England
Flag Royal Coat of Arms
Motto: Dieu et mon droit  (French) "God and my right"
Anthem: None officially specific to England; the anthem of the United Kingdom is "God Save the Queen". The Flag of England is the St George's Cross. The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and The royal coat of arms of England was the official coat of arms of the monarchs of England, and were used as the official coat of arms of the Kingdom of England A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Dieu et mon droit has generally been used as the Motto of English, and later British, monarchs since being adopted by Henry V (1413–1422 French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National See also National anthem of England.
Location of  England  (red) in the United Kingdom  (light yellow)
Capital (and largest city)		London 51°30′N, 0°7′W
Official languages		English1
Ethnic groups ( 2005 – Some groups inc. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article discusses the demography of England. Due to the lack of authoritative contemporary sources estimates of the population of England for dates prior to London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States This article discusses the demography of England. Due to the lack of authoritative contemporary sources estimates of the population of England for dates prior to White Other and Other (inc. " White Other " is a term used in the UK census to describe white persons of non- British and non- Irish descent in The 2001 UK Census ethnic groups include White British, White Other, Mixed Race, Asian British, Black British and Chinese East Asians) are thought to be much higher)		84. Since the 17th century there have been East Asian people in Britain. 70% White British 5. " White British " was a racially -based classification used by the 2001 census. 30% South Asian 3. British Asians are British citizens who are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka 20% White Other 2. " White Other " is a term used in the UK census to describe white persons of non- British and non- Irish descent in 69% Black 1. See also British African-Caribbean community, Caribbean British Black British is a term which has had different meanings and uses as a racial and political 57% Mixed race 1. Mixed Race was included as an ethnic classification on the UK Census from 2001. 20% White Irish 0. Irish migration to Britain (also known as the Br[[Irish people|irish]]) has a lengthy history due to the close proximity of and complex relationship between 70% Chinese 0. British Chinese, including British-born Chinese (often informally referred to as BBC) are people of Chinese ancestry who were born in or have migrated 60% Other
Demonym		English
Government		Constitutional monarchy
-	Monarch (of the UK)	Queen Elizabeth II
-	Prime Minister (UK)	Gordon Brown MP
Unified
-	by Athelstan	AD 927
Area
-	Total	130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi
Population
-	2006 estimate	50,762,9002
-	2001 census	49,138,831
-	Density	388. The 2001 UK Census ethnic groups include White British, White Other, Mixed Race, Asian British, Black British and Chinese A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons Events Asia The Chu State is founded by Ma Yin. Korea: Hubaekje sacks the Silla capital of Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 7/km²  976/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$1. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 9 trillion
-	Per capita	US$38,000
GDP (nominal)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$2. Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' 2 trillion
-	Per capita	$44,000
HDI (2006)		▲ 0. Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 940 (high)
Currency		Pound sterling (GBP)
Time zone		GMT (UTC0)
-	Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Internet TLD		.uk3
Calling code		+44
Patron saint		St. George
1	English is established by de facto usage. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members In Christian hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Cornish is officially recognised as a Regional or Minority language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. A regional language is a Language spoken in an area of a Nation state, whether it be a small area a federal State or Province, or A minority language is a Language spoken by a Minority of the Population of a country The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ( ECRML) is a European Treaty (CETS 148 adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe The Cornish-language name for England is Pow Sows.
2	National population projections (PDF) from the Office for National Statistics. The Office for National Statistics (ONS is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly
3	Also .eu, as part of the European Union. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in ISO 3166-1 is GB, but .gb is unused. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> ISO 3166-1, as part of the ISO 3166 standard See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

England (pronounced /ˈɪŋglənd/) (Old English: Englaland, Middle English: Engelond) is the largest and most populous country^[1][2][3] of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total population of the United Kingdom,^[4] while the mainland territory of England occupies most of the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Elsewhere, it is bordered by the North Sea, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, Bristol Channel and English Channel. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The Irish Sea ( Irish: Muir Éireann or Muir Meann; Scottish Gaelic: Muir Eireann Welsh: Môr Iwerddon, The Celtic Sea (An Mhuir Cheilteach Y Môr Celtaidd An Mor Keltek Ar Mor Keltiek La Mer Celtique is the area of the Atlantic Ocean off the South Coast The Bristol Channel ( Môr Hafren) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset

England became a unified state in the year 927 and takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled there during the 5th and 6th centuries. The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural ancestral region of Angeln, a modern district located in The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic The capital is London, the largest urban area in Great Britain, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most, but not all, measures. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in ^[5]

England has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. ^[6] It is the place of origin of the English language and the Church of England, and English law forms the basis of the legal systems of many countries; in addition, London was the centre of the British Empire, and the country was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the The three major legal systems of the world today consist of civil law, Common law and Religious law. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the ^[7] England was the first country in the world to become industrialised. is a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a Pre-industrial society into an industrial one ^[8] It is home to the Royal Society, which laid the foundations of modern experimental science. The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660 Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding England was the world's first modern parliamentary democracy^[9] and consequently many constitutional, governmental and legal innovations that had their origin in England have been widely adopted by other nations. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which

The Kingdom of England (including the Principality of Wales) continued as a separate state until 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union, putting into effect the terms agreed in the Treaty of Union, resulted in political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the united Kingdom of Great Britain. The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally The Principality of Wales (Tywysogaeth Cymru covered the lands ruled by the Prince of Wales directly and was formally founded in 1216 at the Council of Aberdyfi, Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1707 ( MDCCVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into The Treaty of Union is the name given to the agreement that led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the Political union of England (including A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller States Unlike a Personal union, the individual states share a common government The Kingdom of Scotland ( Gaelic: Rìoghachd na h-Alba, Scots: Kinrick o Scotland) was a State in northwest Europe The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 ^[10]

Contents 1 Etymology and usage 2 History 2.1 Kingdom of England 2.2 Reformation 2.3 Civil War 2.4 Great Britain and the United Kingdom 3 Government and politics 3.1 Subdivisions and local government 4 Law and criminal justice 5 Geography 5.1 Climate 5.2 Major rivers 5.3 Major conurbations 6 Economics 7 Demography 8 Culture 8.1 Architecture 8.2 Cuisine 8.3 Engineering and innovation 8.4 Folklore 8.5 Literature 8.6 Music 8.7 Science and philosophy 8.8 Sport 9 Language 9.1 English 9.2 Other languages 10 Religion 10.1 Christianity 10.2 Other religions 11 Education 12 Healthcare 13 Transport 14 People 15 Nomenclature 16 National symbols, insignia and anthems 16.1 St. George's Cross 16.2 Three Lions 16.3 Rose 16.4 Anthem 17 Gallery 18 References 19 External links

Etymology and usage

See also: British Isles (terminology)

England is named after the Angles, the largest of the Germanic tribes who settled in England in the 5th and 6th centuries, and who are believed to have originated in the peninsula of Angeln, in what is now Denmark and northern Germany. The various terms used to describe the different (and sometimes overlapping geographical and political areas of the Islands of Great Britain Ireland and surrounding islands are often This list covers English language country names with their etymologies. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Modern Angeln, also known as Anglia ( German: Angeln, Danish: Angel, Latin: Anglia, English: may follow The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ^[11] (The further etymology of this tribe's name remains uncertain, although a popular theory holds that it need be sought no further than the word angle itself, and refers to a fish-hook-shaped region of Holstein. In Geometry and Trigonometry, an angle (in full plane angle) is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common Endpoint, called Holstein (ˈhɔlʃtain ( Low German: Holsteen, Danish: Holsten, Latin and historical English: Holsatia) ^[12]

The Angles' name has had various spellings. The earliest known reference to these people is under the Latinised version Anglii used by Tacitus in chapter 40 of his Germania,^[13] written around 98 AD. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. The Germania ( Latin title De Origine et situ Germanorum, English for the Origin and Situation of the Germans) written by Gaius He gives no precise indication of their geographical position within Germania, but states that, with six other tribes, they worshipped a goddess named Nerthus, whose sanctuary was situated on "an island in the Ocean". Germania was the Latin Exonym for Nerthus is a Goddess in Germanic paganism associated with fertility.

The early 8th-century historian Bede, in his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (Ecclesiastical History of the English People), refers to the English people as Angelfolc (in English) or Angli (in Latin). Bede (ˈbiːd (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin Beda (beda (c The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (in English: Ecclesiastical History of the English People) is a work in Latin by the The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. ^[14]

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known usage of "England" referring to the southern part of the island of Great Britain was in 897, with the modern spelling first used in 1538. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English ^[15]

The word "England" is often used colloquially – and incorrectly – to refer to Great Britain or the United Kingdom as a whole. ^[16] There are many instances of this usage in history, where references to England are actually intended to include Scotland and Wales as well. ^[17] The term is used throughout the world and even by English people; the usage is problematic and causes offence in many parts of Britain.

England is officially defined as "subject to any alteration of boundaries under Part IV of the Local Government Act 1972, the area consisting of the counties established by section 1 of that Act, Greater London and the Isles of Scilly. The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales "^[18]

History

Main article: History of England

Further information: History of Anglo-Saxon England

Bones and flint tools found in Norfolk and Suffolk show that Homo erectus lived in what is now England about 700,000 years ago. Norfolk (ˈnɔrfək is a low-lying county in East Anglia, England, United Kingdom. Suffolk (ˈsʌfək is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. Homo erectus ( Latin: "upright man" is an extinct species of the genus Homo, believed to have been the first hominin ^[19] At this time, England was joined to mainland Europe by a large land bridge. The current position of the English Channel was a large river flowing westwards and fed by tributaries that would later become the Thames and the Seine. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. The Seine (sɛn in French) is a slow flowing major River and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie This area was greatly depopulated during the period of the last major ice age, as were other regions of the British Isles. In the subsequent recolonisation, after the thawing of the ice, genetic research shows that present-day England was the last area of the British Isles to be repopulated,^[20] about 13,000 years ago. The migrants arriving during this period contrast with the other of the inhabitants of the British Isles, coming across lands from the south east of Europe, whereas earlier arriving inhabitants came north along a coastal route from Iberia. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term These migrants would later adopt the Celtic culture that came to dominate much of western Europe. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts

By AD 43, the time of the main Roman invasion, Britain had already been the target of frequent invasions, planned and actual, by forces of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. An invasion is a military offensive consisting of all or large parts of the Armed forces of one geopolitical entity aggressively entering territory The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial It was first invaded by the Roman dictator Julius Caesar in 55 BC, but it was conquered more fully by the Emperor Claudius in 43 AD. Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus or Claudius I ( August 1, 10 BC &ndash October 13, AD 54 ( Tiberius Claudius Drusus from birth to Like other regions on the edge of the empire, Britain had long enjoyed trading links with the Romans, and their economic and cultural influence was a significant part of the British late pre-Roman Iron Age, especially in the south. A global empire involves the extension of a state's sovereignty over territories all around the World. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. With the fall of the Roman Empire 400 years later, the Romans left England.

