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1、THE SOCIETY AND CULUTRE OF GREAT BRITAIN,Introduction British History British Political System Industry and Economy Literature and Culture Religions and Beliefs Education,Introduction : Natural and Human Geography,Land and People I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts 1.Geographical names: the
2、 British Isles, Great Britain and England. 2.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 3.The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones.,4.Three political divisions on the island of Great Britai
3、n: England, Scotland and Wales. (1) England is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section. (2) Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. It has three natural zones (the Highlands in the north； the Central lowlands； the south Uplands) Capital: Edinburgh (3) Wales
4、 is in the west of Great Britain. Capital: Cardiff (4) Northern Ireland is the fourth region of the UK. Capital: Belfast.,5.The Commonwealth (of nations) is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It was founded in 1931, and has 50 member countries until 1991.
5、,II. Geographical Features 1.Geographical position of Britain: Britain is an island country surrounded by the sea. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east. 2.The north
6、 and west of Britain are mainly highlands； and the east and southeast are mostly lowlands.,III. Rivers and Lakes Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Britain (1,343m). Severn River is the longest river in Britain (338km). Thames River is the second longest and most important river in Britain. (336km
7、). Lough Neagh is the largest lake in Britain which is located in Northern Ireland. (396 square kilometres). River Clyde is the most important river in Scotland. Snowdonia is the highest mountain in Wales.（1,085m）,IV. Climate 1. Britains favorable climate Britain has a maritime climate-winters are n
8、ot too cold and summers are not too hot. It has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. The temperature varies within a small range.,2.The factors influence the climate in Britain: 1）The surrounding waters tend to balance the seasonal differences by heating up the land in winter and co
9、oling it off in summer； 2）The prevailing south-west winds or the Westerlies blow over the country all the year round bringing warm and wet air in winter and keeping the temperatures moderate； 3）The North Atlantic Drift passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.,3.Rainfall： Britain
10、 has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. The average annual rainfall in Britain is over 1,000mm. There is a water surplus in the north and west, and a water deficit in the south and east.,V. The People 1.population distribution ： Britain has a population of about 57 millions and it
11、 is very unevenly distributed. 90% of the population is urban and only 10% is rural. The population of Britain is made up mainly of the English (81.5%), the Scottish (9.6%), the Welsh (1.9%), the Irish (2.4%), the Northern Irish (1.8%) and other peoples (2.8%).,2.The difference between the ancestors
12、 of the English and Scots, Welsh and Irish: The ancestors of the English are Anglo-Saxons, the Scots, Welsh and Irish are Celts.,3.The difference in character： The Welsh are emotional and cheerful people. They are music lovers and are proud of their past. The Scots are said to be a serious, cautious
13、 and thrifty people, and they are also hospitable, generous and friendly. The Irish are charm and vivacity.,4.The difference in speech between southern England and northern England: Southerners speak the type of English close to BBC English； In northern England, regional speech is usually broader th
14、an that of southern England.,5.The Welsh keep their language and culture in this way:Throughout the year they have festivals of song and dance and poetry called Eisteddfodau (艺术年会). The great event of the year is the National Eisteddfod. On these occasions competitions are held in Welsh poetry, musi
15、c, singing and art.,6.The main problem in Northern Ireland: The fight between the Protestants who are the dominant group, and the Roman Catholics, who are seeking more social, political and economic opportunities.,7.Immigrants: About three million have come to Britain to live and find work since Wor
16、ld War II.,Chapter One British History,The Origins of a Nation (5000BC-1066) I.Early Settlers （5000BC-55BC） 1.The first known settlers of Britain were the Iberians. 2.At about 2000 BC the Beaker Folk arrived from the areas now know as Holland and Rhineland. 3.The Celts began to arrive Britain about
17、700 BC.,4The Celts came to Britain in three main waves. The first wave were the Gaels-came about 600 BC. The second wave were the Brythons-came about 400 BC. The third wave were the Belgae-came about 150 BC.,II. Roman Britain (55BC-410AD) 1.British recorded history begins with the Roman invasion. In
18、 55BC and 54BC, Julius Caesar, a Roman general, invaded Britain twice. In AD 43, the Emperor Claudius invaded Britain successfully. For nearly 400 years, Britain was under the Roman occupation, though it was never a total occupation.,2. Romans influence on Britain. The Roman built many towns, road,
19、baths, temples and buildings. They make good use of Britains natural resources. They also brought the new religion, Christianity, to Britain.,3.Reasons for limited Roman influence on Britain. First, the Romans always treated the Britons as a subject people of slave class. Second, never during the 4
20、centuries did the Romans and Britons intermarry. Third, the Romans had no impact on the language or culture of ordinary Britons.,III. The Anglo-Saxons (446-871) 1Basis of Modern English race: the Anglo-Saxons. In the mid-5th century a new wave of invaders, Jutes, Saxons, and Angles came to Britain.
