NationMaster - Encyclopedia: England's

England is the largest and most populous country of the United Kingdom. It has not had a distinct political identity since 1707, when Great Britain was established as a unified political entity; however, it has a legal identity separate from those of Scotland and Northern Ireland, as part of the entity "England and Wales." England's largest city, London, is also the capital of the United Kingdom. Flag of England (St. ... Coat of Arms (The three Lions) File links The following pages link to this file: England Talk:England ... The Flag of England The Flag of England is the cross of Saint George. ... The Coat of Arms of England is gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or armed & langued azure The Coat of Arms was introduced by King Richard I of England in the 1190s, apparently as a version of the arms of the Duchy of Normandy. ... A motto is a phrase or collection of words intended to describe the motivation or intention of a sociological grouping or organization. ... Dieu et mon droit (French for God and my [birth] right) has generally been used as the motto of the British monarch since it was first adopted by [[Henry V (1413-22) introduced the present royal motto, DIEU ET MON DROIT. His attributed supporters were a lion and an antelope. ... File links The following pages link to this file: England ... Created by Morwen. ... An official language is something that is given a unique status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... St Stevens Tower - The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London (see also different names) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... St Stevens Tower - The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London (see also different names) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ... A list of United Kingdom nations (and English regions) by area: See also List of countries by area List of United Kingdom nations by population UK topics ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 kmÂ² and 1,000,000 kmÂ². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible item. ... A list of United Kingdom nations (and English regions) by population as recorded by the 2001 Census: source: the 2001 census See also List of United Kingdom nations by area List of countries by population Population of England - historical population estimates National population register UK topics Categories: Demographics of the... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... The Roman Catholic Church is the largest denomination of Christianity with over 1. ... Islam listen? (Arabic: al-islÄm) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... The word Jew (Hebrew: ×™×”×•×“×™) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is a Christian body whose adherents are largely based in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, with a growing presence in the western world and Africa. ... The Golden Temple is the most important sacred shrine for Sikhs Sikhism is a religion that developed in an environment heavily influenced by conflict between the Hindu and Muslim religions. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Baptist churches are part of a Christian movement often regarded as an evangelical, protestant denomination. ... The Salt Lake City temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... ( 8th century - 9th century - 10th century - other centuries) Events Beowulf might have been written down in this century, though it could also have been in the 8th century Reign of Charlemagne, and concurrent (and controversially labeled) Carolingian Renaissance in western Europe Viking attacks on Europe begin Oseberg ship burial The... Egbert (also Ecgberht or Ecgbert) (c. ... The pound sterling, which strictly speaking refers to basic currency unit of sterling, now the pound, can generally refer to the currency of the United Kingdom (UK). ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... For alternate meanings of GMT, see GMT (disambiguation). ... British Summer Time (BST), known in Ireland as Irish Summer Time (IST), is the daylight saving time in effect in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October each year. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their states official national song. ... A national emblem is a symbol that represents a nation. ... Remote Operations Service Element (ROSE) is a sub-layer of protocol layer six (presentation layer) in the OSI seven layer model which provides SASE for remote operations. ... In several forms of Christianity, a patron saint has special affinity for a trade or group. ... For alternate uses, see Saint George (disambiguation) Saint George on horseback rides alongside a wounded dragon being led by a princess, late 19th century engraving. ... Events January 1 - John V is crowned King of Portugal March 26 - The Act of Union becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ... Northern Ireland is one of four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. ... St Stevens Tower - The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London (see also different names) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...

Geography

England comprises the southern half of the island of Great Britain. There is Scotland to the north; Wales and the Irish Sea to the west; the North Sea to the east; and the English Channel to the south. Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ... The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... The English Channel ( French:La Manche) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. ...

Nomenclature

The country is named after the Angles, a Germanic tribe who settled the country in the 5th and 6th centuries. Angles (German: Angeln, Old English: Englas, Latin: singular Anguls, plural Anglii) were Germanic people, from Angeln in Schleswig, who settled in East Anglia in the 5th century. ... The term Germanic tribes applies to the ancient Germanic peoples of Europe. ... (4th century - 5th century - 6th century - other centuries) // Events Rome sacked by Visigoths in 410. ... (5th century — 6th century — 7th century — other centuries) Events The first academy of the east the Academy of Gundeshapur founded in Persia by the Persian Shah Khosrau I. Irish colonists and invaders, the Scots, began migrating to Caledonia (later known as Scotland) Glendalough monastery, Wicklow Ireland founded by St. ...

There are two distinct linguistic patterns for the name of the country. The majority of European languages relate the name to "England":

The Celtic names are quite different: Serbo-Croatian (srpskohrvatski or hrvatskosrpski) is a name for a language of the Western group of the South Slavic languages. ... The word Celtic can refer to: the European Celtic people, ancient or modern the Celtic languages, spoken by these people and their modern descendents the Celtic (Lusitania), Celts from the Alentejo. ...

See: Wiktionary:England for a further list of non-English names for England. Breton (Brezhoneg) is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany in France. ... The Cornish language (in Cornish: Kernowek, Kernewek, Curnoack) is one of the Brythonic group of Celtic languages that includes Welsh, Breton, the extinct Cumbric and perhaps the hypothetical Ivernic. ... Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

"England" is sometimes mistakenly used to refer to the entire United Kingdom, the island of Great Britain, or the British Isles. This may offend people from other parts of the UK. Frequently the English use the less-specific "Britain" or "the UK", even when "England" is technically correct. The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and a number of much smaller surrounding islands. ...

