What is in England before. English history: from the Roman colony to the British Empire. Office hours

Capital —
Square- 133,396 sq. km.
Population- 53 million people
Language- English
Form of government- dualistic monarchy
Foundation date— 928
Largest cities— , Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester
Currency- GBP
Timezone- Greenwich Mean Time
Telephone code — +44

It is the largest and most populous country in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The inhabitants of this country make up more than 83% of the total population of the United Kingdom, while the mainland of England occupies two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and has a land border with Scotland in the north and Wales in the west. England is washed by the waters of the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the Celtic Sea, Bristol Bay and the English Channel.

England - video

It became a unified state in 927 and takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled there during the 5th and 6th centuries. The capital of England is the largest city in the country and the largest city in the UK.

England is one of the world's most influential and far-reaching centers of cultural development. It is the place of origin of the English language and the Church of England and English law, which forms the basis of the legal systems of many countries; moreover, London was the capital of the British Empire, and England was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. England was the first country in the world to become industrialized. England is the home of the Royal Society, which laid the foundations of modern experimental science. Also, this country was the world's first modern Parliamentary democracy and, consequently, many constitutional, state and legal innovations that originated in England were widely adopted by other states.

Landmarks of England

One of the main attractions in england is an Tower of London. The attraction is a fortress located on the north bank of the Thames, it is also the historical center of London. In addition, the Tower of London is one of the oldest buildings in the country. Throughout its long history (it was built in 1078!) The Tower was both a fortress and a palace, it housed both a repository of royal jewels and a mint, it even housed a zoo and a prison! But, undoubtedly, in any historical period, the Tower of London was a place of huge concentration of tourists.

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the British monarchs, in which Queen Elizabeth II lives today. In addition, it is also the main palace of the country. The history of Buckingham Palace begins in 1703, when it began to be built as Buckingham House for the Duke of Buckingham. In 1762, after the acquisition of the palace by King George III, architects worked hard on it, who completed three more similar buildings to the main building. In 1837, when Queen Victoria came to the throne, the palace was officially declared the main residence of the British monarchs. Since then, monarchs have lived here, and the daily changing of the guard ceremony (which takes place at 11:30) attracts a huge number of tourists.

famous silhouette tower bridge seen from afar. This monument of engineering art of the Victorian era is already about a hundred years old. Its mechanisms are open for inspection by visitors, and you can take the elevator to the very top.

Royal Theater (Theater Royal) on Drury Lane, is one of the oldest theaters in London. It was opened in 1663. The king himself was present at the opening of the theater, which is why it was called the Royal. Today, most people call it Drury Lane, after the name of the street where the theater stands.

The majestic Cathedral of York - York Minster (York Minster)- the largest monument of Gothic architecture in Europe. The cathedral was built for a long time - from the XIII to the XV century. Therefore, signs of various styles are visible in his appearance, which, however, does not affect his integral harmony in any way.

One more Landmark of England is an Yorkshire Dales National Park (Yorkshire Dales) located in Northern England. Its wild, in a certain, even harsh romance of the hilly area, its fortresses and abandoned monasteries, as if created for numerous long walks. These places are famous thanks to a movie filmed in Yorkshire Dale.

1. The English are famous throughout the world for their politeness and scrupulous observance of all the rules of etiquette. If you want to look well-mannered in the eyes of the English, you should definitely use the words "please" and "sorry" as soon as the opportunity arises.

2. When visiting English bars and pubs, you need to know that it is customary to pay for an order right away. As soon as you take a drink (or something else), you must immediately pay for it. If you want extras, pay again.

3. It is worth considering that in England it is customary to leave a tip (in hotels, restaurants, cafes, taxis, etc.). Often, the tip is 10% of the bill.

4. If you are a big fan of shopping, then it will be useful for you to know that in June and the end of December (after Christmas) the most significant sales take place in England.

5. Mains voltage in England is 240 watts, so be very careful with your electrical appliances.

6. While in England, do not forget that in this country there is left-hand traffic.

It so happened that in colloquial speech the names "England" and "Great Britain" are interchangeable words. To determine the correct ratio of these names, to understand “what and what is included in the component”, it is worth referring to the history of the emergence of both toponyms.

