Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was an author and poet. His best-known novels focus on rural society and include Far from the Madding Crowd and Jude the Obscure.

In 1801, Ireland became unified with England, Scotland and Wales after the Act of Union of 1800. This created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Joseph Turner (1775-1851) was an influential. landscape painter in a modern style. He is considered the artist who raised the profile of landscape painting. The Turner Prize, recognised as one of the most prestigious visual art awards in Europe, is named after him.

The 40 days before Easter are known as Lent. It is a time when Christians take time to reflect ano prepare for Easter. Traditionally, people would fast during this period and today many people will give something up, like a favourite food.

Proportional representation is a system of election in which political parties are allowed a number of seats in Parliament that represents their share of the total number of votes cast.

There are many opportunities for young people to volunteer and receive accreditation which will help them to develop their skills. These include the National Citizen Service programme, which gives 16- and 17-year-olds the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities, develop their skills and take part in a community project.

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the Houses of Parliament in London. Many people call the clock Big Ben as well.

A lot of people in the UK have pets such as cats or dogs. They might have them for company or because they enjoy looking after them. It is against the law to treat a pet cruelly or to neglect it.

The structure of the DNA molecule was discovered in 1953 through work at British universities in London and Cambridge. This discovery contributed to many scientific advances, particularly in medicine and fighting crime. Francis Crick (1916-2004), one of those awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery, was British.

David Weir is a Paralympian who uses a wheelchair and has won six gold medals over two Paralympic Games. He has also won the London Marathon six times.

Sir Steve Redgrave won gold medals in rowing in five consecutive Olympic Games and is one of Britain’s greatest Olympians.

In the late 1960s the government passed new laws to restrict immigration to Britain. Immigrants were required to have a strong connection to Britain through birth or ancestry. Even so, during the early 1970s, Britain admitted 28,000 people of Indian origin who had been forced to leave Uganda.

This event was later called the ‘Glorious Revolution’ because there was no fighting in England and because it guaranteed the power of Parliament, ending the threat of a monarch ruling on his or her own as he or she wished.

In Scotland, the legal system developed slightly differently that in England (which developed ‘common law’) and laws were ‘codified’ (that is, written down).

During the Second World War, the Germans waged an air campaign against Britain, but the British resisted with their fighter planes and eventually won the crucial aerial battle against the Germans, called ‘the Battle of Britain’, in the summer of 1940.

Judges (who are together called ‘the judiciary’) are responsible for interpreting the law and ensuring that trials are conducted fairly. The government cannot interfere with this.

There are 129 members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected by a form of proportional representation.

There are several British overseas territories in other parts of the world, such as St Helena and the Falkland Islands. They are linked to the UK but are not a part of it.

The Act of Union, known as the Treaty of Union in Scotland, was therefore agreed in 1707, creating the Kingdom of Great Britain. Although Scotland was no longer an independent country, it kept its own legal and education systems and Presbyterian Church.

The King or Queen has important ceremonial roles, such as the opening of the new parliamentary session each year. On this occasion the Queen makes a speech which summarises the government’s policies for the year ahead.

Money raised from income tax pays for government services such as roads, education, police and the armed forces.

The Norman Conquest was the last successful foreign invasion of England. Initially the Normans also conquered Wales, but the Welsh gradually won territory back. The Scots and the Normans fought on the border between England and Scotland; the Normans took over some land on the border but dic not invade Scotland.

During the reign of Henry VIII, Wales became formally united with England by the Act for the Government of Wales. The Welsh sent representatives to the House of Commons and the Welsh legal system was reformed

Towns, cities and rural areas in the UK are governed by democratically elected councils, often called ‘local authorities’. Some areas have both district and county councils, which have different functions.