United Kingdom
Language → English
Population(around) → 68,481,985
Currency → British Pound (GBP) £
General weather Overview
Probably the best-known feature of British weather is the abundant
rainfall, which is spread out throughout the year. The warm waters of the Gulf Stream are caused
by the exposed position on the Atlantic Ocean in contrast to the cold polar air in the north. Most
of the rain falls in the northwest of England. There are frequent weather changes, but the
temperature fluctuations between summer and winter are comparatively few. In a typical winter,
snow falls on less than ten days in London, although heavy snowfalls and snowstorms have
occurred on rare occasions.
Cities
London / Capital – Glasgow – Birmingham – Liverpool – Bristol – Sheffield – Manchester
– Edinburgh – Leeds – Leicester – Bradford – Cardiff – Belfast – Aberdeen
Fun facts
- In Shakespeare's day, mattresses were attached to bed frames with ropes; by doing this you were able to tug on the ropes making the mattress tighter and therefore firmer to sleep on, hence the saying "good night, sleep tight"
- Big Ben is not actually a clock. The popular belief that Big Ben refers to the world-famous clock is not true, in fact, Big Ben is the name of the thirteen-ton bell. The actual tower in which the bell is housed is called St. Stephen's Tower
- One of the largest libraries in the world can be found in London. The massive British Library at King's Cross has over 170 million items in its catalog. If it were stretched out and shelves would be put side by side, it would go from London to Aberdeen, and it continues to grow every year. The library contains millions of books, stamps, manuscripts, newspapers, and digital items
Some popular local foods
Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash, Full English Breakfast, Sunday
Roast, Toad in the Hole, Shepherd’s Pie/Cottage Pie
Some native animals:
Wood-Mouse, Grey Seal, Scottish Wildcat, Orkney Vole, Little Owl,
Curlew, Red Squirrel, Common Shrew
Couple of reasons to visit
- Home to some of the world’s most beautiful, breath-taking gardens. Great for photo opportunities and lovely walking trails
- Fascinating history and the most impressive artworks
- Bask in royal English Culture! Some include: Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, Hampton Court Palace
- For the Harry Potter fans! You wouldn't want to miss a trip to Hogwarts and witness many of the filming locations throughout the UK