21、They were three Teutonic tribes.,The Jutes, who fished and farmed in Jutland, came to Britain first. A Jutish chief became the King of Kent in 449. Then the Saxons, users of the short-sword from northern Germany, established their kingdom in Essex, Sussex and Wessex from the end of the 5th century t
22、o the beginning of the 6th century.,In the second half of the 6th century, the Angles, who also came from northern Germany and were to give their name to the English people, settled in East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. These seven principal kingdoms of Kent, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, East Anglia, Me
23、rcia and Northumbria have been given the name of Heptarchy这七个主要王国（肯特、埃塞克斯、苏塞克斯、威塞克斯、东盎格利亚、麦西亚和诺森伯利亚），合称为七王国。,2The early Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity. The Anglo-Saxons brought their own Teutonic religion to Britain. Christianity soon disappeared, except among the Celts of Cornwall, Wales, S
24、cotland and Ireland. In 597, Pope Gregory I sent St. Augustine, the Prior of St. Andrews Monastery in Rome, to England to convert the heathen English to Christianity.,In 579 St. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He was remarkably successful in converting the king and the nobility,
25、 but the conversion of the common people was largely due to the missionary activities of the monks in the north.,3The Early Anglo-Saxons make the contributions to the English state. The Anglo-Saxons laid the foundations of the English state. Firstly, they divided the country into shires, with shire
26、courts and shire reeves, or sheriffs, responsible for administering law. Secondly, they devised the narrow-strip, three-field farming system which continued to the 18th century. Thirdly, they also established the manorial system. Finally, they created the Witan（council or meeting of the wisemen） to
27、advise the king, the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today.,IVViking and Danish invasions 1The invaders were the Norwegians and the Danes. They attacked various parts of England from the end of the 8th century. They became a serious problem in the 9th century, especially between 835 an
28、d 878. They even managed to capture York, an important center of Christianity in 867. By the middle of 9th century, the Viking and the Danes were posing a threat to the Saxon kingdom of Wessex.,2King Alfred (849-899) and his contributions Alfred was a king of Wessex. He defeated the Danes and reache
29、d a friendly agreement with them in 879. The Danes gained control of the north and east, while he ruled the rest. He also converted some leading Danes into Christians.,He founded a strong fleet and is known as “ the father of the British navy”. He reorganized the Saxon army, making it more efficient
30、. He translated a Latin book into English. He also established schools and formulated a legal system. All this earns him the title “Alfred the Great.”,VThe Norman Conquest (1066) 1Reasons for Williams invasion of England after Edwards death. It was said that king Edward had promised the English thro
31、ne to William, but the Witan chose Harold as king. So William led his army to invade England. In October 1066, during the important battle of Hastings, William defeated Harold and killed him. One Christmas Day, William was crowned king of England, thus beginning the Norman Conquest of England.,2The
32、Norman Conquest and its consequences The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history. William the Conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government.,He replaced the weak Saxon
33、rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England. Relations with the Continent were opened, and the civilization and commerce were extended. Norman-French culture, language, manners and architecture were introduced. The Church was brought into closer c
34、onnection with Rome, and the church courts were separated from the civil courts.,3The English is a mixture of nationalities of different origins. The ancestors of many English people were the ancient Angles and Saxons. Some English people are of the Norman-French origin.,The Shaping of the Nation (1
35、066-1381) I. Norman Rule (1066-1381) 1. Williams Rule （1066-1087） Englands feudalism under the rule of William the Conqueror,Under William, the feudal system in England was completely established. According to this system, the King owned all the land personally. William gave his barons large estates
