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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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United_Kingdom
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1992-09-02
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The United Kingdom has an area of
244,100sq km (94,247sq miles). Its capital is
London. Its cities include Birmingham,
Glasgow, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool,
Manchester, Edinburgh, Bradford, Bristol,
Belfast, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Cardiff.
Rivers include Thames, Severn, and Spey.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Island lies to the west of
continental Europe. In fact only some 8,000
years ago mainland Britain was physically
part of the Continent; but in the final
stages of the Ice Age the great ice sheets
melted, swelling the oceans and flooding the
lowlands lying between the two. Neolithic
settlers can be traced back as far as 6,000
years ago to places such as Stonehenge. The
Roman made raids under Julius Caesar, finally
invading in AD 43. Between the fifth and
eleventh centuries it was the turn of the
Saxons, Danes, and then the Vikings to
invade. In 1066 William of Normandy conquered
Britain; this was the last foreign invasion.
In the late thirteenth century the Anglo
Normans conquered Wales effectively annexing
it in 1303. In 1603 James VI of Scotland,
who was the great great grandson of Henry VII
of England, succeeded to the English throne.
In 1707 the Scottish parliament decided that
Scotland should unite with England and Wales.
Ireland was first visited by the Anglo
Normans in 1170; slowly their influence
spread over the island until it eventually
came under their control. In 1801 the Act of
Union joined England, Wales, Scotland, and
Ireland as one. In 1922 an independent Irish
state was established in southern Ireland.
The major industries include agriculture, oil
and gas production, financial services,
clothing and textiles, steel production, food
processing, car manufacturing, and other
light industries. Christianity is the main
religion and English the official language;
however, Welsh and Gaelic are spoken in
parts.
Subject by: Shaun Jay