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Florence Nightingale (Nursing),Richard Owen (Palaeontology), Sir George Cayley (Aerodynamics), William Fox Talbot (Photography), Howard Carter (Modern Archaeology, discovered Tutankhamun), James Hutton (Modern Geology).[165]
John Harrison invented the marine chronometer, a key piece in solving the problem of accurately establishing longitude at seaHP Pavilion dv7-6011sg CPU Fan
, thus revolutionising and extending the possibility of safe long distance sea travel.[166] The most celebrated British explorers include James Cook, Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake, Henry Hudson, George Vancouver, Sir John Franklin, David Livingstone, Captain John Smith, Robert Falcon Scott, Lawrence Oates and Ernest Shackleton. Toshiba Satellite L300D-01P CPU Fan
William Sturgeon invented the electromagnet in 1824.[167][168] The first commercial electrical telegraph was co-invented by Sir William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone. Cooke and Wheatstone patented it in May 1837 as an alarm system, and it was first successfully demonstrated on 25 July 1837 between Euston and Camden Town in London.[16Compaq Presario CQ60-409CA CPU Fan
9][170] Postal reformer Sir Rowland Hill is regarded as the creator of the modern postal service and the inventor of the postage stamp (Penny Black) — with his solution of pre-payment facilitating the safe, speedy and cheap transfer of letters.[171] Hill's colleague Sir Henry Cole introduced the world's first commercial Christmas card in 1843.[17HP Mini 110-3010sf CPU Fan
] In 1851 Sir George Airy established the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London, as the location of the prime meridianwhere longitude is defined to be 0° (the point that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres).[173]
Historically, many of the UK's greatest scientists have been based at either Oxford or Cambridge University, Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4056 CPU Fan
with laboratories such as the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge and the Clarendon Laboratory in Oxford becoming famous in their own right. In modern times, other institutions such as the Red Brick and New Universitiesare catching up with Oxbridge. For instance, Lancaster University has a global reputation for work in low temperature physics. Toshiba Satellite M70-142 CPU Fan
Technologically, the UK is also amongst the world's leaders. Historically, it was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution, with innovations especially in textiles, the steam engine, railroads and civil engineering. Famous British engineers and inventors from this period include James Watt, Robert Stephenson, DELL Inspiron E1505 CPU Fan
Richard Arkwright, and the 'father of Railways' George Stephenson. With his role in the marketing and manufacturing of Watt's steam engine, and invention of modern coinage, Matthew Boulton is regarded as one of the most influential entrepreneurs in history.[17HP 532613-001 CPU Fan
5] Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was placed second in a 2002 BBC nationwide poll to determine the "100 Greatest Britons".[176] He is best known for creating the Great Western Railway, as well as famous steamships including the SS Great Britain, the first propeller-driven ocean-going iron ship, HP Envy 14-1080eo CPU Fan
and SS Great Eastern which laid the first lasting transatlantic telegraph cable.[177] Josiah Wedgwood pioneered the industrialisation of pottery manufacture.
Since then, the United Kingdom has continued this tradition of technical creativity. Alan Turing(leading role in the creation of the modern computer),[179] ACER TravelMate 5230 CPU Fan
Scottish inventor Alexander Graham Bell (the first practical telephone),[180] John Logie Baird (world's first working television system, first electronic colour television),[181][182] Frank Whittle (inventor of the jet engine), Charles Babbage (who devised the idea of the computer) and Alexander Fleming (discoverer of penicillin)[183Lenovo 3000 G430 CPU Fan
] were all British. The UK remains one of the leading providers of technological innovations today, providing inventions as diverse as the World Wide Web by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, andViagra by British scientists at Pfizer's Sandwich, Kent.[184] Sir Alec Jeffreys pioneered DNA fingerprinting.[185] Pioneers of fertilitytreatment Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards, ASUS EEE PC 1215N CPU Fan
successfully achieved conception through IVF (world's first "test tube baby").[186][187]
Other famous scientists, engineers, theorists and inventors from the UK include: Sir Francis Bacon, Richard Trevithick (Train), Thomas Henry Huxley, Francis Crick (DNA), Rosalind Franklin (Photo 51), Dell Vostro 3750 CPU Fan
Robert Hooke, Humphry Davy, Robert Watson-Watt, J. J. Thomson(discovered Electron), James Chadwick (discovered Neutron), Frederick Soddy (discovered Isotope), John Cockcroft, Henry Bessemer, Edmond Halley, Sir William Herschel, Charles Parsons (Steam turbine), Toshiba Satellite L500-018 CPU Fan
Alan Blumlein (Stereo sound), John Dalton (Colour blindness), James Dewar,Alexander Parkes (celluloid), Charles Macintosh, Ada Lovelace, Peter Durand, Alcock & Brown (first non-stop transatlantic flight), Henry Cavendish (discovered Hydrogen), Francis Galton, Sir Joseph Swan (Incandescent light bulb), Sir William Gull (Anorexia nervosa), COMPAQ Presario CQ42-116TU CPU Fan
Frank Pantridge, George Everest, Edward Whymper (first ascent of Matterhorn), Daniel Rutherford, Arthur Eddington (luminosity of stars), Lord Rayleigh (why sky is blue),Norman Lockyer (discovered Helium),[188] Julian Huxley (formed WWF), Adam Smith (pioneer of modern economics and capitalism), HP Pavilion dv6-2115eg CPU Fan
John Herschel, Bertrand Russell(analytic philosophy pioneer), Jim Marshall (guitar amplifier pioneer),[189] William Ramsay (discovered the noble gases), Peter Higgs (proposed Higgs boson), Harry Brearley (stainless steel), Jane Goodall, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking and Joseph Priestley. Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4056 CPU Fan
The United Kingdom was created as an Anglican Christian country and Anglican churches remain the largest faith group in each country of the UK except Scotland where Anglicanism is a tiny minority.[190] Following this is Roman Catholicism and religions including Islam,Hinduism, HP 646578-001 CPU Fan
Sikhism, Judaism, and Buddhism. Today British Jews number around 300 000 with the UK having the fifth largest Jewish community worldwide.[191]
William Tyndale's 1520s translation of the Bible was the first ever to be printed in English, and was a model for subsequent English translations, notably the King James Version in 1611.[192] SONY VAIO PCG-6L2L CPU Fan
The Book of Common Prayer of 1549 was the first prayer book to include the complete forms of service for daily and Sunday worship in English, and the marriage and burial rites have found their way into those of other denominations and into the English language. While 2001 census information[193] suggests that over 75 percent of UK citizens consider themselves to belong to a religion, Toshiba Satellite X205-S9349 CPU Fan
Gallup reports only 10 percent of UK citizens regularly attend religious services. A 2004 YouGov poll found that 44 percent of UK citizens believe in God, while 35 percent do not.[194] Christmas and Easter are national public holidays in the UK,[195] and Christian organisations, such as the Salvation Army founded by William Booth, play an important role for their charitable work. DELL yy529 CPU Fan
The UK has a parliamentary government based on the Westminster system that has been emulated around the world – a legacy of theBritish Empire. The Parliament of the United Kingdom that meets in the Palace of Westminster has two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed House of Lords, HP Pavilion dv7-3020es CPU Fan
and any Bill passed requires Royal Assent to become law. It is the ultimate legislative authority in the United Kingdom since the devolved parliament in Scotland and devolved assemblies in Northern Ireland, and Walesare not sovereign bodies and could be abolished by the UK parliament despite being established following public approval as expressed in referendums. HP G62-369TX CPU Fan
The UK's three major political parties are the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Democrats, who most recently won between them 622 out of 650 seats available in the House of Commons at the 2010 general election (including the delayed election in Thirsk and Malton). HP 13.V1.BJ195.F.GN CPU Fan
Most of the remaining seats were won by parties that only contest elections in one part of the UK such as the Scottish National Party (Scotland only), Plaid Cymru (Wales only), and the Democratic Unionist Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party, Ulster Unionist Party, and Sinn Féin (Northern Ireland). Toshiba Satellite L675D-S7016 CPU Fan
The United Kingdom has an uncodified constitution, the Constitution of the United Kingdom, consisting mostly of a collection of disparate written sources, including statutes, judge-made case law, and international treaties. As there is no technical difference between ordinary statutes and "constitutional law, HP Pavilion dv7-1451nr CPU Fan
" the UK Parliament can perform "constitutional reform" simply by passing Acts of Parliament and thus has the political power to change or abolish almost any written or unwritten element of the constitution. However, no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. HP G62-a57SG CPU Fan
Major British constitutional documents include: Magna Carta (foundation of the "great writ" Habeas corpus — safeguarding individual freedom against arbitrary state action), the Bill of Rights 1689 (one provision granting freedom of speech in Parliament), Petition of Right, Habeas Corpus Act 1679 andParliament Acts 1911 and 1949. SONY Vaio VGN-NR31S/S CPU Fan
A separate but similar document, the Claim of Right Act, applies in Scotland. The jurist Albert Venn Dicey wrote that the British Habeas Corpus Acts "declare no principle and define no rights, but they are for practical purposes worth a hundred constitutional articles guaranteeing individual liberty".[198] IBM 91P9252 CPU Fan
A strong advocate of the "unwritten constitution", Dicey highlighted that English rights were embedded in the general English common law of personal liberty, and "the institutions and manners of the nation".[199] Important British political figures include; Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the suffragettes which helped win women the right to vote,[200Toshiba Satellite M70-122 CPU Fan
] William Wilberforce, leading abolitionist,[201] Robert Peel, founded the Conservative party (which was expanded by Benjamin Disraeli), and is also credited with the creation of the modern police force.[202] Britain took a leading role in the movement to abolish slavery worldwide, and in 1839 the world's oldest international human rights organisation, SONY UDQFWPH22FQU CPU Fan
Anti-Slavery International, was formed in Britain, which worked to outlaw slavery in other countries.[203] The world's largest human rights organisation, Amnesty International, was founded by Peter Benenson in London in 1961.
British cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with the United Kingdom. HP Pavilion dv6-2150ei CPU Fan
Historically, British cuisine means "unfussy dishes made with quality local ingredients, matched with simple sauces to accentuate flavour, rather than disguise it."[205] British cuisine has traditionally been limited in its international recognition to the full breakfast and theChristmas dinner.[206] HP G42-367TU CPU Fan
However, Celtic agriculture and animal breeding produced a wide variety of foodstuffs for indigenous Celts.Anglo-Saxon England developed meat and savoury herb stewing techniques before the practice became common in Europe. The Norman conquest introduced exotic spices into Great Britain in the Middle Ages.[206] Toshiba Satellite P100-238 CPU Fan
The British Empire facilitated a knowledge of India's elaborate food tradition of "strong, penetrating spices and herbs".[206]
The first recipe for ice cream was published in Mrs. Mary Eales's Receipts in London 1718.[207] ACER Aspire 5739 CPU Fan
The 18th-century English aristocratJohn Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich is most renowned for the claim to have originated the modern concept of the sandwich which was named after him. It is said that he ordered his valet to bring him meat tucked between two pieces of bread, and because Montagu also happened to be the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, others began to order "the same as Sandwich!".[20IBM ThinkPad T40 2678 CPU Fan
8] In 1767, Joseph Priestleyinvented carbonated water (also known as soda water), the major and defining component of most soft drinks.
Each country within the United Kingdom has its own specialities. Traditional examples of English cuisine include the Sunday roast; IBM Thinkpad T43 CPU Fan
featuring a roasted joint, usually beef, lamb or chicken, served with assorted boiled vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.[212] Other prominent meals includefish and chips and the full English breakfast—consisting of bacon, grilled tomatoes, fried bread,black pudding, baked beans, fried mushrooms, sausages and eggs. IBM ThinkPad T43 2668 CPU Fan
The first chips fried in Britain were at Oldham's Tommyfield Market in 1860, and on the site a blue plaque marks the origin of the fish and chip shop and fast food industries in Britain.[213] Various meat pies are consumed such assteak and kidney pie, shepherd's pie, cottage pie, Cornish pasty and pork pie, the later of which is consumed cold. IBM ThinkPad T43 1871 CPU Fan, ACER Travelmate 8104WLMI CPU Fan
A quintissential British custom, afternoon tea is a small meal snack typically eaten between 4pm and 6pm. The most popular drink in Britain, tea became more widely drunk due to Catherine of Braganza, and is traditionally accompanied with sandwiches, scones, cakes or pastries (such asBattenberg cake, fruit cake or Victoria sponge).[215][216] DELL INSPIRON 1464 Keyboard
Sausages are commonly eaten, either asbangers and mash or toad in the hole. Lancashire hotpot is a well known stew. Some of the most popular cheeses are Cheddar andWensleydale. Sweet British dishes include scones, apple pie, mince pies, spotted dick, Eccles cakes, pancakes, sponge cake, Battenberg cake, Jaffa cakes, SONY VAIO VGN-NW240F Keyboard
Victoria sponge, trifle, custard, and sticky toffee pudding. Scottish cuisine includes Arbroath Smokie and Haggis; Irish cuisine features the Ulster fry and Irish Stew and Welsh cuisine is noted for Welsh rarebit.
The public house is an important aspect of British culture,[214] and alcoholic drinks include wines and English beers such as bitter, mild, stout, and brown ale.[218ACER TravelMate 2800 Series Keyboard
] Whisky dates back to Ireland and Scotland in the Middle Ages, with each producing their own brand; Irish Whiskey and Scotch Whisky.[219][220]
On Christmas Day, goose was initially served at dinner, however since appearing in Christmas tables in England in the late 16th century, the turkey has become more popular, with Christmas pudding served for dessert.[221][2 DELL INSPIRON 1464 Keyboard
22] The 16th-century English navigatorWilliam Strickland is credited with introducing the turkey into England, and 16th century farmer Thomas Tusser noted that by 1573 turkeys were common at English Christmas dinners.[223] The turkey is sometimes accompanied with roast beef or ham, and is served with stuffing, gravy, roast potatoes and vegetables. Lenovo IBM ThinkPad Edge E420 Keyboard
Since being invented in London in the 1840s, Christmas crackers are an integral part of Christmas celebrations, often pulled before or after dinner, or at parties.[224] A stick of rock (a hard cylindrical stick-shaped boiled sugar) is a traditional British seaside sweet, commonly sold at seaside resorts throughout the UK such as Brighton, Portrush and Blackpool. Lenovo IBM ThinkPad Edge S420 Keyboard
Most of the major sports have separate administrative structures and national teams for each of the countries of the United Kingdom. Though each country is also represented individually at the Commonwealth Games, there is a single 'Team GB' (for Great Britain) that represents the UK at the Olympic Games. Lenovo IBM ThinkPad Edge E420S Keyboard
With the rules and codes of many modern sports invented and codified in late 19th century Victorian Britain, in 2012, IOC President Jacques Rogge stated; "This great, sports-loving country is widely recognized as the birthplace of modern sport. It was here that the concepts of sportsmanship and fair play were first codified into clear rules and regulations. It was here that sport was included as an educational tool in the school curriculum".[226][22Lenovo IBM ThinkPad T420 Keyboard
7]
The most popular sport in the UK is association football.[228] The rules were first drafted in England in 1863 by Ebenezer Cobb Morley, and the UK has the oldest football clubs in the world. The home nations all have separate national teams and domestic competitions, most notably England's Barclays Premier League and FA Cup, and the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Cup. Lenovo IBM ThinkPad T420i Keyboard
The first ever international football match was between Scotland and England in 1872.[229] The "home of football", England hosted the1966 FIFA World Cup, and won the tournament.[230] The English Barclays Premier League (formed in 1992 by member clubs of the oldFootball League First Division) is the most-watched football league in the world,[2Lenovo IBM ThinkPad T420S Keyboard
31] and its biggest clubs include Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea,Tottenham Hotspur, and current champions Manchester United. Scotland's Celtic and Rangers also have a global fanbase. The best-placed teams in the domestic leagues of England and Scotland qualify for Europe's premier competition, SONY VGN-FE11M Keyboard
the UEFA Champions League, where the competition's anthem, written by English composer Tony Britten, is played before each game.[232] Football in Britain is renowned for the intense rivalries between clubs and the passion of the supporters.