The state in question is located on the islands. And it is separated from mainland Europe by the North Sea with the Pas de Calais and the English Channel. The width of the latter at its narrowest point is only 32 kilometers, which in turn tempts athletes from different eras to make marathon swims between France and the British Isles.

It is worth noting that what the swimmers succeeded in, did not succeed during the 2nd World War, Hitler's troops. English Channel and remained an insurmountable obstacle for the German Wehrmacht.

Consider the origin of the main toponyms of northern Albion. By the way, the very name of the British Isles "Albion" is already found among the ancient Greeks and has many interpretations. The 1st century AD scholar Ptolemy associated the Latin term "Albion" with the cold climate of Britain.

The very concept of "Britain" is the name of the most ancient province of the island, originating in the name of the tribe of the Britons, the war with which Gaius Julius Caesar so colorfully described in his Notes on the Gallic War.

"England" - this name became known in the 9th century AD and is associated with the Germanic tribe of the Angles, who, together with the Saxons, captured the islands of the Britons in the 5th-6th centuries. Great Britain originates in 1707 from the union of the English and Scottish kingdoms under the auspices of a single monarchy.

Today the name of the state sounds like this: "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." England is part of the Kingdom, along with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, occupying two thirds of the total area of ​​the country.

The population of England is 84% of the total population of the kingdom. But, although England is often used instead of the name Great Britain, one cannot say, for example: "I'm going to England, to Cardiff!" - this is incorrect in meaning, since the said Cardiff is the capital of Wales, and it would be correct to say: "I'm going to the UK, to Cardiff!" or, alternatively, "... to Cardiff, the city of Wales!"

The richest history of the formation of Great Britain as a state is the most valuable part of world history, an era long for several centuries. Its beginning - the heyday of the Roman Empire, its own heyday - the period of the European Renaissance. And as soon as, already in the 11th century, a feudal state existed on the territory of England, by the 19th century, Britain became the largest producer and exporter of manufactured goods.

Since the 16th century, for 400 years, this island state has remained in the top three most powerful powers not only in Europe, but also in the world. The traditionally strong navy, advances in industry, the efforts of scientists and commanders allowed the British to extend their influence to all continents.

For a long time, the British had the most extensive colonial territories, and the expression "... the sun never sets over the British Empire" was relevant until the middle of the 20th century. And even today, when the colonies are a thing of the past, more than 50 states from different parts of the world are under the dominion of Great Britain, preserving as a tradition their subordination to the English throne. So England, as part of it, and Great Britain as a whole, are toponyms rich in history and, like the names of the same country, sound very weighty and full.

The name of such a country as England is probably known today to the vast majority of people on planet Earth. However, have you ever thought about why England began to be called England? Today we will look into this issue, and some other issues related to this country.

The history of the origin of the name, which today is one of the most advanced countries in the world, has no hidden facts, because the name was received in honor of the tribe that lived on the territory of modern Britain long before the advent of our era. According to historians, between the 5th and 6th centuries BC, a Germanic tribe settled in Britain, whose inhabitants called themselves Angles. Tracking the similarity of the name of the Angles and the country with the name England is quite simple.

Why is England called Great Britain

Another question people ask quite often is why England also became known as Great Britain. However, we note right away that this name is not correct, since Great Britain is the United Kingdom, which also includes England. In addition to England, the UK also includes Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.

Why England was called the "Workshop of the World"

The name "Workshop of the World" began to be applied to England in the 18th century, when the industrial revolution was successfully implemented in the country. At that time in England a very serious step forward was taken by such industries as the textile and machine-building industries. In addition, a wide production of all kinds of equipment began, which makes it possible to facilitate human labor. This led to the fact that England then began to be called the main workshop of the world.

Why is England called "Foggy Albion"

Since ancient times, England has also been unofficially called Foggy Albion, and this fact also has a completely rational explanation, which lies in the fact that the word "Albion" can be translated as "white", because it comes from the Latin concept "albus". In the south of Britain, chalk cliffs are observed, after which such a name could arise.

As for the "Foggy", then around the coast of Great Britain there is often a slight fog, haze.

