What is the United Kingdom?

What is the United Kingdom?

The United Kingdom refers to four different countries, really. It is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Sometimes it is called Great Britain.

It also includes many islands around the coastline. Can you see the two islands that look closer to France than the UK? On these islands, the people speak French as well as English.

If you look down to the right, you will see the Channel Tunnel marked. This is the tunnel that is built underneath the English Channel, so that cars and trains can travel quickly and easily over to the Continent.

Why do you think it is often called the Chunnel?

And why do you think it is built from Dover?

Check your answers below.

The tunnel was built by one team working from the French end, and another working from the English end. When they finally met up in the middle, they were very relieved that their calculations had been accurate. Imagine what would have happened if the two ends of the tunnel had missed each other!

These men are traditional Morris Dancers from England. They are dressed in traditional costume, and doing a very old dance waving white handkerchiefs around.

Another English tradition is dancing round the maypole on May Day. (That is the first day in May). Everyone holds on to a ribbon coming down from the top of the maypole, and dances around, going in and out of the circle, while the ribbons weave a pattern and pull the circle in tighter and tighter.

The Scottish people are well known for their music played on the bagpipes.

The bagpipes are very difficult to play, because you have to squeeze the air out of the big bag held under your arm, at the same time as blowing the chanter, and fingering the notes.

The Welsh are an extremely musical people, and they have wonderful men's choirs that are world famous.

See if you can find a tape or CD of some singing by a Welsh Male choir, and listen to it.

Have you seen the video of Riverdance? It is a combination of Irish music and dance that is travelling round the world. It is great fun to watch - perhaps you could convince your teacher to let you look at some of it, so that you get an idea of what Irish dance is like!

ANSWERS

1. The word is a combination of Channel and Tunnel --- making chunnel!

2. This is the shortest distance across the channel, so the tunnel could be built more easily. It was very very expensive to build!

Back to questions.

These men are traditional Morris Dancers from England. They are dressed in traditional costume, and doing a very old dance waving white handkerchiefs around.
	Another English tradition is dancing round the maypole on May Day. (That is the first day in May). Everyone holds on to a ribbon coming down from the top of the maypole, and dances around, going in and out of the circle, while the ribbons weave a pattern and pull the circle in tighter and tighter.