People of Britain
The UK has a very diverse population. According to EnglishUK.com, Britain "has always welcomed immigrants and in the past fifty years numbers have dramatically increased." They have strict anti-discrimination laws, which allows people of all nationalities and ethnicities to live peacefully within their borders. This diversity shows up in their cuisine, which draws inspiration from Indian and local European foods(Channel). A popular British dish, Chicken Tikka Masala, represents this sentiment perfectly. Unfortunately, people don't consider Britain a high-quality place to live. In an article by Independent, journalist Doré writes that the UK ranked sixteenth in the world on a quality of life index. Their smog-filled skies receive the most complaints, dissuading those from developed countries from immigrating due to the health hazard. However, Britain works each day towards correcting that folly. Their skies will eventually become just as clear as any other country's, and their quality of life rating will go up. |
British Beauty
Countless beautiful panoramas scatter the landscape of Britain. Some of the top rated tourist sites include sprawling landscapes and breathtaking national parks, such as Historic Yorkshire or the Lake District National Park(Dearsley). Britain also houses one of the wonders of the world: Stonehenge. This ancient monument mixes the realms of history and nature, allowing you to walk directly on the great open field around these massive Neolithic structures("English Heritage"). However, one of the lesser known sites of interest proves to be Britain's coral reefs, pictured above. They can be up to 8000 years old, home to ecosystems just as fragile and beautiful as the tropical reefs everyone always hears about(Gell). Britain also contains countless large structures popular among many, including the clock tower Big Ben, the former largest Ferris wheel the London Eye, and much more. Challenges in Britain
Most of Britain's current challenges originate from financial struggles. Will Martin of Business Insider writes that "inflation is surging, consumer spending is slowing, productivity remains mired...and uncertainty reigns supreme." Some of these issues emanate from Brexit, but a lot of the uncertainty comes from the recent influx of immigrants. Interestingly enough, immigrants represent one of the original reasons for people supporting Brexit in the first place("Trade"). The country started to get crowded, and EU standards did not allow Britain to close off support to those in need. |
The actual act of Brexit, though, proves itself the most challenging issue currently faced by Britain. In 2016, they announced their departure from the European Union. Britain hoped to find profitable trades, freedom from membership fees of the EU, and a solution to their immigrant problem. Current events reveal that Britain's divorce fee will financially damage the government, and the United States' new tax policies under the Trump administration leave finding lucrative trades dubious("Trade"). Their entire reasoning now stands on its head, and people are starting to wonder whether or not Brexit was such a good idea in the first place. As long as we stay positive and work together, we members of the world can get through this difficult time and emerge triumphant.
Works Cited
Channel, Cooking. “Classic British Food and Recipes.” Cook Com, Cooking Channel, 28 Sept. 2017, www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/packages/best-international-recipes-global-and-cooking/photos/british-food-and-recipes.
Dearsley, Bryan. “14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in England | PlanetWare.” PlanetWare.com, www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/england-eng.htm.
Doré, Louis. “Quality of Life around the World Revealed and Britain Doesn't Even Make the Top 10, Says New Index.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 15 June 2015, www.independent.co.uk/news/world/uk-16th-in-the-world-for-quality-of-life-says-new-index-10321223.html.
“English Heritage.” Stonehenge | English Heritage, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/.
Gell, Fiona. “Britain's Coral Reefs and Marine Wildlife Are Equal to Anything on Blue Planet II | Fiona Gell.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 3 Dec. 2017, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/03/britain-coral-reefs-marine-wildlife-blue-planet-2-protection.
“Life in the UK.” English UK, www.englishuk.com/en/agents/english-in-the-uk/life-in-the-uk.
Martin, Will. “The 7 Scariest Challenges Facing the British Economy, According to Analysts.”Business Insider, Business Insider, 26 July 2017, www.businessinsider.com/what-will-happen-to-the-uk-economy-brexit-2017-7/#inflation-daniel-morris-senior-investment-strategist-bnp-paribas-asset-management-1.
"Trade Tracker - Is Brexit ever going to happen?" just-style.com, 5 Oct. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A508143399/GPS?u=rale84535&sid=GPS&xid=d154142a. Accessed 8 Jan. 2018.
Channel, Cooking. “Classic British Food and Recipes.” Cook Com, Cooking Channel, 28 Sept. 2017, www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/packages/best-international-recipes-global-and-cooking/photos/british-food-and-recipes.
Dearsley, Bryan. “14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in England | PlanetWare.” PlanetWare.com, www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/england-eng.htm.
Doré, Louis. “Quality of Life around the World Revealed and Britain Doesn't Even Make the Top 10, Says New Index.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 15 June 2015, www.independent.co.uk/news/world/uk-16th-in-the-world-for-quality-of-life-says-new-index-10321223.html.
“English Heritage.” Stonehenge | English Heritage, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/.
Gell, Fiona. “Britain's Coral Reefs and Marine Wildlife Are Equal to Anything on Blue Planet II | Fiona Gell.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 3 Dec. 2017, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/03/britain-coral-reefs-marine-wildlife-blue-planet-2-protection.
“Life in the UK.” English UK, www.englishuk.com/en/agents/english-in-the-uk/life-in-the-uk.
Martin, Will. “The 7 Scariest Challenges Facing the British Economy, According to Analysts.”Business Insider, Business Insider, 26 July 2017, www.businessinsider.com/what-will-happen-to-the-uk-economy-brexit-2017-7/#inflation-daniel-morris-senior-investment-strategist-bnp-paribas-asset-management-1.
"Trade Tracker - Is Brexit ever going to happen?" just-style.com, 5 Oct. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A508143399/GPS?u=rale84535&sid=GPS&xid=d154142a. Accessed 8 Jan. 2018.
Header image borrowed from "en.nthnews.net"