THE UNITED KINGDOM PRESENTATION

NAME AND FLAG virgilio

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) is the official name
that this country received and it has evolved from a series of annexations, unions
and separations of constituent countries over several hundred years.
The Union Flag, or Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom.
The term 'Union Jack' may come from the 'jack-et' of the English or Scottish
soldiers, or from the name of James I who originated the first union, but its origin its
uncertain.
It is so called because it combines the crosses of the three countries united under
one Sovereign - the kingdoms of England and Wales, of Scotland and of Ireland
(although since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom).
The flag consists of three heraldic crosses.
• THE CROSS OF ST GEORGE, patron saint of England since the 1270's, is
a red cross on a white ground. After James I succeeded to the throne, it was
combined with the cross of St Andrew in 1606.
• THE CROSS SALTIRE OF ST ANDREW, patron saint of Scotland, is a
diagonal white cross on a blue ground.
• THE CROSS SALTIRE OF ST PATRICK, patron saint of Ireland, is a
diagonal red cross on a white ground.
The Welsh dragon does not appear on the Union Flag. This is because when the
first Union Flag was created in 1606, when Wales was united with England.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. virgilio
United Kingdom is an island country located off the northwestern coast of
mainland Europe. With a total area of approximately 248,500 square kilometres ,
its Capital city is London.
The UK is between the North Atlantic and the North Sea, is separated by the
English channel from the coast of France and is connected by a channel tunnel
beneath. It shares a boundary with Ireland. The Channel Tunnel bored beneath the
English Channel now links the UK with France.
CURRENCY AND LANGUAGES. Antonio
• The official currency from The UK is the Pound sterling or GBP (United
Kingdom Pound Sterling) its symbol is £ the equivalent of about 21 Mexican
pesos (depending of the market)
• English is spoken across the UK, but it is not the only native official
language, Other languages like, Welsh, Gaelic, Scots, Irish, Ulster Scots,
and Cornish. They shared few common words, most of the time you will find
these languages in rural areas.
WELL-KNOWN PEOPLE Antonio
• WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE is widely considered the greatest dramatist of all
time as well as the most influential writer in the history of the English
language. He originated hundreds of words and phrases that English
speakers use to this day. He wrote plays such as Romeo and Juliet, hamlet
and mcbeth.
• WINSTON CHURCHILL was an inspirational statesman, writer, orator and
leader who led Britain to victory in the Second World War. He served as
Conservative Prime Minister twice - from 1940 to 1945 (before being
defeated in the 1945 general election by the Labour leader Clement Attlee)
and from 1951 to 1955.
• ELIZABETH II she was queen of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland from February 6, 1952, to September 8, 2022.
In 2015 she surpassed Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in
British history. Known for her sense of duty and her devotion to a life of
service, she was an important figurehead during times of enormous social
change.
TOURISTIC PLACES Antonio
• THE BIG BEN: located near the Westminster Abbey in central London is
about a hundred metres tall. the Big Ben, is the heavy bell not the tower, it is
theorized that the bell was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the Chief
Commissioner of Works (he still alive), who was affectionately known as ‘Big
Ben’ in 2012 it was renamed Elizabeth Tower to celebrate Queen Elizabeth
II’s Diamond Jubilee.
• STONEHENGE: a Neolithic site close to Amesbury, England and is
supposed to date back to 3000 BC. is supposed to have worked as either a
burial ground or astronomy site of sorts. The beauty of the place lies in the
mystery around it as well as no one exactly knows what the stones stand for
or what its purpose exactly was.
• WINDSOR CASTLE: the place where the British royal family resides,
located in Berkshire represents a long line of the British monarchy and is a
 piece of art. First built in the 11th century. The castle is built in the Gothic
style.

