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By making colonies, the Britons wanted to gain more influence and money. Moreover, if you reign them, they won't fight against you.

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The UK is located in the northwestern part of Europe. It consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The capital is London which is one of the leading commercial, financial and cultural cities. Head of state is Queen Elizabeth II (parliamentary monarchy), prime minister Theresa May is the head of government.

Fun facts:
The Queen, Elizabeth II, has visited over 115 countries despite not having a passport.

Almost 25% of all women in the UK were named Mary in 1811.
(Being British...)

The British Navy used Britney Spear’s songs to scare away the Somali pirates along the coast of Africa.

The British drink over 163 million cups of tea daily, about 20 times the number of cups consumed by Americans.

Windsor Castle in Berkshire is the oldest royal residence in the world.

In the UK, the Queen sends personalized birthday cards to those celebrating their 100th birthday every year.

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This cultural diversity makes Britain a vibrant place to be, but it is not without its problems. Conflicts can arise between cultures and generations.
Even if "Britishness" for many means being multicultural, open-minded and acting as one equal character, you can still see minorities living seperated in their own neighbourhoods and "white" Britons having trust issues.

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The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies and other territories administered by the UK and it was the largest empire in history. Britain's trade gained control over many different parts of the world. One of the first british trading companies, the East India Company (1600) which controlled India for many years and the Virginia Company formed the foundations of the growth and rise for the British Empire. In 1922, 1/4 of the world's land area belonged to the British Empire. Due to its huge expanse, it was also known as "the empire on which the sun never sets", because the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories. As a result, the British political, legal, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread.

The Raj
The British rule in the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947
In 1876, Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India.

Triangular trade
Trade among three ports or regions and countries
(transatlantic trade: operated from the 17th until the early 19th century; carried goods, slaves etc. between West Africa, the Carribean and American colonies and the European colonial powers)

Slave trade
The use of African slaves was fundamental to growing crops e.g. cotton and tobacco, which were then exported to Europe. European goods were used to buy slaves from African traders. They were transported to America and had a horrible journey during which many of them died of diseases and maltreatment.

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"family of nations"?
General Information
- Intergovernmental organisation
- 54 independent member states
- The Queen is the ceremonial and representative head of the Commonwealth
- Secretariat is based in London, the headquarters are in Marlborough House
- Population of 2.1 billion people and ca. 20% of the world's trade
- Commonwealth games are held every four years

Important dates
- 1926: Balfour
Declaration
--> Britain and its
dominions are equal
in status
--> Members are united by
the common
allegiance to the
crown
--> States are freely
associated members
of the British
Commonwealth of
Nations
- 1949: London
Declaration
--> The word "British" is
dropped from the title
- 1971: Singapore
Declaration
--> Declaration of values
and goals that the
member states follow
- 1991: Harare Declaration
--> Declaration of values
and goals that the
member states follow
- 2003: Aso Rock
Declaration
--> "We are committed to
democracy, good
governance, gender
equality, and a more
equitable sharing of
the benefits of
globalization."

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Pros
- Made trade follow internationally agreed laws
- Helped to build
- schools, hospitals and
to develop countries
- roads, railways and
drains in their colonies
- Trigger for post-war immigration
- ...

Cons
- Slave trade/colonization
- Flooded China with opium
--> catastrophe for the country
- Oppression
- ...

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What comes to your mind when you think about Britons? Someone with bad teeth? Someone who drinks tea all the time? Wait, have they ever seen sunny weather?
Many people may immediately think about certain stereotypes that are known around the world. But is every German unpunctu- ...well.

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Written by: Vicky Philpott

When you jet off around the world it's important you know what you're letting yourself in for, and a part of that is knowing what the world thinks of you.
That stranger in the bunk bed, the lads on your tour bus and couple in the corner may not know you yet, but once you say you're British they'll make a few assumptions. These are just a few of those typical British stereotypes you'll have to either live up to, or battle off on your gap year.

1. British people drink a lot of tea

This is one stereotype that, most of the time, is actually right. We Brits love to sip, slurp and gulp down tea while occasionally dunking a digestive in there too. The fact that those abroad know about our love of tea means no one will be surprised when you whip out the Tetley's.
If you want to take it a step further, stick your pinky out when sipping to ensure you fulfil the stereotype of a British tea-drinker.

2. We're all friends with the Queen

Many foreigners you meet will ask if you've ever met the Queen. For most of us, the answer is obviously a big fat 'no', but that won't stop your new foreign friends from quizzing you about the rest of the royals. No, you don't party with Prince Harry or shop with Kate, but you do know a person who knows a person... or, you could just make up some big elaborate story about how, yes, you were there for the Royal Wedding, and yes, Harry is a Facebook friend.

3. We've never seen sunshine

Yes, it's true, our weather isn't the best and that's something most travellers you meet will be able to trump you on, but that's OK. We have David Beckham, Downtown Abbey and One Direction so a lack of sunshine is something we can live with. And there's always that one day in the summer.

