Portal:England
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England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west. The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Palaeolithic period, but takes its name from the Angles, a Germanic tribe deriving its name from the Anglia peninsula, who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in the 10th century, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law – the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world – developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation.
England's terrain is chiefly low hills and plains, especially in central and southern England. However, there is upland and mountainous terrain in the north (for example, the Lake District and Pennines) and in the west (for example, Dartmoor and the Shropshire Hills). The capital is London, which has the largest metropolitan area in both the United Kingdom and the European Union. England's population of over 55 million comprises 84% of the population of the United Kingdom, largely concentrated around London, the South East, and conurbations in the Midlands, the North West, the North East, and Yorkshire, which each developed as major industrial regions during the 19th century.
The Kingdom of England – which after 1535 included Wales – ceased being a separate sovereign state on 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union put into effect the terms agreed in the Treaty of Union the previous year, resulting in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1801, Great Britain was united with the Kingdom of Ireland (through another Act of Union) to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922 the Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom, leading to the latter being renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Read more...
Selected article
The Herdwick is a traditional breed of domestic sheep native to the mountainous Lake District of Cumbria in North West England. The name "Herdwick" is derived from the Old Norse herdvyck, meaning sheep pasture. Though low in lambing capacity and wool quality when compared to more common commercial breeds such as Merino sheep, Herdwicks are prized for their robust health, their ability to live solely on forage, and their tendency not to stray over the difficult upland terrain of the Lake District. An integral part of the cultural identity of the Lake District, the breed is for the most part found in the central and western dales of the region.
Severely threatened by the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in England and Wales, the breed has survived due to the intent to preserve this unique animal as a crucial part of traditional Lakeland agriculture. Still far less in number than most commercial breeds, Herdwicks survive largely due to farming subsidies and the aid of the British National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty.
Selected images
The World Cup Sculpture featuring captain Bobby Moore with the 1966 World Cup trophy, on the shoulders of Geoff Hurst and Ray Wilson, together with Martin Peters
William Hogarth's depiction of a scene from Shakespeare's The Tempest is an example of how English literature influenced English painting in the 18th century
King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt, fought on Saint Crispin's Day and concluded with an English victory against a larger French army in the Hundred Years' War
The Bentley Mulsanne. Bentley is a well-known English car company
English-speaking worldMajority native languageOfficial, but not majority languageNote: English is also an official language of the EU
Wembley Stadium, home of the England football team, has a 90,000 capacity. It is the biggest stadium in the UK
Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers.
Former Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell driving at Silverstone in 1990. The circuit hosted the first ever Formula One race in 1950
Centre Court at Wimbledon. First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world.
England playing Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground in the 2009 Ashes series
The metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties, colour-coded to show population
Life expectancy at birth in England and Wales 2012 to 2014. Lighter colours indicate longer life expectancy.
Changing of the Queen's Guard at the royal residence, Buckingham Palace
Boudica led an uprising against the Roman Empire
Westminster Abbey is a notable example of English Gothic architecture. The coronation of the British monarch traditionally takes place at the Abbey
Skiddaw massif, seen from Walla Crag in the Lake District
Robin Hood illustrated in 1912 wearing Lincoln green
The Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand, London is the seat of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal
The Cenotaph, Whitehall, is a memorial to members of the British Armed Forces who died during the two World Wars
The Proms are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall during the summer
Population of England and Wales by administrative areas. Their size is approximately in proportion to their population. Colours by quints (1/5th) of number of districts classified by population density with division of extreme quints
The Hay Wain by John Constable is an archetypal English painting.
The English Restoration restored the monarchy under King Charles II and peace after the English Civil War
Family-sized meat pie made by Sweeney & Todd of Reading
Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the Primate of All England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior bishop of the Church of England (it was the property of the Roman Catholic Church before the English Reformation)
Stonehenge, a Neolithic monument
The Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill
The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse in the Pre-Raphaelite style
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, an NHS hospital, has the largest single floor critical care unit in the world
Morris dancing is one of the more visible English folk traditions, with many differing regional variations.
The Examination and Trial of Father Christmas (1686), published after Christmas was reinstated as a holy day in England
Fish and chips
A Punch and Judy booth at Swanage, Dorset. The anarchic Mr. Punch has been an influential figure in British comedy and political cartoons.
The Natural History Museum in London
Ridley Scott was among a group of English filmmakers, including Tony Scott, Alan Parker, Hugh Hudson and Adrian Lyne, who emerged from making 1970s UK television commercials.
A red telephone box in front of St Paul's Cathedral, one of the most important buildings of the English Baroque period
The England rugby union team during their victory parade after winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup
Sir Isaac Newton is one of the most influential figures in the history of science
Cotton mills in Manchester, the world's "first industrial city", circa 1820.
