"Aragina's United Kingdom Page " a United Kingdom Travel Page by Aragina

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The United Kingdom is a wonderful, beautiful land with a diverse culture. It has everything from sandy beaches on the south coast to dramatic mountains in the North.

If you asked me where my favorite place was I would have a hard choice to make, but London was my place of birth and home for 40 odd years, and still pine to go back and live there. London page on its way honest!!!!!!!!!! It's just going to take time :-)

We drive on the left hand side of the road and the right of way on roundabouts is on the right hand side. Speed restictions on motorways are 70 mph (we use miles not Kilometers) .

Currency: For the past 30 years the UK has worked on the decimal system and is 100 pence to 1 pound.

Coins:- 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, 1 pound coin 2 pound coin.

Notes:- 5 pound, 10 pound, 20 pound, 50 pound, 100 pound

Currency can be changed at Airports and bureau de change , you will find them at Airports and most major high streets in the UK. They give a good exchange rate, be wary of the ones in London as they can have high comission charges.

Medical care: A lot of Medications are avalable over the counter here like Zirtek, if you are on Meds if you can check to see if you can get them here off prescription.

Accident and Emergency: Most are open 24 hours a day, and EU partners have to produce form E111, all other nationalities should have Travel Insurance to cover Medical costs.

Language:

The UK has for centuries been invaded from the Norse to the Romans and even the French and Spanish, Germany tried to invade us as well, so our Language (English) is a mixture of all of those.

We speak several languages, Welsh/Galic in Wales, parts of Scotland still speak Doric, and Ireland still have their own language, there are still a few people in Cornwall who speak Cornish (but you have to find them).
I have just heard that they are now teaching the Cornigh language in schools now :-)
In Wales,Scotland and Cornwall you will find signposts in both the local language and in English.

English dialects can change dramaticly from area to area, I have lived here all my life and can still be seen staring at a local in the UK and thinking (what the hell did he just say!!!)

History:

England has one of the oldest Stonehenges in the World, and England is full of history from Woodhenges to Castles, quaint villages to bustling cities. Excavated Roman Houses To Viking settelments. You will find Celtic Crosses and stone Circles scattered all over Scotland, Ireland and down in the west country.

Skip this bit it is boring. Unless you really like politics.

Politics:

UK Parliament : Houses of Parliament, London, England
Prime Minister: Tony Blair

Scottish Parliament: Edinburgh, Scotland
Presiding Officer: Henry McLeish

National Assembly for Wales: Cardiff, Wales
First Minister: Rhodri Morgan

Northern Ireland Assembly: Sir Reg Empey

The Political system in the Uk is still run by the UK Parliament, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland now have their own forms of Parliament from which they run their own countries admistration and affairs.

We have called it Devolution (this does not mean they have de-evolved).