4. We can't handle said sunshine

As a result of the bad British weather, the general consensus is that when Brits are exposed to the sun we just can't handle it. It's tops off, tanning oil and no sunscreen so our white skin goes straight from pale to pink. Battle this stereotype by getting the perfect tan through constant sun lotion application, over a prolonged period of time, and show them exactly who's been kissed by the sun.

5. The Brits watch a lot of TV

For some reason around the world, we're thought of as couch potatoes addicted to our tellies. Yeah sure, we love a period drama and get glued to the X Factor or a bit of Strictly but we're not all about the little screens.

6. And speak rather posh

Accents obviously vary from town to town in GB but it's still a common misconception that all Brits speak like The Queen. This leads to a lot of confusion when you say you're British with a Yorkshire / Geordie twang. Prepare to do some explaining...

7. We're mad about football

With all of our football teams, sports bars and international stars you can see how other people might believe it's all we think about. If you're not a fan, you'll quickly learn to pretend you are and arm yourself with a make-believe favourite club, because overseas locals love to ask who you support.
Or in my case, you just have to shut down any footie related conversation with the revelation that you're a Brit who doesn't even know the rules of football, let alone have any interest.

8. And love a good drink

Perhaps it's the amount of pubs we have, our legal street drinking or the fact that bingeing is our weekend habit - whatever it is, word has got around that Brits love the booze. This means you may get a few furtive glances if you're not on the liquor but it also means you're unlikely to be challenged at drinking games. The Australians think they can take top place on the leader board, but we know different.

9. We're super polite

That would be correct - polite and proud. We are overtly appreciative and profusely apologetic, but it's what makes us so darn nice. We'd encourage you not to try to prove this one wrong. Thank you, please.

10. We eat terrible food

With fish and chips, Sunday dinners and Nando's, it's hard to believe that other nations think the UK doesn't serve up good grub. You should defend our foodie goods to the death and if they don't believe you, ask your new travel buds to visit you back home where you can show them that nothing beats a Saturday night kebab.

11. We live in castles and cottages

Movies have a lot to answer for when it comes to stereotypes and it's because of flicks like Braveheart, Harry Potter and The Holiday that others around the world believe our accommodation options are very twee and traditional. They haven't seen the new build cul de sacs or council house estates where the majority of us dwell - up to you whether you feel the need to enlighten them or not.

12. Us Brits are emotionally stunted

Again, this could be one brought about by the movies or those awfully posh accents we're believed to have, or Hugh Grant; either way it's thought that Brits aren't the best when it comes to showing their emotions or even saying what they mean. We know that we're far from emotionally dead and love a good cry at Corrie, but to the rest of the world we stay tight-lipped, always keep calm and just carry on. A great philosophy for life if you ask me.

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12 Stereotypes of British People You Need to Know About

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Written by: Vicky Philpott When you jet off around the world it's important you know what you're letting yourself in for, and a part of that is knowing what the world thinks of you.

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What makes a Briton British?
For many, being British is about...
...multiculturalism
...being open-minded
...loving the country
...being proud of being British
...always going forward
...defending democracy

British culture is based on...
...remembering the past
...honouring the people who fought for their country
...the connection to its territories
...ittraditions
...a diverse society living in harmony
...looking to the future
--> "We Are, We Can & We
Will"

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Is it really necessary or just an expensive lifestyle?
The opinion of the British citizens concearning the existence of a Royal Family differ from each another.
But being a Queen can be a hard life sometimes. Not only that Queen Elizabeth II always has a lot of work to do such as paper stuff or going to meetings and public events but she never has one day off. Devoting her life to the Briton's service, being polite and responsible for everyone is what she makes her job.
Benefits of having her as head of state may be represented by her mindset for example: to live your life as if it is not all about you. The absolute opposite of egoism. Furthermore, the Queen does her job already for a really long time and therefore has the knowledge. She always keeps her promises.

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The United Kingdom is an ethnically diverse country with many different communities that reflects the multiculturalism of Britain. But how did it came to that over time?

1600: Asians and Africans brought to England as slaves
1700s:
- refugees from the French Revolution (1798)
1800s:
- Jews from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia flee persecution
- Irish settlers escaping the famine/poverty
- Indian and Chinese traders
1914: Belgian refugees
1930s: refugees from Nazi oppression
1940-1960: homeless Polish people escape war and its aftermath
1948: the boat Windrush brings Jamaicans --> thousands follow
1950s and 1960:
settlers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
1970s: East Africans, Asians, Vietnamese
1972: Asians expelled from Uganda
1980s:
- Africans
- refugees from Romania, former Yugoslavia escape war
1991: Somalis apply for political asylum
19921-1997: refugees from Bosnia
1999: refugees from Sri Lanka