UNITED KINGDOM AND THE FOUR NATIONS

                          

                           

 

 four nations of Britain are Wales,Scotland,England and Northern Ireland’s brief history and definition of a United kingdom and the four nations according to the oxford dictionary, the United Kingdom is a country of western Europe consisting of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland; population 61,113,200 (est. 2009); capital, London. Full name United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern. England (which had incorporated Wales in the 16th century) and Scotland have had the same monarch since 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded to the English crown as James I; the kingdoms were formally united by the Act of Union in 1707. An Act of Parliament joined Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, but the Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland) broke away in 1921. The UK became a member of the EC (now the EU) in 1973. English is the general language spoken by the United Kingdom, despite each nations have their own different language, the people who live in Britain are being the ''British''. As well as the Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack) each of the constituent nations of the United Kingdom has its own flag – except for Northern Ireland that is. England has the red cross of St George on a white background; Scotland has the white satire on a blue background; and Wales has a red dragon on a white and green background.

History of Wales

Wales possesses such a rich History that it is impossible to do it justice in a few paragraphs. St David's Day is celebrated on March 1, in honor of Dewi Sant or St David, our patron saint.

The Welsh Flag

The Red Dragon (or in Welsh Y Ddraig Goch) - was granted official status in 1959, but the dragon itself has been associated with Wales for centuries. Some say it’s the oldest national flag still in use and that it was used by King Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders. It is the only flag of the constituent countries of the UK not seen on the Union Flag. This is because after the Laws in Wales Acts in the 16th Century, Wales was considered to be a part of England.

Welsh Not

The Welsh Not was a piece of wood hung around the necks of children who spoke Welsh in the 19th century. It was given to any boy overheard speaking Welsh and he would pass it to a different boy whom he overheard speaking Welsh. At the end of the day, the wearer would be given a lashing. It was used in some schools solely to discourage pupils from speaking Welsh, at a time when English was considered by some to be the only suitable medium of education.

Castles

Wales has been known as ‘the land of the castles’ and rightly so as there are 400 castles in Wales. By now many of these have been reduced to ruins, however 100 or so still remain or have been restored.  Discover ancient castles where famous battles were fought and fortresses built to keep invaders at bay.

Myths and Legends

Tales of King Arthur and Merlin the Magician are inspired by Wales's wonderful landscapes and seascapes. Which may explain why Pembrokeshire in West Wales is still proud to be known as Gwlad hud a lledrith - 'The land of magic and enchantment'. King Arthur regularly appears in Welsh mythology.  Legend has it that Arthur killed a giant called ‘Rhitta’ on Mount Snowdon, and fought another fierce battle nearby at Bwlch y Saethau. Even now, he and his knights are thought to be sleeping in a cliff-top cave beneath Chepstow Castle.
Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen) is believed to be Merlin’s birthplace and is named after him. Some way north, in the caves below the ruins of Dinefwr Castle, Merlin is said to have communed with fairies. More concrete evidence of the mythical king can be found in a valley in northern Pembrokeshire, where two ancient standing stones are known as ‘Meibion Arthur’ or Arthur’s sons


 
England was settled by humans for at least 500,000 years. The first modern humans (homo sapiens) arrived during the Ice Age (about 35,000 to 10,000 years ago), when the sea levels were lower and Britain was connected to the European mainland. It is these people who built the ancient megalithic monuments of Stonehenge and Avebury.
Between 1,500 and 500 BCE, Celtic tribes migrated from Central Europe and France to Britain and mixed with the indigenous inhabitants, creating a new culture slightly distinct from the Continental Celtic one. This was the Bronze Age.
The Romans tried a first time to invade Britannia (the Latin name of the island) in 55 BCE under Julius Caesar, but weren't successful until 43 CE, during the reign of Emperor Claudius. In 122 CE, Emperor Hadrian built a wall in the north of Britannia to keep the barbarian Pictures at bay.
The English Flag (i.e. the Red Cross on a white background) is the cross of St. George and probably originates from when England became England sometime after the invasion of Vikings, Danes, Angles etc. It is supposed to be the signal of the patron saint that he carried in battle. This is the same as the Scottish and original Welsh flag.
The British flag or Union Jack is a combination of the three, English, Scottish and Irish. The Welsh flag is part of this union of countries, but it was not ruled like these countries were so it was not included in the Union Jack flag. The Arms of England. The patron saint of England is St. George and England's national day is St. George's Day which is held on the 23rd of April.

 

 

Scotland

Scotland is a country and once independent Kingdom that covers 31,510 square miles (78,772 square kilometres, about half the size of England. The capital town is Edinburgh. The majority of the population is based around the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee. The population of Scotland is over 5,000,000 people. Its currency is the pound sterling although the Bank of Scotland issues its own notes and coinage.

Language

Almost all Scots speak English, but many speak various Scots dialects, which differ markedly from English and some speak Gaelic (pronounced Gallic).

The flag of Scotland

The Scotland flag is the St. Andrew's Cross which displays the x-shaped saltaire cross on which St. Andrew was crucified and it has been Scotland's national symbol. King James I merged it with the national flag of England in 1606 when the two kingdoms were united. It has become very popular in Scotland and is also used by the Scottish National Party.

Northern Ireland

Although it is situated in the north-east corner of the Island of Ireland, Northern Ireland is today one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. For hundreds of years during the history of Ireland, the entire island was under English rule. However, there was a strong resistance movement, and by the late 19th century, the majority of people living in Ireland wanted the English to grant self-rule to the Irish people. During this time, there was a popular movement for Home Rule, which would grant the Irish autonomy in their internal affairs without splitting up the United Kingdom. However, there was a minority of the population, mostly centered around the northern region of Ulster, which vehemently opposed this idea. Called Unionists, they rallied against Home Rule and wished to remain subjects of the United Kingdom.

The Irish Language.

The Irish language, which is also known as Irish Gaelic, was traditionally the language spoken by the people living in Ireland.

Sourced from …..http://www.inac.org

Historically the nationalist community of Northern Ireland has used the Irish tricolour. This is above flag of the Irish Republic and was designed with a nationalist green stripe, an orange stripe to represent the Ulster Protestants and a white stripe in the middle to represent peace between the two.