36、 in England in return for a promise of military service and a proportion of the lands produce.,These estates were scattered far and wide over the country, so that those who held them could not easily combine to rebel the king. The barons, who had become Williams tenants-in-chief, parceled out land t
37、o the lesser nobles, knights and freemen, also in return for goods and services.,At the bottom of the feudal scale were the villeins or serfs. One peculiar feature of the feudal system of England was that all landowners must take the oath of allegiance，not only to their immediate lord, but also to t
38、he king.,2. King Henry II and his reforms The ways King Henry II consolidate the monarchy. Henry II took some measures to consolidate the monarchy. He forced the Flemish mercenaries to leave England； recalled grants of Royal lands made by his previous king Stephen； demolished many castles built in S
39、tephens time； strengthened and widened the powers of his sheriffs and relied for armed support upon a militia composed of English freemen.,The ways Henry II reformed the courts and the law. King Henry II greatly strengthened the Court and extended its judicial work. He divided the whole country into
40、 six circuits and appointed justices to each. Cases were therefore heard before the intermittent justices who applied the law impartially. During his reign, a common law was gradually established in place of the previous laws of the local barons. He also introduced a new jury system to replace the o
41、ld ordeal-based trial system. Besides, he shifted the trial of clergymen charged with criminal offenses from the Bishops court to the Kings court.,IIContents and the significance of the Great Charter Great Charter was signed by King John in 1215 under the press of the barons. It consists of sixty-th
42、ree clauses. Its important provisions are as follows: (1) no tax should be made without the approval of the Grand Council；,(2) no freemen should be arrested, imprisoned or deprived of their property； (3) the Church should possess all its rights, together with freedom of elections；,(4) London and oth
43、er towns should retain their traditional rights and privileges; (5) there should be the same weights and measures throughout the country. Although The Great Charter has long been popularly regarded as the foundation of English liberties, it was a statement of the feudal and legal relationships betwe
44、en the Crown and the barons, a guarantee of the freedom of the Church and a limitation of the powers of the king. The spirit of the Great Charter was the limitation of the powers of the king, keeping them within the bounds of the feudal law of the land.,III.The origins of the English Parliament The
45、Great Council is known to be the prototype of the current British Parliament. In 1265, Simon de Montfort summoned the Great Council, together with two knights from each county and two citizens from each town. It later developed into the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Its main role was to o
46、ffer advice. There were no elections or parties. And the most important part of Parliament was the House of Lords.,IVThe Hundred Years War and its consequences. The Hundred Years War refers to the war between England and France that lasted intermittently from 1337 to 1453. The causes of the war were
47、 partly territorial and partly economic.,The territorial causes were related with the possession by the English kings of the large duchy in France, while the French kings coveted this large slice. The economic causes were connected with cloth manufacturing towns in Flanders, which were the importer
48、of English wool, but they were loyal to the French king politically. Besides, Englands desire to stop France from giving aid to Scots and a growing sense of nationalism were the other causes.,The Englishs being driven out of France is regarded as a blessing for both countries. If the English had rem
49、ained in France, the superior size and wealth of France would have hindered the development of a separate English national identity, while France was hindered so long as a foreign power occupied so much French territory.,V. The Black Death The Black Death is the modern name given to the deadly epidemic disease spread by rat fleas across Europe in the 14th century. It swept through England in the summer of 1348. It reduced Englands population from four million to two million by the end of the 14th c