The Political System Of GB
The UK is a parliamentary monarchy and the King or the Queen is the head of the state. But in practice the country is ruled by the government which is formed by the Parliament. The British Parliament consists of 2 “Houses” – the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Officially the Queen summons a Parliament and she also dissolves it before a general election. In practice, a British Prime Minister has a great deal of power in contrast to that of the Monarch. The Parliament makes new laws, gives authority for the government to spend state money, keeps a close eye on government activities and discusses those activities.
The British Parliament works in a large building called the Palace of Westminster, popularly known as the Houses of Parliament.
In Britain except the central government there is a system of local governments.
Great Britain was the first country in the world where the system of parliamentary democracy was accepted in the 17th century and which has remained a constitutional monarchy at the same time.
London
London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million.
London is situated -on the river Thames. Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in the memory of Admiral Nelson's victory at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson's Column stands in the middle of the square. The square is full of visitors and pigeons crowding around Nelson's Column and four stone lions symbolizing the strength of the former British Empire.
The City is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. Two masterpieces are situated within the City: St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. St. Paul's Cathedral was built in the 17th century by Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror who invaded Britain in the year 1066. At first it was used as a prison, then as a royal palace, and now it is a museum, with traditional change of guards, ravens walking on the grass and the beefeater allowing them to take pictures with him.
Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. It includes Buckingham Palace where the Queen lives as well as the Prime Minister's residence at No. 10 Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament with a famous bell Big Ben.
Westminster Abbey is the place where coronation of nearly all kings and queens has taken place. It is also the place known for the so called Poets' Corner where such famous authors as Byron, Thackeray, Kipling and a number of others are buried.
The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. A true magnet for tourists, especially young, is Piccadilly Circus with a statue of Eros in the centre.
They say "He who is tired of London is tired of life." I'm looking forward to visiting London on my own and hope I won't be disappointed.
The History of Money
In early civilisations people did not have money. They traded objects. For example, the fisherman needed furs to protect himself from the cold and the hunter needed something to eat, so they exchanged their goods . This is called barter, but it had disadvantages. If there weren't any more people who needed the hunter's furs he couldn't trade them for the things he needed. As time went on, people used valuable things as a kind of money: cattle, grain and salt.
In the course of time people found out that metal, especially gold and silver, was very valuable and they had a fixed value .But it was not until the late Middle Ages that coins became common throughout Europe. Paper money came into use about 300 years ago. It was cheaper to make and easier to carry around.
In the second half of the 20th century people realized that they didn't have to carry money around to buy the things they needed. Today, more and more people use plastic cards to buy things. With its help the bank transfers its customer money to buy something.