The modern game of golf originated in Scotland, with the Fife town of St Andrews known internationally as the "Home of golf".[234ACER TravelMate 3232WXMi Keyboard
]and to many golfers the Old Course, an ancient links course dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage.[235]Golf is documented as being played on Musselburgh Links, East Lothian, Scotland as early as 2 March 1672, which is certified as the oldest golf course in the world by Guinness World Records.[236] HP Pavilion DV7-3065dx Keyboard
The oldest known rules of golf were compiled in March 1744 inLeith.[237] The oldest golf tournament in the world, and the first major championship in golf, The Open Championship, first took place in Ayrshire, Scotland in 1860, and today it is played on the weekend of the third Friday in July.[238] HP 516884-001 Keyboard
Golf's first superstarHarry Vardon, a member of the fabled Great Triumvirate who were pioneers of the modern game, won the Open a record six times.[239]The biennial golf competition, the Ryder Cup, is named after English businessman Samuel Ryder who sponsored the event and donated the trophy.[240] SONY VAIO VGN-FS315Z Keyboard
Sir Nick Faldo is the most successful Ryder Cup player ever, having won the most points (25) of any player on either the European or U.S. teams.[241]
The 'Queensberry rules', the code of general rules in boxing, was named after John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry in 1867, that formed the basis of modern boxing.[242] FUJITSU Amilo Mini Ui 3520 Keyboard
Britain's first heavyweight world champion Bob Fitzsimmons made boxing history as the sport's first three-division world champion.[243][244] Some of the best contemporary British boxers included; undisputed super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe, undisputed featherweight champion Naseem Hamed, and undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.[ HP Pavilion DV7-2177cl Keyboard
245] The modern game of cricket was created in England in the 1830s when round arm bowling was legalised, followed by the historical legalisation of overarm bowling in 1864.[246] In 1876–77, an England team took part in the first-ever Test match against Australia. Hugely influential in terms of his importance to the development of the sport, SONY VAIO VPC-F12 Keyboard
W. G. Grace is regarded as one of the greatest cricket players of all time, and devised most of the techniques of modern batting.[247] The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882 that has remained Test cricket's most famous contest, and takes place every two years. The County Championship is the domestic competition in England and Wales. Packard Bell Easynote TK85 Keyboard
In 1845, rugby union was created when the first rules were written by pupils at Rugby School, Warwickshire.[248] A former pupil of the school William Webb Ellis, is often fabled with the invention of running with the ball in hand in 1823.[249] The first rugby international took place on 27 March 1871, played between England and Scotland.[250] HP Pavilion dv6-3007tu Keyboard
By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had teams, and in 1883 the first international competition the annual Home Nations Championship took place. In 1888, the Home Nations combined to form what is today called the British and Irish Lions, who now tour every four years to face a Southern Hemisphere team.[251] SONY VAIO VGN-NW35E/W Keyboard
The major domestic club competitions are the Premiership in England and the Celtic League in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and (since 2010) Italy. In 1895, rugby League was created in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, as the result of a split with the other Rugby code.[252] The Super League is the sports top-level club competition in Britain. TOSHIBA Satellite M640-BT2N23 Keyboard
Since the 1920s, Henry Lyte's Christian hymn "Abide With Me" is sung prior to kick-off at every rugby league Challenge Cup final, and football's FA Cup Final.
The modern game of tennis originated in the UK in the 1870s,[255] and after its creation, tennis spread throughout the upper-class English-speaking population, before spreading around the world.[256DELL NSK-D8001 Keyboard
] Major Walter Clopton Wingfield is credited as being a pioneer of the game.[257] The world's oldest tennis tournament, the Wimbledon championships, first occurred in 1877, and today the event takes place over two weeks in late June and early July.[254] The eight-time Slam winner and Britain's most successful player Fred Perry, is one of only seven men in history to have won all four Grand Slam events.[258SONY VGN-FE41S Keyboard
] Originating in 17th and 18th-century England, the Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Horse racing was popular with the aristocrats and royalty of British society, earning it the title "Sport of Kings."[259] The National Hunt horse race the Grand National, is held annually at Aintree Racecourse in early April, and three-time winner Red Rum is the most successful racehorse in the events history.[260] TOSHIBA 6037B0028502 Keyboard
The 1950 British Grand Prix was the first Formula One World Championship race.[261] Since then, Britain has produced some of the greatest drivers in the sport, including; Stirling Moss, Jim Clark (twice F1 champion), Graham Hill (only driver to have won theTriple Crown), Jackie Stewart (three time F1 champion), DELL Inspiron 1564 Keyboard
James Hunt (portrayed in Ron Howard's film Rush), Nigel Mansell (only man to hold F1 and IndyCar titles at the same time) and Lewis Hamilton. The British Grand Prix is held at Silverstone every July. Other major sporting events in the UK include the London Marathon, and The Boat Race on the River Thames. HP Pavilion DV7-2173cl Keyboard
A great number of major sports originated in the United Kingdom, including association football, golf, tennis, boxing, rugby league, rugby union, cricket, field hockey, snooker, billiards, squash, curling and badminton, all of which are popular in Britain. Another sport invented in the UK was baseball, and its early form rounders is popular among children in Britain. Lenovo 3000 G430 4152 Keyboard
William Penny Brookes was prominent in organising the format for the modern Olympic Games, and In 1994, then President of the IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch, laid a wreath on Brooke's grave, and said, "I came to pay homage and tribute to Dr Brookes, who really was the founder of the modern Olympic Games".[265] ACER Aspire 1690 Keyboard
The Highland games are held throughout the year in Scotland as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands, with more than 60 games taking place across the country every year.[266] Every December, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year is announced, as voted for by the British public. HP 519265-001 Keyboard
In 2002 Channel 4 broadcast the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments, as voted for by the UK public.
Most schools came under state control in the Victorian era, a formal state school system was instituted after the Second World War. Initially schools were separated into infant schools (normally up to age 4 or 5), FUJITSU Lifebook E8210 Keyboard
primary schools and secondary schools (split into more academic grammar schools and more vocational secondary modern schools). Under the Labour governments of the 1960s and 1970s most secondary modern and grammar schools were combined to become comprehensive schools. HP Pavilion DV7-3183cl Keyboard
England has many prominent private schools, often founded hundreds of years ago, which are known as public schools or independent schools. Eton, Harrow, Shrewsbury and Rugby are four of the better known. Most primary and secondary schools in both the private and state sectors have compulsory school uniforms. FUJITSU Siemens M1010 Keyboard
Allowances are almost invariably made, however, to accommodate religious dress including the Islamic hijab and Sikh bangle (kara).
Although the Minister of Education is responsible to Parliament for education, the day-to-day administration and funding of state schools is the responsibility of Local Education Authorities. Compaq Presario CQ62-358TU Keyboard
England's universities include some of the highest-ranked universities in the world; the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of Oxford and University College London are all ranked in the global top 10 in the 2010 QS World University Rankings.[268] The London School of Economics has been described as the world's leading social science institution for both teaching and research.[269] TOSHIBA 9Z.N4WSC.001 Keyboard
The London Business School is considered one of the world's leading business schools and in 2010 its MBA programme was ranked best in the world by the Financial Times.[270] Academic degrees in England are usually split into classes: first class (I), upper second class (II:1), lower second class (II:2) and third (III), and unclassified (below third class). TOSHIBA Satellite M645-S4070 Keyboard
Scotland has a long history of universal provision of public education which, traditionally, has emphasised breadth across a range of subjects compared to depth of education over a smaller range of subjects at secondary school level. The majority of schools arenon-denominational, but by legislation separate Roman Catholic schools, with an element of control by the Roman Catholic Church, HP Pavilion DV6-1350us Keyboard
are provided by the state system. Qualifications at the secondary school and post-secondary (further education) level are provided by the Scottish Qualifications Authority and delivered through various schools, colleges and other centres. Political responsibility for education at all levels is vested in the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive Education and Enterprise, HP Pavilion DV7-3188cl Keyboard
Transport & Lifelong Learning Departments. State schools are owned and operated by the local authorities which act asEducation Authorities, and the compulsory phase is divided into primary school and secondary school (often called High school, with the world's oldest high school being the Royal High School (Edinburgh) in 1505,[271][272] ASUS F6VE Keyboard
and spread to the New World owing to the high prestige enjoyed by the Scottish educational system.). Schools are supported in delivering the National Guidelines and National Priorities by Learning and Teaching Scotland.