The inhabitants of England are the English. The slang terms sometimes used for them include "Sassenachs" (from the Scots Gaelic), "Limeys" (in reference to the citrus fruits carried aboard English sailing vessels to prevent scurvy) and "Pom/Pommy" (used in Australian English and New Zealand English), but these may be perceived as offensive. Also see alternative words for British. Hindustani Hindustani (or the Hindustani language) is a term used by linguists to describe a closely related series of languages or dialects stretching across the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. ... The white cliffs of Dover Albion (in Ptolemy Alouion), is the most ancient name of Great Britain, though often used to refer specifically to England. ... Gaius Plinius Secundus, (23–79) better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient author and scientist of some importance who wrote Naturalis Historia. ... Claudius Ptolemaeus, given contemporary German styling, in a 16th century engraved book frontispiece Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: ÎšÎ»Î±ÏÎ´Î¹Î¿Ï‚ Î Ï„Î¿Î»ÎµÎ¼Î±á¿–Î¿Ï‚; c. ... (1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century - other centuries) The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 100. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Arms of Dover Borough Council This article is about the English port. ... Look up Alba in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The name Alba may refer to — the ancient and modern Gaelic name (pronounced Al-a-pah) for Scotland. ... Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Richard II is a play by William Shakespeare, based on the life of King Richard II of England, written in 1595. ... William Blake (November 28, 1757 â€“ August 12, 1827) was an English poet, painter and printmaker, or Author & Printer, as he signed many of his books. ... And did those feet in ancient time is a poem by William Blake from the preface to his work Milton: a Poem (1804). ... Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... Species & major hybrids Species Citrus maxima - Pomelo Citrus medica - Citron Citrus reticulata - Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids Citrus x aurantifolia - Lime Citrus x aurantium - Bitter Orange Citrus x bergamia - Bergamot Citrus x hystrix - Kaffir Lime Citrus x ichangensis - Ichang Lemon Citrus x limon - Lemon Citrus x limonia - Rangpur Citrus x paradisi... Scurvy is a disease that results from insufficient intake of vitamin C and leads to the formation of livid spots on the skin, spongy gums and bleeding from almost all mucous membranes. ... Australian English is the form of the English language used in Australia. ... New Zealand English is the dialect of English spoken in New Zealand, occasionally referred to within New Zealand as Newzild. ... There are many alternative ways to describe nationals of the United Kingdom. ...

Symbols and insignia

The two traditional symbols of England are the St. George's cross (the English flag) and the Three Lions coat of arms (heraldically, three leopards) (see above), both derived from the great Norman powers that formed the monarchy - the Cross of Aquitaine and the Lions of Anjou. The three lions were first definitely used by Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) in the late 12th century (although it is also possible that Henry I may have bestowed it on his son Henry before then). Historian Simon Schama has argued that the Three Lions are the true symbol of England because the English throne descended down the Angevin line. The St Georges cross, a red cross on a white background, is the national flag of England and has been since about 1277. ... This article is about a flag referring to the particular region of the U.K. properly known as England. ... The Coat of Arms of England is gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or armed & langued azure The Coat of Arms was introduced by King Richard I of England in the 1190s, apparently as a version of the arms of the Duchy of Normandy. ... Capital Bordeaux Area 41,309 km² Regional President Alain Rousset ( PS) (since 1998) Population - 2004 estimate - 1999 census - Density (Ranked 6th) 3,049,000 2,908,359 74/km² (2004) Arrondissements 18 Cantons 235 Communes 2,296 Départements Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrénées-Atlantiques Aquitaine... For other uses, see Anjou (disambiguation). ... Richard I of England, as a bronze, brandishes his sword outside the Palace of Westminster Richard I (September 8, 1157 - April 6, 1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Rulers with this title include: Henry I of England Henry I of France Henry I of Germany, also Holy Roman Emperor Henry I of Navarre Henry I of Hesse Henry I of Cyprus (also Henry I of Jerusalem) Henry I of Poland Henry I of Champagne Henry I, Duke of... Photo of Simon Schama by Robert Birnbaum Professor Simon Schama, MA (born 1945) is University Professor in history and art history at Columbia University. ... Angevin is the name applied to three distinct medieval dynasties which originated as counts (from 1360, dukes) of the western French province of Anjou (of which angevin is the adjectival form), but later came to rule far greater areas including England, Hungary and Poland (see Angevin Empire). ...

A red cross acted as a symbol for many Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries. It became associated with St George and England, along with other countries and cities (such as Georgia, Milan and the Republic of Genoa), which claimed him as their patron saint and used his cross as a banner. It remained in national use until 1707, when the Union Flag (which English and Scottish ships had used at sea since 1606) was adopted for all purposes to unite the whole of Great Britain under a common flag. The flag of England no longer has much of an official role, but it is widely flown by Church of England properties and at sporting events. (Paradoxically, the latter is a fairly recent development; until the late 20th century, it was commonplace for fans of English teams to wave the Union Flag, rather than the St George's Cross.) This article is about the medieval Crusades . ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... For alternate uses, see Saint George (disambiguation) Saint George on horseback rides alongside a wounded dragon being led by a princess, late 19th century engraving. ... Location within Italy Piazza della Scala Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese dialect: MilÃ¡n) is the main city in northern Italy, and is located in the plains of Lombardy, the most populated and developed of Italian regions. ... The Republic of Genoa, in full the Most Serene Republic of Genoa (known as the Ligurian Republic from 1798 to 1805) was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from ca. ... In several forms of Christianity, a patron saint has special affinity for a trade or group. ... Events January 1 - John V is crowned King of Portugal March 26 - The Act of Union becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Union Flag or Union Jack is the flag most commonly associated with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and was also used throughout the former British Empire. ... Events January 27 - The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins ending in their execution on January 31 May 17 - Supporters of Vasili Shusky invade the Kremlin and kill pretender Dmitri December 26 - Shakespeares King Lear performed in court Storm buries a village of St Ismails near... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

The rose is widely recognised as the national flower of England and is used in a variety of contexts, for example as the badge of the English Rugby Union team. This rose is either a red rose (which also symbolises Lancashire), a white rose (which also symbolises Yorkshire) or a "tudor rose" (symbolising the end of the War of the Roses). Remote Operations Service Element (ROSE) is a sub-layer of protocol layer six (presentation layer) in the OSI seven layer model which provides SASE for remote operations. ... A national emblem is a symbol that represents a nation. ... England Rugby is the name of the English national rugby union team. ... Lancashire (archaically, the County of Lancaster) is a county palatine of England, lying on the Irish Sea. ... Yorkshire as a traditional county. ... When Henry Tudor took the crown of England from Richard III in battle, he brought about the end of the Wars of the Roses between the House of Lancaster (Red Rose) and the House of York (White Rose). ... The Wars of the Roses (1455â€“1487) is the name generally given to the intermittent civil war fought over the throne of England between adherents of the House of Lancaster and the House of York. ...

The Three Lions badge performs a similar role for the English national football team and English national cricket team. First International Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Largest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 18 February 1882) Worst defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 11 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First... The English cricket team is a national cricket team representing England and Wales. ...

