The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and sports activities

1.

The United Kingdom
of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland
and sports activities

2.

Great Britain is the heart of the British Commonwealth of
Nations. Great Britain has ranked among the leading nations
of the world for more than 500 years. The British people have
been leaders in many fields — in science, exploration,
government, and arts. The official name of the country is the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

3.

The island of Great Britain includes
England, Scotland, and Wales. Northern
Ireland, which covers about one fifth of
Ireland also, is the part of the United
Kingdom. London is the capital and
largest city. The face of the land varies
from one part of the country to another.
Great manufacturing cities and thriving
farms lie on the green plains of England.
Deposits of coal and other valuable
minerals are mined in the steep hills and
mountains of Wales. The Scottish
Lowlands support manufacturing and
shipbuilding industries. The low
grasslands and mild climate of Northern
Ireland provide excellent grazing for
livestock.

4.

Great Britain occupies the territory of 244,100 sq. km. It
is one of the most densely populated countries in the
world. The average population density is 230 per sq. km
– one of the highest in the world. The population of
Great Britain is over 56,000,000. The state is divided
into 55 counties. London is the capital of Great Britain.

5.

The English are great lovers of competitive sports. They like to
play games, to watch competitions or at least to talk about, them.
Britain was the home of many of the modern world's most
popular sports. Football is the best example, but among the
others are tennis, horse racing, and rugby.

6.

The game peculiarly associated with
England is cricket. It's played in schools,
colleges, universities and between club
teams all over the country. They say, that
cricket embodies the spirit of England.
Every Sunday morning from May to the
end of September many Englishmen get
up very early, and take a lot of
sandwiches with them. It is necessary
because the games are very long. Games
between two village teams last for only
one afternoon. Games between counties
last for three days, with 6 hours play on
each day. When England plays with one
or other cricketing countries such as
Australia and New Zealand it is called a
test match and lasts for five days.

7.

Football is the most
popular British sport. It is
played from late August
until early May. There are a
lot of amateur football (or
«soccer»)
clubs,
but
professional football is a
big business. Every large
town has at least one
professional football club.
The Cup Final match is the
great event of the football
year. The most popular
football clubs in Great
Britain are: Manchester
United, Chelsea, Liverpool,
Manchester City, Everton
and many other.

8.

Rugby
football
(or
«rugger») is played with
an eggshaped ball, which
may be carried and
thrown (but not forward).
There is a professional
League rugby in the
north, but mainly rugby is
played by amateurs. The
most popular rugby teams
are: Leicester Tigers,
Wasps and Saracens.

9.

Tennis is a very popular game. The great event of the tennis
year is the Wimbledon Tournament (Wimbledon is a suburb
south of London) in which champions compete from all over
the world.

10.

Horse racing is another spectator sport. The
general public like races of horses and dogs
because they provide suitable pretexts for betting.