apostles. He was sentenced to death by crucifixion by the Romans in Greece, but he requested to be crucified on a diagonal cross as he felt he was not worthy enough to die on the same shape of cross as Jesus. St Andrew's Day falls on 30 November in Scotland.
Saint david The Patron Saint of Wales is Saint David. March 1st is St. David’s Day. In medieval times it was believed that St David was the nephew of King Arthur. According to legend David performed several miracles during his life including restoring Paulinus' sight. It is also said that during a battle against the Saxons, David advised his soldiers to wear leeks in their hats so that they could easily be distinguished from their enemies, which is why the leek is one of the national emblems of Wales.
St Patrick The Patron Saint of Northern Ireland is St. Patrick. There is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March. Saint Patrick is given credit for banishing the snakes from Ireland, sending the broods into the sea. To this day, there aren't any native snakes in Ireland. The banishment of snakes is probably an allegorical explanation for Patrick confronting and defeating paganism. As depicted in medieval art, pagans often worshipped snakes. The absence of snakes is more likely to be caused by the remoteness of the island. Fortunately, Ireland was inaccessible for snakes to reach.
British National Anthem • God save our gracious Queen! Long live our noble Queen! God save the Queen! Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, God save the Queen. • Thy choicest gifts in store On her be pleased to pour, Long may she reign. May she defend our laws, And ever give us cause, To sing with heart and voice, God save the Queen. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN9EC3Gy6Nk
Britannia There is a national personification of the UK. The personification is called Britannia. Britannia is simbolized as a young woman with brown or golden hair , wearing a helmet and a white robe. She holds a trident and a shield bearing a union flag. The symbol appeared in the 17th century after James I brought together England, Scotland , Wales and Ireland under one rule.
Britannia The symbol of Britannia has been used for thousands of years, but who was this mythical female warrior, seated on a shield in her Corinthian helmet, holding a trident with the British lion at herside? Britannia was, in fact, the original Latin name givento Great Britain, when it was first occupied by the Romans in AD 43. The Romans made her a goddessand her originallybare-breasted figure, holding a spear, first appeared on a Roman coin 100 years later, during the reign of Antoninus Pius. With the creation of the United Kingdom in 1707, Britanniabecame the figurehead of British imperial and military power. Now bearing the Union Flag on her shield, she became a more prominent national emblem, linked to the Navy, at a time when Britannia did indeed “rule the waves”.
Rule Britannia! When Britain first, at Heaven's command Arose from out the azure main; This was the charter of the land, And guardian angels sang this strain: "Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:"Britons never will be slaves.“ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHNfvJc99YY
The USA The USA is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal district (Washington DC) . Capital city is Washington.
Washington DC Founded on July 16, 1790, Washington DC was established by the Constitution of the United States to serve as the nation’s capital. George Washington, the first president and namesake of the city, chose the site. DC = District of Columbia From "Columbia," a name commonly applied to the Unite States in the late 18th century derived from Christopher Columbus who discovered America in 1492.
Stars and Stripes It consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white , with a blue rectangle. The 50 stars represent the 50 states of the USA. And the 13 stripes represent the 13 British colonies which declared independence from Britain and became the first states in the Union.
The Great seal of the United States In the centre there is a shield almost similar to the American flag. However, there are no stars and the stripes are white (not red). The supporter of the shield is a bald eagle. It holds 13 arrows (symbolizing 13 states) and an olive branch (a symbol of peace) with 13 leaves and 13 olives. In the eagle’s beak you can see a scroll with the motto Et pluribus unum (Out of many, One). There is also a motto which says In God We Trust.
The bald eagle The bald eagle was chosen June 20, 1782 as the emblem of the United States of America, because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent. It is said the eagle was used as a national emblem because, at one of the first battles of the Revolution (which occurred early in the morning) the noise of the struggle awoke the sleeping eagles on the heights and they flew from their nests and circled about over the heads of the fighting men, all the while giving vent to their raucous cries. "They are shrieking for Freedom," said the patriots.
Uncle Sam The most cited origin story traces Uncle Sam back to a man in Troy, New York. Sam Wilson delivered meat packed in barrels to soldiers during the War of 1812. Wilson was a well-liked man, and local residents called him "Uncle Sam." When people around town saw those supply barrels marked "U.S." they assumed the letters meant Uncle Sam, and the soldiers adopted the same thinking. In reality, Wilson had labeled the barrels "U.S." for "United States," and so the two ideas merged—Uncle Sam became a symbol for the United States of America.
The Star Spangled Banner Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming; Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there: Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1wLtAXDgqg
Similar symbols of the UK and the usa American Beauty Rose (an official flower of the District of Columbia) Tudor Rose (English symbol)
American beauty rose In 1875 it was brought to the USA. It was introduced as a new rose cultivar named 'American Beauty‘. Due to its high price per stem (at least two dollars per stem) and its popularity, the cultivar was called the million-dollar-rose.
Similar symbols of the UK and the usa The national tree of England – the oak-tree Scarlet oak (an official tree of Washington DC)
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital of Canada. The origin of the name "Ottawa" is derived from the Algonquin word adawe, meaning "to trade". The small logging town was chosen as the country's new capital on December 31st, 1857 Queen Victoria herself was asked to choose a capital for the province of Canada, which at that time consisted of the two colonies of Quebec and Ontario, and there’s a story that she simply stuck a hatpin into a map, between Toronto and Montreal. Another story has her choosing Ottawa because she had liked landscape paintings of the area