National Anthems

Although England does not have an official anthem of its own, the following are widely regarded as English national hymns:

God Save The Queen (the national anthem for the UK as a whole) is usually played for English sporting events (e.g. football matches), although Land of Hope and Glory has also been used as the English anthem for the Commonwealth Games. And did those feet in ancient time is a poem by William Blake from the preface to his work Milton: a Poem (1804). ... William Blake (November 28, 1757 â€“ August 12, 1827) was an English poet, painter and printmaker, or Author & Printer, as he signed many of his books. ... Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (February 27, 1848 – October 7, 1918) was an English composer, probably best known for his setting of William Blakes poem, Jerusalem. ... I Vow to Thee, My Country is an English patriotic song and Anglican hymn. ... Sir Cecil Spring-Rice (1859 - 1918) was a British diplomat. ... Gustav Holst Gustavus Theodore von Holst (September 21, 1874 – May 25, 1934) was an English composer with Latvian (and some Spanish) roots. ... Land of Hope and Glory, also known as Pomp And Circumstance, is a British patriotic song. ... A C (Arthur Christopher) Benson (1862-1925) was one of six children of Edward White Benson, a late nineteenth_century Archbishop of Canterbury. ... Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, Bt OM GCVO (June 2, 1857 – February 23, 1934) was a British composer, born in the small village of Lower Broadheath outside Worcester, Worcestershire, to William Elgar, a piano tuner and music dealer, and his wife Ann. ... Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra, op. ... Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, Bt OM GCVO (June 2, 1857 – February 23, 1934) was a British composer, born in the small village of Lower Broadheath outside Worcester, Worcestershire, to William Elgar, a piano tuner and music dealer, and his wife Ann. ... God Save the Queen is a patriotic song written by Henry Carey. ... The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event held every four years involving the elite athletes of The Commonwealth. ...

History

Main article: History of England England is the largest and most populous of the four main divisions of the United Kingdom. ...

Since the term "English" explicitly refers to peoples who arrived on the island of Great Britain relatively recently, it is anachronistic to talk of England's prehistory or ancient history which, though rich and interesting, are properly dealt with as part of the history of the island of Great Britain as a whole.

England has been inhabited for at least 500,000 years, although the repeated Ice Ages made much of Britain uninhabitable for extended periods until as recently as 20,000 years ago. Stone Age hunter-gatherers eventually gave way to farmers and permanent settlements, with a spectacular and sophisticated megalithic civilisation arising in western England some 4,000 years ago. It was replaced around 1,500 years later by Celtic tribes migrating from Western and continental Europe, mainly from France. These tribes were known collectively as "Britons", a name bestowed by Phoenician traders - an indication of how, even at this early date, the island was part of a Europe-wide trading network. Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... Stone Age fishing hook. ... Megalithic tomb, Mane Braz, Brittany A megalith is a large stone which has been used to construct a structure or monument either alone or with other stones. ... Phoenicia was an ancient civilization in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coastal plain of what is now Lebanon and Syria. ...

The Britons were significant players in continental politics and supported their allies in Gaul militarily during the Gallic Wars with the Roman Republic. This prompted the Romans to invade and subdue the island, first with Julius Caesar's raid in 55 BC, and then the Emperor Claudius' conquest in the following century. The whole southern part of the island — roughly corresponding to modern day England and Wales — became a prosperous part of the Roman Empire. It was finally abandoned early in the 5th century when the legions were pulled back to the Continent. This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... The Bayeux Tapestry (French: Tapisserie de Bayeux) is not actually a tapestry (that is, a weaving), but is embroidery, and dates from 1077. ... Nicholas Hillard. ... Nicholas Hillard. ... Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 â€“ 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (from Latin Gallia, c. ... The Gallic Wars were a series of wars fought between the Romans and the people of Gaul during the first century BC which ended with the expansion of the Roman Republic across Gaul. ... See also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century) The Roman Republic (Latin: Res Publica Romanorum) was the representative government of Rome and its territories from 510 BC until the establishment of the Roman Empire, sometimes placed at 44 BC (the year of Caesars appointment as perpetual... Gaius Julius Caesar (Latin: IMPÂ·CÂ·IVLIVSÂ·CAESARÂ·DIVVSÂ¹) (b. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC - 50s BC - 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC Years: 60 BC 59 BC 58 BC 57 BC 56 BC 55 BC 54 BC 53 BC 52... A statue of Emperor Claudius Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar Drusus (August 1, 10 BC - October 13, 54), originally known as Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, was the fourth Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from January 24th 41 to his death in 54. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus). ... (4th century - 5th century - 6th century - other centuries) // Events Rome sacked by Visigoths in 410. ...

Unaided by the Roman army, Roman Britannia could not long resist the Germanic tribes who arrived in the 5th and 6th centuries, enveloping the majority of modern day England in a new culture and language, pushing the Romano-British dominance back into modern-day Wales and western extremities of England, notably Cornwall and Cumbria. The invaders fell into three main groups: the Jutes, the Saxons, and the Angles. As they became more civilised, recognisable states formed and began to merge with one another. (The most well-known state of affairs being the "Anglo-Saxon heptarchy".) From time to time throughout this period, one Anglo-Saxon king, recognised as the "Bretwalda" by other rulers, had effective control of all or most of the English; so it is impossible to identify the precise moment when the country of England was unified. In some sense, real unity came as a response to the Danish Viking incursions which occupied the eastern half of "England" in the 8th century. Egbert, King of Wessex (d. 839) is often regarded as the first king of all the English, although the title "King of England" was first adopted, two generations later, by Alfred the Great (ruled 871–899). (4th century - 5th century - 6th century - other centuries) // Events Rome sacked by Visigoths in 410. ... (5th century — 6th century — 7th century — other centuries) Events The first academy of the east the Academy of Gundeshapur founded in Persia by the Persian Shah Khosrau I. Irish colonists and invaders, the Scots, began migrating to Caledonia (later known as Scotland) Glendalough monastery, Wicklow Ireland founded by St. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ... Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow or occasionally Curnow) is a county of England, the part of Great Britains south-west peninsula that is west of the River Tamar, often known as the Cornish peninsula or plateau. ... Cumbria is a administrative county located in the northwest area of England. ... The Jutes were a Germanic people who are believed to have originated in Jylland (Jutland) in modern Denmark and part of the Frisian coast. ... This article is about the Saxons, a Germanic people. ... Angles (German: Angeln, Old English: Englas, Latin: singular Anguls, plural Anglii) were Germanic people, from Angeln in Schleswig, who settled in East Anglia in the 5th century. ... A map showing the general locations of the Anglo-Saxon peoples around the year 600. ... The title of Bretwalda was one perhaps used by some of the kings of the kingdoms of England (the so_called Anglo_Saxon heptarchy) in the second half of the first millennium AD. Such a king was considered to be the overlord of several Anglo_Saxon kingdoms. ... The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... Egbert (also Ecgberht or Ecgbert) (c. ... Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the kingdom of England. ... Events Louis the Pious attempts to divide his empire among his sons. ... Alfred (849? â€“ 26 October 899) (sometimes spelt Ã†lfred) was king of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. ... Events Nine battles are fought between the Danes and Wessex. ... Events Edward the Elder becomes King of England. ...

