35 facts about the UK
Great Britain is a country with a rich history and culture. Here, as many as six languages are officially recognized, and all schoolchildren are required to learn a second language up to a certain point (most often they choose French and German). Here are 35 more interesting facts about this country:
1. Tea is the most popular drink in the UK. The British drink about 165 million cups of this drink every day. Interestingly, in the United States, tea is drunk 20 times less often.
2. London is home to nearly 9 million people who communicate in a wide variety of languages. It is estimated that over 300 languages are spoken simultaneously in this city.
3. The first postage stamp was invented in Great Britain. It was created in 1840 and featured Queen Victoria.
4. Typical food in Great Britain is roast beef and Yorkshire beef, but the British have chosen as their national dish ... chicken tikku masala (in fact, this is an Indian recipe). And this is not surprising: Indian restaurants are ubiquitous in the UK. There are more of them in London than in major Indian cities such as New Delhi or Mumbai.
5. Queen Elizabeth II reigned longer than any other queens in the world.
6. In August 1896, Great Britain and the Sultanate of Zanzibar fought for about 40 minutes, and it was the shortest war in history. Only one British sailor was wounded, while there were 500 casualties in the enemy camp.
7. English is the official language of Great Britain, but there are many accents throughout the country. The accent changes so often that after a few kilometers you can hear a completely different pronunciation.
8. British writer and author of the Harry Potter saga J.K. Rowling became the first billionaire writer. In 2014, her income reached one billion dollars.
9. British passports are issued in the name of the Queen, and if so, Her Excellency is not entitled to a passport. Which, however, did not prevent Queen Elizabeth II from visiting more than 100 pages
10. Oxford University is the oldest institution of higher education in the UK. Until 1877, his teachers were not allowed to marry.
11. Llanwire-Pullguingill is the longest-named village in Wales. It was invented by a tailor, and translated into Russian it looks like this: Llanweirpullguingillgogerihuirndrobullantisiliogogogoh Not quite according to the rules for constructing Welsh names, but it attracts tourists.
12. The Union Jack or Union Flag is the national flag of Great Britain. It is a combination of the Scottish, English and Saint Patrick (Ireland) flags. Sorry Wales.
13. Royal weddings are national holidays in the UK. Employees are entitled to a day off on the day following the ceremony.
14. Becoming a taxi driver in London is not easy. First you need to pass the test for orientation on the terrain - without maps and navigators.
15. Fordwich is the smallest city in Great Britain with only about 400 inhabitants.
16. The smallest statue in London depicts two mice fighting over a piece of cheese. The history of this tiny sculpture is quite tragic. During the construction of this monument, two builders were killed in an argument over a sandwich, which, as it turned out, ate a mouse.
17. In Great Britain there is no Constitution - a printed document that is the fundamental law of the country. The customary law makes itself felt.
18. The UK has 394,000 kilometers of paved roads. Enough to drive them around the world ten times.
19. There are more English speakers in the United States, India, Pakistan, Nigeria and the Philippines than in the UK itself.
20. The British have a habit of calling pubs the same: about 500 pubs in the country are called "Red Lion".
21. All horses in the UK must have a passport - even royal ones.
22. Margaret Thatcher was the first woman in the world to be elected Prime Minister of Great Britain. She also became the longest-serving prime minister.
23. Scientists have discovered a unique species of mosquito in the undergrounds of London. They evolved independently and completely independently of other mosquito species.
24. French was the official language in Great Britain for almost 300 years, from 1066 to 1362.
25. The British Library is the second largest in the world. There are over 150 million books here.
26. Shakespeare brought about 3000 new words to the English language.
27. Despite the growing number of online publications, the British are very fond of paper newspapers. Every year, about 38 kilograms of the press read per one adult in the country.
28. It is illegal to kill swans in the UK. For such a crime, you can get a fine of £ 5,000 or six months in prison.
29. There is a law that allows any citizen to kill Scott entering the city of York if that person is holding an arrow over his head.
30. Birmingham is the second largest city in the UK. More than 30 locations around the world are called "Birmingham". And even on the moon there are places with this name.
31. Great Britain is a huge country, wherever you stop, you will never be more than 115 km from the sea. No wonder this is an island!
32. Continental Europe is linked to the UK by a tunnel under the English Channel. It connects the cities of Calais (France) and Dover (England). Also called the Eurotunnel, it is 51 km long (of which 39 km are under water) and is the second longest underground tunnel in the world, yielding only 0.7 km to the Gotthard Tunnel. located in Switzerland.
33. Smith Jones and Williams are some of the most common names in the UK.
34. In the 16th century in Great Britain, the king raised taxes for everyone who wore a beard.
35. There are 31 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the UK. Among them are the famous Stonehenge, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, as well as less obvious sites such as the city of Bath, famous for its healing springs, or the fortified borders of the Roman Empire.
36. London became the first city in the world to have an underground metro.
37. The oldest house in the UK was built 6,000 years ago. It is furnished with stone furnishings that have survived to this day.
38. Stonehenge is older than the Egyptian pyramids. Located in the south of Great Britain, this World Heritage Site was built over 3000 BC. BC, while the oldest pyramid of Cheops was erected about 2500 BC.
39. Residents of Great Britain who turn 100 years old receive personal congratulations from the Queen/King. This is a postcard with the warmest wishes of the august lady. And a Briton can receive such a congratulation every year after he has "hit" 100.
40. Contrary to a common mistake, the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom are not the same thing. The United Kingdom includes Northern Ireland, but the United Kingdom does not.
Oh, have you noticed that there are actually 40 facts? :)