TYPICAL EXPRESSIONS virgilio

• NOT MY CUP OF TEA: used since the 1800s but originated as "my cup of
tea" to describe something one would like, simply because people from The
UK drink tea for enjoyment. when you say “not my cup of tea”, something is
not of your enjoyment.
• DONKEY YEARS: First recorded in 1895–1900; probably originally
donkey('s) ears, as rhyming slang for years and years. Because donkeys
tend towalk heavely and slowly and take long time to complete a task or
journey.
BORROWED WORDS FROM NATIVE LANGUAGES. Virgilio
• LEPRECHAUN: A magical creature from Irish folklore usually believed to
reveal the hiding place of treasure if caught. Descended from old Irish
“luchorpán” or lupracán, meaning “a very small body”.
• WHISKY/SHISKEY: A type of liquor made from fermented grain mash.
Descended from Classical Gaelic “uisce” meaning "water". Distilled alcohol
was known in Latin as aqua vitae ("water of life"). This was translated into Old
Irish as uisce beatha.
• SLOGAN: A memorable phrase used in a clan, political, commercial, religious
used to persuade the public onto think about something. Descended from
Scottish Gaelic and Irish sluagh-ghairm (sluagh "army", "host" and gairm
"cry"). Meaning “a war of cry”. The original usage refers to the usage as a clan
catchphrase among Gaelic armies.
• BANSHEE a type of female fairy in Irish culture believed to foretell deaths by
singing in a mournful Descended from Old Irish bean sidhe formed by bean
"woman" and sidhe "fairy mound",
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES Antonio
• ROCK BANDS FROM THE UK: many popular rock bands came out of the
british invasion, a musical movement that began in the 1960s. During this
time, many british singers and groups began to gain massive popularity
worldwide, particularly in the united states. (puedes decir algun adato
curioso de las bandas)
• GASTRONOMY FROM THE UK: is thought as absurd for the people,
but it isn’t because the recipes are wrong. It’s because they’re
misunderstood. here you have some dishes from the uk.
 ▪ Black pudding: a sausage made from pigs' blood, onions, herbs,
spices, and bound with oatmeal or barley. usually served fried in
slices during breakfast
▪ Scones: Biscuits served with jam and cream. made with flour, butter,
sugar and milk, and perfect for a lunch in the afternoon.
▪ Scotch egg: a boiled egg that is wrapped in sausage, covered in
breadcrumbs, and then deep-fried or baked until crispy, perfect
during winter.
▪ Fish and chips a seasoned deep-fried fish (usually cod) served
along with french fries. Traditionally wrapped in newspapers. It has
many variations depending of the region. Perfect for any occasion.
▪ Tea: a hot beverage consisted in dried plants that were drowned in
boiling water that can be mix with milk or sugar.
▪ Spotted dick: also known as spotted dog, a pudding made with suet
and currants or raisins spread with custard (similar to manjar)
• LEGENDS AND MYTHS FROM UK: all the people from the regions of the
uk enjoy storytelling, that are often told around a fireplace to entertain or to
pass knowledge often linked to the landscape and would try to explain
strange happenings before the age of science.
▪ Loch Ness monster, Also known as Nessie is large
marine creature believed by some people to inhabit Loch
Ness, Scotland. However, much of the alleged evidence supporting its
existence has been discredited, and it is widely thought that the monster
is a myth.
▪ King Arthur: he was a legendary leader who pulled a sword from a
stone to prove his rightful claim to the throne. He was the only one able
to use the magical sword Excalibur that was given to him by the Lady of
the Lake. Legend has it that when England is in great need, King
Arthur will return to save his kingdom
▪ Robin Hood was a legendary outlaw who lived in Sherwood Forest, near
Nottingham, with his band of ‘merry men’. It’s said that he would rob the
rich and give his loot to the poor. Many believe that this mythical hero
was based on a real outlaw or disposed nobleman. But there is not
physical prove.
▪ Selkies are mythical sea creaturse that can change from a seal into a
human by shedding its skin. There are many Celtic myths from northern
Scotland about selkies who change into humans to help people who are
missing something in their lives. These myths often end tragically when
the selkie is called home to the sea. It is The UK version of a mermaid.
MEXICO AND THE UK COMPARASION OF GASTRONOMY AND LEGENDS
AND MYTHS. Antonio
Gastronomy from the uk is taken from the European and Asian cuisine (tea is
actually from asia) while Mexican takes its gastronomy take it from their native
tribes, although because of colonization the gastronomy has mixed.
Tacos: seasoned and fried meat wrapped in a tortilla, spread with chopped onions,
hot sauce and drops of lemon. tacos vary from region to region.
▪ Pozol is a drink from the south of Mexico made of a mix of corn dough and
cocoa that is mixed with water and sugar, served cool along with mango or
peanuts.
▪ Nuegado / nuegano a bread made out of a mix of flour, eggs and water that
later is fried and glaced of colored sugar.
The folklore from the uk is not that far from Mexico….
▪ LOS ALEBRIJES: magical creatures from all sizes and colors, that represent the connection
between our world and the spiritual world, they are considerate as guardians and
protectors. they are theorized to be invented by a handcrafter in Oaxaca around the 30’s.
▪ Itza y popo: Iztaccíhuatl y Popocatépetl, were royals from the tlaxcaltecan culture, one day
popo had to go to war between the tlaxaltecans and aztecans, and an enemy from popo
told itza, he was found dead, she killed herself in an act of sadness, once popo returned
from war, he was shocked about itza’s dead and requested to pile up dirt as mountain to
build her a tomb. Once it was created he went into the top and lay her down into the
ground and kiss her. They both became volcanoes and are know together forever.
▪ La Llorona, The Weeping Woman, is a spirit that haunts the folklore of Mexico and
other Latin American countries. In some versions she’s a ghost, while in others
she’s an immortal wanderer, not dead but not really alive either. In all versions, she
weeps loudly in the night.