Some school histories of England begin with the Norman conquest in 1066, and the numbering system used for English monarchs treats that event as a blank slate from which to count. (For example, the Edward I who reigned in the 13th century was not the first king of England of that name, only the first since the conquest.) But although he unquestionably engineered a pivotal moment in the country's history, William the Conqueror did not "found" or "unify" the country; he took over a pre-existing England and gave it an Anglo-Norman administration and nobility who, retaining proto-French as their language for the next three hundred years, ruled as custodians over English commoners. Although the language and racial distinctions faded rapidly during the middle ages, the class system born in the Norman/Saxon divide persisted longer — arguably with traces lasting to the modern day. Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest was the conquest of the Kingdom of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. ... Events January 6 - Harold II is crowned King of England the day after Edward the Confessor dies. ... King Edward I of England (June 17, 1239 â€“ July 7, 1307), popularly known as Longshanks because of his 6 foot 2 inch frame and the Hammer of the Scots (his tombstone, in Latin, read, Hic est Edwardvs Primus Scottorum Malleus, Here lies Edward I, Hammer of the Scots), achieved fame... William I ( 1027 â€“ September 9, 1087), was King of England from 1066 to 1087. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

While Old English continued to be spoken by common folk, Norman feudal lords significantly influenced the language with French words and customs being adopted over the succeeding centuries evolving to a Romance-Germanic hybrid of Middle English widely spoken in Chaucer's time. Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... Middle English is the name given by historical philologists to the diverse forms of the English language spoken in England from around the 12th to the 15th centuries— from after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror in 1066 to the mid to late 15th century, when the Chancery Standard...

England came repeatedly into conflict with Wales and Scotland, at the time an independent principality and an independent kingdom respectively, as its rulers sought to expand Norman power across the entire island of Britain. The conquest of Wales was achieved in the 13th century, when it was annexed to England and gradually came to be a part of that kingdom for most legal purposes, although in the modern era it is more usually thought of as a separate nation (fielding, for example, its own athletic teams). Norman power in Scotland waxed and waned over the years, with the Scots managing to maintain a varying degree of independence despite repeated wars with the English. Although it was on the whole only a moderately successful power in military terms, England became one of the wealthiest states in medieval Europe, due chiefly to its dominance in the lucrative wool market. National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... For publications of this name, see also Nation (disambiguation) The most popular modern ethical and philosophical doctrines state that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... Long and short hair wool at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Boonesville, AR Wool is the fiber derived from the hair of domesticated animals, usually sheep. ...

The failure of English territorial ambitions in continental Europe prompted the kingdom's rulers to look further afield, creating the foundations of the mercantile and colonial network that was to become the British Empire. The turmoil of the Reformation embroiled England in religious wars with Europe's Catholic powers, notably Spain, but the kingdom preserved its independence as much through luck as through the skill of charismatic rulers such as Elizabeth I. Elizabeth's successor, James I was already king of Scotland (as James VI); and this personal union of the two crowns into the crown of Great Brittaine was followed a century later by the Act of Union 1707, which formally unified England, Scotland and Wales as the political union of Great Britain, being the core of the present-day United Kingdom. For the history of England after that date, see History of the United Kingdom. The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 â€“ 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... James VI of Scotland and I of England (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) was a King who ruled over England, Scotland and Ireland, and was the first Sovereign to reign in the three realms simultaneously. ... The Acts of Union were twin Acts of Parliament passed in 1707 (taking effect on 26 March) in the Scottish and the English Parliaments. ... The United Kingdom is the realm or kingdom that covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and which for over one hundred years included Ireland. ...

Politics

Main article: Politics of the United Kingdom, Government of England The politics of the United Kingdom are based upon a unitary state and a constitutional monarchy. ... England ceased to exist as a separate kingdom with its own national government in 1707, when the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland merged to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. ...

Since the promulgation of the 1284 Statute of Rhuddlan and the Acts of Union 1536-1543, Wales has shared a legal identity with England as the joint entity of England and Wales. The Act of Union with the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707 created the Kingdom of Great Britain, subsuming England, Wales and Scotland into a single political entity. Scotland, along with Northern Ireland, retains separate legal systems and identities. The duchy of Cornwall also retains some unique rights. Events June 26 - According to the Brothers Grimm and older sources, in this date the Pied Piper of Hamelin visits the town of Hamelin, resulting in ca. ... The Statute of Rhuddlan was created in 1284 after the conquest of Wales by the English king Edward I. After the defeat of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1282, Wales was incorporated into England and Edward set about pacifying the new territory. ... The Acts of Union 1536-1543 were a series of parliamentary measures by which Wales was annexed to England and the norms of English administration introduced in order to create a single state. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ... The Acts of Union were twin Acts of Parliament passed in 1707 (taking effect on 26 March) in the Scottish and the English Parliaments. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ... Events January 1 - John V is crowned King of Portugal March 26 - The Act of Union becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... Union Flag (1606-1800) The Kingdom of Great Britain, also sometimes known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was created by the merging of the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England under the 1707 Act of Union to create a single kingdom encompassing the whole of Great...

All of Great Britain has been ruled by the government of the United Kingdom since that date, although in 1999 the first elections to the newly created Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales left England as the only part of the Union with no devolved assembly or parliament. As all legislation for England is passed by Parliament at Westminster there are some complaints about the ability of non-English Members of Parliament to influence purely English affairs. This apparent anomaly has been highlighted by both English and non-English politicians, often those opposed to devolution, and has become popularly known as the West Lothian question. 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Scottish Parliament (PÃ rlamaid na h-Alba in Gaelic, Scots Pairlament in Scots) is the national unicameral legislature of Scotland. ... The National Assembly for Wales (or NAW) (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in 1998, following the approval by a small majority of Welsh voters in a referendum held in 1997 of the Labour Governments proposals for devolution. ... Devolution or home rule is the granting of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... The West Lothian question is a question posed by Tam Dalyell, MP for the Scottish constituency of West Lothian during the debate over Scottish devolution in the 1970s, and which is still relevant after the 1999 establishment of the Scottish Parliament. ...

