Postgrad UK 2008/2009 - (Page 14) 14 Advice and Information www.prospects.ac.uk/PostgradUK Prospects guide to the UK Great Britain: A kingdom united by diversity An unimaginative person might suggest that the UK is like a four-leaf clover – the four distinct nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland making one whole. But each of those parts has its own regional variations of geography, language, architecture, cuisine and so on. And each town in each region has its own character too. So, it’s not like a four-leaf clover at all really. It’s a lot bigger for a start! Considerate as ever, we have come up with the essential (metaphor-free) guide to the UK to help you get to grips with a country united by its differences. There are more than 60 million people in the UK and 8 million of them live in London – that’s more than many small countries. This unique world city is home to vibrant ethnic communities hailing from Brazil to Bahrain. It also hosts some of Britain’s oldest and best loved institutions, including the Houses of Parliament and Harrods. Famed for its fashion sense, memorable for its music scene and second to none for sporting events, it’s a city of extremes. For some, it’s the No.1 city on earth. For others it’s just too damn busy. But there is more to Southern England than London. It may have more than its fair share of heavy-weight international universities. (Cambridge, Oxford and University College London are amongst the top 10 institutions in the world.) But from the beaches of Cornwall in the west to the Norfolk Broads in the east, there are a host of other places equally worth considering. Bath, Bristol and Brighton all have charming towns and lively student communities, as do Southampton and East Anglia. We can’t mention Cornwall without talking about the Cornish pasty – part of the cuisine that, for better or worse, makes Britain what it is. Regional delicacies across the UK have been the subject of mockery by foreign foodies. Sunday roast, haggis, champ, and Welsh rarebit were not the sort of thing posh folk admitted they liked. But thankfully, British grub is undergoing something of a renaissance. Famous British chefs (and they don’t get more famous than Super-Scot, Gordon Ramsay) are reviving the image and the quality of UK cuisine. Britain’s culinary heritage, which now includes curries and Chinese food is rightfully becoming a source of pride again. http://www.prospects.ac.uk/PostgradUK
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