What is the UK?
- The UK stands for the United Kingdom.
- It is called this because it is made up of four smaller countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
- England, Scotland and Wales are located on the island of Great Britain. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are on the island of Ireland.
Which island do you live on?
The UK is surrounded by water:
- The English Channel (between England and France)
- The Irish Sea (between England and Wales and Northern Ireland and Ireland)
- The North Sea (between Great Britain, Norway and Denmark).
When you visit the seaside, you might swim in one of these seas!
What are the capital cities in the UK?
Each of the four countries of the UK has its own capital city.
- Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland.
- Cardiff is the capital city of Wales.
- Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland.
- London is the capital city of England.
When we visit the capital cities, we see different landmarks in each one. Have a look at the photos.
- What buildings can you see?
- Have you noticed that all of the capitals are near water?
Image caption, This is Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland.
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Watch: Find out more about the UK
Learn about the countries in the United Kingdom in this video from BBC Teach.
Hi there, I'm Earth.
Come and take a look at one of my favourite places, the United Kingdom.
It's made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This is England, the biggest country in the United Kingdom.
Its capital city is London.
This is the Tower of London, home of the Crown Jewels.
The north of England has many mountains and lakes, like Windermere, the largest lake in England.
Up here is Scotland. It has lots of lakes. They call them lochs.
The most famous is Loch Ness. Legend says it's home to the Loch Ness monster.
The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh, with its famous castle.
Wales's capital city is Cardiff.
Here's Cardiff railway station. It was built to handle all the trains coming in and out of the city.
And this is Snowdon, Wales's highest mountain.
Beautiful, if I do say so myself!
Across the Irish Sea is Northern Ireland.
Its capital city is Belfast.
This is the Titanic Museum, which tells the story of the famous ship.
And this is the Giant's Causeway.
Legend says it was built by a giant who wanted a shortcut between Northern Ireland and Scotland, but really it was formed when the lava from a volcano cooled and formed these columns.
With so many amazing places, I bet you can see why the United Kingdom is so special to me.
What is it like in the UK?
The UK is in the Northern Hemisphere and we have four seasons.
Spring is when the temperature increases and things start to grow again after the cold days of winter.
After spring comes summer. This is usually the warmest season. It is when crops grow and we expect the sunniest weather.
Then comes autumn and the temperature starts to cool down again. Plants and trees shed their leaves.
Winter is the coldest, darkest time of the year. Crops grow more slowly because of the low temperatures.
Activities
Activity 1: Countries in the UK
Activity 2: UK capital cities
Activity 3: Quiz – The UK
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