Scottish universities generally have courses a year longer than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK, DELL NSK-DB301 Keyboard
though it is often possible for students to take a more advanced specialised exams and join the courses at the second year. One unique aspect is that the ancient universities of Scotland issue a Master of Arts as the first degree in humanities. The University of Edinburgh is among the top twenty universities in the world according to the QS World University Rankings 2011. It is also one among the Ancient Universities in Great Britain. HP Pavilion dv6-3057tx Keyboard
The National Assembly for Wales has responsibility for education in Wales. A significant number of students in Wales are educated either wholly or largely through the medium of Welsh and lessons in the language are compulsory for all until the age of 16. There are plans to increase the provision of Welsh Medium schools as part of the policy of having a fully bi-lingual Wales. DELL Vostro PP38L Keyboard
Scouting is the largest co-educational youth Movement in the UK.[273] Scouting began in 1907 when Robert Baden-Powell, Lieutenant General in the British Army, held the first Scout camp at Brownsea Island in Dorset, England.[274] Baden-Powell wrote the principles of Scouting in Scouting for Boys in 1908.[275] In 2010, Scouting in the UK experienced its biggest growth spurt since 1972, taking total membership to almost 500,000. HP Pavilion DV7-3057nr Keyboard
The UK has one of the highest population densities in the world.[276] Housing, therefore, tends to be more closely packed than in other countries, resulting in a particular affinity with the terraced house, dating back to the aftermath of the Great Fire of London.[277]
As the first industrialised country in the world, the UK has long been urbanised.[27TOSHIBA Satellite l20-135 Keyboard
8] In the twentieth century, the process of suburbanisation led to a spread of semi-detached and detached housing. In the aftermath of the second world war, public housing was dramatically expanded to create a large number of council estates, although the majority of these have since been purchased by their tenants. Toshiba Satellite L30-10X CPU Fan
There is a wealth of historic country houses and stately homes in rural areas, though the majority of these are now put to other uses than private living accommodation.
In recent times, more detached housing has started to be built. Also, city living has boomed with city centre population's rising rapidly. Toshiba Satellite A300-21H CPU Fan
Most of this population growth has been accommodated through new apartment blocks in residential schemes, such as those inLeeds, Birmingham and Manchester.
Demographic changes (see below) are putting great pressure on the housing market, especially in London and the South East. SONY Vaio VGN-FS415M CPU Fan
Historically most people in the United Kingdom lived either in conjugal extended families or nuclear families. This reflected aneconomic landscape where the general populace tended to have less spending power, meaning that it was more practical to stick together rather than go their individual ways. HP Pavilion dv6-3109ca CPU Fan
This pattern also reflected gender roles. Men were expected to go out to work and women were expected to stay at home and look after the families.
In the 20th century the emancipation of women, the greater freedoms enjoyed by both men and women in the years following the Second World War, greater affluence and easier divorce have changed gender roles and living arrangements significantly. HP Pavilion dv9547cl CPU Fan
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The general trend is a rise in single people living alone, the virtual extinction of the extended family (outside certain ethnic minority communities), and the nuclear family arguably reducing in prominence.From the 1990s, the break-up of the traditional family unit, when combined with a low interest rate environment and other demographic changes, has created great pressure on the housing market, IBM ThinkPad T43P-2668 CPU Fan
in particular regarding the accommodation of key workerssuch as nurses, other emergency service workers and teachers, who are priced out of most housing, especially in the South East.
Some research indicates that in the 21st century young people are tending to continue to live in the parental home for much longer than their predecessors.[279] Toshiba Satellite P300 CPU Fan
The high cost of living, combined with rising cost of accommodation, further education and higher education means that many young people cannot afford to live independent lives from their families.
The top 5 pets in the UK for 2010, starting with the most popular, are: Fish: over 40 million (indoor and outdoor), Dogs: HP Pavilion dv7-4283cl CPU Fan
around 8 million, Cats: around 8 million, Rabbits: around 1 million, Birds: around 1 million (indoor).[281] Some of the UK's indigenous dog breeds include; Bulldog, Jack Russell Terrier, Golden Retriever, Yorkshire Terrier, Beagle, Border Collie, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, English Cocker Spaniel, Scottish Terrier, Welsh Corgi and English Springer Spaniel. HP COMPAQ 2510P Series CPU Fan
The Kennel Club with its headquarters in London, is the oldest kennel club in the world, and is the governing body of dogs in the United Kingdom. Its main objectives are to promote the general improvement of dogs and responsible dog ownership.
As a multi-national state,[283][284] the UK has no single national costume. HP Pavilion dv6-3126ea CPU Fan
However, different countries within the United Kingdom have national costumes or at least are associated with styles of dress. Scotland has the kilt and Tam o'shanter, and tartanclothing – pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours – is a notable aspect of Gaelic culture.[285] IBM 41W5269 CPU Fan
A traditional Welsh costume with Welsh hat is worn by some women during Eisteddfodau. In England certain militaryuniforms such as the Beefeater or the Queen's Guard are considered to be symbolic of Englishness, though they are not official national costumes. HP Pavilion dv6-2057eo CPU Fan
Morris dancers or the costumes for the traditional English May dance are sometimes cited as examples of traditional English costume, but are only worn by participants in those events. Compaq Presario CQ60-615DX CPU Fan
This is in large part due to the critical role that British sensibilities have played in world clothing since the eighteenth century. Particularly during the Victorian era, British fashions defined acceptable dress for men of business. Key figures such as the future Edward VII, Edward VIII, and Beau Brummell, created the modern suit and cemented its dominance. HP Pavilion dv7-1135nr CPU Fan
Brummell is credited with introducing and establishing as fashion the modern man's suit, worn with a tie.[286] The tradition of a white wedding is commonly credited to Queen Victoria's choice to wear a white wedding dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, at a time when white was associated with purity and conspicuous consumption IBM ThinkPad T43P-2668 CPU Fan
(because it was difficult to keep clean, and thus could not be worn by servants or labourers), and when it was the colour required of girls being presented to the royal court.
London, as one of the world's four fashion capitals, is host to the London Fashion Week – one of the 'Big Four' fashion weeks.[289] Toshiba Satellite A100-02M CPU Fan
Organised by the British Fashion Council, the event takes place twice each year, in February and September. The current venue for most of the "on-schedule" events isSomerset House in central London, where a large marquee in the central courtyard hosts a series of catwalk shows by top designers and fashion houses,[290] ACER Aspire 5730Z Series CPU Fan
while an exhibition, housed within Somerset House itself, showcases over 150 designers.[291] However, many "off-schedule" events, such as On|Off and Vauxhall Fashion Scout, are organised independently and take place at other venues in central London.[292] British designers whose collections have been showcased at the fashion week include Vivienne Westwood, Toshiba Satellite P300-1FN CPU Fan
Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, while British models who have featured at the event include Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Jade Jagger, David Gandy, Cara Delevingne and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.[293][294] Fashion designerMary Quant was at the heart of the "Swinging London" scene of the 1960s, and her work culminated in the creation of the miniskirt and hot pants.[295] HP G42-415DX CPU Fan
Quant named the miniskirt after her favourite make of car, the Mini.[296] The English fashion designer Charles Frederick Worthis widely considered the father of Haute couture.