The History of Anglo-Saxon England covers the history of early mediæval England from the end of Roman Britain and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Conquest by the Normans in 1066. The History of Anglo-Saxon England covers the history of Early medieval England from the end of Roman Britain and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon ^[21] Fragmentary knowledge of Anglo-Saxon England in the 5th and 6th centuries comes from the British writer Gildas (6th century) the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (a history of the English people begun in the 9th century), saints' lives, poetry, archaeological findings, and place-name studies. Saint Gildas (c 494 or 516 – c 570 was one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during the sixth century The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of Annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The dominant themes of the seventh to tenth centuries were the spread of Christianity and the political unification of England. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Christianity is thought to have come from three directions—from Rome to the south, and Scotland and Ireland to the north and west. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world From about 500 AD, it is believed England was divided into seven petty kingdoms, known as the Heptarchy: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Wessex. A petty kingdom is an independent realm recognizing no suzerain and controlling only a portion of the territory held by a particular ethnic group or nation Heptarchy ( Greek: seven + realm) is a collective name applied to the Anglo-Saxon ancient kingdoms of south east and central Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. East Anglia is often used as a shorthand for the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Kingdom of Essex ( Est Seaxna "East Saxons" was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded The Kingdom of Kent was a kingdom of Jutes in southeast England and was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon heptarchy. The Kingdom of Sussex, ( Suth Seaxe, ie the South Saxons was one of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms the boundaries of which coincided in general with those of the earlier kingdom West Saxon redirects here For other meanings of Wessex or West Saxon see Wessex (disambiguation. The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms tended to coalesce by means of warfare. As early as the time of Ethelbert of Kent, one king could be recognised as Bretwalda ("Lord of Britain"). Æthelberht (also Æthelbert, Aethelberht, Aethelbert, or Ethelbert) (c Bretwalda, also Brytenwalda, Bretenanwealda, is an Anglo-Saxon term the first record of which comes from the late ninth century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Generally speaking, the title fell in the 7th century to the kings of Northumbria; in the 8th, to those of Mercia; and in the 9th, to Egbert of Wessex, who, in 825, defeated the Mercians at the Battle of Ellendun. Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. Egbert (also spelt Ecgberht) (died 839 was King of Wessex from 802 until 839 Ellandun was the site of the Battle of Ellandun between Egbert of Wessex and Beornwulf of Mercia in 825. In the next century, his family came to rule all England. The House of Wessex, also known as the House of Cerdic or the Saxon royal house, refers to the family that ruled a kingdom in southwest England

Kingdom of England

Main article: Kingdom of England

Originally, England (or "Englaland") was a geographical term to describe the part of Britain occupied by the Anglo-Saxons, rather than a name of an individual nation-state. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy It became politically united through the expansion of the kingdom of Wessex, whose king Athelstan brought the whole of England under one ruler for the first time in 927, although unification did not become permanent until 954, when Edred defeated Eric Bloodaxe and became King of England. King Edred, also known as Eadred or Aedred (c 923 &ndash 23 November, 955) known as 'weak-in-the-feet' was King Eirik Bloodaxe ( Old Norse: Eiríkr blóðøx, Norwegian: Eirik Blodøks) (c

In 1016, England was conquered by the Danish king Canute the Great and became the centre of government for his short-lived empire. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe } Canute the Great, also known as Cnut in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, or Knut ( Old Norse: Knútr inn ríki, Norwegian With the accession of Edward the Confessor, heir of the native English dynasty, in 1042, England one again became a separate kingdom. King Edward the Confessor (c 1003 &ndash 5 January 1066 son of Ethelred the Unready, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxon King of England and the last Its ties and nature, however, were forever changed following the Norman Conquest in 1066.

The next few hundred years saw England as a major part of expanding and dwindling empires based in France, with the "Kings of England" using England as a source of troops to enlarge their personal holdings in France for many years (Hundred Years' War) ; in fact the English crown did not relinquish its last foothold on mainland France until Calais was lost, in 1558, during the reign of Mary Tudor (the Channel Islands are still crown dependencies, though not part of the UK). This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior Calais (kaˈlɛ in English often kæˈleɪ traditional English pronunciation /ˈkælɨs/ Kales is a town in northern France. This article is about Mary Queen consort of France. For her niece and namesake Mary Tudor Queen regnant of England, see Mary I

In the 13th century, through conquest, Wales (the remaining Romano-Celts) was brought under the control of English monarchs. This was formalised in the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284, by which Wales became part of the Kingdom of England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542. The Statute of Rhuddlan was enacted on 3 March 1284 after the military conquest in 1282-83 of the Principality of Wales — which had been established by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally The Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 (Y Deddfau Uno 1535 a 1542 were a series of parliamentary measures by which the legal system of Wales was annexed to England and Wales shared a legal identity with England as the joint entity originally called England and later England and Wales. The term State has several meanings in law in Private international law and Conflict of laws, State can refer to a well-defined jurisdiction with its own set History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception

An epidemic of catastrophic proportions, the Black Death first reached England in the summer of 1348. A pandemic (from Greek παν pan all + δήμος demos people is an Epidemic of Infectious disease that spreads through The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia The Black Death is estimated to have killed between a third and two-thirds of Europe's population. England alone lost as much as 70% of its population, which passed from seven million to two million in 1400. The plague repeatedly returned to haunt England throughout the 14th to 17th centuries. Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as ^[22]The Great Plague of London in 1665–1666 was the last plague outbreak. The Great Plague (1665-1666 was a massive outbreak of Disease in England that killed 75000 to 100000 people up to a fifth of London 's population ^[23]

Reformation

Main article: English Reformation

During the English Reformation in the 16th century, the external authority of the Roman Catholic Church in England was abolished and replaced with Acts of Royal Supremacy and the establishment of the Church of England ("Anglican Church") under the Supreme Governance of the English monarch. The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope The first Act of Supremacy granted King Henry VIII of England Royal Supremacy which is still the legal authority of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican This occurred during the reign of Henry VIII. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The English Reformation differed from its European counterparts in that its roots were more political than theological. ^[24]

The English Reformation paved the way for the spread of Anglicanism in the church and other institutions. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs

Civil War

Main article: English Civil War

The period known as the English Civil War (1642-1651) saw political machinations and armed conflicts between supporters of the Long Parliament (Roundheads) and of King Charles I (Royalists) in 1642 to 1645 and 1648 to 1649, followed by conflict between supporters of the Rump Parliament and of King Charles II in 1649 to 1651. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The Long Parliament is the name of the English Parliament called by Charles I, on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. " Roundheads " was the Nickname given to the Puritan supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War ( 1642 &ndash 1651 The First English Civil War (1642–1646 was the first of three wars known as the English Civil War (or "Wars" The Second English Civil War ( 1648 &ndash 1649) was the second of three wars known as the English Civil War (or Wars) which refers to the The Rump Parliament was the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride on December 6 1648 had purged Long Parliament of those Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The Third English Civil War ( 1649 &ndash 1651) was the last of the English Civil War ( 1642 &ndash 1652) a series of armed conflicts The War ended with the Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651. The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius It had led to the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son Charles II, the replacement of the English monarchy with the Commonwealth of England (1649–1653) and personal rule by Oliver Cromwell during The Protectorate (1653–1659). The Commonwealth of England was the Republican government which ruled first England (including Wales) and then Ireland and Scotland Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known In British history, the Protectorate was the period 1653&ndash1659 during which the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland was governed by a Lord

After Cromwell's death in 1659, a brief return to Commonwealth rule was attempted before Parliament invited Charles II to return to England in 1660 and restore the monarchy. The term Convention Parliament has been applied to three different English Parliaments of 1399 1660 and 1689 The English Restoration, or simply The Restoration began in 1660 when the English monarchy, Scottish monarchy and Irish monarchy were restored During the interregnum, the Church of England's monopoly on Christian worship in England came to an end and the Protestant Ascendancy consolidated in Ireland. The English Interregnum was the period of Parliamentary and Military rule in the land occupied by modern-day England and Wales after the The Protestant Ascendancy is a convenient phrase used when referring to the political economic and social domination of the former Kingdom of Ireland by a minority of great Constitutionally, the wars established a precedent that British monarchs could not govern without the consent of Parliament, although this would not be cemented until the Glorious Revolution later in the century. The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow of King James II of England (VII of Scotland in 1688 by a union

The Kingdom of England (including Wales) continued to exist as an independent nation-state until the Acts of Union in 1707. The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into

Great Britain and the United Kingdom

England	United Kingdom

Although embattled for centuries, the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland had been drawing increasingly together since the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century^[25] and after 1603, when the two countries became linked by a personal union, being ruled by the same Stuart dynasty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally The Kingdom of Scotland ( Gaelic: Rìoghachd na h-Alba, Scots: Kinrick o Scotland) was a State in northwest Europe The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct The House of Stuart or Stewart was a Royal house of the Kingdom of Scotland, later also of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of ^[25][26] Following a number of attempts to unite the Kingdoms, a Treaty of Union was agreed on 22 July 1706,^[27]and put into effect by the Acts of Union which resulted in political union between the states with the creation of the united Kingdom of Great Britain on 1 May 1707. The Treaty of Union is the name given to the agreement that led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the Political union of England (including The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller States Unlike a Personal union, the individual states share a common government The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1707 ( MDCCVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a ^[25] The Kingdom of Ireland later joined this union to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Kingdom of Ireland (Ríocht na hÉireann was the name given to the Irish state from 1541 by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 of the Parliament of Ireland. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland changed its name to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1927 to reflect its reduced territory following the secession of southern Ireland as the Irish Free State in 1922. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by

Throughout these changes, England (including Wales) retained a separate legal identity from its partners, with a separate legal system (English law) from those in Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland law) and Scotland (Scots law). The three major legal systems of the world today consist of civil law, Common law and Religious law. English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Northern Ireland law concerns the Legal system of Northern Ireland. Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. (See subdivisions of the United Kingdom)

Wales had already been made part of the Kingdom of England by the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284, and it was legally incorporated into England by the Wales and Berwick Act 1746, making laws passed in England automatically applicable to Wales. The subdivisions of the United Kingdom are complex multi-layered and non-uniform The Statute of Rhuddlan was enacted on 3 March 1284 after the military conquest in 1282-83 of the Principality of Wales — which had been established by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 (20 Geo II c 42 was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain explicitly expressing that all future laws applying to England The Welsh Language Act 1967 gave status to the Welsh Language in all aspects of Government but the legal systems remain the same. The Welsh Language Act 1967 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (citation 1967 c Legal and political terminology refers to "England and Wales". History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception The county of Monmouthshire has long been an ambiguous area, its legal identity passing between England and Wales at various periods. Monmouthshire, also known as the County of Monmouth (Sir Fynwy is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county In the Local Government Act 1972 it was made part of Wales. The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c 70 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in England and Wales

The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 also referred to the formerly Scottish burgh of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Berwick-upon-Tweed ( ˈbɛrɪk- ( Scots: Berwick or historically South Berwick) situated in the county of Northumberland, is the northernmost The border town changed hands several times and was last conquered by England in 1482, but was not officially incorporated into England. Contention about whether Berwick was in England or Scotland was ended by the union of the two in 1707. The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into Berwick remains within the English legal system and so is regarded today as part of England though there has been some suggestion in Scotland that Berwick should be invited to 'return to the fold'. ^[28]

The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are Crown dependencies and are not part of England or of the United Kingdom. The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical The Channel Islands ( Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are a group of Islands The Crown Dependencies are possessions of The Crown in Right of the United Kingdom, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United

Government and politics

Main articles: Government of England and Politics of England

There has not been a Government of England since 1707, when the Kingdom of England merged with the Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, although both kingdoms have been ruled by a single monarch since 1603. There has not been a government of England since 1707 when the Kingdom of England ceased to exist as a sovereign State, as it merged with the Kingdom Political history Pre-Union politics See also Parliament of England The English Parliament traces its origins to the Anglo-Saxon There has not been a government of England since 1707 when the Kingdom of England ceased to exist as a sovereign State, as it merged with the Kingdom Before the Acts of Union of 1707, England was ruled by a monarch and the Parliament of England. The Kings of Wessex, who conquered Kent and Sussex from Mercia in 825 became increasingly dominant over the other kingdoms of England during The Parliament of England was the Legislature of the Kingdom of England.