Why is England called a "Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy"

As for the last question, the answer to it can also be formulated very clearly, briefly and clearly: such a characteristic applies to modern England due to several factors:

• There is a queen in the country, who, although she mainly performs only representative functions, has a place to be. This means that it is a monarchy;
• The constitution in the country is the main act, a collection of laws, which means that the monarchy is constitutional;
• Parliament is the main legislative body of England, which affects the fact that the country is a constitutional parliamentary monarchy.

The national flag of Great Britain.

Great Britain (Great Britain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) - a state in Western Europe; consists of four historical regions: England (39 counties and 7 metropolitan counties), Wales (8 counties), Scotland (9 districts) and Northern Ireland (26 counties). A special regime has been established for the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Great Britain leads the Commonwealth of Nations (until 1947 called the British Commonwealth of Nations), created in 1931. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state (as well as the head of the Commonwealth) is Queen Elizabeth II. Legislative power in the country belongs to the monarch (purely formally) and parliament, consisting of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the actual power is concentrated in the hands of the government, headed by the prime minister. Two parties are actually fighting for power - the Conservatives and the Labor Party.

London. Buckingham Palace - the main residence of the British monarchs; Designed by architect John Nash. First half of the 19th century. The first monarch to live in the palace was Queen Victoria.

The population of Great Britain is 60.7 million people, mostly English (80%), as well as Scots, Welsh (the native inhabitants of Wales), Irish. The stability and prosperity of the country attracts numerous immigrants from different parts of the world. In most large cities there are quarters inhabited by Indians and Pakistanis, Chinese, immigrants from Arab countries. Most of the population is concentrated in the most industrialized southern and central regions of England, where the largest cities are located - London (an agglomeration called Greater London), Portsmouth, Southampton, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield. The UK is one of the highly urbanized countries. Most of the English belong to the Anglican State Church (one of the largest branches of Protestant Christianity), and there are also many Catholics and Methodists in Wales.

Queen Elizabeth II Windsor.

Geography

Great Britain is located in the north-west of Europe, on the British Isles (the island of Great Britain is the largest, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, numerous small ones: the Hebrides, Shetland, Orkney, etc.). Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the seas - Northern and Irish, the English Channel (locally called the English Channel), Pas de Calais, North and St. George. The coastline is heavily dissected by numerous bays (fjords in the north and river estuaries in the south), forming the large peninsulas of Wales and Cornwall.

Parts of the country differ significantly in relief and climate. Mountainous terrain prevails in the north and west - the North Scottish Highlands (the highest peak in the UK is Ben Nevis, its height is 1343 m), the South Scottish Highlands, the Pennines and the Cambrian Mountains. These mountain systems have plateau-like peaks and gentle, vegetated slopes. The eastern and southern parts of the country are occupied by hilly plains framed by rocky ridges (cuestas). The mountains are dominated by peat bogs, moorlands and meadows used for pastures. Forests consisting of oak, beech and birch occupy about 8% of the country's territory.

Great Britain has a large number of rivers, many of which are navigable and connected by canals. Among the largest rivers are the Thames, Severn, Trent. The north of the country is replete with lakes, the largest are Loch Neagh in Northern Ireland, Loch Ness and Loch Lomond in Scotland. In the northwestern spurs of the Pennines lies the vast Lake District. Great Britain, especially Scotland, is called the country of fogs and rains.

The island position and the warm Atlantic current of the Gulf Stream determines the climate of Great Britain: mild and humid, oceanic. Negative temperatures are rare even in winter. The "wettest" cities are Liverpool and Manchester, where it rains 220-230 days a year. There are also quite a few rainy days in London - 180 a year, but this does not mean that it rains from morning to evening. In spring and summer, the weather is changeable, and rain clouds quickly give way to the sparkling sun.

In the mountains, especially in the north - in Scotland - frosts are common in winter, and snow on many slopes lies from November to April-May. On the tops and slopes of the mountains facing the sea, in many places along the coast, the cold is exacerbated by constant winds. Scotland would lose some of its color without overcast low skies and piercing winds.

Scotland. Loch Ness.

Loch Ness in Scotland is famous primarily as the abode of Nessie - a semi-mythical monster (either a descendant of dinosaurs, or even a fabulous beast), which, according to legend, lives in the depths of the lake, sometimes appearing on the surface.