Each of the four countries of the UK has a traditional floral emblem. The red rose is the national flower of England,[299] and its use dates from the reign of Henry VII who chose a red rose, representing Lancaster, and a white rose, representing York.[299] HP Pavilion dv7-4177nr CPU Fan
As a result the English civil wars in the 15th-century came to be called the Wars of the Roses.[300]The national flower of Scotland is the thistle,[301] of Northern Ireland is the Flax flower and also the shamrock,[302] and of Wales is the daffodil and leek.[303] HP 580718-001 CPU Fan
The Union rose, shamrock and thistle is engrafted on the same stem on the coat of arms of the United Kingdom.[304]
The sending and receiving of greeting cards is an established tradition in the UK, with card sending or card display in the home being an important part of British culture.[3 ACER Aspire One A110-1834 CPU Fan
05] Sending Valentine's Day cards became hugely popular in Britain in the late 18th century, a practice that has since spread to other nations.[306] Today in the UK just under half the population spend money on their Valentines.[307] Following Sir Rowland Hill's postal reforms in the 1830s, Dell Vostro 3450 CPU Fan
the reduction in postal rates with the invention of the postage stamp (Penny Black) made sending greeting cards an affordable means of personal communication.[171] Invented by Sir Henry Cole in 1843, the Christmas card accounts for almost half of the volume of greeting card sales in the UK, with over 600 million cards sold annually.[305] SONY Vaio VPC-EB4X1E/BQ CPU Fan
Other popular occasions for sending greeting cards in the UK are Birthdays, Mother’s Day, Easter and Father’s Day. HP 646578-001 CPU Fan,HP Pavilion tx2510us CPU Fan
Florence Nightingale (Nursing),Richard Owen (Palaeontology), Sir George Cayley (Aerodynamics), William Fox Talbot (Photography), Howard Carter (Modern Archaeology, discovered Tutankhamun), James Hutton (Modern Geology).[165]
John Harrison invented the marine chronometer, a key piece in solving the problem of accurately establishing longitude at seaHP Pavilion dv7-6011sg CPU Fan
, thus revolutionising and extending the possibility of safe long distance sea travel.[166] The most celebrated British explorers include James Cook, Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake, Henry Hudson, George Vancouver, Sir John Franklin, David Livingstone, Captain John Smith, Robert Falcon Scott, Lawrence Oates and Ernest Shackleton. Toshiba Satellite L300D-01P CPU Fan
William Sturgeon invented the electromagnet in 1824.[167][168] The first commercial electrical telegraph was co-invented by Sir William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone. Cooke and Wheatstone patented it in May 1837 as an alarm system, and it was first successfully demonstrated on 25 July 1837 between Euston and Camden Town in London.[16Compaq Presario CQ60-409CA CPU Fan
9][170] Postal reformer Sir Rowland Hill is regarded as the creator of the modern postal service and the inventor of the postage stamp (Penny Black) — with his solution of pre-payment facilitating the safe, speedy and cheap transfer of letters.[171] Hill's colleague Sir Henry Cole introduced the world's first commercial Christmas card in 1843.[17HP Mini 110-3010sf CPU Fan
] In 1851 Sir George Airy established the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London, as the location of the prime meridianwhere longitude is defined to be 0° (the point that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres).[173]
Historically, many of the UK's greatest scientists have been based at either Oxford or Cambridge University, Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4056 CPU Fan
with laboratories such as the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge and the Clarendon Laboratory in Oxford becoming famous in their own right. In modern times, other institutions such as the Red Brick and New Universitiesare catching up with Oxbridge. For instance, Lancaster University has a global reputation for work in low temperature physics. Toshiba Satellite M70-142 CPU Fan
Technologically, the UK is also amongst the world's leaders. Historically, it was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution, with innovations especially in textiles, the steam engine, railroads and civil engineering. Famous British engineers and inventors from this period include James Watt, Robert Stephenson, DELL Inspiron E1505 CPU Fan
Richard Arkwright, and the 'father of Railways' George Stephenson. With his role in the marketing and manufacturing of Watt's steam engine, and invention of modern coinage, Matthew Boulton is regarded as one of the most influential entrepreneurs in history.[17HP 532613-001 CPU Fan
5] Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was placed second in a 2002 BBC nationwide poll to determine the "100 Greatest Britons".[176] He is best known for creating the Great Western Railway, as well as famous steamships including the SS Great Britain, the first propeller-driven ocean-going iron ship, HP Envy 14-1080eo CPU Fan
and SS Great Eastern which laid the first lasting transatlantic telegraph cable.[177] Josiah Wedgwood pioneered the industrialisation of pottery manufacture.
Since then, the United Kingdom has continued this tradition of technical creativity. Alan Turing(leading role in the creation of the modern computer),[179] ACER TravelMate 5230 CPU Fan
Scottish inventor Alexander Graham Bell (the first practical telephone),[180] John Logie Baird (world's first working television system, first electronic colour television),[181][182] Frank Whittle (inventor of the jet engine), Charles Babbage (who devised the idea of the computer) and Alexander Fleming (discoverer of penicillin)[183Lenovo 3000 G430 CPU Fan
] were all British. The UK remains one of the leading providers of technological innovations today, providing inventions as diverse as the World Wide Web by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, andViagra by British scientists at Pfizer's Sandwich, Kent.[184] Sir Alec Jeffreys pioneered DNA fingerprinting.[185] Pioneers of fertilitytreatment Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards, ASUS EEE PC 1215N CPU Fan
successfully achieved conception through IVF (world's first "test tube baby").[186][187]
Other famous scientists, engineers, theorists and inventors from the UK include: Sir Francis Bacon, Richard Trevithick (Train), Thomas Henry Huxley, Francis Crick (DNA), Rosalind Franklin (Photo 51), Dell Vostro 3750 CPU Fan
Robert Hooke, Humphry Davy, Robert Watson-Watt, J. J. Thomson(discovered Electron), James Chadwick (discovered Neutron), Frederick Soddy (discovered Isotope), John Cockcroft, Henry Bessemer, Edmond Halley, Sir William Herschel, Charles Parsons (Steam turbine), Toshiba Satellite L500-018 CPU Fan
Alan Blumlein (Stereo sound), John Dalton (Colour blindness), James Dewar,Alexander Parkes (celluloid), Charles Macintosh, Ada Lovelace, Peter Durand, Alcock & Brown (first non-stop transatlantic flight), Henry Cavendish (discovered Hydrogen), Francis Galton, Sir Joseph Swan (Incandescent light bulb), Sir William Gull (Anorexia nervosa), COMPAQ Presario CQ42-116TU CPU Fan
Frank Pantridge, George Everest, Edward Whymper (first ascent of Matterhorn), Daniel Rutherford, Arthur Eddington (luminosity of stars), Lord Rayleigh (why sky is blue),Norman Lockyer (discovered Helium),[188] Julian Huxley (formed WWF), Adam Smith (pioneer of modern economics and capitalism), HP Pavilion dv6-2115eg CPU Fan
John Herschel, Bertrand Russell(analytic philosophy pioneer), Jim Marshall (guitar amplifier pioneer),[189] William Ramsay (discovered the noble gases), Peter Higgs (proposed Higgs boson), Harry Brearley (stainless steel), Jane Goodall, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking and Joseph Priestley. Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4056 CPU Fan
The United Kingdom was created as an Anglican Christian country and Anglican churches remain the largest faith group in each country of the UK except Scotland where Anglicanism is a tiny minority.[190] Following this is Roman Catholicism and religions including Islam,Hinduism, HP 646578-001 CPU Fan
Sikhism, Judaism, and Buddhism. Today British Jews number around 300 000 with the UK having the fifth largest Jewish community worldwide.[191]
William Tyndale's 1520s translation of the Bible was the first ever to be printed in English, and was a model for subsequent English translations, notably the King James Version in 1611.[192] SONY VAIO PCG-6L2L CPU Fan
The Book of Common Prayer of 1549 was the first prayer book to include the complete forms of service for daily and Sunday worship in English, and the marriage and burial rites have found their way into those of other denominations and into the English language. While 2001 census information[193] suggests that over 75 percent of UK citizens consider themselves to belong to a religion, Toshiba Satellite X205-S9349 CPU Fan
Gallup reports only 10 percent of UK citizens regularly attend religious services. A 2004 YouGov poll found that 44 percent of UK citizens believe in God, while 35 percent do not.[194] Christmas and Easter are national public holidays in the UK,[195] and Christian organisations, such as the Salvation Army founded by William Booth, play an important role for their charitable work. DELL yy529 CPU Fan
The UK has a parliamentary government based on the Westminster system that has been emulated around the world – a legacy of theBritish Empire. The Parliament of the United Kingdom that meets in the Palace of Westminster has two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed House of Lords, HP Pavilion dv7-3020es CPU Fan
and any Bill passed requires Royal Assent to become law. It is the ultimate legislative authority in the United Kingdom since the devolved parliament in Scotland and devolved assemblies in Northern Ireland, and Walesare not sovereign bodies and could be abolished by the UK parliament despite being established following public approval as expressed in referendums. HP G62-369TX CPU Fan
The UK's three major political parties are the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Democrats, who most recently won between them 622 out of 650 seats available in the House of Commons at the 2010 general election (including the delayed election in Thirsk and Malton). HP 13.V1.BJ195.F.GN CPU Fan
Most of the remaining seats were won by parties that only contest elections in one part of the UK such as the Scottish National Party (Scotland only), Plaid Cymru (Wales only), and the Democratic Unionist Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party, Ulster Unionist Party, and Sinn Féin (Northern Ireland). Toshiba Satellite L675D-S7016 CPU Fan
The United Kingdom has an uncodified constitution, the Constitution of the United Kingdom, consisting mostly of a collection of disparate written sources, including statutes, judge-made case law, and international treaties. As there is no technical difference between ordinary statutes and "constitutional law, HP Pavilion dv7-1451nr CPU Fan
" the UK Parliament can perform "constitutional reform" simply by passing Acts of Parliament and thus has the political power to change or abolish almost any written or unwritten element of the constitution. However, no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. HP G62-a57SG CPU Fan
Major British constitutional documents include: Magna Carta (foundation of the "great writ" Habeas corpus — safeguarding individual freedom against arbitrary state action), the Bill of Rights 1689 (one provision granting freedom of speech in Parliament), Petition of Right, Habeas Corpus Act 1679 andParliament Acts 1911 and 1949. SONY Vaio VGN-NR31S/S CPU Fan
A separate but similar document, the Claim of Right Act, applies in Scotland. The jurist Albert Venn Dicey wrote that the British Habeas Corpus Acts "declare no principle and define no rights, but they are for practical purposes worth a hundred constitutional articles guaranteeing individual liberty".[198] IBM 91P9252 CPU Fan
A strong advocate of the "unwritten constitution", Dicey highlighted that English rights were embedded in the general English common law of personal liberty, and "the institutions and manners of the nation".[199] Important British political figures include; Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the suffragettes which helped win women the right to vote,[200Toshiba Satellite M70-122 CPU Fan
] William Wilberforce, leading abolitionist,[201] Robert Peel, founded the Conservative party (which was expanded by Benjamin Disraeli), and is also credited with the creation of the modern police force.[202] Britain took a leading role in the movement to abolish slavery worldwide, and in 1839 the world's oldest international human rights organisation, SONY UDQFWPH22FQU CPU Fan
Anti-Slavery International, was formed in Britain, which worked to outlaw slavery in other countries.[203] The world's largest human rights organisation, Amnesty International, was founded by Peter Benenson in London in 1961.
British cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with the United Kingdom. HP Pavilion dv6-2150ei CPU Fan
Historically, British cuisine means "unfussy dishes made with quality local ingredients, matched with simple sauces to accentuate flavour, rather than disguise it."[205] British cuisine has traditionally been limited in its international recognition to the full breakfast and theChristmas dinner.[206] HP G42-367TU CPU Fan
However, Celtic agriculture and animal breeding produced a wide variety of foodstuffs for indigenous Celts.Anglo-Saxon England developed meat and savoury herb stewing techniques before the practice became common in Europe. The Norman conquest introduced exotic spices into Great Britain in the Middle Ages.[206] Toshiba Satellite P100-238 CPU Fan
The British Empire facilitated a knowledge of India's elaborate food tradition of "strong, penetrating spices and herbs".[206]
The first recipe for ice cream was published in Mrs. Mary Eales's Receipts in London 1718.[207] ACER Aspire 5739 CPU Fan
The 18th-century English aristocratJohn Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich is most renowned for the claim to have originated the modern concept of the sandwich which was named after him. It is said that he ordered his valet to bring him meat tucked between two pieces of bread, and because Montagu also happened to be the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, others began to order "the same as Sandwich!".[20IBM ThinkPad T40 2678 CPU Fan
8] In 1767, Joseph Priestleyinvented carbonated water (also known as soda water), the major and defining component of most soft drinks.
Each country within the United Kingdom has its own specialities. Traditional examples of English cuisine include the Sunday roast; IBM Thinkpad T43 CPU Fan
featuring a roasted joint, usually beef, lamb or chicken, served with assorted boiled vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.[212] Other prominent meals includefish and chips and the full English breakfast—consisting of bacon, grilled tomatoes, fried bread,black pudding, baked beans, fried mushrooms, sausages and eggs. IBM ThinkPad T43 2668 CPU Fan
The first chips fried in Britain were at Oldham's Tommyfield Market in 1860, and on the site a blue plaque marks the origin of the fish and chip shop and fast food industries in Britain.[213] Various meat pies are consumed such assteak and kidney pie, shepherd's pie, cottage pie, Cornish pasty and pork pie, the later of which is consumed cold. IBM ThinkPad T43 1871 CPU Fan, ACER Travelmate 8104WLMI CPU Fan
A quintissential British custom, afternoon tea is a small meal snack typically eaten between 4pm and 6pm. The most popular drink in Britain, tea became more widely drunk due to Catherine of Braganza, and is traditionally accompanied with sandwiches, scones, cakes or pastries (such asBattenberg cake, fruit cake or Victoria sponge).[215][216] DELL INSPIRON 1464 Keyboard
Sausages are commonly eaten, either asbangers and mash or toad in the hole. Lancashire hotpot is a well known stew. Some of the most popular cheeses are Cheddar andWensleydale. Sweet British dishes include scones, apple pie, mince pies, spotted dick, Eccles cakes, pancakes, sponge cake, Battenberg cake, Jaffa cakes, SONY VAIO VGN-NW240F Keyboard
Victoria sponge, trifle, custard, and sticky toffee pudding. Scottish cuisine includes Arbroath Smokie and Haggis; Irish cuisine features the Ulster fry and Irish Stew and Welsh cuisine is noted for Welsh rarebit.
The public house is an important aspect of British culture,[214] and alcoholic drinks include wines and English beers such as bitter, mild, stout, and brown ale.[218ACER TravelMate 2800 Series Keyboard
] Whisky dates back to Ireland and Scotland in the Middle Ages, with each producing their own brand; Irish Whiskey and Scotch Whisky.[219][220]
On Christmas Day, goose was initially served at dinner, however since appearing in Christmas tables in England in the late 16th century, the turkey has become more popular, with Christmas pudding served for dessert.[221][2 DELL INSPIRON 1464 Keyboard
22] The 16th-century English navigatorWilliam Strickland is credited with introducing the turkey into England, and 16th century farmer Thomas Tusser noted that by 1573 turkeys were common at English Christmas dinners.[223] The turkey is sometimes accompanied with roast beef or ham, and is served with stuffing, gravy, roast potatoes and vegetables. Lenovo IBM ThinkPad Edge E420 Keyboard
Since being invented in London in the 1840s, Christmas crackers are an integral part of Christmas celebrations, often pulled before or after dinner, or at parties.[224] A stick of rock (a hard cylindrical stick-shaped boiled sugar) is a traditional British seaside sweet, commonly sold at seaside resorts throughout the UK such as Brighton, Portrush and Blackpool. Lenovo IBM ThinkPad Edge S420 Keyboard
Most of the major sports have separate administrative structures and national teams for each of the countries of the United Kingdom. Though each country is also represented individually at the Commonwealth Games, there is a single 'Team GB' (for Great Britain) that represents the UK at the Olympic Games. Lenovo IBM ThinkPad Edge E420S Keyboard
With the rules and codes of many modern sports invented and codified in late 19th century Victorian Britain, in 2012, IOC President Jacques Rogge stated; "This great, sports-loving country is widely recognized as the birthplace of modern sport. It was here that the concepts of sportsmanship and fair play were first codified into clear rules and regulations. It was here that sport was included as an educational tool in the school curriculum".[226][22Lenovo IBM ThinkPad T420 Keyboard
7]
The most popular sport in the UK is association football.[228] The rules were first drafted in England in 1863 by Ebenezer Cobb Morley, and the UK has the oldest football clubs in the world. The home nations all have separate national teams and domestic competitions, most notably England's Barclays Premier League and FA Cup, and the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Cup. Lenovo IBM ThinkPad T420i Keyboard
The first ever international football match was between Scotland and England in 1872.[229] The "home of football", England hosted the1966 FIFA World Cup, and won the tournament.[230] The English Barclays Premier League (formed in 1992 by member clubs of the oldFootball League First Division) is the most-watched football league in the world,[2Lenovo IBM ThinkPad T420S Keyboard
31] and its biggest clubs include Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea,Tottenham Hotspur, and current champions Manchester United. Scotland's Celtic and Rangers also have a global fanbase. The best-placed teams in the domestic leagues of England and Scotland qualify for Europe's premier competition, SONY VGN-FE11M Keyboard
the UEFA Champions League, where the competition's anthem, written by English composer Tony Britten, is played before each game.[232] Football in Britain is renowned for the intense rivalries between clubs and the passion of the supporters.
