Britain England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland

Britain is made up of the countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Each of these countries has a very distinct identity and you should not call a Welshman English or vice versa. Britain has too many sites to mention. Though detached from the continent of Europe by only a few miles (or kilometres - to start with the differences) of water, Britain is permeated by a strong sense of its cultural separateness. Everything is different here: measures, traffic, customs and food. Life in Britain retains an extravagant continuity with a past that has little in common with its European sisters and brothers across the channel. Although the relevant Labour Government has moved much closer towards acceptance of European unity, many citizens still have problems not only with accepting the European idea, but also with defining the concept of the United Kingdon itself. Northern Ireland is the most intractable aspect of national identity, but also Wales and Scotland have a long tradition of independent nationhood and autonomous cultures. Some belated recognition of this has resulted in the establishment of political Assemblies for each country, albeit with limited and differing powers for each.

But there are also things that resemble: nationwide shops and businesses start to rule the appearance of many high streets, tourist infrastructure is very well developed all over Britain and the growth of a nostalgia-obsessed heritage industry has produced a lot of museums, theme parks and commemorative monuments. However, the country is rich in monuments, that attest to its intricate history, from ancient hill firts and Roman villas, through a host of medieval cathedralss to the ambitious civic projects of the Industrial revolution.

Britain offers a lot of diversion to all its tourist: For pulsing cultural and nightlife, London is the must. To feel the charm of English sea bathes and the importance of harbours for an island like Britain, travel along the southeastern coastline. In the central part of England you will find towns plenty of historical heritage like Salisbury or Oxford and Cambridge. Western and northern England fascinate with beautiful landscapes: rugged moorlands, picturesque flatlands and rocky coastlines. For true wilderness, however, you better travel to the mountains of Wales or the Scottish Highlands. The finest of Scotland’s lochs, glens and peaks, and the magnificent scenery of the west coast islands, can be reached easily from the contrasting cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Not only landscape, but also very warmhearted and friendly people, this is the attraction of Ireland, of which only the northern part belongs to Britain.