Following the establishment of devolved government for Scotland and Wales in 1999, England was left as the only country within the United Kingdom still governed in all matters by the UK government and the UK parliament in London. ^[29]

Since Westminster is the UK parliament but also legislates on matters that affect England alone, devolution of national matters to parliament/assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has refocused attention on the anomaly called the West Lothian question. The West Lothian Question was first posed on 14 November 1977 by Tam Dalyell, Labour Member of Parliament (MP for the Scottish constituency The "question" is that Scottish and Welsh MPs continue to be able to vote on legislation relating only to England in the post-devolution era while English MPs have no equivalent right to legislate on devolved matters. ^[30] This "question" is exacerbated by the large number of Scottish MPs in the government, a group sometimes disparagingly called the Scottish mafia; as of September 2006, seven of the twenty-three Cabinet members represent Scottish constituencies, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary and Defence Secretary. The Scottish mafia, tartan mafia or Scottish Raj, is a pejorative term used by English Nationalists for a group of Scottish In the Politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of the most senior government ministers chosen by the Prime Minister In addition, Scotland traditionally benefited from moderate malapportionment in its favour, increasing its representation to a degree disproportionate to its population. Apportionment is the process of allocating political power among a set of principles (or defined constituencies In 2004, the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 was passed which rectified this to a degree, reducing the number of MPs representing Scottish constituencies from 72 to 59 and brought the number of voters per constituency closer to that in England. The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that amends the Scotland Act 1998 which established This change was implemented in the 2005 General Election. Results Overview For events leading up to the date of the election see article Pre-election day events of the United Kingdom general

There are calls for a devolved English parliament and some minor English parties further call for the dissolution of the Union. A devolved English Parliament, giving separate decision-making powers to representatives for voters in England similar to the representation given by the National Assembly ^[31][32] However, the approach favoured by the current Labour government was (on the basis that England is too large to be governed as a single sub-state entity) to propose the devolution of power to the Regions of England. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one Lord Falconer claimed a devolved English parliament would dwarf the rest of the United Kingdom. Charles Leslie Falconer Baron Falconer of Thoroton, PC, QC (born 19 November 1951 is a British Barrister and Labour Party ^[33]

In terms of national administration, therefore, England's affairs are managed by a combination of the UK government, the UK parliament and England-specific quangos such as English Heritage. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories The acronyms Qango and Quango, variously spelt out as QUAsi Non-Governmental Organization, QUasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organization, and English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of

Subdivisions and local government

Main articles: Administrative divisions of England and Counties of England

The top tier of local administration within England are the Regions of England. The subdivisions of England consists of as many as four levels of subnational division and at some levels there are a variety of types of administrative entity The counties of England are territorial divisions of England for the purposes of administrative political and geographical demarcation The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one London voted for a London Assembly and the plan was to hold further referenda in other regions to determine whether people wanted directly elected regional assemblies to watch over the work of the non-elected Regional Development Agencies. The London Assembly is an elected body part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power with a two-thirds The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one A regional development agency (RDA is a non-departmental public body established for the purpose of development primarily economic of one of England 's Government Office A referendum on a proposed directly elected North East Assembly was held in November 2004. During the campaign, a common criticism of the proposals was that England did not need "another tier of bureaucracy". ^[34] On the other hand, many said that they were not decentralising enough, and amounted not to devolution, but to little more than local government reorganisation, with no real power being removed from central government, and no real power given to the regions, which would not even gain the limited powers of the Welsh Assembly, much less the tax-varying and legislative powers of the Scottish Parliament (but Welsh powers are now being expanded). __FORCETOC__ Decentralization or Decentralisation (see Spelling differences) is the process of dispersing Decision-making governance closer to the people The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral They said that 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. Late in the process, responsibility for regional transport was added to the proposals. This was perhaps crucial in the North East, where resentment at the Barnett Formula, which delivers greater public spending per head to adjacent Scotland, was a significant impetus for the North East devolution campaign. The Barnett formula is a mechanism used by Her Majesty's Treasury in the United Kingdom to adjust automatically some elements of Public expenditure in The voters rejected the proposal, and plans for referendums in other Regions were shelved.

Historically, the highest level of local government in England was the county. The counties of England are territorial divisions of England for the purposes of administrative political and geographical demarcation These have their origin in the shires, the subdivisions of the kingdom of Wessex, which were extended over the rest of England as Wessex expanded to unite the country in the ninth and tenth centuries. A shire is an Administrative division of Great Britain and Australia. West Saxon redirects here For other meanings of Wessex or West Saxon see Wessex (disambiguation. Some of these new shires, particularly in the south-east of England, retained the extent and names of the kingdoms or subdivisions of kingdoms that had existed there before, such as Sussex and Kent, but most were new creations, named after their principal town with the suffix "-shire" added, for example Warwickshire from Warwick. The Kingdom of Sussex, ( Suth Seaxe, ie the South Saxons was one of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms the boundaries of which coincided in general with those of the earlier kingdom The Kingdom of Kent was a kingdom of Jutes in southeast England and was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon heptarchy. Geography Warwickshire is bounded to the northwest by the West Midlands Metropolitan county and Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to Warwick (ˈwɒrɪk worrick (silent w in middle is the County town of Warwickshire, England. In the far north of England, the system took longer to become regularised and County Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland emerged after the Norman Conquest. Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. The non-metropolitan county of Northumberland borders Cumbria to the west Cumberland is one of the 39 Historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 (excluding Carlisle from 1915 and now forms part of Westmorland (formerly also spelt Westmoreland, an even older spelling is Westmerland) is an area of north-west England and one of the 39 Historic counties The counties each had a county town. A county town is the 'capital' of a County in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland.

Since these historical county lines were drawn up before the Industrial Revolution and the mass urbanisation of England, the changes in the distribution of population and the demands on local administration resulting from those developments have led to a series of local government reorganisations since the latter part of the 19th century. The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the The solution to the emergence of large urban areas was the creation of large metropolitan counties centred on cities (an example being Greater Manchester). The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level Administrative division of England. Greater Manchester is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2 The creation of unitary authorities, where districts gained the administrative status of a county, began with the 1990s reform of local government. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government The structure of Local government in the United Kingdom underwent large changes in the 1990s Today, some confusion exists between the ceremonial counties (which do not necessarily form an administrative unit) and the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London

Non-metropolitan counties (or "shire counties") are divided into one or more districts. A non-metropolitan county or shire county in England, is a county-level entity which is not a Metropolitan county. Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially ' shire districts', are a type of local government district in England. At the lowest level, England is divided into parishes, although these are not found everywhere (many urban areas for example are unparished). A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a Civil parish. Parishes are prohibited from existing in Greater London.

Law and criminal justice

Main article: English law

England's legal system, developed over many centuries, continued after the Treaty of Union because the terms of the Treaty specifically guaranteed the continued existence of Scotland's separate legal system, which meant that England's system has also remained separate. English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the The Treaty of Union is the name given to the agreement that led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the Political union of England (including

English law applies in England and Wales. English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception The essence of English common law is that it is made by judges sitting in courts, applying their common sense and knowledge of legal precedent (stare decisis) to the facts before them. A judge, or justice, is an Official who presides over a Court of law A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its In Common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a Legal case establishing a principle or rule that a Court or other judicial Stare decisis is a common law doctrine under which judges are obligated to follow the precedents established in prior decisions The court system is headed by the Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales, consisting of the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice (for civil cases) and the Crown Court (for criminal cases). Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal Courts responsible for the administration of Justice in England The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords above For the Cameroonian court by this name see High Court of Justice (Cameroon, for the Israeli court of this name see Supreme Court of Israel. For the TV programme see Crown Court (TV series. The Crown Court of England and Wales is together with the High Court of Justice The Appellate Committee of the House of Lords (usually just referred to as "The House of Lords") is presently the highest court for both criminal and civil cases in England and Wales though recent constitutional changes will see the powers of the House of Lords transfer to a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom was established in law by Part III of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. ^[35] A decision of the highest appeal court in England and Wales, the House of Lords, is binding on every other court in the hierarchy, and they will follow its directions. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function has a judicial function as a Court of last resort within the United Kingdom. Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal Courts responsible for the administration of Justice in England

Crime in England and Wales increased in the period between 1981 and 1995 though, since that peak, there has been an overall fall of 42% in crime from 1995 to 2006/7. ^[36]Despite the fall in crime rates, the prison population of England and Wales has almost doubled over the same period, to over 80,000, giving England and Wales the highest rate of incarcaration in Western Europe at 147 per 100,000. ^[37]Her Majesty's Prison Service, which reports to the Ministry of Justice, manages most of the prisons within England and Wales. "HM Prison" redirects here For prisons in Australia see List of Australian prisons. The Ministry of Justice has been a department of the government of the United Kingdom since 2007 A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of

Geography

Main article: Geography of England

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. 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. The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the It is bordered to the north by Scotland and to the west by Wales. The Anglo-Scottish border (or English-Scottish border) runs for 96  Miles nbsp(154  km) between It is closer to continental Europe than any other part of Britain, divided from France only by a 24-statute mile (52 km or 21 nautical mile)^[38] sea gap. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. The Channel Tunnel, near Folkestone, directly links England to the European mainland. The Channel Tunnel (Le tunnel sous la Manche also known as the Chunnel, is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in England with Folkestone (ˈfoʊkstən is a resort town on the south coast of Kent, England, traditionally known as "The Garden Coast" Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the Continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European The English/French border is halfway along the tunnel. ^[39]

Much of England consists of rolling hills, but it is generally more mountainous in the north with a chain of low mountains, the Pennines, dividing east and west. The Pennines are a low-rising Mountain range in Northern England and southern Scotland. Other hilly areas in the north and Midlands are the Lake District, the North York Moors, and the Peak District. The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. The North York Moors (also known as the North Yorkshire Moors) is a national park in North Yorkshire, England. The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater The approximate dividing line between terrain types is often indicated by the Tees-Exe line. The Tees-Exe line is an imaginary line that can be drawn on a map of Great Britain which roughly divides the lowland and upland regions of the country To the south of that line, there are larger areas of flatter land, including East Anglia and the Fens, although hilly areas include the Cotswolds, the Chilterns, the North and South Downs, Dartmoor and Exmoor. East Anglia is often used as a shorthand for the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Fens, also known as the Fenland, is a geographic area in eastern England, in the United Kingdom. See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England" The Chiltern Hills are a Chalk Escarpment in Southeast England. The North Downs are a ridge of Chalk hills in south east England that stretch for 120 miles (190 km from Farnham in Surrey to the White The South Downs is one of the four areas of Chalk Downland in southern England. Dartmoor is an area of Moorland in the centre of Devon, England. Exmoor is a National Park situated on the Bristol Channel coast of south west England

The largest natural harbour in England is at Poole, on the south-central coast. Poole ( is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset on the south coast of England Some regard it as the second largest harbour in the world, after Sydney, Australia, although this fact is disputed (see harbours for a list of other large natural harbour). A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences) or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the Weather or are stored

Climate

Main article: Climate of the United Kingdom

England has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round, although the seasons are quite variable in temperature. The Climate of the United Kingdom is classified as a mid-latitude Oceanic climate ( Koppen climate classification Cfb) with warm summers A season is one of the major divisions of the Year, generally based on yearly periodic changes in Weather. However, temperatures rarely fall below −5 °C (23 °F) or rise above 30 °C (86 °F). The prevailing wind is from the south-west, bringing mild and wet weather to England regularly from the Atlantic Ocean. It is driest in the east and warmest in the south, which is closest to the European mainland. The East of England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Southern England is an imprecise term used to refer to the southern Counties of England. Snowfall can occur in winter and early spring, although it is not that common away from high ground.

