Symbols of the UK

National emblems of the United Kingdom

The Union Jack

The Union Flag, popularly known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. It is the British flag.

It is called the Union Flag because it symbolizes the administrative union of the countries of the United Kingdom. It is made up of the individual Flags of three of the Kingdom’s countries all united under one Sovereign – the countries of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland (since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom). As Wales was not a Kingdom but a Principality it could not be included on the flag.

Ex.1 Answer the questions

1. What countries are represented in the British flag?

2. What does the Union Jack symbolize?

3. Why are not all the countries represented in the British flag?

4. What does the Russian/Buryat flag represent?

Ex.2 Scan the information about symbols of the countries that constitute the UK

The national flower of England is the rose. The flower has been adopted as England’s emblem since the time of the Wars of the Roses - civil wars (1455-1485) between the royal house of Lancaster (whose emblem was a red rose) and the royal house of York (whose emblem was a white rose).

The national flower of Scotland is the thistle, a prickly-leaved purple flower which was first used in the 15th century as a symbol of defence. The Scottish Bluebell is also seen as the flower of Scotland.

The national flower of Wales is the daffodil, which is traditionally worn on St. David’s Day. The vegetable called leek is also considered to be a traditional emblem of Wales.

The national flower of Northern Ireland is the shamrock, a three-leaved plant similar to clover. An Irish tale tells of how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

Ex.3 Each country has also its own patron. Match the floral emblems and patrons with the countries: Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland, England.