What is the official language in the UK? The answer, of course, suggests itself - English. But everything is not so simple. Great Britain, or the United Kingdom, includes several countries. The capital of Britain, London, annually attracts a huge number of tourists and expats who come to the country to earn money. Let's talk about the UK: what is the state language, what are its traditions, political structure, consider interesting facts.
Britain on the world map
Great Britain is conveniently located on five islands in northwestern Europe. It has common borders with Ireland and France. The structure of Britain includes 4 provinces:
- Northern Ireland;
- Wales;
- England;
- Scotland.
Despite the fact that last year the British voted for the withdrawal of Scotland from the United Kingdom, she still remained. It is in Scotland that many cultural monuments are located, including the famous Edinburgh Castle.
Government structure
Britain is a country in which, despite the modern political structure of the world, a constitutional monarchy still reigns. The queen is the head of state, and power is inherited. Laws are adopted by a parliament consisting of two chambers.
What language do the British speak?
What is the official language in the UK? According to statistics, 95% of Britons speak English. Dialects are less common.
Historical fact: modern English moved from the territory of the West Germanic peoples, for centuries mixed and transformed. The numbers confirm the fact that more than one billion people now speak English.
The dialect depends on the region of residence. For example, in Scotland they speak English-Scottish and Scottish Gaelic. In Wales, Welsh has been and remains the official language for 14 centuries.
The Cornish language is the rarest of the Celtic, its speakers there are no more than 2 thousand people.
Among the emigrants, due to the large flow of Muslims, the most widely spoken Arabic language.
Russians in London and the United Kingdom
Despite the fact that the official language of Great Britain is English, there are a lot of Russians here. This is not only about our compatriots, but also about those who came to work from the territories of the former Soviet Union. They are considered the Russian-speaking population. In the capital of England there are special Russian pubs, and in some restaurants and clubs there are regular "Russian parties."
If you ever go down, for example, in the subway in London, you may forget what the official language of Great Britain is now. Representatives of dozens of nationalities can ride together in one car.
When is the best time to plan your trip?
The warm current of the Gulf Stream, the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea affect the weather in the UK. Its climate can be described as humid and moist. The south of the country is warmer and drier than the north. According to statistics, February is considered the coldest month of the year, and the warmest time is in July and August.
Events as a unifying factor
The best way to combine indigenous and visiting people is to have a fun event.
In May 2017, a large number of people gathered in Hyde Park, which is one of the attractions of the capital of England, on the occasion of a grandiose party. The official language of Great Britain sounded along with Russian, Estonian and many others. Even those who were in Siberia came to the event.
If you ever plan a trip to England, be sure to visit some festival or concert. This will help to learn more about the traditions of this country.
Some interesting facts about England
Russians, when asked: โHow are you?โ, Usually enthusiastically tell not only about their lives, but also about relatives and close acquaintances. The British, by contrast, are a very reserved nation, they avoid value judgments, using abstract concepts like "everything is normal", "more or less." Moreover, they try not to offend anyone, the people here are very light, friendly and can communicate and love.
A young Englishman can take his beloved to live at least 15 years old, but they are in no hurry to marry. The British honor family traditions and are very careful about love. They believe that love is tested by time, feelings increase and become stronger.
The British Chancellor, according to tradition, is seated on a bag full of wool.
It was here that legends were born about perhaps the most famous of kings Arthur and the beloved hero Robin Hood. Although many argue that medieval legends have a real foundation, and the characters existed in real life, no one was able to confirm this.
The British are very respectful of their queen, and her birthday is considered the main holiday of the year. And the people of Britain love the Duchess of Kate almost as much as Lady Diana at one time.
If you are going to visit the theater on Sunday, then you wonโt be able to do it, since theaters, according to the well-known tradition, do not work on this day.
Although the official language of Great Britain is English, this does not prevent a huge number of different nationalities from living an interesting and eventful life together and understanding each other.