The highest temperature recorded in England is 38. 5 °C (101. 3 °F) on August 10, 2003 at Brogdale, near Faversham, in Kent. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Brogdale is a hamlet in Kent, England, located beside the M2 motorway two Miles south of Faversham. Faversham (fævɜʃəm is a town in Kent, England, in the district of Swale, roughly halfway between Sittingbourne and Canterbury KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format ^[40] The lowest temperature recorded in England is −26. 1 °C (−15. 0 °F) on January 10, 1982 at Edgmond, near Newport, in Shropshire. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Edgmond is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. Newport is a Market town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, some north of Shropshire (ˈʃrɒpʃɪə/ /-ʃə alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated in print only Shrops, is a county in the ^[41]

Major rivers

Main article: List of rivers of England

• Severn (the longest river and largest river basin in Great Britain)
• Tees
• Thames
• Trent
• Humber
• Tyne
• Wear
• Ribble
• Ouse
• Mersey
• Dee
• Aire
• Avon
• Medway

Major conurbations

Main article: List of English cities by population

London is by far the largest urban area in England and one of the largest and busiest cities in the world. This is a list of the largest cities and towns of England ordered by population. Other cities, mainly in central and northern England, are of substantial size and influence. The list of England's largest cities or urban areas is open to debate because, although the normal meaning of city is "a continuously built-up urban area", this can be hard to define, particularly because administrative areas in England often do not correspond with the limits of urban development, and many towns and cities have, over the centuries, grown to form complex urban agglomerations. Various definitions of cities can be used. For the official definition of a UK (and therefore English) city, see City status in the United Kingdom.

Birmingham

Manchester

Liverpool

Leeds

According to the ONS urban area populations for continuous built-up areas, these are the 15 largest conurbations (population figures from the 2001 census):

Rank	Urban Area[43]	Population (2001 Census)	Localities	Major localities
1	Greater London Urban Area	8,278,251	67	Croydon, Barnet, Ealing, Bromley
2	West Midlands Urban Area	2,284,093	22	Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall
3	Greater Manchester Urban Area	2,240,230	57	Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport, Oldham
4	West Yorkshire Urban Area	1,499,465	26	Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield
5	Tyneside	879,996	25	Newcastle upon Tyne, North Shields, South Shields, Gateshead, Jarrow
6	Liverpool Urban Area	816,216	8	Liverpool, St Helens, Bootle, Huyton-with-Roby
7	Nottingham Urban Area	666,358	15	Nottingham, Beeston and Stapleford, Carlton, Long Eaton
8	Sheffield Urban Area	640,720	7	Sheffield, Rotherham, Chapeltown, Mosborough/Highlane
9	Bristol Urban Area	551,066	7	Bristol, Kingswood, Mangotsfield, Stoke Gifford
10	Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton	461,181	10	Brighton, Worthing, Hove, Littlehampton, Shoreham, Lancing
11	Portsmouth Urban Area	442,252	7	Portsmouth, Gosport, Waterlooville, Fareham
12	Leicester Urban Area	441,213	12	Leicester, Wigston, Oadby, Birstall
13	Bournemouth Urban Area	383,713	5	Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, New Milton
14	Reading/Wokingham Urban Area	369,804	5	Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham, Crowthorne
15	Teesside	365,323	7	Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham

Economics

Main article: Economy of England

England's economy is the second largest in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. The Economy of England is the largest economy of the four Constituent countries of the United Kingdom. It follows the Anglo-Saxon economic model. An Anglo-Saxon economy or Anglo-Saxon capitalism (so called because it is supposedly practiced in English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, the United England's economy is the largest of the four economies of the United Kingdom, with 100 of Europe's 500 largest corporations based in London. ^[45] As part of the United Kingdom, England is a major centre of world economics. One of the world's most highly industrialised countries, England is a leader in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors and in key technical industries, particularly aerospace, the arms industry and the manufacturing side of the software industry. This article is about the field of research and industry for the corporation see The Aerospace Corporation Aerospace comprises the The arms industry is a global Industry and Business which Manufactures and sells Weapons and Military technology and equipment. The software industry comprises businesses involved in the development, maintenance and publication of Computer software.

London exports mainly manufactured goods and imports materials such as petroleum, tea, wool, raw sugar, timber, butter, metals, and meat. ^[46] England exported more than 30,000 tons of beef last year, worth around £75,000,000, with France, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain being the largest importers of beef from England. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. ^[47]

The central bank of the United Kingdom, which sets interest rates and implements monetary policy, is the Bank of England in London. The Bank of England (formally the Governor and Company of the Bank of England) is a state-owned institution and the Central bank of the United Kingdom London is also home to the London Stock Exchange, the main stock exchange in the UK and the largest in Europe. The London Stock Exchange or LSE is a Stock exchange located in London, England. A stock exchange, share market or bourse is a Corporation or Mutual organization which provides "trading" facilities for Stock London is one of the international leaders in finance^[48] and the largest financial centre in Europe.

Traditional heavy and manufacturing industries have declined sharply in England in recent decades, as they have in the United Kingdom as a whole. At the same time, service industries have grown in importance. For example, tourism is the sixth largest industry in the UK, contributing 76 billion pounds to the economy. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel It employs 1,800,000 full-time equivalent people—6. 1% of the working population (2002 figures). ^[49] The largest centre for tourism is London, which attracts millions of international tourists every year.

As part of the United Kingdom, England's official currency is the Pound Sterling (also known as the British pound or GBP). The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency

Demography

Main articles: Demography of England and Population of England

With 50,431,700 inhabitants (84% of the UK total),^[50] England is the most populous and most ethnically diverse nation in the United Kingdom. This article discusses the demography of England. Due to the lack of authoritative contemporary sources estimates of the population of England for dates prior to This article discusses the demography of England. Due to the lack of authoritative contemporary sources estimates of the population of England for dates prior to If it were a sovereign state, England would have the fourth largest population in the European Union and would be the 25th largest country by population in the world. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself This is harmonized list of population estimates for the year 2005

England's population continues to grow: with the exception of 1976, there have been more births than deaths every year since 1901. ^[51] While the percentage of people over 65 increases, the percentage of people under 16 is falling, meaning the country's population is ageing overall. With a density of 383 people per square kilometre (992/sq mi),^[52] it is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, second only to the Netherlands. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands

The generally accepted view is that the ethnic background of the English populace, before 19th and 20th century immigration, was a mixed European one deriving from historical waves of Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Norman invasions, along with the possible survival of pre-Celtic ancestry. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Genetic studies have shown that the modern-day English gene pool contains more than 50% Germanic Y-chromosomes. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic ^[53][54]

The economic prosperity of England has also made it a destination for economic migrants from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This was particularly true during the Industrial Revolution.

Since the fall of the British Empire, many denizens of former colonies have migrated to Britain including the Indian sub-continent and the British Caribbean. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting A BBC-published report of the 2001 census, by the Institute for Public Policy Research stated that the vast majority of immigrants settled in London and the South East of England. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR is a UK Think-tank with strong ties to the Labour party that claims to produce progressive ideas committed The largest groups of residents born in other countries were from the Republic of Ireland, India, Pakistan, Germany, and the Caribbean. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Although Germany was high on the list, this was mainly the result of children being born to British forces personnel stationed in that country. ^[55]

About half the population increase between 1991 and 2001 was due to foreign-born immigration. In 2005 the Institute for Public Policy Research published an analysis of data from the 2001 UK Census, revealing the number of people included in the census who were born outside In 2004 the number of people who became British citizens rose to a record 140,795—a rise of 12% on the previous year. The number had risen dramatically since 2000. The overwhelming majority of new citizens come from Africa (32%) and Asia (40%), the largest two groups being people from India and Pakistan. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and ^[56] One in five babies in the UK are born to immigrant mothers, according to official statistics released in 2007. 21. 9% of all births in the UK in 2006 were to mothers born outside the United Kingdom compared with just 12. 8% in 1995. ^[57]

In 2006, an estimated 591,000 migrants^[58][59] arrived to live in the UK for at least a year, while 400,000 people emigrated from the UK for a year or more, with Australia, Spain, France, New Zealand and the U. S. most popular destinations. ^[60][61][62] Largest group of arrivals were people from the Indian subcontinent who accounted for two-thirds of net immigration, mainly fuelled by family reunion. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. ^[63] One in six were from Eastern European countries. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. They were outnumbered by immigrants from New Commonwealth countries. The term New Commonwealth was commonly used in the 1960s and 1970s to refer to members of the Commonwealth of Nations that had joined in recent years ^[64]

The European Union allows free movement between the member states. While France and Germany put in place controls to curb Eastern European migration, the UK and Ireland did not impose restrictions. Following Poland's entry into the EU in May 2004 it is estimated that by the start of 2007 about 375,000 Poles have registered to work in the UK, although the total Polish population in the UK is believed to be 750,000. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Many Poles work in seasonal occupations and a large number is likely to move back and forth including between Ireland and other EU Western nations. A quarter of Eastern European migrants, often young and well-educated, plan to stay in Britain permanently. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Most of them had originally intended to go home but have changed their minds after living there. ^[65]

Culture

Main articles: Culture of England, English people, and English Renaissance

England has a vast and influential culture that encompasses elements both old and new. The culture of England is sometimes difficult to separate clearly from the cultures of its neighbouring countries and to understand how these cultures intermingled and influenced The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the early 16th century to the early 17th century The modern culture of England is sometimes difficult to identify and separate clearly from the culture of the wider United Kingdom, so intertwined are its composite nations. However the English traditional and historic culture remains distinct albeit with substantial regional differences.

English Heritage is a governmental body with a broad remit of managing the historic sites, artefacts and environments of England. English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of London's British Museum, British Library and National Gallery contain some of the finest collections in the world. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. The British Library ( BL) is the National library of the United Kingdom.

