Great Britain Atd. Administrative divisions of Great Britain. Main areas and their characteristics. The jurisdiction of the county councils laws on local self-government include: police, fire protection, land use, roads, social services. In the competence of the owl

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The administrative-territorial division has a complex structure, due to the very constitution of the country, consisting of a whole complex of documents from different historical eras. Conventionally, there are four main administrative and political parts, traditionally referred to as countries or provinces (country):

All countries that make up the United Kingdom have a different status. In particular, Wales has never been a single independent state within its current borders. Being captured by England, he remained a part of it in a special position until 1967, when the concept of England and Wales was introduced, and is still in many respects a single entity with England. The powers of the governments of individual countries are also determined on a case-by-case basis as part of the devolution process begun in 1997.

From 1801, when the union of Great Britain and Ireland took place, until 1922, when the Irish Independent State was founded, the country was officially called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is located on five thousand islands. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not formally part of the United Kingdom, but they have a special relationship with it. The Channel Islands were part of the Duchy of Normandy in the 10th century and remained subject to the English crown after its final subjugation to France in the 15th century. The Isle of Man was under the nominal sovereignty of Norway until 1266, and came under the direct control of the British crown in 1765. Today, these territories have their own legislatures and systems of laws, and the Isle of Man also has its own system of taxation. The British government is only responsible for their representation in the international arena and external protection.

Historical development has led to the intrastate division of the United Kingdom. The territory of the large islands is divided into the following fairly large parts: Northern Ireland, Northern Scotland, Southern Scotland, North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber region, East Midlands, West Midlands, Wales, East Anglia, South East, South West and the Greater London area. There is also another division - into counties, there are 72 in total. The county (before indicating the city) must be indicated in the postal address with one or two letters - abbreviated. A list of these abbreviations is on any mail. Local authorities are responsible for housing, education, social security, police and fire service. They are financed by funds received from the collection of municipal taxes, local taxes and subsidies from the central government.

The UK is one of the most densely populated and highly urbanized countries in the world. On average, per 1 sq. km. Its area accounts for 230 people. However, the distribution of the population across the country is very uneven. The main part of the inhabitants of Great Britain is concentrated in England, which has the most convenient geographical position, favorable natural conditions and has played a leading economic role throughout the history of the British Isles. Here the average density increases to 356 people per 1 sq. km. km. Within England itself, the main industrial belt of the country, stretched along the London-Liverpool axis, is most densely populated: half of the entire population of Great Britain lives in this belt. The most sparsely populated areas are in Scotland with its harsh natural conditions and less developed economy compared to other parts of the country. For 1 sq. km. It has an average population of 86, with the population concentrated mainly on the coasts, in the valleys and lowlands (especially around Glasgow and Edinburgh), while some highland areas are virtually deserted.

By the end of the XIX century. 3/4 of the population of Great Britain lived in cities, and the predominant type of population was already large conurbations. Since the beginning of the twentieth century. there is an intensive migration of rural residents to cities, where almost 4/5 of the country's population now lives. Drawing a line between urban and rural settlements in a highly urbanized country like the UK is difficult. Many villages have become the "bedrooms" of nearby towns, with villagers commuting daily to the towns for work.

There are about a thousand cities in the UK. Half of the country's urban population is concentrated in seven conurbations. One of them - Central Clydesgard (1.7 million people) - are located in Scotland, and the rest in England. These are Tynesad, which is home to 0.8 million people, West Midlands (2.4 million), South East Lancashire (2.3 million), West Yorkshire (1.7 million), Mersnside (1.3 million) and Greater London (7 million). Over 1/10 of city dwellers live in cities with a population of more than 200,000 people each, of which Sheffield and Edinburgh each have more than half a million inhabitants. 75 cities with a population of 50 to 100 thousand people belong to the average in the UK. Five conurbations and half of all large and medium-sized cities in the country are concentrated in an industrial belt along the London-Liverpool axis, which is partly called the metropolis.