United Kingdom. Lake District. Lake Windermere.

Lovers of lakes and water recreation should visit the Lake District (Lancashire and Cumbria), where the largest national park in England is located. The sheer cliffs of the Hebrides, cut by fjords, are attractive, the most beautiful of them is the island of Iona. The Orkney Islands are worth a visit, including the Bird Island Bird Sanctuary Bass Rock.

Fans of mountain tourism, skiing and rock climbing will be attracted by the mountains of Scotland: the Aylon Hills (Walter Scott's favorite walking place), the Cairngorms, the Pennines, especially the Peak District at their southern tip on the border of England and Wales.

The mountains and coasts of Wales are extraordinarily beautiful - especially in its northern part, where the highest mountain of England and Wales - Snowdon (1085 m) is located, the Snowdonia National Park surrounding it is full of numerous mountain streams, waterfalls, wooded valleys. Sulfur, salt and other mineral springs are located in the southwest of Wales.

Fans of paleontology will undoubtedly be interested in seeing the limestone deposits of Devon, where ancient fossils have been found. The name of this county, thanks to the finds made in its bowels, began to be called a whole geological era!

Story

The British Isles have been inhabited since antiquity. Tin has been mined here since prehistoric times, the Phoenicians and Greeks called them the Tin Islands. Archaeological excavations have discovered sites of an ancient man of the Paleolithic era (40,000–10,000 BC) in Wales and Derbyshire, Neolithic monuments (3400–1600 BC) in burial mounds on the chalk hills of South and East England, in South Wales, Gloucestershire, Norfolk and in many other places the remains of settlements, defensive structures of the Bronze and Iron Ages (up to 450 years BC) throughout the country. The most amazing and famous monument is Stonehenge.

Salisbury. Cromlech. Stonehenge.

The builders of Stonehenge did not leave their name to posterity. We know the name of their successors - the Celts. The Celts came here in the second half of the 1st millennium BC. e. We know about them mainly from the descriptions of Julius Caesar, who conquered Britain. The Romans established themselves here very unstable, there were frequent uprisings. However, it was the Romans who founded many cities, including the capital - London, then Londinium. The Romans failed to conquer all the islands (and they did not need the relatively cold northern lands). To fence off the barbarians from the north, they built a series of fortifications, the most famous of the surviving - Hadrian's Wall, separating England from Scotland (built by Emperor Hadrian in 122-130). The city gates in Lincoln, the gates in Colchester, the baths in Bath, numerous ruins of Roman military fortifications have survived to this day.

United Kingdom. Andrianov Val.

The Romans brought Christianity to the Celts and merged with the local population. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Celts had their own kingdoms. One of the kings, Arthur of the Pendragon dynasty, became famous not so much as a real historical figure, but as a hero of later legends. Until now, researchers are looking for historical truth in the legends of the Arthurian cycle. Memorial sites are associated with Arthur in Cornwall, his alleged grave (plundered in the Middle Ages) is in Glastonbury. The Celts gave way in the 6th c. the conquerors Angles and Saxons - the peoples of the Germanic group. The Anglo-Saxons (in the north of the country they were also joined by the Jutes) were soon baptized. And not from the Celts, but from Augustine sent from Rome. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury and under him the construction of the main cathedral began. To this day, the Archbishop of Canterbury is Primate of the Anglican Church.

The Aglo-Saxons founded several kingdoms, sometimes uniting with each other, sometimes at war. Their borders generally coincide with those of the historic counties. Aglo-Saxon is the basis of modern English. Among the legends of the Saxons is known the legend of King Lear, later used by Shakespeare. The epic Beowulf has also been preserved from the Saxons. In Scotland, Ireland, Wales and partly in Cornwall, the Celtic population remained.

For a long time, the Ango-Saxons paid tribute to the Vikings - "Danish money". King Alfred the Great (c. 849-900) unified the country and stopped paying tribute. However, after his death, King Canute I the Mighty united England with the countries of Scandinavia. Close ties with the Vikings continued later. After the death of the childless King Edward the Confessor (1066), three applicants claimed the right to the throne: from the Anglo-Saxons - Harold, from the Vikings from Norway - also Harold (married, by the way, to one of the daughters of Yaroslav the Wise), from Normandy - Wilhelm. Wilhelm's troops, having crossed the English Channel, fought with the Anglo-Saxons and England began to be ruled by the Plantagenet dynasty. These kings spoke French and many French words entered the English language. Even the famous Richard the Lionheart did not speak English.