The English have played a significant role in the development of the arts and sciences. Many of the most important figures in the history of modern western scientific and philosophical thought were either born in, or at one time or other resided in, England. Major English thinkers of international significance include scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, Charles Darwin and New Zealand-born Ernest Rutherford, philosophers such as John Locke, John Stuart Mill, Bertrand Russell and Thomas Hobbes, and economists such as David Ricardo, and John Maynard Keynes. Sir Isaac Newton, FRS (ˈnjuːtən 4 January 1643 31 March 1727) Biography Early years See also Isaac Newton's early life and achievements Francis Bacon 1st Viscount St Alban KC QC (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626 was an English Philosopher, Statesman, and author Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life Ernest Rutherford 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, OM, PC, FRS (30 August 1871 – 19 October 1937 was a New Zealand Physicist John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704 was an English Philosopher. John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 &ndash 8 May 1873 British Philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament, was an influential Bertrand Arthur William Russell 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970 was a British Philosopher, Historian Thomas Hobbes (born 5 April 1588died 4 December 1679 was an English philosopher, whose famous 1651 book Leviathan established the foundation David Ricardo (18 April 1772 &ndash 11 September 1823 was an English political economist, often credited with systematizing economics and was one of the most influential John Maynard Keynes 1st Baron Keynes CB (ˈkeɪnz "cains" (5 June 1883 &ndash 21 April 1946 was a British Economist whose ideas Karl Marx wrote most of his important works, including Das Kapital, while in exile in Manchester, and the team that developed the first atomic bomb began their work in England, under the wartime codename tube alloys.

Architecture

See also: List of historic houses in England and Castles in England

England has played a significant part in the advancement of Western architecture. Historic houses in England is a link page for any Stately home, Country house or other Historic house in England. This page lists Castles in England. Bedfordshire Berkshire Bristol It is home to some of the finest mediæval castles and forts in the world, including Warwick Castle, the Tower of London and Windsor Castle (the largest inhabited castle in the world and the oldest in continuous occupation). Warwick Castle (, like warren) is a medieval Shell keep Castle in Warwick, the County town of Warwickshire, Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited Castle in the world and dating back to the time of It is known for its numerous grand country houses, and for its many mediæval and later churches and cathedrals.

English architects have contributed to many styles over the centuries, including Tudor architecture, English Baroque, the Georgian style and Victorian movements such as Gothic Revival. English Baroque is a casual term sometimes used to refer to the developments in English architecture that were parallel to the evolution of Baroque architecture in Georgian architecture is the name given in most English -speaking countries to the set of Architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840 The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement which began Among the best-known contemporary English architects are Norman Foster and Richard Rogers. Norman Robert Foster Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM, FRIBA, RDI, (born 1 June 1935) is a British architect whose company Richard George Rogers Baron Rogers of Riverside, CH, FRIBA (born 23 July 1933) is a British Architect noted

Cuisine

Main article: English cuisine

Although highly regarded in the Middle Ages, English cuisine later became a source of fun among Britain's French and European neighbours, being viewed until the late 20th century as crude and unsophisticated by comparison with continental tastes. English Cuisine is shaped by the country's temperate climate its island geography and its history However, with the influx of non-European immigrants (particularly those of south and east Asian origins) from the 1950s onwards, the English diet was transformed. Indian and Chinese cuisine in particular were absorbed into British culinary life, with restaurants and takeaways appearing in almost every town in Britain, and 'going for an Indian' becoming a regular part of British social life. A distinct hybrid food style composed of dishes of Asian origin, but adapted to British tastes, emerged and was subsequently exported to other parts of the world. Many of the well-known Indian dishes in the western world, such as Tikka Masala and Balti, are in fact dishes of this sort. Chicken tikka masala (चिकन टिक्का मसाला ਚਿਕਨ ਟਿੱਕਾ ਮਸਾਲਾ চিকেন টিক্কা মাসালা is a South Balti is the name for a style of Food very popular in England.

Dishes forming part of the old tradition of English food include:

Apple pie Bangers and mash Bedfordshire clanger Bubble and Squeak Cornish pasty Cottage pie Devonshire Cream Tea Faggot and peas Fish and chips

Full English breakfast Gravy Jellied eels Lancashire hotpot Lincolnshire sausage Mince pies Pie and mash Ploughman's lunch Pork pie

Scouse Shepherd's pie Spotted Dick Steak and kidney pie Sunday roast Toad in the hole Yorkshire pudding

Engineering and innovation

See also: Category:English inventors and Category:English inventions

As birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, England was home to many significant inventors during the late 18th and early 19th century. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Famous English engineers include Isambard Kingdom Brunel, best known for the creation of the Great Western Railway, a series of famous steamships, and numerous important bridges, hence revolutionising public transport and modern-day engineering. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller

Other notable English figures in the fields of engineering and innovation include:

• Richard Arkwright, inventor of the first industrial spinning machine. Sir Richard Arkwright ( Old Style 23 December 1732 / New Style 3 January 1733 – 3 August
• Charles Babbage, 19th-century inventor of the first computer; and Alan Turing and Tommy Flowers, inventors of the modern computer and many of its associated concepts and initial technologies. The analytical engine, an important step in the History of computers, was the design of a mechanical general-purpose Computer by the British mathematician Charles Alan Mathison Turing, OBE, FRS (ˈt(jʊ(ərɪŋ (23 June 1912 &ndash 7 June 1954 was an English Mathematician Thomas (Tommy Harold Flowers MBE ( 22 December 1905 &ndash 28 October 1998) was an English engineer A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions.
• Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web and much of the technology on which it is based (http, html). Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee OM KBE FRS FREng FRSA (born 8 June 1955 is an English computer scientist who is credited The World Wide Web (commonly shortened to the Web) is a system of interlinked Hypertext documents accessed via the Internet. Hypertext Transfer Protocol ( HTTP) is a Communications protocol for the transfer of information on the Internet. HTML, an initialism of HyperText Markup Language, is the predominant Markup language for Web pages It provides a means to describe the structure
• James Blundell, performer of the first blood transfusion. James Blundell ( January 19, 1791 Holborn, London – January 15, 1878 St Blood transfusion is the process of transferring Blood or blood-based products from one person into the Circulatory system of another
• Hubert Cecil Booth, inventor of the vacuum cleaner; and James Dyson, inventor of the Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner. Hubert Cecil Booth ( 4 July 1871 &ndash 18 January 1955) was a British Engineer who invented the first A vacuum cleaner (in colloquial British English also hoover) is a device that uses an air Pump to create a partial Vacuum to Suck Sir James Dyson (born Cromer, Norfolk, England, 2 May 1947 is an English Industrial designer. Dyson is a British appliances manufacturer Its main products are Vacuum cleaners that use Cyclonic separation. A vacuum cleaner (in colloquial British English also hoover) is a device that uses an air Pump to create a partial Vacuum to Suck
• Edwin Beard Budding, inventor of the lawnmower. Edwin Beard Budding (1795–1846 an Engineer from Stroud England, was the English Inventor of the lawnmower (1830 and Adjustable A lawn mower or lawnmower is a machine that has one or more revolving blades to cut a Lawn at an even length
• George Cayley, inventor of the seat belt. Sir George Cayley 6th Baronet ( December 27, 1773 &ndash December 15, 1857) sometimes known as "the father of Aerodynamics" was A seat belt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a Safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a Vehicle against harmful movement that may result from
• Christopher Cockerell, inventor of the hovercraft. Sir Christopher Sydney Cockerell CBE FRS ( June 4, 1910 &ndash June 1, 1999) was an English Engineer A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle (ACV is an Amphibious vehicle or craft, designed to travel over any sufficiently smooth surface supported by
• John Dalton, pioneer in atomic theory. John Dalton FRS (6 September 1766 &ndash 27 July 1844 was an English Chemist, Meteorologist and Physicist. This article focuses on the historical models of the atom For a history of the study of how atoms combine to form molecules see History of the molecule.
• Michael Faraday, inventor of the electric motor. Michael Faraday, FRS ( September 22 1791 – August 25 1867) was an English An electric motor uses Electrical energy to produce Mechanical energy.
• Thomas Fowler, inventor of the thermosiphon. Thomas Fowler (born 1777 in Great Torrington, Devon, England &ndash died March 31 1843) was an English Inventor Thermosiphon (alt thermosyphon) refers to a method of passive Heat exchange based on natural Convection which circulates liquid in a vertical closed-loop
• Robert Hooke, promulgator of Hooke's law of elasticity. Robert Hooke, FRS (18 July 1635 – 3 March 1703 was an English Natural philosopher and Polymath who played an important role in the
• E. Purnell Hooley, inventor of tarmac. Edgar Purnell Hooley ( 5 June 1860 - 26 January 1942) was the inventor of Tarmac. Tarmac (short for tarmacadam, a Portmanteau for Tar -penetration Macadam) is a type of highway surface, pioneered by John
• Thomas Newcomen and Thomas Savery, inventors of the first steam engines. Thomas Newcomen (born shortly before 24 February 1664; died 5 August 1729) was an Ironmonger by trade and a Baptist Thomas Savery (c 1650 - 1715 was an English Inventor, born at Shilstone a Manor house near Modbury, Devon, England. A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid.
• Isaac Newton, promulgator of universal gravitation, Newtonian mechanics and infinitesimal calculus. Sir Isaac Newton, FRS (ˈnjuːtən 4 January 1643 31 March 1727) Biography Early years See also Isaac Newton's early life and achievements Newton 's law of universal Gravitation is a physical law describing the gravitational attraction between bodies with mass Classical mechanics is used for describing the motion of Macroscopic objects from Projectiles to parts of Machinery, as well as Astronomical objects Calculus ( Latin, calculus, a small stone used for counting is a branch of Mathematics that includes the study of limits, Derivatives
• Stephen Perry, inventor of the rubber band. Stephen Perry was a 19th century British Inventor and businessman A rubber band (in some regions known as a binder, elastic band, lackey band, elastic blubber, "laggy band" or gumband')
• Percy Shaw, inventor of the "cat's eye" road safety device. Percy Shaw ( 1890 - 1 September, 1976) was an English inventor who patented the reflective road stud cat's eye.
• George Stephenson and son Robert Stephenson, railway pioneers. Robert Stephenson FRS (16 October 1803 &ndash 12 October 1859 was an English Civil engineer.
• Joseph Swan, joint inventor and developer (with American Thomas Edison) of the light bulb. Sir Joseph Wilson Swan ( October 31, 1828 – May 27, 1914) was an English Physicist and Chemist, most famous The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is a source of electric Light that works by Incandescence, (a general
• Richard Trevithick, builder of the earliest steam locomotives. Richard Trevithick ( April 13, 1771 &ndash April 22, 1833) was a British A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train.
• Jethro Tull, inventor of the seed drill. Jethro Tull ( 30 March 1674 &ndash 21 February 1741) was an English agricultural pioneer during the period before A seed drill is a device for planting Seeds in the soil Before the introduction of the seed drill the common practice was to "broadcast" seeds by hand
• Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine. Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 &ndash 9 August 1996 was an English Royal specific --->A jet engine is a Reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet of Fluid to
• Joseph Whitworth, inventor of many of the modern techniques and technologies used in precision engineering. Sir Joseph Whitworth Baronet ( December 21, 1803 &ndash January 22, 1887) was an English Engineer and Entrepreneur

Folklore

Main article: English folklore

English folklore is rich and diverse. English folklore is the folk tradition which has developed in England over a number of centuries Many of the land's oldest legends share themes and sources with the Celtic folklore of Wales, Scotland and Ireland, a typical example being the legend of Herne the Hunter, which shares many similarities with the traditional Welsh legend of Gwyn ap Nudd. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts In English mythology, Herne the Hunter is an equestrian Ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park in the English In Welsh mythology, Gwyn ap Nudd (/ˈgwɨn ap ˈnɨːð/ sometimes found with the antiquated spelling Gwynn ap Nudd) was king of the Tylwyth Teg (the "

