Translate the text. The United Kingdom ​The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244 000 square kilometers. ​The United Kingdom is one of the world’s smallest countries. Its population is over 62 million. About 80 per cent of the population is urban. ​The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and does not include Northern Ireland. But in everyday speech “Great Britain” is used in the meaning of the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. The capital of the UK is London. ​The British Isles are separated from the Continent by the North Sea, the English Channel and the Strait of Dover. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. ​The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called Highlands. The south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called Lowlands. The north and west of England are mountainous, but the eastern, central and south-eastern parts of England are a vast plain. Mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain (1342 m.). There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one. The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round. Actually, the weather in Britain changes very quickly. The English say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when in rains all day long. Sometimes it rains so heavily that they say "It's raining cats and dogs". The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It produces and exports machinery, electronics, textile. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding. 1. Answer the questions. 1. What islands is the United Kingdom situated on? 2. What is the country's population? 3. What is the United Kingdom made up of? 4. What is the United Kingdom washed by? 5. How can you characterize the surface of the British Isles? 6. What is the climate of Great Britain? 7. What does the expression “It’s raining cats and dogs” mean?

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