An Introduction to English- Speaking Countries 英语国家概括张 学 力QQ：1772708276邮箱: 1772708276QQ.comThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland1. Geography 2. Population 3. Economy 4. History 5. Culture 6. Politics 7. Diplomatic Relationships 8. Sports 9. Leisure LifeUK in the World1. Geography1. Geographic FeaturesuIsland country; no part of Britain is very far from the coast; good, deep harbors. uTilting: rising in North-West, highland; sinking in South-East, low land. uWeather: mild temperature; plenty of rainfallTopographi c Map of the UK2. Population Distributionu Land area: 244, 820skq u Total population: 60, 943, 912 (2008) (18th in the world) u Distribution: Administrative DivisionPopulation (mid 2007)England51.1 millionScotland5.1 millionWales3.0 millionNorthern Ireland1.8 millionUnited Kingdom 60,975,000England: about 84% Scotland: roughly 8.5 % Wales: 5% Northern Ireland (since 1921): less than 3%.Source: Office for National Statistics; National Assembly for Wales; General Register Office for Scotland; Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (updated Jan 2008) it is more than twice as densely populated as France (106/sqk), eight times as densely populated as the USA (31/sqk) and 100 times as densely populated as Australia (2/sqk).Britain is a relatively densely populated country 248 people/skq, 6th in the world. (2007)1st. Bangladesh1023/skq 2ed. Japan: 338/ sqk 3rd. India: 333/sqk11th. China: 138/sqk 20th. USA: 31/skqMap of Population DensitySource: National Statistics website: www.statistics.gov.uk3. HistoryuPrehistoric Britain BC uRoman Britain 43 AD uAnglo Saxon Britain 450 uViking Britain 793 uMedieval Britain 1066 uTudor Britain 1485 uStuart Britain 1603 uGeorgian Britain 1714 uVictorian Britain 1837 uModern Britain 1902 + Prehistoric Britain The first men and women came to Britain over two and a half million years ago. They were hunters and gatherers of food who used simple stone tools and weapons. B.C EVENTS 500,000People migrate to Britain from Europe. 6500The land bridge joining Britain to Europe is flooded as the sea level rises. Britain becomes an Island. 2,100Bronze Age begins 2,000Stonehenge completed 750Iron Age begins: iron replaces bronze as most useful metal. Population about 150,000. 500The Celtic people arrive from Central Europe.Roman Britain uThe Romans were the first to invade Britain and came to Britain nearly 2000 years ago. Even today, the ruins of Roman buildings, forts, roads, and baths can be found all over Britain. uBritain was part of the Roman Empire for almost 400 years! uthe Roman armies left by the time of around 410 AD. uMany English words are derived from the latin language of the Romans. Roman BritainTimeEvents55 BCJulius Caesar heads first Roman Invasion but later withdraws 43 ADRomans invaded and Britain became part of the Roman Empire 122-128Emperor Hadrian builds a wall on the Scottish Border 140Romans conquered Scotland401-410The Romans withdraw from Britain: Anglo Saxons migrants begin to Settle Anglo-Saxon Britain uThe Roman army left Britain about AD 410. When they had gone there was no strong army to defend Britain, and tribes called the Angle, Saxon, and Jute (the Anglo-Saxons) invaded. They left their homelands in northern Germany, Denmark and northern Holland and rowed across the North Sea in wooden boats. uThe Anglo-Saxons ruled most of Britain but never conquered Cornwall in the south-west, Wales in the west, or Scotland in the north. They divided the country into kingdoms. uMissionaries from Roman spread Christianity across southern Britain.Viking BritainThe Viking Age in Britain began about 1,200 years ago in the 8th Century AD and lasted for 300 years. 793First invasion by the Vikings 866-877Invasion of the Great Danish (Viking) Army 871King Alfred defeats the Vikings but allows them to settle in Eastern England 926Eastern England (Danelaw) is conquered by the Saxons 1042Edward the Confessor becomes King The Middle Ages - Medieval Britain (Normans) The Middle Ages in Britain cover a huge period. Norman Conquest began in 1066 The Normans built impressive castles, imposed a feudal systemand carried out a census of the country. 1066The Battle of Hastings: William of Normandy defeats Harold with a lucky shot and becomes King of England - Norman Conquest 1078Work starts on The Tower of London 1167Oxford University Founded 1215The Magna Carta is signed by King John 1314he Battle of Stirling Bridge The Scots under William Wallace defeat the English 1337-1453Hundred Years War with France 1348-1349The Black Death arrived in England and killed nearly half of the population The Black Death Moving through EuropeTudor Britain The Tudors were a Welsh-English family that ruled England from 1485 to 1603 - one of the most exciting periods of British history. Henry VIII split with Catholicism and made himself head of the Church of En