Successive waves of pre-Norman invaders and settlers, from the Romans onwards, via Saxons, Jutes, Angles, Norse to the Norman Conquest have all influenced the myth and legend of England. Some tales, such as that of The Lambton Wyrm show a distinct Norse influence, while others, particularly some of the events and characters associated with the Arthurian legends show a distinct Romano-Gaulic slant. The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the Legends that concern the Celtic and legendary History of Great Britain, especially those ^[66]

Among the most famous English folk-tales are the legends of King Arthur, although it would be wrong to regard these stories as purely English in origin as they also concern Wales and, to a lesser extent, Ireland and Scotland. King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders They should therefore be considered as part of the folklore of the British Isles as a whole. The British Isles (Irish variously Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha, Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa, Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór; Ellanyn Goaldagh Eileanan

Post-Norman stories include the tales of Robin Hood, which exists in many forms, and stories of other folk heroes such as Hereward the Wake and Fulk FitzWarin who, although being based on historical characters, have grown to become legends in their own right. Robin Hood is an archetypal figure in English folklore, whose story originates from medieval times but who remains significant in popular culture where Fulk FitzWarin (also called Fulke or Fouke FitzWaryn or FitzWarren was a medieval landed gentleman turned Outlaw, from Whittington Castle in the English

Literature

Main article: English literature

The English language has a rich and prominent literary heritage. The term English literature refers to Literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by Writers not necessarily from England has produced a wealth of significant literary figures including playwrights William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, John Webster, as well as writers Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Jane Austen, William Makepeace Thackeray, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, Mary Shelley, H. G. Wells, George Eliot, Rudyard Kipling, D. H. Lawrence, E. M. Forster, Virginia Woolf, George Orwell and Harold Pinter. William Shakespeare ( baptised Benjamin Jonson ( c 11 June 1572 &ndash 6 August 1637) was an English Renaissance Dramatist John Webster (c 1580 &ndash c 1634 was an English Jacobean Dramatist, and a late contemporary of William Shakespeare. Daniel Defoe (1659/1661 — April 24, 1731 was an English Writer, Journalist, and Pamphleteer, who gained enduring fame for Henry Fielding ( April 22, 1707 &ndash October 8, 1754) was an English Novelist and Dramatist known for his Jane Austen (16 William Makepeace Thackeray (ˈθækərɪ 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863 was an English Novelist of the 19th century Charlotte Brontë (ˈbrɒnti (21 April 1816 &ndash 31 March 1855 was a British Novelist, the eldest of the three famous Brontë sisters whose Novels Emily Jane Brontë (ˈbrɒnti ( July 30, 1818 – December 19, 1848) was a British Novelist and Poet, now best Mary Shelley ( Née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin; 30 August Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 &ndash 13 August 1946 He was an outspoken socialist and a pacifist, his later works becoming increasingly political Mary Ann (Marian Evans ( 22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880) better known by her Pen name George Eliot, was an Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936 was an English Author and poet David Herbert Richards Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930 was an English writer of the 20th century whose prolific and diverse output included Novels short Edward Morgan Forster OM, CH (1 January 1879–7 June 1970 was an English novelist Short story writer Essayist, and Librettist (Adeline Virginia Woolf (née Stephen; 25 January 1882 – 28 March 1941 was an English Novelist and Essayist, regarded as one of the foremost Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer Others, such as J. K. Rowling, Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie have been among the best-selling novelists of the last century. Joanne "Jo" Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965 who writes under the Enid Mary Blyton ( August 11 1897 &ndash November 28 1968) was a British children's writer. Agatha Mary Clarissa Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 &ndash 12 January 1976 commonly known as Agatha Christie, was an English

Among the poets, Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spenser, Sir Philip Sydney, Thomas Kyd, John Donne, Andrew Marvell, Alexander Pope, William Wordsworth, Lord Byron, John Keats, John Milton, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, T. S. Eliot (American-born, but a British subject from 1927) and many others remain read and studied around the world. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 – 25 October 1400? was an English author poet Philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and Diplomat. Edmund Spenser (c 1552 &ndash 13 January, 1599) was an important English Poet and Poet Laureate best known for The Sir Philip Sidney ( November 30, 1554 &ndash October 17, 1586) became one of the Elizabethan Age's most prominent figures Thomas Kyd ( 3 November 1558 – 16 July 1594) was an English Dramatist, the author of The Spanish Tragedy John Donne (pronounced like done, dʌn 1572 – 31 March 1631 was a Jacobean poet preacher and a major representative of the Metaphysical poets Andrew Marvell ( 31 March 1621 &ndash 16 August 1678) was an English metaphysical poet, and the son of a Church of Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 – 30 May 1744 is generally regarded as the greatest English Poet of the eighteenth century best known for his Satirical John Milton ( 9 December, 1608 – 8 November, 1674) was an English Poet, Prose Polemicist and Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( 21 October 1772 &ndash 25 July 1834) was an English Poet, Critic and philosopher Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26 1888 – January 4 1965 was a poet Dramatist, and Literary critic. Among men of letters, Samuel Johnson, William Hazlitt and George Orwell are some of the most famous. Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) (18 September William Hazlitt ( 10 April 1778 &ndash 18 September 1830) was an English Writer remembered for his humanistic Essays and Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer England continues to produce writers working in all branches of literature, and in a wide range of styles; contemporary English literary writers attracting international attention include Martin Amis, Julian Barnes and Zadie Smith. Martin Louis Amis (born 25 August 1949 is an English Novelist, Essayist and Short story Writer, the son of writer Kingsley Julian Patrick Barnes (born January 19, 1946 in Leicester, England) is a contemporary English Writer. Zadie Smith (born 25 October 1975 is an English Novelist. To date she has written three novels

Music

Main article: Music of England

Composers from England have not achieved recognition as broad as that earned by their literary counterparts, and, particularly during the 19th century, were overshadowed in international reputation by other European composers; however, many works of earlier composers such as Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, and Henry Purcell are still frequently performed throughout the world today. Thomas Tallis (c 1505 &ndash 23 November 1585) was an English Composer. William Byrd (c 1540 &ndash 4 July 1623 was an English Composer of the Renaissance. Henry Purcell (ˈpɜrsəl 10 September 1659 (? – 21 November 1695 was an English Baroque Composer. A revival of England's musical status began during the 20th century with the prominence of composers such as Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst, William Walton, Eric Coates, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Frederick Delius and Benjamin Britten. Gustav Theodore Holst (21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934was an English Composer and was a music teacher for nearly 20 years Sir William Turner Walton, OM ( March 29, 1902 &ndash March 8, 1983) was a British Composer and Eric Coates ( August 27, 1886 &ndash December 21, 1957) was an English Composer of Light music and a Viola Ralph (reɪf Vaughan Williams OM (12 October 1872 &ndash 26 August 1958 was an English Composer of symphonies, Chamber music Frederick Albert Theodore Delius CH (29 January 1862 &ndash 10 June 1934 was an English Composer born in Bradford in the West Riding of Yorkshire Edward Benjamin Britten Baron Britten, OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976 was an English Composer, conductor,

In popular music, however, English bands and solo artists have been cited as the most influential and best-selling musicians of all time. Acts such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Queen, and The Rolling Stones are among the highest selling in the world. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Led Zeppelin were Pink Floyd are Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer Queen were an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist ^[70] England is also credited with being the birthplace of many musical genres and movements such as hard rock, British invasion, heavy metal, britpop, glam rock, drum and bass, progressive rock, punk rock, gothic rock, shoegazing, acid house, UK garage, trip hop and dubstep. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock The British Invasion was the term applied by the news media — and subsequently by consumers — to the influx of Rock and roll, beat and pop performers Britpop is a subgenre of Alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Glam rock (also known as glitter rock) is a sub-genre of Rock music that developed in the UK in the post- Hippie early 1970s which was "performed by Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved This article is about the musical style of gothic rock For the goth scene in general see Goth subculture. Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze or shoegazer) is a genre of Alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s Acid house is a sub-genre of House music that emphasizes a repetitive hypnotic and trance -like style with samples or spoken lines usually used rather than sung lyrics UK Garage ( UKG) is an umbrella term that refers to several different varieties of modern Electronic dance music generally connected to the evolution of house Trip hop is a music Genre also known as the Bristol sound or Bristol acid rap. Dubstep is a Genre of Electronic music that has its roots in London 's early 2000s UK garage scene

Science and philosophy

Prominent English figures from the field of science and mathematics include Sir Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, J. J. Thomson, Charles Babbage, Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking, Christopher Wren, Alan Turing, Francis Crick, Joseph Lister, Tim Berners-Lee, Andrew Wiles and Richard Dawkins. Sir Isaac Newton, FRS (ˈnjuːtən 4 January 1643 31 March 1727) Biography Early years See also Isaac Newton's early life and achievements Michael Faraday, FRS ( September 22 1791 – August 25 1867) was an English Sir Joseph John “JJ” Thomson, OM, FRS (18 December 1856 &ndash 30 August 1940 was a British Physicist and Nobel laureate Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life Stephen William Hawking CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA (born 8 January 1942 is a British theoretical physicist. Sir Christopher Wren ( 20 October 1632 &ndash 25 February 1723) was a 17th century English Designer, Astronomer Alan Mathison Turing, OBE, FRS (ˈt(jʊ(ərɪŋ (23 June 1912 &ndash 7 June 1954 was an English Mathematician Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004 Ph Joseph Lister 1st Baron Lister, OM, FRS ( 5 April 1827 &ndash 10 February 1912) was an English surgeon Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee OM KBE FRS FREng FRSA (born 8 June 1955 is an English computer scientist who is credited Sir Andrew John Wiles KBE FRS (born 11 April 1953 is a British Mathematician and a professor at Princeton University Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL (born 26 March 1941 is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and Popular science Some experts claim that the earliest concept of a Metric system was invented by John Wilkins, first secretary of the Royal Society in 1668. The metric system is a decimalised system of measurement. It exists in several variations with different choices of base units, though the choice of base units does John Wilkins ( January 1, 1614 - November 19, 1672) was an English clergyman and author The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660 ^[71]

England played a major role in the development of Western philosophy, particularly during the Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century Jeremy Bentham, leader of the Philosophical Radicals influenced the development of English Law and ironically early Socialism. Jeremy Bentham ( IPA: or) (15 February 1748&ndash6 June 1832 was an English Jurist, Philosopher, and legal and Social reformer Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution ^[72] although the Levellers and other radical movements of the Civil War were significant. See Levellers (disambiguation for alternative meanings. The Levellers were members of a mid 17th century English Political movement Major English philosophers include William of Ockham, Francis Bacon, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Thomas Paine, John Stuart Mill, Bertrand Russell and Bernard Williams. William of Ockham (also Occam, Hockham, or any of several other spellings ˈɒkəm (c Francis Bacon 1st Viscount St Alban KC QC (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626 was an English Philosopher, Statesman, and author Thomas Hobbes (born 5 April 1588died 4 December 1679 was an English philosopher, whose famous 1651 book Leviathan established the foundation John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704 was an English Philosopher. Thomas Paine (January 29 1737 &ndash June 8 1809 was an English Pamphleteer, Revolutionary, radical, Inventor, and Intellectual John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 &ndash 8 May 1873 British Philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament, was an influential Bertrand Arthur William Russell 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970 was a British Philosopher, Historian Sir Bernard Arthur Owen Williams FBA (21 September 1929 &ndash 10 June 2003 has been described as the most important British moral philosopher of his time

Sport

Main article: Sport in England

Several modern sports were codified in England during the 19th century, among them cricket, rugby union and rugby league, football, tennis and badminton. Sport plays a prominent role in English life Cricket is an unofficial national sport along with association football Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles or two opposing pairs (doubles who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court Of these, association football, cricket and rugby remain the country's most popular spectator sports.