Administratively, England is something of an anomaly within the UK. Unlike the other three nations, it has no local parliament or government and its administrative affairs are dealt with by a combination of the UK government, the UK parliament and a number of England-specific quangos, such as English Heritage. Although there are calls from some for a devolved English Parliament, there appears to be little popular support for independence of England from the UK - perhaps due to its dominance in the Union. Those groups that do campaign for such a thing tend to be right-wing organisations with very little popular support. The term Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation (or QUANGO), attributed to Sir Douglas Hague, was originally invented as a joke, but fell into common usage in the United Kingdom to describe the agencies produced by the growing trend of government devolving power to appointed, or self-appointed bodies. ... English Heritage is a United Kingdom government body with a broad remit of managing the historic environment of England. ... A body now called the English Parliament first arose during the thirteenth century, referred to variously as colloquium and parliamentum. It shared most of the powers typical of representative institutions in medieval and early modern Europe, and was arranged from the fourteenth century in a bicameral manner, with a House... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ...

The current Labour government favoured the establishment of regional administration, claiming that England was too large to be governed as a sub-state entity. A referendum on this issue in north-east England on 4 November 2004 decisively rejected the proposal. The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... The three northern regions. ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Some criticised the English regional proposals for not decentralising enough, saying that they amounted not to devolution, but to little more than local government reorganisation, with no real power being removed from central government. The English regions would not even have had the limited powers of the Welsh Assembly, much less the tax-varying and legislative powers of the Scottish Parliament. Rather, power was simply re-allocated within the region, with little new resource allocation and no real prospects of Assemblies being able to change the pattern of regional aid. Responsibility for regional transport was added to the proposals late in the process. This was perhaps crucial in the North East, where resentment at the Barnett Formula, which delivers greater regional aid to adjacent Scotland, was a significant impetus for the North East devolution campaign. There has also been a campaign for a Cornish assembly along Welsh lines by groups such as Mebyon Kernow, which recently collected 50,000 signatures in support. Decentralisation (or decentralization) is any of various means of more widely distributing decision-making to bring it closer to the point of service or action. ... The National Assembly for Wales (or NAW) (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in 1998, following a 1997 referendum in which a small majority of voters (but not the electorate) voted in favour of the Labour Governments plans for devolution. ... The Scottish Parliament (PÃ rlamaid na h-Alba in Gaelic, Scots Pairlament in Scots) is the national unicameral legislature of Scotland. ... Joel Barnett, Baron Barnett, PC (born 14 October 1923), is a Labour member of the House of Lords. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ... Mebyon Kernow (Cornish for Sons of Cornwall, often abbrieviated MK) is a political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Some eurosceptics believe that the establishment of English regions as administrative entities is designed to undermine the concept of English nationhood and more easily fit England into a European federal model. Euroscepticism is scepticism about, or disagreement with, the purposes of the European Union, sometimes coupled with a wish to preserve national sovereignty. ...

Conventionally the national capital of England is London, although technically it would be more exact to call London the capital of "England and Wales" given England's lack of a distinctive political identity separate from the Principality. Winchester served as the country's first national capital until some time in the late 11th century after the Norman Conquest. The City of London became England's commercial capital, while the City of Westminster (where the royal court was located) became the political capital. These roles have, broadly speaking, been maintained to the present day. Winchester Cathedral as seen from the Cathedral Close Arms of Winchester City Council Winchester is a city in southern England, and the administrative capital of the county of Hampshire, with a population of around 35,000. ... Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest was the conquest of the Kingdom of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. ...

Subdivisions

Main article: Subdivisions of England For local government purposes, England is divided into three types of areas - non-unitary authorities, unitary authorities, and London boroughs. ...

Historically, the highest level of local government in England was the county. These divisions had emerged from a range of units of old, pre-unification England, whether they were Kingdoms, such as Essex and Sussex; Duchies, such as Yorkshire, Cornwall and Lancashire or simply tracts of land given to some noble, as is the case with Berkshire. Until 1867, they were subdivided into smaller divisions called hundreds. The traditional counties as usually portrayed. ... The Kingdom of the East Seaxe (one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded around AD500, occupying territory to the north and east of London. ... Sussex as a traditional county. ... A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess. ... Yorkshire as a traditional county. ... Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow or occasionally Curnow) is a county of England, the part of Great Britains south-west peninsula that is west of the River Tamar, often known as the Cornish peninsula or plateau. ... Lancashire (archaically, the County of Lancaster) is a county palatine of England, lying on the Irish Sea. ... For other places named Berkshire, see: Berkshire (disambiguation) Berkshire (pronounced Barkshe(e)r; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in the south of England, to the west of London and also bordering on Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A hundred is an administrative division, frequently used in Europe and the West, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller geographical units. ...

These counties all still exist in, or near to, their original form as the traditional counties. In many places, however, they have been heavily modified or abolished outright as administrative counties. This came about due to a number of factors. The British Isles are divided into the following traditional counties (also vice counties or historic counties). ...

The fact that the counties were so small meant, and still means, that there was no regional government able to coordinate an overarching plan for the area. This was especially true in the metropolitan areas surrounding the cities, as the county lines were usually drawn up before the industrial revolution and the mass urbanisation of England. The Industrial Revolution was the major social, economic and technological change in the late 18th and early 19th century. ...

The solution was the creation of large metropolitan counties centred on cities. These were later broken up, with several other counties, into unitary authorities, unifying the county and district/borough levels of government. The metropolitan counties of England are counties that cover large urban areas, each with several metropolitan districts. ... A unitary authority is a term used in a two-tier local government system to describe a unit of local government that operates as a single tier. ...

London is a special case, and is the one region which currently has a representative authority as well as a directly elected mayor. The 32 London boroughs and the Corporation of London remain the local form of government in the city. St Stevens Tower - The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London (see also different names) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... The region (sometimes known as Government Office Region) is currently the highest level of local government in England. ... The Greater London Authority (GLA) administers the 1579 sq. ... The current Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. ... The administrative area of Greater London contains 32 London Boroughs, of which twelve (plus the City of London) make up Inner London and twenty Outer London. ... Arms of the City of London as shown on Blackfriars station. ...

Other than Greater London, the official regions are: Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ...

