Symbols of Great Britain The Flag of the

Symbols of Great Britain
The Flag of the Kingdom of Great Britain was the royal banner known as the King's Colours. The design dated from the early 17th century, when it was ordered by King James I and VI to be used on ships on the high seas, and it subsequently came into use as a national flag with the union of England and Scotland in 1707. The flag consists of the red cross of Saint George, patron saint of England, superimposed on the Saltire of Saint Andrew, patron saint of Scotland. Its correct proportions are 1:2. The flag's official use came to an end in 1801 with the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. At that time Saint Patrick's Flag was added to the flag of Great Britain to create the present-day Union Flag.
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms, their territories, and the British Crown Dependencies. The words and title are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, e.g., replacing "Queen" with "King", "she" with "he", and so forth, when a king reigns. The author of the tune is unknown, and it may originate in plainchant, but a 1619 attribution to John Bull is sometimes made. God Save the Queen is the de facto British national anthem and has this role in some British territories. It is one of two national anthems for New Zealand (since 1977) and for several of Britain's territories that have their own additional local anthem. It is the royal anthem of Australia (since 1984), Canada (since 1980). Beyond its first verse, which is consistent, it has many historic and extant versions: Since its first publication, different verses have been added and taken away and, even today, different publications include various selections of verses in various orders. In general, only one verse is sung. Sometimes two verses are sung, and on rare occasions, three.
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. It’s population 8 million. London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End.
The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Bailey. Few people live here, but every day over a million people come to the City to work. There are some famous ancient buildings within City.
Perphaps, the most striking of them is St. Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of English churches. It was built in the 17-th century by Sir Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror. It was used as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison. Now it is a museum.
Westminster is the governmental part of London. Nearly all English kings and queen have been crowned in Westminster Abbey. Many outstanding statesmen, scientists, writers, poets and painters are buried here: Newton, Darwin, Dickens, Kipling and others. Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace, the seat of the British Parliament. The clock tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big bell, known as Big Ben. Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen.
The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It is the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there. The Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London. It was named in honour of Admiral Nelson’s victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson’s Column stands in the middle of the square.
There are lot of factories, workshops and docks in the East End.