ThepeopleoftheUnitedKingdom

The people of the United Kingdom The United Kingdom is a nation of cities The United Kingdom is one of the most urban nations in the world Eighty percent of its people live in cities London has almost 8 million people London is the center of British life It is the nation s leader in economics politics art education and entertainment It is one of the world s great cities People from all over the world visit London People from many parts of the world now live there you can hear African Asian and other languages spoken there it is the capital of the United kingdom Almost everyone in the United Kingdom speaks English Some people in Wales speak only Welsh Generally however everyone in the United Kingdom can talk with everyone in the United Kingdom can talk with everyone else This is one way in which the nation is united Another way in which the people are united is by their religion Ninety five percent of the British people are Protestant The Anglican Church is the largest in England The Presbyterian Church is the largest in Scotland Although religion is a unifying idea for most of the nation it divides the people in Northern Ireland Most British citizens read and write English This is mainly because free elementary and secondary education is given to each child in the United Kingdom Children go to school between the ages of five and sixteen University education however is limited to those who can pass strict tests Oxford and Cambridge are two very old and respected universities in the United Kingdom Each has been in existence for more than 600 years There are more than forty other major universities The British system of education has influenced the systems of education used in many other nations Many of these nations were former colonies of Great Britain or are related to the United Kingdom today The British people have had influence in many other parts of the world For example the many British ideas about society which affected the colonists of 300 years ago are still strong in the United States today The first American universities followed the models of Oxford and Cambridge People in this country speak read and write English because the United States began as thirteen British colonies The British have also played a role in the history of many nations At one time Great Britain controlled a huge empire that stretched around the world The British controlled Australia large parts of Africa India Canada and many smaller countries Although the British Isles are a very small part of the Earth s surface they have produced people who have had a major role in shaping the history of the world Over the centuries the people of the United Kingdom have developed many traditions Traditions are customs established by a culture over a long period of time They are repeated in the same way for many years They are repeated in the same way for many years The people of the British Isles developed traditions for living working playing and worshiping Many traditions developed during the Middle Ages This was the name given to a period of time in Europe between 500 and 1 500 years ago A way of life was established then and carried out everywhere During this period most people lived in villages or on Farms There were few towns or cities By our standards life in these small villages changed very slowly Most land was owned by nobles who were rich servants of the king or queen Each noble s land and home was called a manor The manor was self sufficient producing almost everything that was needed Food was raised in the fields Tools were made by the blacksmith or other craft workers Clothing was made from the wool of sheep Except for salt and metal the manor had little need for outside goods There was little trade with other villages or countries What was needed and not raised was obtained through barter Barter is the trading of one thing for another without the use of money The people on the manor produced many things They raised cattle sheep and pigs They planted crops of wheat lye barley or oats In summer they raised cabbage and carrots They picked fruits from the trees They salted and dried meat and fish for winter The village craft workers produced simple tools carts and clothing The hard work of farming the noble s field