England contains more UEFA 5 star and 4 star rated stadia than any other country, and is home to some of the sport's top clubs. The Union of European Football Associations (Union des associations européennes de football is the administrative and controlling body for European football. A football team or a football club, in football (soccer is the collective name given to a number of players who play together in a Football game be it Association Among these, Aston Villa, Liverpool FC, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest have won the European Cup. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham The England national football team are considered one of the game's superpowers (currently ranked 11th by FIFA^[73] and 8th by Elo^[74]), having won the World Cup in 1966 when it was hosted in England. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) The World Football Elo Ratings (Elo is often pronounced E-L-O despite not being an Acronym) is a ranking system for men's national teams in football. The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup was held in England from 11 July to 30 July Since then, however, they have failed to reach a final of a major international tournament, although they reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 1990 and the quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006 and Euro 2004. The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA (the Union of European More recently, England failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 championships when it lost 2–3 to Croatia on November 21, 2007 in its final qualifying match. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. England, playing at home at Wembley Stadium, needed just a draw to ensure qualification. This is the first time since the 1994 World Cup that England has failed to qualify for a major football championship and first time since 1984 that the team will miss the Euros. On November 22, 2007, the day after the defeat to Croatia, England fired its football coach, Steve McClaren and his assistant Terry Venables, ostensibly as a direct consequence of its failure to qualify for Euro 2008. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Stephen "Steve" McClaren (born 3 May 1961 is an English football manager and former player Terence Frederick 'Terry' Venables (born 6 January 1943 in Dagenham, London often referred to as ' El Tel', is an English football manager The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship, a quadrennial football ^[75]

The England national rugby union team won the 2003 Rugby World Cup (and finishing as runners-up in 2007). The England national rugby union team represents England in Rugby union. The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby union world cup and was won by England. Rugby union clubs such as Leicester Tigers, London Wasps and the Northampton Saints have had success in the Europe-wide Heineken Cup. Leicester Football Club (nicknamed Leicester Tigers) is an English Rugby union club that plays in the Guinness Premiership. London Wasps is an English professional Rugby union team The men's first team which forms London Wasps was derived from Wasps Football Club who Northampton Saints are a professional English Rugby union club from Northampton, England. The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading

At rugby league, the England national rugby league team are ranked third in the world and first in Europe. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games The England national rugby league team represent England in international Rugby league football tournaments They have taken part in three World Cup's finishing second in 1975 and 1995, hosting the competition in the latter. The Rugby League World Cup is an international competition contested by the men's national rugby league teams of the member nations of the Rugby League International In 2008 the team will once again contest the World Cup in Australia. Teams See also 2008 Rugby League World Cup squads Format Draw The draw after being confirmed by the RLIF on April From 2008 England will become a full test nation in lieu of the Great Britain national rugby league team, when that team is retired. Great Britain was traditionally one of the major national teams playing Rugby league. At a domestic level, England is host to large clubs like Wigan Warriors, St Helens and Leeds Rhinos, all of whom have won the World Club Challenge and have produced some of the world's greats. Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club is a professional Rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. Leeds Rhinos, or informally Leeds or Rhinos, are an English professional Rugby league football club based in Leeds The World Club Challenge (WCC (also referred to as the Carnegie World Club Challenge (CWCC for sponsorship purposes is an annual Rugby league match held between It is in Huddersfield in 1895 that the game was born. Huddersfield ( is a large Market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, 190 miles (306km north Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

The England cricket team is a composite England and Wales Cricket Team. The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. It has seen mixed fortunes in recent years but won The Ashes in 2005, and is currently ranked the fourth best Test nation in the world. The 2005 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing and storied Cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations The 2009 ICC World T20 will be hosted in England and Wales, and the 2018 Cricket World Cup may also be hosted in England.

Sport England is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in England. Sport England is the brand name for the English Sports Council and is a Non-departmental public body under the Department for

The 2012 Summer Olympics are to be hosted by London, England. It will run from 26 July to 12 August 2012. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Events 1099 - First Crusade: Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon defeat Fatimid 2012 ( MMXII) will be a Leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. London will become the first city to have hosted the modern Olympic Games three times, having previously done so in 1908 and 1948.

Language

English

Main articles: English language and History of the English language

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). English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States English is a West Germanic language which originated from the Anglo-Frisian Dialects brought to Britain by Germanic settlers An Indo-European language in the Anglo-Frisian branch of the Germanic family, it is closely related to Scots and the Frisian languages. The Anglo-Frisian languages (sometimes Insular Germanic) are a group of Ingvaeonic West Germanic languages consisting of Old English The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern The Frisian languages are a closely related group of Germanic languages, spoken by about 500000 members of Frisian Ethnic groups who live on the southern As the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms merged into England, "Old English" emerged; some of its literature and poetry has survived.

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-Norman aristocracy. Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. The northern Norman can be classified in the septentrional Oil languages with Picard and Its use was confined primarily to the lower social classes while official business was conducted in a mixture of Latin and French. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Over the following centuries, however, English gradually came back into fashion among all classes and for all official business except certain traditional ceremonies, some of which survive to this day. Although, Middle English, as it had by now become, showed many signs of French influence, both in vocabulary and spelling. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of During the Renaissance, many words were coined from Latin and Greek origins; and more recent years, Modern English has extended this custom, willing to incorporate foreign-influenced words. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Modern English is the form of the English language spoken since the Great Vowel Shift, completed in roughly 1550

It is most commonly accepted that—thanks in large part to the British Empire, and now the United States—the English language is now the world's unofficial lingua franca,^[76] while English common law is also the foundation of many legal systems throughout the English-speaking countries of the world. A lingua franca (from Italian, literally meaning Frankish language, see etymology under Sabir and Italian below is any Language widely English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the The three major legal systems of the world today consist of civil law, Common law and Religious law. ^[77] English language learning and teaching is an important economic sector, including language schools, tourism spending, and publishing houses. A language school is a School where one studies a Foreign language.

Other languages

UK legislation does not recognise any language as being official,^[78] but English is the only language used in England for general official business. United Kingdom legislation derives from a number of different sources The other national languages of the UK (Welsh, Irish, Scots and Scottish Gaelic) are confined to their respective nations, except Welsh to some degree. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages.

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, currently by about 2,000 people. Anglic (from Latin Anglicus meaning English, cf Germanic) is a term for what are also known as Englishes, in for example World For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. ^[79] 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. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ( ECRML) is a European Treaty (CETS 148 adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe 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 to the Anglo-Scottish Border, and Welsh is still spoken by some natives around Oswestry, Shropshire, on the Welsh border. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic

Most deaf people within England speak British sign language (BSL), a sign language native to Britain. British Sign Language ( BSL) is the Sign language used in the United Kingdom (UK and is the first or preferred language of Deaf people in the A sign language (also signed language) is a Language which instead of acoustically conveyed Sound patterns uses visually transmitted sign patterns The British Deaf Association estimates that 250,000 people throughout the UK speak BSL as their first or preferred language,^[80] but does not give statistics specific to England. British Deaf Association is a British charity representing those deaf people who use British Sign Language. BSL is not an official language of the UK and most British government departments and hospitals have limited facilities for deaf people. The BBC broadcasts several of its programmes with BSL interpreters.

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, with Bengali, Hindi, Sinhala, Tamil, Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati, Polish, Greek, Turkish and Cantonese being the most common languages that people living in Britain consider their first language. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. Punjabi (pa ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhi script pa-PK {{Nastaliq پنجابی}} in Shahmukhi script Pañjābī in Transliteration) is an Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Gujarati (ગુજરાતી Gujǎrātī ? Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. A first language (also mother tongue, native language, arterial language, or L1) is the language a human being learns from birth These are often used by official bodies to communicate with the relevant sections of the community, particularly in large cities, but this occurs on an "as needed" basis rather than as the result of specific legislative ordinances.

Other languages have also traditionally been spoken by minority populations in England, including Romany.

Despite the relatively small size of the nation, there are many distinct English regional accents. The regional accents of English speakers show great variation across the areas where English is spoken as a first language Those with particularly strong accents may not be easily understood elsewhere in the country. Use of foreign non-standard varieties of English (such as Caribbean English) is also increasingly widespread, mainly because of the effects of immigration. Caribbean English is a broad term for the dialects of the English language spoken in the Caribbean, most countries on the Caribbean coast of Central America

Religion

Main article: Religion in England

Due to immigration in the past decades, there is an enormous diversity of religious belief in England, as well as a growing percentage that have no religious affiliation. Religion in England refers to those religions that are specifically active in England, as opposed to in the United Kingdom in general (for that see Religion Levels of attendance in various denominations have begun to decline. England is classed largely as a secular country even allowing for the following affiliation percentages : Christianity: 71. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings 6%, Islam: 3. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. 1%, Hindu: 1. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical 1%, Sikh: 0. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. 7%, Jewish: 0. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ 5%, and Buddhist: 0. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices 3%, No Faith: 22. Irreligion is a lack of religion indifference to religion or hostility to religion 3%. ^[81] The EU Eurobarometer poll of 2005 shows that only 38% of people in the UK believe in a god, while 40% believe in "some sort of spirit or life force" and 20% do not believe in either. ^[82]

Christianity

See also: Churches Together in England

Christianity reached England through missionaries from Scotland and from Continental Europe; the era of St. Augustine (the first Archbishop of Canterbury) and the Celtic Christian missionaries in the north (notably St. Aidan and St. Cuthbert). Churches Together in England (CTE is an Ecumenical organisation and national Christian church council in England. Augustine of Canterbury OSB (born c first third of the 6th century - died 26 May 604 was a Benedictine Monk who became the first Archbishop The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the " Augustine was the Apostle of Kent but Aidan was the Apostle of the English For the Dungeons & Dragons deity see Saint Cuthbert (Dungeons & Dragons St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (c The Synod of Whitby in 664 ultimately led to the English Church being fully part of Roman Catholicism. The Synod of Whitby was a seventh century Northumbrian Synod where King Oswiu of Northumbria ruled that his kingdom would calculate Easter and Early English Christian documents surviving from this time include the 7th century illuminated Lindisfarne Gospels and the historical accounts written by the Venerable Bede. The Lindisfarne Gospels is an illuminated Latin manuscript of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John England has many early cathedrals, most notably York Minster (1080), Durham Cathedral (1093) and Salisbury Cathedral (1220), In 1536, the Church was split from Rome over the issue of the divorce of King Henry VIII from Catherine of Aragon. York Minster is a Gothic Cathedral in York, England and is the second largest of its kind in Northern Europe (largest is the The Cathedral Church of Christ Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly referred to as Durham Cathedral, in the city of Durham, England Salisbury Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The split led to the emergence of a separate ecclesiastical authority, and later the influence of the Reformation, resulting in the Church of England and Anglicanism. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Unlike the other three constituent countries of the UK, the Church of England is an established church (although the Church of Scotland is a 'national church' recognised in law). An established church is a church officially sanctioned and supported by the government of a country e The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland.