The English literary language was born at the end of the 14th century with the publication of the Canterbury Tales by J. Chaucer. At this time, the country was going through the Hundred Years War, in which success was mainly on the side of England, but in the end she lost, losing her continental possessions. The Plantegenet dynasty was replaced by the Tudors as a result of the War of the Scarlet and White Roses. In the same war, almost all the old nobility perished, and the new gentry nobles became the backbone of the new dynasty. In the reign of Henry VIII (1491-1547), two great deeds began that had a huge impact on the history of the country: these are enclosures that drove the peasants from the land and the Reformation, the formation of the Anglican Church. Henry's daughter Elizabeth I (1533-1603) made England a great power with her wise and cautious policy. She paid special attention to the development of the fleet and sent her people to establish colonies.

Her reign is the golden age of English culture, whose adornment was the work of Shakespeare. Elizabeth was childless and left the throne to her relative James Stuart, son of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Mary Elizabeth executed, accusing her of attempting to assassinate herself, and thus created a precedent for regicide in Europe. The reign of the Stuarts united England and Scotland. The son of James (James) I, King Charles I, was executed during the revolution in 1649. For almost two decades, England was a republic. Here religious strife broke out between various branches of Protestantism. Despite the slight difference in faith, the Puritans and the Independents destroyed each other, and many others along the way. With the restoration of the monarchy (Charles II, on the throne from 1660), religious disputes were stopped and many customs that prohibited the Puritans were restored. Hence the love of the English for the holiday of Christmas, which was banned during the revolution.

The Stuart dynasty was not very popular and was replaced by another, the Hanoverian. Already in the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution began in England. Here the first steam engine of J. Watt was created, the world's first spinning machines and looms appeared. Although the discovery of porcelain was made in England even later than in Russia, England became the birthplace of the original "stone masses", varieties of ceramics, the center of production of which was and remains the historic county of Staffordshire. In the 18th century Britain lost its colonies in North America, which seceded to form the US (but Canada remained), but began to settle in Australia and conquer India. In the reign of Queen Victoria (1819-1901), the country became Great Britain, creating an empire on which the sun never set. The Victorian Age was the heyday of English culture. And the names of cultural figures are not so striking with greatness or deep psychologism, but with an inimitable ability to captivate the reader with a plot, create surprisingly believable images of heroes, scare, laugh and warm with a description of home comfort.

The Victorians are Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, Arthur Conan Doyle. Under Queen Victoria, the basic rule of British public life finally took shape: the queen reigns, but does not rule. There is no constitution in the country, but its role is played by a whole set of laws, starting with the famous Habeas Corpus and the Bill of Rights. The leading role belongs to the parliament, the party that won the parliamentary elections forms its own government headed by the prime minister. During the reign of Queen Victoria, Whigs (Liberals) and Tories (Conservatives) fought for power. At the beginning of the 20th century, a new political force was born in the country - the Labor (Workers) Party. Under the influence of the impressions of the October Revolution of 1917, changes were made in the legislation in order to improve the situation of workers and employees. If the London "bottom" of the 19th century. was considered a place of accumulation of criminals and beggars, then from the beginning of the 20th century. it is being gradually corrected.

Two world wars contributed to the collapse of the colonial system. Having experienced a period of stagnation (especially in the 1950s), the UK became a founding member of the European Coal and Steel Union, from which the European Union has now grown.

Architecture and sights

English architectural styles are distinctive. The Romanesque style of the Anglo-Saxons, which dominated architecture until the middle of the 11th century, was distinguished by the simplicity of architectural and construction techniques: simple semicircular arches, gable roofs, borrowed from the usual wooden architecture. The Norman Romanesque style that replaced it lasted until the end of the 12th century. It was distinguished by an abundance of identical powerful columns, round decorated window openings and ceiling vaults, narrow windows, and not very powerful buttresses.

Edinburgh. Lock.