One of the consequences of the development of conurbations and especially their central cities is an exorbitantly high population density. In this regard, measures are being taken to relieve them: part of the excess population is moving to the suburbs or to new expanding medium-sized cities.

In the "hierarchy" of British cities, London undoubtedly occupies a leading position as the capital, the main political and cultural center of the country, one of its largest industrial centers, the largest seaport and the leading city of the most important economic region of Great Britain - Southern England. In addition to London, many "capital" functions are performed by 10 more cities in Great Britain: Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast as the capitals of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively; Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds and Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool as central conurbation cities and regional centres. In addition, over 150 cities, in terms of the number of inhabitants and the role they play in the life of nearby territories, are higher than the main mass of cities. These cities are called "City", all the rest - "town".

There are few countries in the world in which seaside cities occupy such an important place as in Great Britain, in which 44 out of 100 large cities are seaside. London arose primarily as a seaport for trade with continental European states; through Gul (Hull), trade with the countries of the Baltic Sea basin has long been carried out; Bristol and Liverpool served as "gateways to the New World. Seaside resort towns are located near large industrial centers: Brighton and Margate - near London, Blackknul - at the Lankshire coal basin, Scarborough - on the coast of Yorkshire. All the initial development gravitated towards the sea. all specialized apartments and already further - housing.

Much faster than other cities, in the last two centuries, the largest industrial centers grew near coal and iron ore deposits: Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Belfast, Middleborough, etc. The developing industry required more and more workers, and working quarters, hastily built up by speculators , were often slums from the start. Houses for workers were built according to a single standard. Most often, these are monotonous "terraces" - rows of houses of the same type standing back to back. The monotony of workers' quarters in industrial cities is broken only by the huge sooty buildings of factories and plants, warehouses and gas distribution stations. The railway here, as a rule, goes to the very center of the city and serves as its "skeleton". The old quarters of industrial cities are overgrown with new buildings, in which the industrial zone is separated from the residential area.

Until very recently, all cities in the UK grew mainly in breadth, as low-rise buildings are cheaper and more in line with the tastes and traditions of the British. Until now, some are still reluctant to settle in apartment buildings, as this means living without their own, even a tiny, garden. Cities are expanding their territory more and more due to the growth of suburbs, absorbing already scarce land resources. Only in the last decade, multi-storey apartment buildings began to appear in British cities, but housing in them is very expensive. Therefore, most Britons continue to live in old houses, many of which were built in the last century. The acute housing crisis, accompanied by rising rents, is one of the country's most serious social and economic problems.

In the UK, there are mainly two types of rural settlements. In the low-lying eastern part of England, the population lives predominantly in villages. The forms of villages are varied: more often a star-shaped plan, less often an ordinary, street layout.

Everywhere there are many medium-sized farms on which farming is carried out without the use of hired labor. Small-scale farming is concentrated mainly in Scotland and Wales. The densest network of villages is in North East Yorkshire, where they are often within 2.5 km of each other. The density of rural and semi-rural settlements is exceptionally high in the main industrial belt of the country and around the conurbations of Tynsad and Clydeside. Here, the settlements in which workers live, employed in the industrial enterprises of conurbations, are interspersed with villages, hamlets and individual farms.

The territorial structure of the United Kingdom is unitary. Historically, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of four regions: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The country was formed around and on the basis of England, which makes up the majority of the state both in terms of territory and population. Therefore, for the other three regions, to a greater or lesser extent, there has always been a tendency to strengthen self-government or even separatism. However, for a long time these regions did not have their own governing bodies. In 1997 in Scotland and Wales, and in 1998 in Northern Ireland (at the same time a referendum on the same issue was held in the Republic of Ireland), consultative referendums were held, in which the majority of voters answered positively to the questions raised by them about the establishment of regional legislative and executive authorities. In 1998-1999 they were created and elected. The Legislative Assemblies, the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly were given exclusive legislative powers, ie. the right of primary legislation in the areas of health care, education, local government and political and administrative division, housing and communal services, the environment, etc. The National Assembly of Wales does not have the right to primary rule-making; it has the right to regulate the listed issues only with the help of “secondary” legislation, i.e. specifying national laws.