Outside London the regions have very little power and are not accountable to elected representative – regional authority is placed in the hands of unelected assemblies. If, as now seems unlikely, regions opt to replace these bodies with elected assemblies, local government in England will remain as variable and, some might say, confusing as ever. North East England is one of the regions of England. ... North West England is one of the regions of England. ... Yorkshire and The Humber is one of the regions of England. ... The West Midlands is a geographical term describing the western half of central England, known as the Midlands. ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the tradional region of the Midlands. ... East of England is one of the official regions of England. ... South West England is one of the regions of England. ... South East England is one of the official regions of England. ... The United Kingdom is divided into four parts, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. ...

Geography

Main articles: Geography of the United Kingdom, Geography of England The United Kingdom occupies a substantial part of the British Isles. ...

England comprises the central and southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain, plus offshore islands of which the largest is the Isle of Wight. It is bordered to the north by Scotland and to the west by Wales. It is closer to continental Europe than any other part of Britain, divided from France only by a 21-mile (34-km) sea gap. The Isle of Wight is an island county off the south coast of England, opposite Southampton. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ...

Most of England consists of rolling hills, but it is more mountainous in the north with a chain of low mountains, the Pennines, dividing east and west. The dividing line between terrain types is usually indicated by the Tees-Exe line. There is also an area of flat, low-lying marshland in the east, much of which has been drained for agricultural use. Typical Pennine scenery. ... The Tees-Exe line is an imaginary line that can be draw on a map of the British mainland which roughly divides the lowland and upland regions of the country. ...

The list of England's largest cities is much debated because in British English the normal meaning of city is "a continuously built-up urban area"; these are hard to define and various other definitions are preferred by some people to boost the ranking of their own city. London is by far the largest English city. Manchester and Birmingham vie for second place. A number of other cities, mainly in the north of England, are of substantial size and influence. These include: Liverpool, Leeds,Newcastle Nottingham, Bristol, Sheffield, Bradford and Leicester. Using the standard U.S. city limits definition of a city the top six are: Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Liverpool and Manchester. Note that London is not on this list (Greater London is a region and the City of London is tiny), and that one of the two candidates for the status of England's "second city", Manchester, is down in sixth. In the UK, this method of ranking cities is generally used only by people whose own city is promoted by it. British English is a term primarily used by people outside of the UK to refer to the form of the English language spoken in the British Isles. ... A city is an urban area, differentiated from a town, village, or hamlet by size, population density, importance, or legal status. ... St Stevens Tower - The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London (see also different names) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Manchester is a city in the north-west of England. ... This article is about the city in England. ... Liverpools skyline, as seen from the River Mersey. ... Leeds Coat Of Arms Map sources for Leeds at grid reference SE297338 Leeds is a city in the county of West Yorkshire, in the north of England. ... Nottingham is a city located in Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of England. ... Bristol is an English city and county and one of the two administrative centres of South West England (the other being Plymouth). ... Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in the south of England. ... Location within the British Isles Bradford is the major settlement in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, in the north of England in the county of West Yorkshire. ... Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city in the English East Midlands, on the River Soar. ... City limits refers to the defined limits of a citys area. ... This is a list of districts of England ordered by population. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... The region (sometimes known as Government Office Region) is currently the highest level of local government in England. ... This article is about a small section of central London. ...

The Channel Tunnel, near Folkestone, links England to the European mainland. The English/French border is halfway along the tunnel. Channel Tunnel The English terminal at Cheriton, from the Pilgrims Way The Channel Tunnel, (French: le tunnel sous la Manche; once popularly nicknamed the Chunnel in English) is a 50-km-long rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Straits of Dover, connecting Cheriton in Kent, England and Sangatte... Map sources for Folkestone at grid reference TR2236 Folkestone is a coastal resort town in the Shepway district of Kent, England. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Continental Europe refers to the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands and peninsulae. ...

The highest temperature ever recorded in England was 38.5°C (101.3 °F) on August 10, 2003 in Kent. [1] The degree Celsius (°C) is a unit of temperature named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701–1744), who first proposed a similar system in 1742. ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686â€“1736), who proposed it in 1724. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ...

Major rivers

Length 346 km Elevation of the source 110 m Average discharge entering Oxford: 17. ... This article is about the British river. ... The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. ... Humber is also the name of one of the ranges of cars manufactured by the Rootes Group Humber is also the name of a river in Newfoundland, Canada, as well as a river and a college, both in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... The River Ouse (pronounced ooze) in North Yorkshire, England flows through Boroughbridge, York and Selby. ... The Tyne in Newcastle The River Tyne is a river in England. ... The River Mersey is a river in the north west of England. ... Old Dee Bridge, River Dee, Chester, England (2002) The River Dee (Welsh: Afon Dyfrdwy) is a 70 mile (110 km) long river, which rises in Snowdonia, Wales and discharges to the sea a few miles west of Liverpool. ... Avon means river. River Avon in England therefore, literally means River River as does Afon Afan (River Afan) in Welsh. ... Waterways in the United Kingdom is a link page for any river, canal, firth or estuary in the United Kingdom. ...

Major towns and cities

The largest cities in England are as follows (in alphabetical order): Birmingham (UK) skyline from above Centenary Square. ... Birmingham (UK) skyline from above Centenary Square. ... Download high resolution version (1000x555, 176 KB)The skyline of Liverpool as seen from the Mersey estuary. ... Download high resolution version (1000x555, 176 KB)The skyline of Liverpool as seen from the Mersey estuary. ...

Main article: List of towns in England This article is about the city in England. ... Location within the British Isles Bradford is the major settlement in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, in the north of England in the county of West Yorkshire. ... Bristol is an English city and county and one of the two administrative centres of South West England (the other being Plymouth). ... Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. ... Derby (pronounced dar-bee ) is a city in the East Midlands of England. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... Leeds Coat Of Arms Map sources for Leeds at grid reference SE297338 Leeds is a city in the county of West Yorkshire, in the north of England. ... Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city in the English East Midlands, on the River Soar. ... Liverpools skyline, as seen from the River Mersey. ... St Stevens Tower - The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London (see also different names) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Manchester is a city in the north-west of England. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... Norwich (pronounced variously Norritch or Norridge) is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England, the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. ... Nottingham is a city located in Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of England. ... This article is about Plymouth, England. ... Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in the south of England. ... This page is about Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... Wolverhampton is an industrial, commercial and university city and metropolitan borough in the English West Midlands, traditionally part of the county of Staffordshire. ... This is a link page for towns and cities in England. ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of England The Economy of England is the largest of the four economies of the United Kingdom. ...

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of England This article discusses the Demographics of England as presented by the United Kingdom Census in 2001. ...

