British Civilisation

Media, Parties, Political and Economic issues in contemporary Britain :

I. Britain: the country and the people.

A. Geography UK= the real name=> The United Kingdom of great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The UK= Britain.

--> great trading powers
-->financial centres.

=>Capitlistic economy (not economics, or the analysis of economic trends)

1) The first sector is the agriculture,
But this sector is also the smallest.
-->It's a sector very efficient/ intensive.
-->It products 60% of food needs
-->It employes 1% of work force.
°Natural ressources are in coal(fuel), natural gas and oil reserves.
The UK is the oil producer in Europe (12% of national product).
Natural gas are the primary ressources.

2) Industry
-->declines in importance
-->21% of national product 25% of work force. ==>It's very small.

3) Services.
(That is to say banking, insurance and business services): by far the largest proportion of the national product
-->over 62% of work force.

British economy is going well -->so more investments

!!!Britsh currency --> pound sterling ≠ € because financial situation is....?

B. Population

The population is overall estimate for 2003 at 59,6 millions.
In UE, UK is the 3rd largest population.

They're call british people: the British (Britons).

The UK is composed by one state and 4 nations
(a 4 nation state)
->England (largely dominant) over 49 millions (83,7%)
->Scotland: over 5 millions
->Wales: under 3 millions
->Northern Ireland (ulster not the Irish Republic also called EIRE): under 2 millions.

!!!SINGULARITY: Monarchy plays more its importance in UK than in the other countries.
Paradox: the political system capts some pictures from the past.

UK doesn't exist without the Queen.
It's just the reference of UK. (legacy of the past/the blast from the past).
The Queen is at the head of the .......... president.

1st minister=government.

II.