The modern game of golf originated in Scotland, with the Fife town of St Andrews known internationally as the "Home of golf".[234ACER TravelMate 3232WXMi Keyboard
]and to many golfers the Old Course, an ancient links course dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage.[235]Golf is documented as being played on Musselburgh Links, East Lothian, Scotland as early as 2 March 1672, which is certified as the oldest golf course in the world by Guinness World Records.[236] HP Pavilion DV7-3065dx Keyboard
The oldest known rules of golf were compiled in March 1744 inLeith.[237] The oldest golf tournament in the world, and the first major championship in golf, The Open Championship, first took place in Ayrshire, Scotland in 1860, and today it is played on the weekend of the third Friday in July.[238] HP 516884-001 Keyboard
Golf's first superstarHarry Vardon, a member of the fabled Great Triumvirate who were pioneers of the modern game, won the Open a record six times.[239]The biennial golf competition, the Ryder Cup, is named after English businessman Samuel Ryder who sponsored the event and donated the trophy.[240] SONY VAIO VGN-FS315Z Keyboard
Sir Nick Faldo is the most successful Ryder Cup player ever, having won the most points (25) of any player on either the European or U.S. teams.[241]
The 'Queensberry rules', the code of general rules in boxing, was named after John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry in 1867, that formed the basis of modern boxing.[242] FUJITSU Amilo Mini Ui 3520 Keyboard
Britain's first heavyweight world champion Bob Fitzsimmons made boxing history as the sport's first three-division world champion.[243][244] Some of the best contemporary British boxers included; undisputed super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe, undisputed featherweight champion Naseem Hamed, and undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.[ HP Pavilion DV7-2177cl Keyboard
245] The modern game of cricket was created in England in the 1830s when round arm bowling was legalised, followed by the historical legalisation of overarm bowling in 1864.[246] In 1876–77, an England team took part in the first-ever Test match against Australia. Hugely influential in terms of his importance to the development of the sport, SONY VAIO VPC-F12 Keyboard
W. G. Grace is regarded as one of the greatest cricket players of all time, and devised most of the techniques of modern batting.[247] The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882 that has remained Test cricket's most famous contest, and takes place every two years. The County Championship is the domestic competition in England and Wales. Packard Bell Easynote TK85 Keyboard
In 1845, rugby union was created when the first rules were written by pupils at Rugby School, Warwickshire.[248] A former pupil of the school William Webb Ellis, is often fabled with the invention of running with the ball in hand in 1823.[249] The first rugby international took place on 27 March 1871, played between England and Scotland.[250] HP Pavilion dv6-3007tu Keyboard
By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had teams, and in 1883 the first international competition the annual Home Nations Championship took place. In 1888, the Home Nations combined to form what is today called the British and Irish Lions, who now tour every four years to face a Southern Hemisphere team.[251] SONY VAIO VGN-NW35E/W Keyboard
The major domestic club competitions are the Premiership in England and the Celtic League in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and (since 2010) Italy. In 1895, rugby League was created in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, as the result of a split with the other Rugby code.[252] The Super League is the sports top-level club competition in Britain. TOSHIBA Satellite M640-BT2N23 Keyboard
Since the 1920s, Henry Lyte's Christian hymn "Abide With Me" is sung prior to kick-off at every rugby league Challenge Cup final, and football's FA Cup Final.
The modern game of tennis originated in the UK in the 1870s,[255] and after its creation, tennis spread throughout the upper-class English-speaking population, before spreading around the world.[256DELL NSK-D8001 Keyboard
] Major Walter Clopton Wingfield is credited as being a pioneer of the game.[257] The world's oldest tennis tournament, the Wimbledon championships, first occurred in 1877, and today the event takes place over two weeks in late June and early July.[254] The eight-time Slam winner and Britain's most successful player Fred Perry, is one of only seven men in history to have won all four Grand Slam events.[258SONY VGN-FE41S Keyboard
] Originating in 17th and 18th-century England, the Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Horse racing was popular with the aristocrats and royalty of British society, earning it the title "Sport of Kings."[259] The National Hunt horse race the Grand National, is held annually at Aintree Racecourse in early April, and three-time winner Red Rum is the most successful racehorse in the events history.[260] TOSHIBA 6037B0028502 Keyboard
The 1950 British Grand Prix was the first Formula One World Championship race.[261] Since then, Britain has produced some of the greatest drivers in the sport, including; Stirling Moss, Jim Clark (twice F1 champion), Graham Hill (only driver to have won theTriple Crown), Jackie Stewart (three time F1 champion), DELL Inspiron 1564 Keyboard
James Hunt (portrayed in Ron Howard's film Rush), Nigel Mansell (only man to hold F1 and IndyCar titles at the same time) and Lewis Hamilton. The British Grand Prix is held at Silverstone every July. Other major sporting events in the UK include the London Marathon, and The Boat Race on the River Thames. HP Pavilion DV7-2173cl Keyboard
A great number of major sports originated in the United Kingdom, including association football, golf, tennis, boxing, rugby league, rugby union, cricket, field hockey, snooker, billiards, squash, curling and badminton, all of which are popular in Britain. Another sport invented in the UK was baseball, and its early form rounders is popular among children in Britain. Lenovo 3000 G430 4152 Keyboard
William Penny Brookes was prominent in organising the format for the modern Olympic Games, and In 1994, then President of the IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch, laid a wreath on Brooke's grave, and said, "I came to pay homage and tribute to Dr Brookes, who really was the founder of the modern Olympic Games".[265] ACER Aspire 1690 Keyboard
The Highland games are held throughout the year in Scotland as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands, with more than 60 games taking place across the country every year.[266] Every December, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year is announced, as voted for by the British public. HP 519265-001 Keyboard
In 2002 Channel 4 broadcast the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments, as voted for by the UK public.
Most schools came under state control in the Victorian era, a formal state school system was instituted after the Second World War. Initially schools were separated into infant schools (normally up to age 4 or 5), FUJITSU Lifebook E8210 Keyboard
primary schools and secondary schools (split into more academic grammar schools and more vocational secondary modern schools). Under the Labour governments of the 1960s and 1970s most secondary modern and grammar schools were combined to become comprehensive schools. HP Pavilion DV7-3183cl Keyboard
England has many prominent private schools, often founded hundreds of years ago, which are known as public schools or independent schools. Eton, Harrow, Shrewsbury and Rugby are four of the better known. Most primary and secondary schools in both the private and state sectors have compulsory school uniforms. FUJITSU Siemens M1010 Keyboard
Allowances are almost invariably made, however, to accommodate religious dress including the Islamic hijab and Sikh bangle (kara).
Although the Minister of Education is responsible to Parliament for education, the day-to-day administration and funding of state schools is the responsibility of Local Education Authorities. Compaq Presario CQ62-358TU Keyboard
England's universities include some of the highest-ranked universities in the world; the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of Oxford and University College London are all ranked in the global top 10 in the 2010 QS World University Rankings.[268] The London School of Economics has been described as the world's leading social science institution for both teaching and research.[269] TOSHIBA 9Z.N4WSC.001 Keyboard
The London Business School is considered one of the world's leading business schools and in 2010 its MBA programme was ranked best in the world by the Financial Times.[270] Academic degrees in England are usually split into classes: first class (I), upper second class (II:1), lower second class (II:2) and third (III), and unclassified (below third class). TOSHIBA Satellite M645-S4070 Keyboard
Scotland has a long history of universal provision of public education which, traditionally, has emphasised breadth across a range of subjects compared to depth of education over a smaller range of subjects at secondary school level. The majority of schools arenon-denominational, but by legislation separate Roman Catholic schools, with an element of control by the Roman Catholic Church, HP Pavilion DV6-1350us Keyboard
are provided by the state system. Qualifications at the secondary school and post-secondary (further education) level are provided by the Scottish Qualifications Authority and delivered through various schools, colleges and other centres. Political responsibility for education at all levels is vested in the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive Education and Enterprise, HP Pavilion DV7-3188cl Keyboard
Transport & Lifelong Learning Departments. State schools are owned and operated by the local authorities which act asEducation Authorities, and the compulsory phase is divided into primary school and secondary school (often called High school, with the world's oldest high school being the Royal High School (Edinburgh) in 1505,[271][272] ASUS F6VE Keyboard
and spread to the New World owing to the high prestige enjoyed by the Scottish educational system.). Schools are supported in delivering the National Guidelines and National Priorities by Learning and Teaching Scotland.
