The Sharjah American International School

Umm Al Quwain

Worksheet (8)

Name: Date:

Grade (8), Section ( )

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Vocabulary

TERMS AND NAMES

Parliament – the national legislature of the United Kingdom.

Commonwealth of Nations – an association made up of the United Kingdom and many former
British colonies.

Mainland – the primary landmass of a continent or territory rather than its islands or peninsulas

Imperialism – the policy where one country controls the government and economy of another
country or territory.

Magna Karta – a charter, or document signed by England’s King John in 1215 that limited the
power of the monarch and guaranteed nobles basic rights.

Industrial Revolution - the shift that began in Great Britain in the 1760s from making goods by
hand to making them by machine.

Gaelic – any of the Celtic family of languages spoken in Ireland or Scotland.

Multicultural – relating to or including many different cultures.

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Connecting to your world
When someone asks you what country you live in, what do you say? United Kingdom has many
names. Few use its official name, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Some say the United Kingdom. Some call it Great Britain, the name of the island shared by
England, Scotland, and Wales. Others just use Britain. Its different names reflect its history.

United Kingdom
Creating a United Kingdom
Different groups settled the British Isles over time. The Celts, the Romans, Germanic tribes called
the Angles and the Saxons, and the Normans from France all inhabited the region. Each
contributed to British culture. They shaped its language, government and customs. By the late
1200s, English kings wanted to bring the British Isles under their control. They conquered Wales
and much of Ireland. In 1707, England, Wales, and Scotland united as the Kingdom of Great
Britain. Ireland became part of the union in the 1801, creating the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland. Ireland split into two parts in 1949, and Northern Ireland stayed in the union.

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History

Although the United Kingdom is a small island group, it has had an influence on world affairs far
greater than its size would suggest. At the height of its power, its colonies spanned the globe. As
it became a world leader, the United Kingdom’s location set it apart from nations on the
European Mainland, allowing it to create a unique identity.

British ideas and customs have had a lasting influence on the way people around the world live.
The British policy of imperialism helped spread new developments, such as representative
government and the Industrial Revolution. In 1215, the kingdom took steps toward
representative government, a system in which the legislature is at least partly elected by the
people. British nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Karta. This document outlined nobles’
rights and limited the king’s powers. British kings gradually acknowledged that they needed the
people’s support to govern. A group of representatives called Parliament was established.

In 1689, the English Bill of Rights strengthened the rights of citizens. This document outlined the
relationship between the monarchy and Parliament. In doing so, it limited the power of the
monarch and guaranteed basic freedoms to English citizens. It became a model for other nations,
including the United States.

In the 1920s, several colonies controlled their internal affairs, but also wanted to manage their
foreign policy and defense. In response, the United Kingdom created the Commonwealth of
Nations, an association of countries that had been part of the British Empire.

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Original members included Australia, Canada and South America. Members were independent
but agreed to cooperate in trade and political matters. The British Empire still controlled many
other territories.

The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the 1760s and the country’s geographic
advantages helped make it the world’s first industrial nation. Early on, rivers provided power to
fuel machines. Rivers and Harbors on the Atlantic Ocean offered ways to transport raw materials
from British colonies to factories and finished goods to overseas markets. By the 1800s, The
United Kingdom had become the World’s leading Industrial power.

Culture

Each region in the United Kingdom-England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland-has its own
customs. English is Great Britain’s official language. In Scotland and Irealnd, however, some speak
Gaelic, the language brouth to the British Isles by the Celtic people. In Wales, about 50 % of the
population speaks Welsh.

Over the years, the United Kingdom has welcomed immigrants from around the world and today
they have made the United Kingdom one of the most multicultural countries in the world,
meaning that it includes many cultures.

Immigration has also had an impact on religion in the United Kingdom. Many Britons, or British
people, belongs to the church of England. As the nation’s official church, it combines both
Catholic and Protestant traditions. However, Great Britain, also has many religious minorities,
such as Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs.

Government and Economics

United Kingdom has a monarch-Queen Elizabeth II. The British monarch serves as an important
symbol of the British nation, but not as the leader of the government because elected leaders
govern the country. The Monarch is not above the law, and he or she rules and acts with
Parliament’s approval. United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch’s
power is limited by a constitution. All four regions of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland are represented in Parliament.

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For decades, manufacturing formed the basis of Great Britain’s economy. It was fueled by natural
resources such as iron ore, coal and oil deposits in the North Sea. The nation is a world leader in
insurance and financial services and London is one of Europe’s leading business centers.

Assessment Questions

1. What aspects of culture did Britain’s settlers influence?

They influenced language the most than government and customs.

2. Explain the importance of Magna Karta?

This is the first document that limited King’s power.

3. Explain the importance of Commonwealth of Nations?

This is the group of countries which before were a part of British Empire and now they are
independent but still they cooperate with UK in politics and economy.

4. How did the creation of Parliament change the British Monarchy?

Parliament limited the power of monarch and parliament became a representative of people.

5. Explain how British governmental and Economic ideas influenced the World?

Industrial revolution started in UK and British policy of Imperialism was known when one country
controls government and economy of another country.

6. What were the effects of Industrial Revolution on the way the British lived?
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People moved from villages to live and work in cities. Also farmers started to produce more food.