Prominent castle buildings of the Norman style are Hedingham in Essex and Conisbrough in Yorkshire. Some of the buildings of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland are also made in the same style. Early Gothic is typical for buildings of the 13th century, their general appearance is determined by their significant height and vastness, long windows reaching the base of the building (the facade of the cathedral in Lincoln, fragments of the cathedrals in Ely and Peterborough).

Or. Gothic cathedral. 14th c.

In the 14th century, English Gothic, otherwise called decorative, replaced the early one - in such architecture a characteristic emphasis was placed on individual elements of the ornament: huge lancet windows with complex openwork stone carvings, heavy buttresses, pillars with tightly connected ribs, sculptures entwined with leaves, cornices, floral ornaments. This style is best represented by the cathedrals of York, Norwich and Lincoln, separate elements of Westminster Abbey.

London. Westminster Abbey. Gothic church 1245-1745, Henry VII chapel - 1503-1519 The coronation site of English kings, beginning with William the Conqueror. Since the 13th century, Westminster Abbey has housed the tomb of English kings (the last of them was George II, 1760; since then, burials have been made in Windsor Castle), statesmen, and famous people. Legends attribute the founding of the abbey to the Saxon king Sibert (7th century), the first Christian Saxon.

The richest ornamentation reached perfection in the building art of the late Gothic, or "perpendicular" style (end of the 14th century - 15th century), which is distinguished by a special predilection for vertical planes (King's College in Cambridge, St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle and Henry VII's Chapel in Westminster Abbey ). In the 16th - early 18th century, Renaissance and Baroque dominated in Great Britain, their elements often mixed in the same building. The most important monument of the style called "English Baroque" is St. Paul's Cathedral in London, built in the last third of the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren, one of the greatest English architects. In the external appearance of this building there is a spatial scope, fusion, fluidity of complex curvilinear forms.

In the 19th century, the monumental Georgian style was replaced by the Victorian style. One of the most famous buildings in the world, Buckingham Palace, is made in this style. Having withstood the test of fate (September 9, 1940, a German bomb fell on the palace, three days later it was attacked again), he appears before us in all his grandeur and beauty. Later styles - from proto-Byzantine (Westminster Cathedral in London) to Art Nouveau and constructivism did not change the existing architectural appearance of most cities in Great Britain, although they sometimes gave an irresistible charm to their urban development. New

National Features

The British adherence to traditions is manifested not only in politics, but literally at every step, in the most ordinary life: the British adhere to their system of measures and weights (in a pub - an English beer bar - you will always be served a pint of beer, not half a liter), left-hand traffic (when crossing the street, look to the right, then to the left). Of course, many purely “nourishing traditions” have remained only in wonderful novels and films based on them. Egg-and-bacon breakfast is not as popular due to non-compliance with the rules of "healthy eating", puddings and meat pies survive only in a few "points" with local cuisine. Many are even sounding the alarm about the onset of a variety of continental (French, Mediterranean) cuisine and inexpensive catering establishments with Indian, Chinese, Thai and other Asian cuisine.

Tea with milk has long been the national drink of the British, their indispensable everyday "five o'clock tea" - "five o clock" - is not just a strictly established meal time, but above all an occasion to communicate with relatives, friends, colleagues. This famous English tradition has spread to Europe and the USA. Now a tribute to traditions is not just decoration. If near Edinburgh Castle you see a sentry in an operetta, in the opinion of a modern European, a Scottish skirt, then the carbine in his hands, you can be sure, is not a toy at all. And the Scottish guardsman himself is not an actor hired to amuse tourists, but a young man serving in the guard company must be from the ancient Gordon family, who has long been granted the privilege of guarding the castle of the kings of Scotland. The old-fashioned cabs and omnibuses on the streets of London are just as functional, and the clerks hurrying to the City of London in the morning carry all the folders with papers in an armful.

National cuisine

Authentic British cuisine is either of high quality and high cost, or, if you are content with simple food, it is inexpensive and is included in the menu of any cafe you meet at every step. The pubs offer many of the best beers and quality inexpensive food, and most importantly, the opportunity to chat, relax and feel the breath of English traditions.

