United Kingdom of Great Britain英国简介 英美国家概况

Name United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Capital City London

Official Language English

National Anthem God Save the Queen

National Flag The Union Jack

National Flower Rose

National Emblem Royal Coat of Arms

National Bird Robin

National Stone Diamond

The Thames River (338 kms)

The most important river in Britain

The Severn River (354 kms)

The longest river in Britain

Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Britain (1,343m)

本尼维斯山为英国最高峰，海拔1,343米。

Lough Neagh is the largest lake in Britain which is located in Northern Ireland. (396 square kilom etres).

讷湖（内伊湖）是英国最大的湖，位于北爱尔兰。面积为396平方公里。Backgrounder: General election in Britain

British voters went to vote on Thursday morning as up to 50,000 polling stations across the country opened for ballots in the country's general election.

The general election will decide which party (or coalition of parties) forms the next government. Over 44 million voters across the country will elect altogether 650 members of parliament (MP) for the House of Commons, or the lower house.

The seat number has risen from 646 since the last election because of changes to constituency boundaries. But voting in the general election took place in 649 constituencies as polling in Thirsk and Malton has been postponed to May 27 following the death of a candidate during the campaign.

The candidate who wins more votes than any rival in his/her constituency, not a majority

of votes cast, will be the MP from the constituency. The leader of the party that wins the majority seats in parliament will be named prime minister by the Queen and tasked with forming the cabinet.

Both the prime minister and the MPs then enjoy a tenure of five years. But the former has the power to ask the Queen to dissolve the parliament within the frame of the tenure and hold an election. Normally, the election takes place four years into the tenure.

According to British law, a citizen should be registered to vote. He or she should be at least 18 years old on polling day, and a British, Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland citizen living in Britain.

The following are barred from voting in general elections: members of the House of Lords; convicted prisoners; anybody found guilty of election corruption within the last five years; people with learning disabilities or mental illness who are incapable of sound judgment.

Voting is not compulsory. But those failing to return a completed registration form or giving false information can be fined up to 1,000 pounds (1,500 U.S. dollars).

Candidates must be aged 21 or above and British, Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland citizens. Those barred from running in general elections are: those who are bankrupt; civil servants; police officers; armed forces personnel; government-nominated directors of commercial companies; judges; members of parliament in non-Commonwealth nations; those convicted of electoral malpractice; members of the House of Lords.

To be a candidate, one needs to have a nomination form signed by 10 voters from that constituency. The papers must be returned with a 500-pound (750-dollar) deposit. Candidates do not need to be a member of a political party. The major parties have their own selection methods, usually involving central lists of candidates and votes of local members.

After the announcement of the polling results, the Queen will preside over the opening ceremony of the new parliament and announce the governing policies of the new cabinet.

Source: Xinhua