AIRLINE TICKETS / Travel

A great curve of mountain ranges that includes the Pyrenees and the Alps roughly divides the cooler north of Europe from the warmer south. In the far north, treeless tundra merges into cool coniferous forests that extend across Scandinavia and into Russia. South of this lies the fertile North European Plain, which supports most of the continent's agriculture and mixed woodland. By contrast, the Mediterranean region to the south is hot and almost desertlike in places. Volcanic activity is confined to Iceland and southern Italy, where Mount Etna is constantly active. The Ural and Caucasus mountains from Europ's eastern borders.

 

Lying between Norway and Finland, Sweden stretches from the Arctic north to the fertile south, where most of its small population lives. Sweden's long industrial traditions and a highly skilled workforce have made it one of the world's most advanced manufacturing countries. Like its neighbors, Sweden is a prosperous place, where equal rights for all groups in society are taken very seriously.

SOCIAL WELFARE

Sweden has led the way in social welfare, and a small population has made it easy for the government to take care of everyone. Child care and facilides for the sick and the elderly are excellent. Unemployment figures have been among tha lowest in Europe. However, to pay for these benefïts the government must impose high taxes. Also, current economie problems have put some of the benefits under threat.

 

 

For a small contry, the United Kingdom (UK) has had a huge influence on world affairs. At one time it controlled a vast empire, which is why English is now spoken across the globe. The Industrial Revolution of the late 1700s, which brought large-scale factory production, began here, then spread Worldwide. Today, many of the UK's traditional industries have declined. This highly urban society is now more reliant on service industries, such as banking and insurance, while huge reserves of oil in the North Sea . meet much of its energy needs.

A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Since the 1950s, the UK has become an increasingly multicultural society. Large numbers of people from the UK's former colonies in Africa, the West Indies, and the Indian Subcontinent have made their home here, establishing their own distinctive communities and enriching British life with their culture and traditions.

LONDON

Founded by the Romans in ad 43, London is now a city of 7 million people and is one of the largest cities in Europe. The capital is one of the world's leading centers of culture, finance, and tourism. Each year millions of people visit London to sample its theaters, museums, and historie buildings. Tourism is now a major industry throughout the whole of the UK. Places such as the west coast of Scotland and the ancient cities of Bath, York, and Stratford-upon-Avon attract thousands of tourists.

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