There are notable American and British English differences. After getting independence from British, American linguistics thought of creating differences between UK and US English speaking and writing. Much prominent in this respect was Noah Webster, who compiled the first American English Dictionary – the Webster Dictionary. He was also an innovative thinker who thought that English spelling should be equal to its sounding. In his much smaller version of the dictionary, Compendious Dictionary, he introduced 'wimmen' for women and 'tung' for tongue. But it was not accepted. However, in his…

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated off the north-west coast of Europe, bounded by the Celtic Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean and the North sea. The largest islands along with around 6000 smaller isles that are scattered around make up the territory of the country, which is more than 244,000 square kilometres. The United Kingdom includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff are respectively the capital cities. The land mass varies extensively from place to place. Scotland’s north…

Cymru or Wales forms a separate part of the land of Celtic Britain. The meaning of the word Wales is “outsiders or foreigners”. However, Cymru is opposite to this meaning, and it means ‘companions or friends’. There are historical links between the two countries, as in French Wales is known as Pays de Galle, which reflects its Celtic roots. The population of Wales was 3,074,067 people in 2012, and the country extent is 20,764 square km of land. The majority of the population live in South East Wales. The Wales…

Over thousands of years traditions and customs of Scotland have prevailed while mixing with modern trends of global cultures. The Scottish people have been a part of the world’s history from the 12th century. While some aspects of the traditions of Scotland have remained unchanged over time, such as the Highland Games, for instance, most of the traditional customs have now changed and are continuing to be changed. Since the past thousand years, the amazing sight of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has been providing evidence to prove the strength…

Anyone who wants to know the oldest written history of English football can find such information dated 1170 in the writings of William Fitzstephen. The code of the rules of the game first appeared in England in 1863. Modern rules came to exist later based on the set of 1863. England has over 40,000 football clubs, and it boasts the first football club, and that is the Sheffield FC. The country also boasts the first professional football club known as Notts Country FC. The first FA Cup competition was also…

England boasts rich culture of music. Music in England has evolved significantly from ancient times to the modern era. We may distinguish secular and sacred music, which include popular and elite renditions in Britain. However, music in Great Britain is made up of different forms influenced by varied nationalities, which entered Britain. The mixture is now visible in its various genres featured prominently due to globalism. The classic British Music has been a mixture of Ars Nova polyphony of the early stages of music in Europe. Early music forms in…

Education in England is a benchmark for education systems functioning in most countries. It is really advanced and guarantees studies of the highest level. One can find hundreds of schools in England from primary schools to universities. Most of them are well-known throughout the world, such as the University of Oxford and the University of London, to name just a few from a long list of prestigious colleges and universities. In England education is compulsory and free for children from 5 to 16. The British education system is divided into…

The British royal family has been the symbol of honour and respect not only in England but also in all Commonwealth countries including those countries, which have separated from the union. However, over the years, the monarchy has to some extent lost its influence on society in England as well as throughout the world. A recent report issued by the public accounts committee shows that the royal family should manage their household expenditures better than they are actually doing, indicating that they have exceeded the expected figures. Critics pointed out…

Holidays are ample in England. In addition, a year brings a dozen of major competitions, celebrations and other reasons for festivities in England. However, the major holidays in England are during the Christmas season in winter. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th every year. England starts celebrating Christmas very early and their festivities last to the very late. During the season, Christmas trees provide much attraction at every mall, all the supermarkets and residences. Visitors can view the most famous Norwegian Christmas Tree on Trafalgar Square. Boxing Day, which is…

Big Ben clock tower in London is one of the most popular tourist attractions in England. Due to the large size of the clock tower, it was commonly called Big Ben and known throughout the world as Big Ben London. It is sometimes erroneously named St. Stephan’s Tower, which is actually another tower acting as the public entrance to the Houses of Parliament. The story of Big Ben goes back to 1834, when the Westminster Palace, which withstood the coup carried out to topple the government in 1605, was finally…

With a history dating back to the Roman era, London is a city of the 21st century. It is the capital of England, set on the River Thames. Some of the main iconic London’s attractions one would enjoy are the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the coronation site of British monarchs and the place where famous clock tower Big Ben is situated. There is something for everyone to see. If you are visiting on a budget, there are places you can visit for free. Tower Bridge is one of them.…