1、英语国家社会与文化入门英语国家社会与文化入门(上册）上册）The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking CountriesAn Introduction(Book One)The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Unit 1 A Brief Introduction to the United KingdomQuiz Give the English and a brief explanation for the following:1 大英帝国 2 英联邦国家组织
2、3 亚瑟王 4 苏格兰高地 5 威尔士亲王Focal Pointseffects of UKs imperial past a multiracial societythe significant role of Londoncultural and economic dominance of Englandinvasion from the Roman Empiresettlement of the Anglo-SaxonsVikings from ScandinaviaWilliam the Conquerorphysical features of Scotlandthe Battle
3、of BannockburnUnion with England in 1707strong Scottish identityWales unification with the UKThis Unit Is Divided into Four SectionsI.A Brief Introduction to the United KingdomII.EnglandIII.ScotlandIV.WalesI.A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom The full name of the country is the United Kingdo
4、m of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.It is a complicated name for what is in many ways a complicated country.The legacy of the long gone British Empire and joining of the EU have changed Britains position in the world.The four constituent parts plus post-war immigration from the former colonies h
5、ave rendered the UK a multiracial society.There are differences between the capital and the provinces,between the north and the south.London(England)is in the south of the country,and is dominant in the UK in all sorts of ways.The UK has an area of 93,800 square miles(243,000 km2),making it the 80th
6、-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe.The UK is the 22nd-most populous country,with an estimated 64.1 million inhabitants.The two maps show the position of the UK in the world and the four constituent parts of the UKAt its height,the British Empire was the largest empi
7、re in history.By 1922 the British Empire held sway over about 458 million people,one-fifth of the worlds population at the time.The empire covered more than 33,700,000 square km(13,012,000 sq mi),almost a quarter of the Earths total land area.The Commonwealth of Nations,commonly known as the Commonw
8、ealth(formerly the British Commonwealth),is an intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states that were mostly territories of the former British Empire.The UK maintains its links with its former colonies through the Commonwealth of Nations.The European Union(EU)is a politico-economic union of 28
9、 member states that are located primarily in Europe.The EU operates through a system of supranational institutions and intergovernmental negotiated decisions by the member states.Since its entry into EU in 1973,the UK has developed a closer relationships with Europe.The importance of London in the U
10、KLondon is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom.It is the most populous city in the United Kingdom,with a metropolitan area of over 13 million inhabitants.London is a leading global city,with strengths in the arts,commerce,education,entertainment,fashion,finance,healthcare,media,profes
11、sional services,research and development,tourism,and transport,all of which contribute to its preeminence.It is one of the worlds leading financial centres and has the fifth-or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world depending on measurement.London has a diverse range of peoples and culture
12、s,and more than 300 languages are spoken within Greater London.The regions official population was 8,416,535 in 2013,making it the most populous municipality in the European Union,and accounting for 12.5%of the UK population.London has four World Heritage Sites:the Tower of London,Westminster Palace
13、,Westminster Abbey,St.Margrets Church.Tower of London and Westminster PalaceLondon held 3 Olympic games 1908,1948 and 2012 respectively.2012 OlympicsThe City of London is widely referred to simply as the City and is also colloquially known as the Square Mile,as it is 1.12 sq mi(2.90 km2)in area.It i
14、s one of the financial centres of the world.The skyline of the City of London in December 2013II.England England is a highly urbanized country,with 80%of its population living in cities,and only 2%of the population working in agriculture.Its largest city is the capital London,which is dominant in th
15、e UK in all fields:government,finance,and culture.British history has been a history of invasions:Romans,Anglo-Saxons,Vikings and the Normans.The Glorious Revolution of 1688 changed Britain into a constitutional monarchy.One of the best-known English legends,King Arthur,derives from the Anglo-Saxon
16、period.England has a total area of 130,395 square km and its population is 53,012,456(2011 census)with a density of 407 persons/square km.England and its FlagEngland:History of Invasion and Conquest The Celts The Romans The Anglo-Saxons(King Arthur);Anglo-land=England:form the basis of the modern En
17、glish race and language The Vikings The Normans(William the Conqueror 1066,Robin Hood)William and Mary from Holland(the Glorious Revolution,or the bloodless revolution,1688),establishing parliaments dominance over the monarch British identity building:constitutional monarchy(only a gap of 11 years r
18、uled by parliaments leader,Oliver Cromwell);unification of 4 parts;the British EmpireFollowing the conquest of the Britons,a distinctive Romano-British culture emerged as the Romans introduced improved agriculture,urban planning,industrial production,and architecture.Britain within the Roman Empire:
