Components

In the previous part, we have already known that the United Kingdom is a country made up of four parts: England, Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland. Each part was once ruled separately. Each has its own culture, its own native language, its own capital city, and even its ownnational day.

England is the largest of the four with anarea of 130,000 square kilometers, which takes up nearly 60% of the GreatBritain. It is the most populous and richest section of the country. Itscapital city, London, is also the capital city of the whole country.

Scotland, with an area of 78,760 squarekilometers, occupies the northern part of the Great Britain. About two thirdsof Scotland is covered by the Highlands. Its capital city is Edinburgh.

Most of Wales is mountainous. The area isabout 20,700 square kilometers, which takes up less than 9% of the wholeisland. The capital city is Cardiff.

Northern Ireland, with an area of 14,147square kilometers, occupies the northern sixth of Ireland. Before the early 20^thcentury, it was part of Ireland as a whole. In 1920 Northern Ireland becamepart of the United Kingdom, with a separated parliament and self-government.The capital city of Northern Ireland is Belfast.