Category Archives: COUNTRIES

Learn about English-speaking countries

THE USA trivia quiz

Play here

OR get ready with this list of questions :

The biggest state in the US is

Which animal is the national emblem ?

When was independence declared ?

The smallest state in the US is

The most populated state in the US is

How many stars are there on the flag ?

What was the first university created in the USA ?

The most populated city

The highest mountain is

What is the largest lake ?

The longest river in the US is

The most popular national park is

How many stripes are there on the flag ?

What is the name of the American flag ?

Which American president was born in Hawaii ?

What was the first name of New York ?

How many pizzas do Americans eat every year ?

THE BRITISH ISLES MAPS

LET’S LOOK AT MAPS OF THE BRITISH ISLES ! 

  IRELAND (in white) AND GREAT-BRITAIN (in purple)

THE UNITED KINGDOM

  

England is in green, Wales is in red, Scotland is in blue

 

 NORTHERN IRELAND is in yellow

RIGHT OR WRONG ? / Vrai ou faux ? Write the correct information in your English notebook.

Ecrivez les informations correctes dans votre cahier d’anglais.

1 Ireland and Great- Britain are continents.

2 Ireland and Great-Britain are islands (or isles)

3 There are 3 parts in Great-Britain

4 There are 3 parts in the United Kingdom

5 England is a large part of Great-Britain.

6 Northern Ireland is part of Great-Britain

7 Wales is part of Ireland.

8 Scotland is part of Great-Britain.

9 Great-Britain is an island /isle.

10 Scotland is North of Great-Britain.

11 Ireland is West of Great-Britain

12 Ireland is smaller than Great-Britain.

 

Key 

RIGHT OR WRONG ? / Vrai ou faux ? Les informations correctes doivent figurer dans votre cahier d’anglais. Vous trouverez ci-dessous des jeux pour mémoriser les cartes.

1 Ireland and Great- Britain are continents. WRONG

2 Ireland and Great-Britain are islands (or isles) RIGHT

3 There are 3 parts in Great-Britain RIGHT

4 There are 3 parts in the United Kingdom WRONG

5 England is a large part of Great-Britain.

6 Northern Ireland is part of Great-Britain WRONG

7 Wales is part of Ireland. WRONG

8 Scotland is part of Great-Britain.

9 Great-Britain is an island /isle.

10 Scotland is North of Great-Britain.

11 Ireland is West of Great-Britain

12 Great- Britain is larger than Ireland RIGHT / Ireland is smaller than Great-Britain RIGHT.

GAMES

#1 maps

#2 maps

THE EMERALD ISLE

GAME#1 : place the names

GAME#2 : The British isles 

Game#3 : Ireland

Game#4 : vocabulary

Game#5 : crosswords

ULSTER AND EIRE

Ireland was once a single country, but today it is divided into two : the south, with the Republic of ireland – Eire- which is an independent country with a President of the Republic, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

The majority of the population in the Republic is Catholic, and in Northern Ireland it is mainly Protestant.

For more than a hundred years, many conflicts, called « the troubles », opposed the Protestants, who want to remain part of the UK, and the Catholics who wanted a unified Republic. These « troubles » are still not completely forgotten today.

Now Eire is part of the European Union and its economy is very successful, based on farming, tourism and industry.

LEPRECHAUNS

Leprechauns are little elves who are part of Irish mythology. They are very small and take the form of old men who play tricks on people. They are represented as shoemakers and it is said they hide treasures of gold in fields. People believe that if you catch a leprechaun, it will tell you where the gold is.
According to legend, a leprechaun  cannot escape as long as your eyes are fixed upon him, but if you stop looking, he will disappear.

Leprechauns have become symbols of Ireland and you can buy them in every shape or form.

LANDSCAPE AND CLIMATE

Ireland is famous for its spectacular wild landscapes. many parts of the country, like Connemara in the west, are still untouched by industrialisation. The climate of ireland is mild. It is neither hot nor cold, and it rains a lot. Because of the Gulf Stream, exotic flowers and trees can grow in Southern Ireland.

Listen to the Quiz HERE

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS :

Where is Ireland situated ? What is it ? Is it an island or a continent ? Is it a country ? How many parts are there ?

What about the capital(s) ?

What is Northern Ireland part of  ? What is the Republic or Ireland part of  ? What currency do you use in Northern Ireland ? in  Eire ?

Name 5 symbols of Ireland

What do you know about Leprechauns ?

When is the Irish national Day ?

What is the major religious group in Northern Ireland ? in the Republic ?

What happened between Protestants and Catholics ?

What was the problem with potatoes ? What did it cause ?

Who was Saint Patrick ?

What is the climate like ?

What is Ireland famous for ?

Is the economy successful ? What is it based on ?