Scottish universities generally have courses a year longer than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK, DELL NSK-DB301 Keyboard
though it is often possible for students to take a more advanced specialised exams and join the courses at the second year. One unique aspect is that the ancient universities of Scotland issue a Master of Arts as the first degree in humanities. The University of Edinburgh is among the top twenty universities in the world according to the QS World University Rankings 2011. It is also one among the Ancient Universities in Great Britain. HP Pavilion dv6-3057tx Keyboard
The National Assembly for Wales has responsibility for education in Wales. A significant number of students in Wales are educated either wholly or largely through the medium of Welsh and lessons in the language are compulsory for all until the age of 16. There are plans to increase the provision of Welsh Medium schools as part of the policy of having a fully bi-lingual Wales. DELL Vostro PP38L Keyboard
Scouting is the largest co-educational youth Movement in the UK.[273] Scouting began in 1907 when Robert Baden-Powell, Lieutenant General in the British Army, held the first Scout camp at Brownsea Island in Dorset, England.[274] Baden-Powell wrote the principles of Scouting in Scouting for Boys in 1908.[275] In 2010, Scouting in the UK experienced its biggest growth spurt since 1972, taking total membership to almost 500,000. HP Pavilion DV7-3057nr Keyboard
The UK has one of the highest population densities in the world.[276] Housing, therefore, tends to be more closely packed than in other countries, resulting in a particular affinity with the terraced house, dating back to the aftermath of the Great Fire of London.[277]
As the first industrialised country in the world, the UK has long been urbanised.[27TOSHIBA Satellite l20-135 Keyboard
8] In the twentieth century, the process of suburbanisation led to a spread of semi-detached and detached housing. In the aftermath of the second world war, public housing was dramatically expanded to create a large number of council estates, although the majority of these have since been purchased by their tenants. Toshiba Satellite L30-10X CPU Fan
There is a wealth of historic country houses and stately homes in rural areas, though the majority of these are now put to other uses than private living accommodation.
In recent times, more detached housing has started to be built. Also, city living has boomed with city centre population's rising rapidly. Toshiba Satellite A300-21H CPU Fan
Most of this population growth has been accommodated through new apartment blocks in residential schemes, such as those inLeeds, Birmingham and Manchester.
Demographic changes (see below) are putting great pressure on the housing market, especially in London and the South East. SONY Vaio VGN-FS415M CPU Fan
Historically most people in the United Kingdom lived either in conjugal extended families or nuclear families. This reflected aneconomic landscape where the general populace tended to have less spending power, meaning that it was more practical to stick together rather than go their individual ways. HP Pavilion dv6-3109ca CPU Fan
This pattern also reflected gender roles. Men were expected to go out to work and women were expected to stay at home and look after the families.
In the 20th century the emancipation of women, the greater freedoms enjoyed by both men and women in the years following the Second World War, greater affluence and easier divorce have changed gender roles and living arrangements significantly. HP Pavilion dv9547cl CPU Fan
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The general trend is a rise in single people living alone, the virtual extinction of the extended family (outside certain ethnic minority communities), and the nuclear family arguably reducing in prominence.From the 1990s, the break-up of the traditional family unit, when combined with a low interest rate environment and other demographic changes, has created great pressure on the housing market, IBM ThinkPad T43P-2668 CPU Fan
in particular regarding the accommodation of key workerssuch as nurses, other emergency service workers and teachers, who are priced out of most housing, especially in the South East.
Some research indicates that in the 21st century young people are tending to continue to live in the parental home for much longer than their predecessors.[279] Toshiba Satellite P300 CPU Fan
The high cost of living, combined with rising cost of accommodation, further education and higher education means that many young people cannot afford to live independent lives from their families.
The top 5 pets in the UK for 2010, starting with the most popular, are: Fish: over 40 million (indoor and outdoor), Dogs: HP Pavilion dv7-4283cl CPU Fan
around 8 million, Cats: around 8 million, Rabbits: around 1 million, Birds: around 1 million (indoor).[281] Some of the UK's indigenous dog breeds include; Bulldog, Jack Russell Terrier, Golden Retriever, Yorkshire Terrier, Beagle, Border Collie, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, English Cocker Spaniel, Scottish Terrier, Welsh Corgi and English Springer Spaniel. HP COMPAQ 2510P Series CPU Fan
The Kennel Club with its headquarters in London, is the oldest kennel club in the world, and is the governing body of dogs in the United Kingdom. Its main objectives are to promote the general improvement of dogs and responsible dog ownership.
As a multi-national state,[283][284] the UK has no single national costume. HP Pavilion dv6-3126ea CPU Fan
However, different countries within the United Kingdom have national costumes or at least are associated with styles of dress. Scotland has the kilt and Tam o'shanter, and tartanclothing – pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours – is a notable aspect of Gaelic culture.[285] IBM 41W5269 CPU Fan
A traditional Welsh costume with Welsh hat is worn by some women during Eisteddfodau. In England certain militaryuniforms such as the Beefeater or the Queen's Guard are considered to be symbolic of Englishness, though they are not official national costumes. HP Pavilion dv6-2057eo CPU Fan
Morris dancers or the costumes for the traditional English May dance are sometimes cited as examples of traditional English costume, but are only worn by participants in those events. Compaq Presario CQ60-615DX CPU Fan
This is in large part due to the critical role that British sensibilities have played in world clothing since the eighteenth century. Particularly during the Victorian era, British fashions defined acceptable dress for men of business. Key figures such as the future Edward VII, Edward VIII, and Beau Brummell, created the modern suit and cemented its dominance. HP Pavilion dv7-1135nr CPU Fan
Brummell is credited with introducing and establishing as fashion the modern man's suit, worn with a tie.[286] The tradition of a white wedding is commonly credited to Queen Victoria's choice to wear a white wedding dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, at a time when white was associated with purity and conspicuous consumption IBM ThinkPad T43P-2668 CPU Fan
(because it was difficult to keep clean, and thus could not be worn by servants or labourers), and when it was the colour required of girls being presented to the royal court.
London, as one of the world's four fashion capitals, is host to the London Fashion Week – one of the 'Big Four' fashion weeks.[289] Toshiba Satellite A100-02M CPU Fan
Organised by the British Fashion Council, the event takes place twice each year, in February and September. The current venue for most of the "on-schedule" events isSomerset House in central London, where a large marquee in the central courtyard hosts a series of catwalk shows by top designers and fashion houses,[290] ACER Aspire 5730Z Series CPU Fan
while an exhibition, housed within Somerset House itself, showcases over 150 designers.[291] However, many "off-schedule" events, such as On|Off and Vauxhall Fashion Scout, are organised independently and take place at other venues in central London.[292] British designers whose collections have been showcased at the fashion week include Vivienne Westwood, Toshiba Satellite P300-1FN CPU Fan
Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, while British models who have featured at the event include Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Jade Jagger, David Gandy, Cara Delevingne and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.[293][294] Fashion designerMary Quant was at the heart of the "Swinging London" scene of the 1960s, and her work culminated in the creation of the miniskirt and hot pants.[295] HP G42-415DX CPU Fan
Quant named the miniskirt after her favourite make of car, the Mini.[296] The English fashion designer Charles Frederick Worthis widely considered the father of Haute couture.
Each of the four countries of the UK has a traditional floral emblem. The red rose is the national flower of England,[299] and its use dates from the reign of Henry VII who chose a red rose, representing Lancaster, and a white rose, representing York.[299] HP Pavilion dv7-4177nr CPU Fan
As a result the English civil wars in the 15th-century came to be called the Wars of the Roses.[300]The national flower of Scotland is the thistle,[301] of Northern Ireland is the Flax flower and also the shamrock,[302] and of Wales is the daffodil and leek.[303] HP 580718-001 CPU Fan
The Union rose, shamrock and thistle is engrafted on the same stem on the coat of arms of the United Kingdom.[304]
The sending and receiving of greeting cards is an established tradition in the UK, with card sending or card display in the home being an important part of British culture.[3 ACER Aspire One A110-1834 CPU Fan
05] Sending Valentine's Day cards became hugely popular in Britain in the late 18th century, a practice that has since spread to other nations.[306] Today in the UK just under half the population spend money on their Valentines.[307] Following Sir Rowland Hill's postal reforms in the 1830s, Dell Vostro 3450 CPU Fan
the reduction in postal rates with the invention of the postage stamp (Penny Black) made sending greeting cards an affordable means of personal communication.[171] Invented by Sir Henry Cole in 1843, the Christmas card accounts for almost half of the volume of greeting card sales in the UK, with over 600 million cards sold annually.[305] SONY Vaio VPC-EB4X1E/BQ CPU Fan
Other popular occasions for sending greeting cards in the UK are Birthdays, Mother’s Day, Easter and Father’s Day. HP 646578-001 CPU Fan,HP Pavilion tx2510us CPU Fan