Book Description

The author looks at the United Kingdom and its constituent parts - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - to present a comprehensive picture of this island nation. Subjects covered include history, geography, the nation's economy, culture and its ethnic and racial composition which has become more diversified through the years especially since the sixties. There are also regional contrasts in terms of culture and lifestyle, language and other areas of life even within the countries which collectively constitute the UK; for example, regional differences within England or Scotland, a subject that has also been addressed in the book. The author also looks at the changing face of the nation as a result of immigration. The UK is home to many people from different parts of the world who have given the country a new identity in terms of demographic composition and even culture. It has been a gradual transformation through the decades, a period which has witnessed large numbers of immigrants entering the United Kingdom mainly from countries outside Europe. The work is a general introduction to life in the United Kingdom and an interesting portrait of the nation's cultural landscape. People going to the United Kingdom will be able to learn some of the important cultural aspects of life in the country - what they are expected to do and what not to do in their interactions with Britons - in order to get a better understanding of life in this island nation which has remained essentially the same in terms of culture in spite of the large numbers of immigrants who have settled in the country mostly from the former British colonies in Asia, Africa and the West Indies. The book is intended for members of the general public. Tourists will find this work to be useful. It will also help some students, especially those going to the UK, learn some important aspects of life in this island nation. It's also helpful to immigrants and others who want to live in the UK.