 

 

Bono

BonHo was born in 1960 in Ireland. He is not dead. He is a musician, a singer and a songwriter. He is known for his songs with rock band U2 and their songs on Ireland. His true name is  Paul David Hewson
His most famous songs with his band, U2, are « Sunday, Bloody Sunday » and « With or Without You ». Picture generated by Midjourney

What is Apartheid ?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBk2aWucHM0[/youtube]

Watch the video and answer the questions below :

a-    How long did Apartheid last ?

b-    What other language does Afrikkans sound like ?

c-     Who controlled South Africa by the end of the 19th century ?

d-    When did South Africa gain its independence ?

e-    Who ran the county ? Who could vote ?

f-     Can you compare Apartheid to another policy ?

g-    How was Apartheid established in the 1940s ?

h-    What was made illegal in 1949 ?

i-      How many groups were there according to the Population Act ?

j-      The three examples of discrimination are :

? Park benches / drinking water / toilets

? Sitting in parks / bathing fountains / toilets

? Hotels/ drinking fountains/ toilets

k-    Areas for blacks often did not have :

? plumbing and plants

? plumbing and electricity

? heating and electricity

l-      What was taken away from many Black South Africans ?

m-  When did the U N condemn Apartheid ? How did many countries react against the Apartheid policy ?

n-    Who was Pieter Willem Botha ? Did he :

? pass new Apartheid laws

? change Apartheid laws

? repeal Apartheid laws ?

o-    When did censorship of the media end ?

p-    What role had Nelson Mandela played ?

q-    How long had he spent in prison ?

r-     What did the last whites-only election do ?

s-     What day was Nelson Mandela elected president ?

t-     What is the other name of the South African National day ?

South Africa Webquest

1/ Read this and answer the questions :

Which countries share a border* with South Africa ?

What oceans border* it ?

What is its capital town ? What are the main cities?

2/Click here :

How big is South Africa ? Compare it to France (beware of measurements !)

How many inhabitants are there ? Compare the population to the French population.

Find the official name of the country.

3/Follow this link :

What languages are spoken ? Make a difference between official languages and their evolution, and other languages.

How many languages do most people speak ?

4/ There are three links for the following questions :

Here : 

What is the economic situation of South Africa ?

And here : 

What are its natural resources ?

Name the main agricultural products.

Look at the economic snapshots here, down the page

Look at the proportion of unemployed* people in 2000.

Find the proportion of black unemployed* people compared to white unemployed people.

Look at the difference of money earned in white households compared to black households.

5/ Now you can look at a few photos :

a-    Who lives in the dunes ?

b-    Find an example of endangered species*.

c-     Compare Johanesburg to an American city. What common points can you see ?

6/More facts here :

What are the most popular sports in South Africa ?

What side of the road do people drive their cars ? Can you guess why ?

7/ The flag :

How many colours are there on the flag ?

What do they represent ?

8/ APARTHEID

Scroll down the page and look at the white chart : Apartheid and the people of South Africa (1978 figures)

Compare the figures for black and white people on the proportion of both groups, the number of doctors available*, the proportion of land ownership*, and the teacher/pupil ratio.

 

VOCABULARY (definitions from the Merriem-Webster Online Dictionary) :

Available : easy or possible to get or use

Border : a line separating one country or state from another

To earn money : to receive as return for effort and especially for work done or services rendered

Endangered species : Any species of plant, animal, or other organism threatened with extinction.

Household : the people in a family or other group that are living together in one house

Ownership : the state, relation, or fact of being an owner. To own : to legally possess something

Unemployment : the state of not having a job

Get to know Ireland

Visit Ireland. Click here to see beautiful pictures of Ireland.

1/ What are the two parts of Ireland ?

      Where is it situated ?

      Name the different people who invaded Ireland. Here

2/Look at the page and write what the symbols of Ireland are :

3/What was the name the Romans gave Ireland ? Click here

4/ Find the other 2 names of Ireland.

5/Here : Why did Saint Patrick use the shamrock ?

Traditionally, shamrock is said to have been used by Saint Patrick to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity when Christianising Ireland in the 5th century.

    What is a shamrock in French ?

6/ What is a celtic cross like ? Look at the photos on the page

 Is it a cross in a triangle ?

Is it a cross in  a square ?

Is it a cross in a circle ?

7/Read about the snakes in Ireland.

9/Saint Patrick. Look here.

When is Saint Patrick celebrated ?

Where are there any parades ?

How many Americans have Irish ancestors ?

10/ What is a Leprechaun ? Play this game

11/ Draw a timeline for Ireland, with the following events :

– when the Celts arrived on the island.

– when Ireland became Christian.

– when the British King sent Protestant farmers who took the land of Catholic farmers.

– when it became impossible for Catholics to vote or to own land or to practice their religion.

– the time of the Great Potato Famine that caused the immigration of a million of people.

– when the country was divided into two parts.

– when peace started to exist seriously.

 12/Find the names of 3 typical Irish dishes, with their main ingredients.