The United Kingdom includes Great
Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)
and Northern Ireland. It is 500km wide
and 1,000 km long.
It has a population of about 59 million.
Great Britain is the largest island in
Europe and the eighth largest in the
world. English is the official language.
London is one of the biggest cultural
centres in the world. It has around
100 theatres which show musicals,
modern dramas, classical plays and
comedies. At the famous Globe
Theatre, where William Shakespeare
performed, visitors can enjoy one
of his plays and feel the
atmosphere of his time.
Children in Britain must attend school
from the age of 5 until they are 16.
Around 93% of children in the UK get
free education. The rest attend private
schools. The average weight of a
British child's
school bag is 5.5 kilos.
There is a National Curriculum for all pupils. English,
mathematics and science are ‘core' subjects and students spend
more time on them.
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The most common leisure activities among
people in the UK are home-based, like
entertaining or visiting relatives and friends.
Watching television is by far the most popular
leisure pastime. They also like listening to the
radio or to music and reading books (6 out of
10 people are members of public libraries).
Finally, they are good at gardening and do-it
yourself activities.
About 29 million
people over the
age of 16 in the UK
take part in sport or
exercise. Walking is
the most popular
physical activity.
The sport which the British love watching is
football. The Football Association Cup Final,
the Wimbledon tennis tournament, the Open
Golf Tournament and the Grand National (a
world-famous horserace over fences) are the
most important sporting events in the UK.
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