Mo Farah is the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history, winning the 5000 m and 10,000 m events at two Olympic Games
2009 estimates of ethnic groups in England
Saltaire, West Yorkshire, is a model mill town from the Industrial Revolution, and a World Heritage Site
Alfred Hitchcock is often regarded as the greatest British filmmaker. He was described as "a straightforward middle-class Englishman who just happened to be an artistic genius."
A pint of real ale
A full English breakfast with fried egg, sausage, white and black pudding, bacon, mushrooms, baked beans, hash browns, toast, and half a tomato
"Pimm's O'Clock implies lazy, happy days sitting in the sun with nothing to do and no need to worry about time." Urban Dictionary
Queen Elizabeth II presenting the World Cup trophy to 1966 World Cup winning England captain Bobby Moore
Replica of the 7th-century ceremonial Sutton Hoo helmet from the Kingdom of East Anglia
The Beatles are the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed band in popular music.
Westminster Abbey, London, is an example of English Gothic architecture
Canterbury Cathedral, seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Heathrow Airport has more international passenger traffic than any other airport in the world.
Statue of a tripod from The War of the Worlds in Woking, hometown of science fiction author H. G. Wells. The book is a seminal depiction of a conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race.
The Metropolitan Railway, now part of the London Underground was the first underground railway in the world
Christopher Lee (as Dracula in 1958) starred in numerous British horror films produced by Hammer. Michael Powell's Peeping Tom (1960) was the first "slasher" film.
Astley's Amphitheatre, London circa 1808. Astley performed stunts in a 42 ft diameter ring; the standard size used by circuses ever since.
David Bowie's mural in his hometown of Brixton features his character Aladdin Sane. It became a shrine to Bowie after his death.
Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex
Geoffrey Chaucer was an English author, poet and philosopher, best remembered for his unfinished frame narrative The Canterbury Tales
Chatsworth House, a famous example of an English country house surrounded by an English garden
The frontage of Warwick School, one of the oldest independent schools in England
Engraving of the English pirate Blackbeard from the 1724 book A General History of the Pyrates. The book is the prime source for many famous pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy.
The City of London is the financial capital of United Kingdom
A Voluptuary under the horrors of Digestion (1792)
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London, United Kingdom is the largest Hindu temple in England.
Somerville College, University of Oxford
Robin Hood illustrated in 1912 wearing Lincoln green
The Tudor rose, England's national floral emblem
Terrain of Dartmoor, Devon
Stinking Bishop cheese
First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world.
Saint George is the patron saint of England
Countries where English has official status or is widely spoken
Celebrations at Trafalgar Square after England's 2003 Rugby World Cup victory.
English Heritage blue plaque commemorating Sir Alfred Hitchcock at 153 Cromwell Road, London
The "three lions", the second Great Seal of King Richard the Lionheart (1198)
The Christmas Pantomime 1890, UK. Pantomime plays a prominent role in British culture during the Christmas and New Year season.
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Selected biography
Born at St James's Palace in London, she was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York (the future James II of England) and his first wife, Anne Hyde. Mary's uncle was Charles II; her maternal grandfather, Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, served for a lengthy period as Charles's chief advisor. Although her mother bore eight children, only Mary and her younger sister Anne survived into adulthood. Mary, a Protestant, became queen following the Glorious Revolution, which deposed her Roman Catholic father. Mary reigned jointly with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, who became sole ruler on her death in 1694. Popular histories usually refer to the joint reign as that of "William and Mary". Mary wielded less power than William during the parts of her reign when William remained in England, ceding most of her authority to her husband, though he heavily relied on her. She did, however, govern the realms alone when William was engaged in military campaigns abroad, proving herself to be a powerful, firm, and effective ruler. She was very active in the Church of England, of which she was Supreme Governor. Though she shared the post with her husband, she largely exercised its power alone.
Did you know?
- ...that the HMS Queen (1902) was fitted with Babcock and Wilcox cylindrical boilers due to service problems with the water service boilers?
- ...that the Charter Roll is the administrative record created by the medieval office of the chancery that recorded all the charters issued by the chancery?
- ...that Canterbury in eastern Kent was abandoned at the end of the Roman period, but was resettled by the Saxons?
- ...that English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams has sold more albums in the United Kingdom than any other British solo artist in history?
In the news
- 20 September 2018 – Storm Bronagh
- Heavy rainfall from Bronagh results in severe flash floods across northern England. Sheffield is the worst affected city, with dozens of vehicles becoming stranded in rising floodwaters during the evening rush hour. (BBC)
Selected featured content
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Selected quotes
| “ | An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one. | ” |
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England • Bedfordshire • Brighton • Cheshire • Cornwall • Derbyshire • Greater Manchester • Hampshire • Lincolnshire • London • Merseyside • Northamptonshire • North East England • Sheffield • Surrey. Warwickshire • West Midlands • Worcestershire • Yorkshire
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- Check for announcements and open tasks for ways to improve English related articles.
- Help nominate and select new content for the England portal.
- Requested articles: Charterhouse Lane • Renewable energy in England • Ealing Village
- Expand: Dorothy Boyd • David Troughton
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