More About the United Kingdom
More about United Kingdom
Britain has something to offer for the visitor in all seasons. The summer is pleasantly warm (30 degree C) and ideally suited for outings and beach odysseys. Occasional rains, snowy winter, blooming spring, and golden autumn–Britain has excellent weather throughout the year. The must-see top 10 national parks in Britain are located at:
- Dartmoor
- Exmoor
- Lake District
- Peak District
- Northumberland
- New York Moors
- Yorkshire Dales
- Brecon Beacons (Wales)
- Pembrokeshire Coastline (Wales)
- Snowdonia (Wales)
Great Britain is a country of legends and literary greats, history and culture, scientists and inventors including household names such as King Arthur and Robin Hood, Knight Templars and Renaissance, Shakespeare and Wordsworth, Yeats and Eliot, Joyce and Shaw, Newton and Johnson. And for the modern sports enthusiast, there is Manchester, the city of Manchester United, the star football team on the global circuit.
England in the mainland is a country of rich variety evident in its places and people, history and hospitality, cities and culture, clubs and cuisines, art and pageantry. You can reach most places easily starting from London, the ultra modern and historical capital city. Apart from its renowned theatres and museums, London has a large number of world class hotels and restaurants. Other attractive cities worth visiting in England include Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle. Birmingham is noted for its exquisite exhibits of art and culture while Newcastle delights with its vibrant night life.
Apart from its famously known Scotch whisky and golf, Scotland has a lot to offer for the tourist. It is a country of castles and legends, warrior clans and valour, and a mystic aura of hoary history that easily blends with the warm hospitality of the people. It is picturesquely spread out from the towering Cairngorm mountains in the north-east to the charming coastlines. Edinburgh, the capital city, is a World Heritage Site noted for its awe-inspiring architectural wonders of the neo-classical era. It hosts one of the largest international art festivals every year. The Scottish Highlands is among the best known and popular wilderness haunts in the continent. For the lovers of art and architecture, there is Clyde Valley as well as Glasgow with their many monuments, museums and art galleries.
Wales is celebrated as much for it poetry, drama, art and culture as its panoramic landscapes, lakes and mountains. Among its main attractions are the Snowdonia region with its captivatingly beautiful beaches and mountains, castles and culture, adventure and sports; River Dee and Llangollen; the legendary market town of Caernarfon with its medieval fortress; the Vale of Usk and the Wye Valley that connect England with Wales; the Mumbles Resort and the Swansea Bay in south-west Wales; and a lot more. Cardiff is the capital city and Celtic the local language, apart from English which is widely spoken. While in Wales, don’t miss the ‘eisteddfodau’, a rare summer festival that the Welsh celebrate with gusto.
Northern Ireland is a virtual paradise for the tourist with its vivacious cities, shops and retreats, clubs and cafés, and exotic cuisine. Belfast, the capital city, is the perfect place for a great holiday or getaway. With a large port located here, Belfast remains as the welcome gateway and curtain-raiser to the other exciting parts of Northern Ireland. The walled city of Derry (Londonderry) and Portaferry with its pubs and curio corners, aquarium and eateries, are the other must-see spots in this enticing region.
Britain became a great colonial power with dominion over several countries spread across many continents in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 19th century it held maritime control and dominated the growth of industries, apart from excelling in the fields of science, literature and arts. In its heydays, the British Empire accounted for control over 25% of the world’s land area. It is credited with gifting the world the political system of parliamentary democracy.
The two World Wars in the first half of the 20th century saw Britain’s powers eroding considerably. Several colonies, including India, broke away from the dominion declaring independence, and in the latter half of the century most of Britain’s energies were focused on rebuilding the post-Empire nation into a strong and modern economic power. The UK is a founding member of the Commonweath as well as NATO and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It plays a global role in its foreign policy that aims at promoting economic progress, democracy, education, technological advancement and social welfare worldwide.