England is both the most populous and the most ethnically diverse nation in the United Kingdom with around 49 million inhabitants, of which roughly a tenth are from non-White ethnic groups. It is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, second only to the Netherlands in terms of population density.

This population is made up of, and descended from, immigrants who have arrived over millennia. The principal waves of migration have been in c. 600 BC (Celts), the Roman period (garrison soldiers from throughout the Empire), 350–550 (Angles, Saxons, Jutes), 800–900 (Vikings, Danes), 1066 (Normans), 1650–1750 (European refugees and Huguenots), 1880–1940 (Jews), 1950— (Caribbeans, Africans, South Asians), 1985— (citizens of European Community member states, East Europeans, Iranians, Kurds, refugees). A Celtic cross. ... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus). ... Angles (German: Angeln, Old English: Englas, Latin: singular Anguls, plural Anglii) were Germanic people, from Angeln in Schleswig, who settled in East Anglia in the 5th century. ... This article is about the Saxons, a Germanic people. ... The Jutes were a Germanic people who are believed to have originated in Jylland (Jutland) in modern Denmark and part of the Frisian coast. ... The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... The Normans (adapted from the name Northmen or Norsemen) were a mixture of the indigenous Gauls of France and of the Viking invaders under the leadership of Rollo (Gange Rolf). ... Continental Europe refers to the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands and peninsulae. ... Huguenot - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The British Afro-Caribbean community is generally regarded as the most integrated non-white ethnic grouping of the United Kingdom. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... Map of South Asia. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... Eastern Europe is, by convention, that part of Europe from the Ural and Caucasus mountains in the East to an arbitrarily chosen boundary in the West. ... Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ...

The general prosperity of England has also made it a destination for economic migrants particularly from Ireland and Scotland. This diverse ethnic mix continues to create a diverse and dynamic language that is widely used internationally. Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ...

Genetics

Recent studies on the genetics of the English peoples (excluding recent arrivals in the 20th century) show that most are decended from palaeolithic inhabitants of England and there has been very little genetic contribution from Celtic or Anglo-Saxon migrations.However some of these results have been contridictory since they depend on partly on how one chooses the location from which the original Celtics or Anglo-Saxons came from.

English identity

The simplest view is that an English person is someone who is from England and holds British nationality, regardless of his or her racial origin. However, it is quite commonplace to hear inhabitants of England refer to themselves as "British" rather than "English"; centuries of English dominance within the United Kingdom has created a situation where to be English is, as a linguist would put it, an "unmarked" state, (i.e. a British person, institution, custom, city, etc. is assumed English unless specified otherwise). The English frequently include their neighbours in the general term "British" while Scots, Welsh, Irish and some Cornish proud of their separate identities, tend to be more forward about referring to themselves by one of those more specific terms. Broadly conceived, linguistics is the scientific study of human language, and a linguist is someone who engages in this study. ...

A person, therefore, using the term "English" to describe him or herself (regardless of personal history) may be going out of his or her way to do so; hence he or she may also be seen (rightly or wrongly, and not necessarily pejoratively) as nationalistic. While Scottish, Welsh, Irish and Cornish patriotism are widely exhibited, specifically English patriotism has often been viewed with suspicion, and most English people feel more comfortable identifying themselves with Britain as a whole. Although this may be to avoid being seen as bullies by their neighbours. The extent to which specifically English patriotism is linked to a right-wing xenophobic agenda has also generated discomfort. The appropriation of English symbols by racist far-right organisations such as the National Front made many people uncomfortable with expressions of Englishness. In recent years, English identity has recently been a topic of debate in the national press, with many English people trying to "reclaim" the term and the flag from the far-right. Nationalism is an ideology which holds that the nation, ethnicity or national identity is a fundamental unit of human social life, and makes certain political claims based on that belief, above all the claim that the nation is the only legitimate basis for the state, and that each nation is... In the United Kingdom, the British National Front (most commonly called the National Front or NF) is a far right-wing political party that had its heyday during the 1970s and 80s. ...

Many English people who have spent a lot of time overseas fall into the habit of referring to themselves as "English". It is the most recognisable designation by speakers of many languages, especially where their own language uses a similar word. Even in other English-speaking countries, people are often perplexed by concepts of "British" or the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".

All these distinctions are only possible because there is no "English citizenship" or legal definition of Englishness. Moreover, the hazy understanding many people have of the distinction between "England" and "Britain" compounds the confusion. At any rate, it is always safe, when in doubt, to refer to an "English" person as "British", since this will be correct even if not as precise as possible.

See also: Population of England for historical population estimates Categories: Stub | History of England | Demographics of the United Kingdom ...

Culture

Main article: Culture of England The Culture of England is sometimes difficult to separate clearly from the culture of the United Kingdom, so influential has English culture been on the cultures of the British Isles and, on the other hand, given the extent to which other cultures have influenced life in England. ...

The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, or literature composed in English by writers who are not necessarily from England. ... Sir Thomas Browne (October 19, 1605 - October 19, 1682) was an English author of varied works that disclose his wide learning in diverse fields including medicine, religion, science and the esoteric. ... Chaucer: Illustration from Cassells History of England, circa 1902 Geoffrey Chaucer (c. ... John Milton John Milton (December 9, 1608 â€“ November 8, 1674) was an English poet, most famous for his blank verse epic Paradise Lost. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Jane Austen, in a portrait based on one drawn by her sister Cassandra House of Jane Austen (today it is a museum) Jane Austen (December 16, 1775–July 18, 1817) was a prominent English novelist whose work is considered part of the Western canon. ... The Brecon Beacons National Park, looking from the highest point of Pen Y Fan (886 m/2907 feet) to Corn Du (873 m/2864 feet) The national parks of England and Wales are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that are designated under the National Parks and Access to... Once thought to be an oxymoron by the culinary minded, British cuisine used to have a reputation as being take-away food or the unfashionable meat and two veg. ... English folklore is the folk tradition which has evolved in England over a number of centuries. ... English art is a term referring to a vast body of art originating from the geographical region presently referred to as England. ... The English school of painting is an expression for English (or British) painters who produced characteristically English paintings. ... England has a long and rich musical history. ...