Political and administrative division regions are different. England and Wales are divided into counties, the counties in England are divided into administrative districts, and the counties are divided into communities (parishes). The counties of Wales are directly divided into communities. Northern Ireland is made up of counties, they are made up of counties, counties are made up of communities. Scotland is territorially divided into districts, consisting of communities.

Most local units have local governments (they are absent only in the counties of Northern Ireland and in parishes (communities) with a population of less than 150 people). These are, first of all, councils directly elected by the population. The term of office of councilors (deputies of local councils) is four years, and in Scotland - three years. Most of the councils are re-elected at a time, the councils of the districts of the metropolitan counties (which include large cities) are annually re-elected 1/3 of the councilors. Each council annually elects a chairman from among its members (in areas of London and other large cities he is called the mayor, in the City - the lord mayor), as well as committees to which many of the powers of the council are delegated and which carry out executive activities. Consequently, There are no special executive bodies of local government in the UK. Officials appointed by the central government and exercising local government are also absent. The competence of local governments is traditional, but in practice there are difficulties on the issue of its differentiation between local governments of various levels.

special status It has capital United Kingdom - London. Together with the surrounding suburbs, it forms a single conglomerate called Greater London. Traditionally it was run by an elected Greater London Council, but in 1985 it was abolished by the Conservative government. The Labor government secured the passage of legislation to restore the government of Greater London, issued after a referendum in the capital on this issue in May 1998. Greater London is currently governed by a 25-member Assembly and a Mayor, directly elected by the people of the capital. Their elections took place in May 2000.

The United Kingdom also owns insular and dependent territories, which, however, are not considered as parts of it. Island territories - these are the Isle of Man and the islands of the English Channel, which have belonged to England since feudal times. They are "crown" domains and are subject to the sovereignty of the United Kingdom. The islands have their own governing bodies, but the English Parliament makes laws on defense, foreign relations and customs matters.

Dependent Territories - these are the former colonies of Great Britain, which have retained the state-legal connection with it. Basically, these are small islands, for example, Saint Helena, Anguilla, Bermuda, etc. Each territory has its own parliament, government and courts. But on issues of defense, foreign policy and security, the laws for them are adopted by the British Parliament. In each territory (as well as in the islands) there is a governor appointed by the Crown, representing the interests of the Crown and exercising control over the authorities of the territories.

Some territories have their own constitutions.

The UK is one of the largest countries in the European Union and a member of the United Nations. The capital of the country is London, the sights of which every schoolchild knows. Formerly known as the British Empire.

Prominent personalities of Great Britain

It was in England that the television was invented. Great Britain is the birthplace of many outstanding people. Here were born Winston Churchill, Shakespeare, Newton, Margaret Thatcher, Paul McCartney, writer Charles Dickens, musician Freddie Mercury, the greatest modern physicist Stephen Hawking, actress Emma Watson, Charles Darwin - the founder of the world famous theory of evolution.

What areas does the UK consist of?

The generally accepted administrative division of Great Britain currently includes four historical regions, or, as the British call them, countries. They include England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The UK has an extremely high population density: there are 230 inhabitants per 1 sq. km. At the same time, the population is distributed unevenly throughout the territory. Most of the British live in no wonder, because this territory occupies the most convenient geographical position. Also, it is in England that the political and economic center of the entire state is located. In addition, here are the most favorable natural conditions.

The most important region

England - in which most of the cultural and historical attractions of the entire Kingdom are located. For example, it is here that the well-known Westminster Abbey is located. The date of its foundation is the 9th century. Buckingham Palace has also become famous. The royal family lives here to this day. The date of its construction is 1703. Every schoolboy has heard of Trafalgar Square. It is from her in England that the distance from London to other cities is measured.

