The United Kingdom is a political union made up of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that lies off the northwest coast of mainland Europe.

Double-click on any word to see its definition from Cambridge Dictionaries Online

uk culture: Living in the uk. Aspects of life in each of the four countries that make up the UK: Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. See this issue

uk culture: Scotland. Find out what it's like living in Scotland, about national icons, the language, Scottish poets and poetry, arts and culture, history and heritage, and sports and leisure. See this issue

uk culture: Home page. Links to features on food, holidays, arts, housing, music, climate change and gaming in the UK. Go to home page

magazine article: England. "If I’m being really honest to myself, I have to say that the two major things I miss about England are Marmite and Baked Beans." Read article

magazine article: The Sick Man of Europe? "We Scots get a bad press for our lifestyles, to say the least. This month Jack McConnell, First Minister of the Scottish Parliament, called us 'one of the most unhealthy countries in Europe,' with a culture of “'ack of exercise, drugs abuse, excessive drinking and over eating.'" Read article

magazine article: Wales and St. David. "Gwnewch y pethau bychain = Do the little things (that you have seen me do and heard about)" Read article

magazine article: Royalty. Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about some of the Kings and Queens of England. Read article

magazine article: British Comedy. A look at eight different British comedians/comedy shows both old and new. Read article

magazine article: Folklore. "According to the dictionary I have, folklore is the study of ancient customs, beliefs, traditions and superstitions of the common people. Who are these 'common people'?" Read article

magazine article: Cornish: "In the first lesson of any language course you'll probably learn a mini dialogue like this. You'll find the translation at the end of this article, but can you guess what it means?" Read article

magazine article: UK water. "Do you know the difference between artesian wells and aquifers, and did you know how many poisonous chemicals you drink every day? Join us as we trace the path of water from the clouds to the taps." Read article

magazine article: The Face - 1980s Style Bible. "When you’re young the concerns of your parents, teachers and any other authorities you come across seem trivial…how are you going to earn a living, avoid dying in some stupid motorcycle accident or be accepted into a university? No…Not worth thinking about. Far more important is the question of whether your hair should stick up or lie flat on your head." Read article

word game:English icons . Discover different icons from England by doing this jigsaw puzzle. Do puzzle

word games: Scottish icons. Match the names of things that are typical to Scotland to descriptions of them. Play game (1) and game (2)

word game: Bagpipe jokes. Match the questions to the answers of 5 jokes about bagpipes. Play game

word game: English literature. Match the names of famous works in English literature to their authors. Play game

word games: Famous Welsh people. Match the names of famous Welsh people to information about them. Play game (1) and game (2) and game (3)

word game: UK map puzzle. Show your knowledge of UK geography by completing this jigsaw puzzle.. Play game

word game: UK cities. Match the names of major cities in the UK to their locations on a map. Play game

word game: UK famous places. Match the names of famous places in the UK to pictures of them. Play game

word game: UK icons. Match the names of UK icons to pictures of them. Play game

story: Quotes about the United Kingdom. Read what young people in countries around the world think about the United Kingdom. Compare their opinions, work with the vocabulary and let us know what you think about the UK. Read story

poems:.William Wordsworth, William Ernest Henley, Henry Newbolt, William James Linton and Charles Leonard Moore, all "singing the praises" of England. Read poems

poem: Address to the Haggis This famous poem by the great Scottish poet Robert Burns is regularly recited during celebrations throughout the world, whenever Haggis makes an appearance on the menu. Read poem

poem: Welsh Landscape This grim poem by R. S. Thomas, the pre-eminent Welsh poet writing in the English language is typical of his work, which is uncompromising: images like slate - hard and sharp; his style spare, unflinching, honest." Read poem

anthems: The anthems or national songs of the UK, Australia and Canada, with activities. See song lyrics

cartoon: England. "How do I get to the Royal Opera House?" See cartoon

cartoon: Scotland. "I've started feeding whisky to the chickens!" "Really? Why?" See cartoon

cartoon: "I knew we shouldn't have traded with that vegetable supply company." "No? Why not?" "Because the whole ship was ..." See cartoon

trivia: Recipe: Spotted Dick: a suet pudding with currants embedded in it. England trivia

trivia: Scottish proverb : Be slow in choosing a friend but slower in changing him. See more Scotland trivia

trivia: Date: 1588: the Bible was first published in Welsh. This is considered by some as one of the most important events in helping to continue the Welsh language. See more Wales trivia

poll: "What's the first thing that Scotland makes you think of? "See results

poll: "What does 'Wales' make you think of?"See results

history: Brighton hotel bombing | Great fire of London | Lockerbie disaster | Royal wedding

links: Wikipedia: England See more links

links: Wikipedia: Scotland See more links

links: Wikipedia: Wales See more links

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