Languages

As its name suggests, the English language, today spoken by hundreds of millions of people around the world, originated as the language of England, where it remains the principal tongue today (although not officially designated as such). An Indo-European language in the Germanic family, it is closely related to Scots, Frisian and Low Saxon. As the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms merged into England, "Old English" emerged; some of its literature and poetry has survived. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies Indo-European is originally a linguistic term, referring to the Indo-European language family. ... Scots (or Lallans, meaning Lowlands), often Lowland Scots to distinguish it from the Gaelic of the Highlands, is used in Scotland, as well as parts of Northern Ireland and border areas of the Republic of Ireland, where it is known in official circles as Ulster Scots or Ullans but by... Frisian is a Germanic language, or group of closely related languages, spoken by around half a million members of an ethnic group living on the southern fringes of the North Sea in the Netherlands and Germany. ... Low Saxon (in Low Saxon, Nedersaksisch, Neddersassisch, ) is any of a variety of Low German (NedderdÃ¼Ã¼tsch in Low Saxon) dialects spoken in northern Germany and the Netherlands. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ...

Used by aristocracy and commoners alike before the Norman conquest (1066), English was displaced in cultured contexts under the new regime by the Norman French language of the new Anglo-French aristocracy. Its use was confined primarily to the lower social classes while official business was conducted in a mixture of Latin and French. Over the following centuries, however, English gradually came back into fashion among all classes and for all official business except certain traditional ceremonies. (Some survive to this day.) But Middle English, as it had by now become, showed many signs of French influence, both in vocabulary and spelling. During the renaissance, many words were coined from Latin and Greek origins; and more recent years, Modern English has extended this custom, being always remarkable for its far-flung willingness to incorporate foreign-influenced words. Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest was the conquest of the Kingdom of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. ... Events January 6 - Harold II is crowned King of England the day after Edward the Confessor dies. ... The Norman language is a Romance language, one of the Oïl languages. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Middle English is the name given by historical philologists to the diverse forms of the English language spoken in England from around the 12th to the 15th centuries— from after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror in 1066 to the mid to late 15th century, when the Chancery Standard... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance -French Renaissance -German Renaissance -English Renaissance The Renaissance was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...

The law does not recognise any language as being official, but English is the only language used in England for general official business. The other national languages of the UK (Welsh, Irish Gaelic and Scots Gaelic) are confined to their respective nations, and only Welsh is treated by law as an equal to English (and then only for organisations which do business in Wales). The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Irish (Gaeilge in Irish) is a Goidelic language spoken in Ireland and constitutionally recognised as the first official language of the Republic of Ireland. ... Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ...

The only non-Anglic native spoken language in England is the Cornish language, a Celtic language spoken in Cornwall, which became extinct in the 19th century but has been revived and is spoken in various degrees of fluency by around 3,500 people. This has no official status (unlike Welsh) and is not required for official use, but is nonetheless supported by national and local government under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Cornwall County Council has produced a draft strategy to develop these plans. There is, however, no programme as yet for public bodies to actively promote the language. Scots is spoken by some adjacent the Anglo-Scottish Border. Anglic is a term used to refer to speech varieties derived from Old English, especially the Anglian variety thereof spoken in Northumbria—the most notable modern descendants of which are English and Scots—and their corresponding speech communities. ... The Cornish language (in Cornish: Kernowek, Kernewek, Curnoack) is one of the Brythonic group of Celtic languages that includes Welsh, Breton, the extinct Cumbric and perhaps the hypothetical Ivernic. ... Celtic languages are the languages spoken by the ancient Celts and their modern descendants, the Gaels, Welsh, Cornish and Bretons. ... Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow or occasionally Curnow) is a county of England, the part of Great Britains south-west peninsula that is west of the River Tamar, often known as the Cornish peninsula or plateau. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is a European convention (CETS 148) adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe. ... Scots (or Lallans, meaning Lowlands), often Lowland Scots to distinguish it from the Gaelic of the Highlands, is used in Scotland, as well as parts of Northern Ireland and border areas of the Republic of Ireland, where it is known in official circles as Ulster Scots or Ullans but by...

Most deaf people within England speak British sign language (BSL), a sign language native to Britain. The British Deaf Association estimates that 70,000 people throughout the UK speak BSL as their first or preferred language, but does not give statistics specific to England. Like Cornish, BSL has no official status, but has been granted a degree of recognition by the government. The BBC broadcasts several of its programmes with BSL interpreters. The word deaf, can have very different meanings based on the background of the person speaking or the context in which the word is used. ... British sign language (BSL) is the sign language used in the United Kingdom (UK). ... A sign language (also signed language) is a language which uses manual communication instead of sound to convey meaning - simultaneously combining handshapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speakers thoughts. ... British Deaf Association is a large British charity dedicated to supporting the linguistic rights & human rights of Deaf People. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was formed in 1927 by means of a royal charter. ...

Different languages from around the world, especially from the former British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations, have been brought to England by immigrants. Many of these are widely spoken within ethnic minority communities, including Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Chinese and Vietnamese. These are often used by official bodies to communicate with the relevant sections of the community, particularly in big cities, but this occurs on an "as needed" basis rather than as the result of specific legislative ordinances. The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent sovereign states, most of which are former colonies once governed by the United Kingdom as part of the British Empire. ... Panjabi (Ù¾Ù†Ø¬Ø§Ø¨ÛŒ in Shahmukhi, à¨ªà©°à¨œà¨¾à¨¬à©€ in Gurmukhi) is the most commonly spoken language in the Panjab region of Pakistan and India . ... Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken in most states in northern and central India. ... Urdu (Ø§Ø±Ø¯Ùˆ) is an Indo-European language which originated in India, most likely in the vicinity of Delhi, whence it spread to the rest of the subcontinent. ... This article is about the Bengali language. ... Gujarati (àª—à«àªœàª°àª¾àª¤à«€, also sometimes Gujrati) is a language native to the state of Gujarat in western India. ...

Other languages have also traditionally been spoken by minority populations in England, including Romany. Romany (or Romani) is the language of the Roma and Sinti, travelling peoples often referred to in English as gypsies. They came originally from northern India and parts of Pakistan, and their language belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language group. ...

Despite the relatively small size of the nation, there are a large number of distinct English regional accents. Those with particularly strong accents may not be easily understood elsewhere in the country. Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...

Contents

Geography

Nomenclature

Symbols and insignia

National Anthems

History

Politics

Subdivisions

Geography

Major rivers

Major towns and cities

Economy

Demographics

Genetics

English identity

Culture

Languages

See also

External links

Contents

Geography GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Nomenclature

Symbols and insignia

National Anthems

History

Politics

Subdivisions

Geography

Major rivers

Major towns and cities

Economy

Demographics

Genetics

English identity

Culture

Languages

See also

External links

Geography