19、AD 43-c.410 During their occupation of Britain the Romans built an extensive network of roads which continued to be used in later centuries and many are still followed today.Hadrians Wall and Bath the Roman legacy in BritainThe Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain is the term traditionally used to desc
20、ribe the process by which the coastal lowlands of Britain developed from a Romano-British to a Germanic culture following the withdrawal of Roman troops from the island in the early 5th century.Anglo-Saxon Migration 5th Century and their kingdoms established in BritainKing Arthur is a legendary Brit
21、ish leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries,who,according to medieval histories and romances,led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century.King Arthur and the round table knightsThe Norwegians expanded to the north and west to places such as Ireland,Scotland,Icela
22、nd,and Greenland;the Danes to England and France,settling in the Danelaw(northern/eastern England)and Normandy;and the Swedes to the east,founding the Kievan Rus,the original Russia.Scandinavian settlements of the 8th through 11th centuries The Norman conquest of England was the 11th-century invasio
23、n and occupation of England by an army of Norman,Breton,and French soldiers led by Duke William II of Normandy,later William the Conqueror.Norman expansion by 1130The Glorious Revolution(1688)was the overthrow of King James II of England(James VII of Scotland and James II of Ireland)by a union of En
24、glish Parliamentarians with William III of Orange-Nassau(William of Orange).The Revolution turned Britain into a constitutional monarchy.Picture:The Prince of Orange lands at Torbay.III.Scotland Scotland is the second largest of the four nations,both in population and in geographical area.Physically
25、,Scotland is the most rugged part of the UK,with areas of sparely populated mountains and lakes in the north(the Highlands),and in the south.Scotland was not conquered by the Romans,nor was most of Scotland conquered by the Anglo-Saxons.Scotland and England merged in 1603(officially in 1707)due to t
26、he issue of English throne inheritance.Yet,the dream of an independent Scotland has not vanished.Scotland has an area of 78,387 square km,and a population of 5.3 million(2013)Scotland and its flagEdinburgh,the countrys capital and second-largest city,was the hub of the Scottish Enlightenment of the
27、18th century,which transformed Scotland into one of the commercial,intellectual,and industrial powerhouses of Europe.Edinburgh Castle.Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC,although the nature of this early settlement is unclear.By inheritance in 1603,King James VI o
28、f Scotland became King of England and King of Ireland,thus forming a personal union of the three kingdoms.Scotland subsequently entered into a political union with England on 1 May 1707 to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain.Scotland had never been conquered in history,yet James VI of Scotland i
29、nherited the throne of England and thus merged the two kingdoms in 1603.The Scottish National Party,which supports Scottish independence,won an overall majority in the 2011 general election.An independence referendum was held on 18 September 2014,with independence being rejected by a majority of 55%
30、to 45%on an 85%voter turnout.The Scottish First Minister,Alex Salmond,and the Deputy First Minister,Nicola Sturgeon,at the launch of the National Conversation,14 August 2007.IV.Wales Wales is the smallest among the three nations on the British mainland,though larger than Ireland.The capital is Cardi
31、ff,a small city of about 300,000 people.Wales is very close to England and thus has been dominated by England for longer than other nations of the union.After English conquest,Edward I named his son the Prince of Wales,and the first son of the monarch has held that title ever since(including the pre
32、sent day Prince Charles)to try to bring Wales into the British nation.Welsh,a Celtic tongue completely different from English,is spoken by 19%of the population in Wales.Wales has a total area of 20,779 square km(8,023 sq mi)and had a population of 3,063,456 in 2011.Wales has over 1,680 miles(2,700 k
33、m)of coastline and is largely mountainous,with its highest peaks in the north and central areas,including Snowdon(Yr Wyddfa),its highest summit Wales and its flagCardiff Cardiff is the capital and largest city in Wales and the 10th largest city in the UK.The city is the countrys chief commercial cen
34、tre,the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions,the Welsh national media,and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales.Aided by Welsh-medium education and migration from other parts of Wales,the number of Welsh speakers in Cardiff rose by 14,451 between 1991 and 2001;Welsh is now
35、 spoken by 11%of Cardiffians.Bilingual signs are commonplace in Cardiff Questions for DiscussionA.What was the British Empire?In what way is the Empire still felt in Britain and in the international field?B.“British history has been a history of invasion.”How did each of the invasions influence Brit
36、ish culture?C.What are some of the general characteristics of Scotland?How did Scotland become part of the union of Great Britain?D.Describe characteristics of Wales and Wales unification with Great Britain.E.Are there any differences between England,Scotland and Wales in terms of cultural tradition?The End高等教育出版社2015