The most important district of the country

The leading position among the cities of Great Britain is occupied by London. In addition to the fact that London has a dominant position both in political, economic and cultural terms, it is the main seaport of England. Not far from the capital are the largest recreational areas of the country - the resorts of Brighton and Margate.

In addition to London, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland also includes other cities that function as regional centers. There are ten in total, and this number includes Edinburgh (the capital of Scotland), Cardiff (the capital of Wales) and Belfast (the capital of Northern Ireland), Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds and Bradford.

Scotland: nature and population

Despite the fact that the administrative division of Great Britain includes Scotland, the British often refer to it as a separate country. In everything the Scots show waywardness. They have their own church, their own banks and currency. These features of Scotland originate from the times when it was still a separate state. Throughout history there have been aggressive attempts by England to seize its territory.

The areas of Scotland are among the least populated. This is due to a more severe climate compared to other regions, as well as economic indicators. The capital is Edinburgh.

Scotland is the northern part of the island of Great Britain, as well as the adjacent islands. The area is 78772 sq. km. If we compare Scotland with other areas of Great Britain, then its climate is more changeable. This is due to uneven terrain.

In the process of the stubborn struggle of the Scots with the conquerors, their national identity increased more and more. In 1603, after the death of Queen Elizabeth I, VI ascended the throne. Then the two territories were in the possession of one monarch. In 1707, documents were signed, according to which England and Scotland became a single state.

A little about Wales

The areas of Wales are located on the west side of England. In the north, its shores are washed in the south by Bristol Bay, in the west is the Strait of St. George. Despite the fact that Wales is politically connected with England, it has retained its traditions to this day. The main and largest city in Wales is Cardiff. About 3 million people live on its territory.

On the basis of natural features, Wales can be divided into three regions. In its central part there are mountains over 600 meters high, which cross vast valleys. Lowlands - in the coastal part. There are many river valleys along which enemy troops easily penetrated here in the past. The climate is temperate. Vegetation is very sparse in the elevated areas, but many rare plant species can be seen on the plains.

One of the most famous sights of this district are the stalactite and stalagmite caves. Everyone who visits Wales, first of all, seeks to visit these mysterious places. The cave called Dan-Ir-Ogof is attractive with stalactites and stalagmites. And in the Way of the Nile cave you can admire unusual waterfalls.

UK administrative divisions: other criteria

There are other ways of dividing the territory of the country, for example, into counties, as well as into regions. In this case, the name of the county (in full or abbreviated) must be indicated in any postal item. History has developed in such a way that modern Great Britain can be conditionally divided into several vast regions.

The administrative division of Great Britain according to them is as follows:

1. Northern Ireland. The capital is Belfast.
2. Northern Scotland, Southern Scotland. The administrative center is Edinburgh.
3. Northeast. Consists of 4 counties. The main city is Newcastle upon Time.
4. North West - consists of five counties, the main cities are Liverpool and Manchester.
5. Yorkshire and the Humber region. Yorkshire is the largest county in all of England. Included in the administrative unit of Yorkshire and the Humber.
6. East Midlands. The capital of the region is Nottingham.
7. West Midlands with Birmingham as its capital.
8. Wales.
9. East of England, with Cambridge as its main city.
10. South East with the administrative center in Guildford.
11. Southwest. The largest population center is Bristol.
12. Greater London area.

There are about 100 major cities in the UK. At the same time, 44 of them have large ports. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has traded through sea routes throughout history, mainly with the countries of the Baltic basin. and Liverpool throughout history have been a kind of gateway to the "New World".

Localities in the UK are known for their long and sometimes difficult to pronounce names. However, generally accepted toponyms are also used here. For example, Great Britain has about 1500 settlements called Newtown.