Wine bars are popular - a cross between a pub and a restaurant. In all major hotels, it is customary to serve "Afternoon tea" (five-o "clock tea), furnished with a special ritual. If desired, a guest of London can make a real culinary "round the world trip." In the menu of 14,000 restaurants in the city, Indian dishes are most often found, Chinese restaurants are also famous, continental African and Middle Eastern cuisine is offered.Sandwich cafes and bars offer you an "English breakfast", which usually consists of a huge sandwich, light snack, tea or cappuccino coffee.Such cafes are open from early morning until noon .

Chippie (open from 11.00 to 23.00) serves hearty and mouth-watering dishes: fish and potatoes fried in boiling oil, grilled chicken, sausages and pies. The best chippie, according to Londoners, is the Upper Street Free Shop on the street of the same name. The brasserie has a great selection of drinks and a variety of light snacks. The most visited in London are Soho Brasserie on Old Compton Street, La Brasserie on Brampton Road, L "Oreil on Sloan Square. As for restaurants, the best roast beef in London can be tasted at Simpson-in-the-Strand, the best dishes of English cuisine - at the Ritz Hotel. They are famous for roast beef, leg of lamb in English, English pies with pork, English trifle (pastries). The British also love lobsters (lobster salad, lobster butterflies). Alcohol on Sundays is sold only after 19.00.

The shops

In London, it's hard not to catch shop fever. The latest products of the world's best couturiers can be found in the shops at Knightsbridge and Brompton Cross, Bond Street and Sloane Street. The trendsetters are centered around Beachamp Place, and decent clothes for a reasonable price can be found in shops on Oxford Street. Avant-garde and exotic clothes are sold on King's Road, as well as at Kensington Market on High Kensington Street. During seasonal sales (Sales) in late January - early February and late June - early July, prices drop quite significantly.

At Covent Garden, full of shops with outlandish goods, you will certainly find something exotic, which is sometimes difficult to name. There you will also meet street actors, fakirs, sword swallowers. One of the oldest covered markets in London is located on the same square. Shops are usually open from 9-10 am to 5-6 pm, some are open until late.

All goods sold in UK shops are subject to a 17.5% value added tax, which is usually included in the price of the goods. If the purchase price exceeds GBP 100, then when crossing the border within three months after the purchase, you can claim a VAT refund of 11% of the price of the goods (for tourists from countries outside the EU). In the store, when buying, respectively, you must ask for a certificate.

Currency

The monetary unit of the country is the pound sterling (GBP). The UK is part of the European Union, but not the euro area. One pound is equal to 100 pence. In addition to the Bank of England, five more banks issue sterling in the UK: the Bank of Scotland, three Northern Irish banks and a bank on the island of Jersey. Each of them issues its own banknotes. A tourist can slip an inconvertible Scottish pound instead of English. The Northern Irish Pound can only be exchanged in the British Isles. Travelers are less likely to encounter the Jersey pound, but there are scammers who specialize in slipping such local pounds to foreigners.

Holidays

The national holiday of the country is the birthday of the reigning Queen Elizabeth II. In fact, she was born on April 21st. On this day, she is congratulated in the press. The official celebration is moved to the second Saturday in June. Christmas is celebrated on December 25, New Year on December 31 - January 1. At this time in the country is the Christmas holidays, which concern most businesses and institutions. December 26 (Gift Day) is also a day off. Easter is a passing spring holiday. The day off is Good Friday on the eve of Easter. In Wales, St. David's Day (patron saint of the Welsh) is a public holiday on March 1st. In Scotland, on November 30, St. Andrew's Day is celebrated - the patron saint of the country (common with Russia). March 17 - Saint Patrick's Day, Ireland's Enlightener. In England, Saint George's Day (April 23) is celebrated. May 1 is an official holiday, since the 20th century it has been celebrated as Labor Day, but in fact one of the oldest pan-European holidays of the arrival of spring. October 31 is Halloween - the eve of All Saints' Day. On this day, children dress up as witches and various small evil spirits and ask for sweets and inexpensive gifts. November 5 is Guy Fawkes Day. This is not a hero, but a participant in the so-called Gunpowder Plot in 1605, when Catholics tried to blow up Parliament, where the king was supposed to speak. Since then, the effigy of Guy Fawkes has been solemnly burned late at night.