The 16th-century break with Rome under the reign of King Henry VIII and the Dissolution of the Monasteries had major consequences for the Church (as well as for politics). Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded The Church of England remains the largest Christian church in England; it is part of the Anglican Communion. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Many of the Church of England's cathedrals and parish churches are historic buildings of significant architectural importance. List of former cathedrals in the United Kingdom This article lists the Cathedrals former cathedrals and intended cathedrals in the United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies

Other major Christian Protestant denominations in England include the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church and the United Reformed Church. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. An unrelated American church of similar name is the United Reformed Churches in North America. Smaller denominations, but not insignificant, include the Religious Society of Friends (the "Quakers") and the Salvation Army—both founded in England. The Salvation Army is a Christian charity and church that is internally organised like a military service. There are also Afro-Caribbean Churches, especially in the London area.

The Roman Catholic Church re-established a hierarchy in England in the 19th century. Attendances were considerably boosted by immigration, especially from Ireland and more recently Poland. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland

The Church of England remains the official state church of England. A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially

Other religions

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, immigration from many colonial countries, often from South Asia and the Middle East have resulted in a considerable growth in Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism in England. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Cities and towns with large Muslim communities include Birmingham, Blackburn, Coventry, Bolton, Bradford, Leicester, London, Luton, Manchester, Oldham and Sheffield. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Blackburn ( is a large town in Lancashire, England. It lies to the north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. Bolton ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, in the North West region of England. Bradford ( lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a Metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional Luton ( is a large town in the east of England, 32 miles (51 kilometres north of London. Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England Cities and towns with large Sikh communities include London, Slough, Staines, Hounslow, Southall, Reading, Ilford, Barking, Dagenham, Leicester, Leeds, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and others. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. Staines is a Thames -side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and part of the London Commuter Belt of South East England, Hounslow is the principal town in the London Borough of Hounslow. Southall is a suburb in the London Borough of Ealing, West London. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between Ilford is a district of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is a suburban development situated east north-east of Charing Cross and one the major metropolitan centres Barking is a suburban town in east London, England and the main district of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is a suburban town in east London, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, situated east of Charing Cross. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um

The Jewish community in England is mainly in the Greater London area, particularly the north west suburbs such as Golders Green;^[83] although Manchester, Leeds and Gateshead also have significant Jewish communities. Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England. It lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne. ^[84][85]

Education

Main article: Education in England

See also: List of universities in England

There is a long history of the promotion of education in England in schools, colleges and universities. Education in England is the responsibility of the Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills of the Universities Where two dates are listed below the first gives the year the institution became a University while the second gives the year the institution was established England is home to the oldest existing schools in the English speaking world: The King's School, Canterbury and The King's School, Rochester, believed to be founded in the 6th and 7th century respectively. The King's School is an English Independent school situated in Canterbury, Kent. The King's School Rochester is a Public school in Rochester, Kent. At least eight existing schools in England were founded in the first millennium. Sherborne School was granted a royal charter in 1550, but may have been the site of a school since the 8th century. Sherborne School is a British Independent school for boys located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. Most of these ancient institutions are now fee-paying schools, however some state schools are also very old, most notably Beverley Grammar School founded in 700. State school is an expression used in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to distinguish schools provided by the government from privately Beverley Grammar School is a boys' secondary school in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire. The oldest surviving girls' school in England is Red Maids' School founded in 1634. The Red Maids' School is an Independent school in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol. The most famous schools in England are now fee-paying institutions, including Winchester College (founded 1382), Eton College (1440), St Paul's School (1509), Rugby School (1567) and Harrow School (1572). Winchester College is a well-known boys' Independent school, and an example of an English Public school, in the city of Winchester in Hampshire Eton College, or just Eton, is a world-famous British Independent school for boys founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. St Paul's School is a boys' Independent school, founded in 1509 by John Colet. Rugby School, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, is a Co-educational Boarding school and one of the oldest public schools

England is also home to the two oldest universities in the English speaking world: Oxford University (12th century) and Cambridge University (early 13th century). The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the There are now more than 90 universities in England. Several of these are world famous in their own right.

Primary and secondary education in England is administered by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. The Department for Children Schools and Families ( DCSF) is a British government department created on 28 June 2007 following the disbanding of the Schools are of two main types: state schools funded through taxation and free to all, and private schools (also known as "public" or "independent" schools) funded through fees. Standards are monitored by regular inspections of state-funded schools by the Office for Standards in Education, and of private schools by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI is an organisation responsible for the Inspection of independent schools in England which are affiliated to the

Healthcare

Main article: Healthcare in England

The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly-funded healthcare system in England responsible for provided the majority of healthcare in the country. Healthcare in England is mainly provided by England's public health service the National Health Service, that provides healthcare to all UK permanent residents that is free The National Health Service is the name commonly used to refer to the four Publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom collectively or individually (although Socialized medicine is a term used primarily in the United States to refer to certain kinds of Publicly-funded health care. The NHS provides most services free at the point of use for the patient though there are charges associated with eye tests, dental care, prescriptions, and many aspects of personal care.

The NHS began on 5 July 1948, putting into effect the provisions of the National Health Service Act 1946. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Health Service Act 1946, along with the National Health Service (Scotland Act 1947, came into effect on 5 July 1948 and created the National Private health care has continued parallel to the NHS, paid for largely by private insurance, but it is used by less than 8% of the population, and generally as a top-up to NHS services. Recently the private sector has been increasingly used to increase NHS capacity despite a large proportion of the public opposing such involvement. ^[86]

The NHS is largely funded from general taxation (including a proportion from National Insurance payments). National Insurance (NI is a system of taxes and related Social security benefits in the United Kingdom. ^[87] The UK government department responsible for the NHS is the Department of Health, headed by the Secretary of State for Health (Health Secretary), who sits in the British Cabinet. The Department of Health (DH is a department of the United Kingdom government but with responsibility for government policy for England alone on Health Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health. In the Politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of the most senior government ministers chosen by the Prime Minister Most of the expenditure of The Department of Health (£98. 6 billion in 2008-9^[88]) is spent on the NHS.

Transport

Main article: Transport in England

The government department overseeing transport is the Department for Transport. Transport in England is very well developed The Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English Transport In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department

The growth in private car ownership in the latter half of the 20th century led to major road-building programmes. Important trunk roads built include the A1 Great North Road from London to Newcastle and Edinburgh, and the A580 "East Lancs. The A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Manchester and Liverpool or the Liverpool-East Lancashire Road " road between Liverpool and Manchester. The M6 motorway is the country's longest motorway running from Rugby through North West England to the Scottish border. This article concerns the M6 motorway in England There are also M6 motorways in Russia (see Caspian Highway) Hungary (see M6 motorway Other major roads include the M1 motorway from London to Leeds up the east of the country, the M25 motorway which encircles London, the M60 motorway which encircles Manchester, the M4 motorway from London to South Wales, the M62 motorway from Liverpool to Manchester and Yorkshire, and the M5 motorway from Birmingham to Bristol and the South West. The M1 is a major south – north Motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where To see information about the M25 motorway under construction in Ireland, see N25 road. The M60 motorway is an orbital Motorway circling Greater Manchester, a Metropolitan county in North West England. The M4 motorway is a Motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. The M62 motorway is a west&ndasheast trans-Pennine Motorway in northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull This article is about the M5 motorway in England See M5 for other roads numbered "M5"

Most of the British National Rail network of 16,116 route km (10,072 route miles) lies in England. Urban rail networks are also well developed in London and several other cities, including the Manchester Metrolink and the London Underground. Manchester Metro redirects here - for the Manchester Metroshuttle free bus routes see Metroshuttle or First Manchester Manchester Metrolink The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire The London Underground is the oldest and most extensive underground railway in the world, and as of 2007 consists of 407 km (253 mi) of line^[89] and serves 275 stations.

There are around 7,100 km (4,400 mi) of navigable waterways in England, of which roughly half is owned by British Waterways. An estimated 165 million journeys are made by people on Britain's waterways annually. The Thames is the major waterway in England, with imports and exports focused at Tilbury, one of the three major ports in the UK. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Tilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. Ports in the UK handled over 560 million tonnes of domestic and international freight in 2005. ^[90]

London Heathrow Airport is England's largest airport, the largest airport by traffic volume in Europe and one of the world's busiest airports. World's busiest airport is a claim that is fiercely fought over by the owners of the world's largest Airports The definition of busiest has been specified by the Airports Council London Gatwick Airport is England's second largest airport, followed by Manchester Airport. Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the Other major airports include London Stansted Airport in Essex, about 50 kilometres (30 mi) north of London, Luton Airport and Birmingham International Airport. London Stansted Airport is a passenger Airport located in the Uttlesford District of the English County of Essex about 38 miles (61 Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common London Luton Airport (previously called Luton International Airport) is an International airport located on the edge of the Town of Luton Birmingham International Airport is an international airport located 5

People

Main article: English people

The ancestry of the English, considered as an ethnic group, is mixed; it can be traced to the mostly Celtic Romano-Britons,^[91] to the eponymous Anglo-Saxons,^[92] the Danish-Vikings^[93] that formed the Danelaw during the time of Alfred the Great and the Normans,^[94][95] among others. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (also known as the Danelagh; Old English: Dena lagu; Danish: Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c The 19th and 20th centuries, furthermore, brought much new immigration to England. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term

Ethnicity aside, the simplest view is that an English person is someone who was born or lives in England holds British nationality and regards themselves as English, regardless of his or her racial origin. It has, however, been a notoriously complicated, emotive and controversial identity to delimit. 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. Linguistics is the scientific study of Language, encompassing a number of sub-fields The English frequently include themselves and their neighbours in the wider term of "British" or even use English when they should use British. In contrast Scots and Welsh tend to be more forward about referring to themselves by one of those more specific terms. ^[96] This reflects a more subtle form of English-specific patriotism in England; St George's Day, the country's national day, is barely celebrated. Patriotism is commonly defined as love of and/or devotion to one's country St George's Day is celebrated by several nations kingdoms countries and cities of which Saint George is the Patron saint, including England, the The National Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the Nationhood of a Nation or non-sovereign Country. The celebrations have increased year on year over the past five years. ^[97]

Modern celebration of English identity is often found around its sports, one field in which the British Home Nations often compete individually. "Home nation" (common noun redirects here home nation is also used to refer to the host country of Multi-sport events (eg The English Association football team, rugby union team and cricket team often cause increases in the popularity of celebrating Englishness. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The England national rugby union team represents England in Rugby union. The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales.

Nomenclature

The country is named after the Angles, one of several Germanic tribes who settled the country in the fifth and sixth centuries. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic There are two distinct linguistic patterns for the name of the country.

Most European languages use names similar to "England": "Anglie" (Czech) "Anglicko" (Slovak) "England" (Danish, German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Luxembourgish) "Engeland" (Dutch) "Inglismaa" (Estonian) "Angleterre" (French) "Англия" (Angliya) (Russian, Bulgarian) "Anglaterra" (Catalan) "Inghilterra" (Italian) "Ingilterra" (Maltese, Egyptian) "Inglaterra" (Spanish, Portuguese, Galician) "İngiltere" (Turkish) "Anglia" (Latin, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Albanian) "Anglija" (Slovene, Lithuanian, Latvian, Ukrainian) "Engleska" (Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian) "Αγγλία" ("Anglía") (Greek) "Englanti" (Finnish) "Ingalaterra" (Basque) "ინგლისი" ("inglisi") (Georgian)

The Celtic names are quite different, referring to the Saxons, another family of Germanic tribes that arrived at about the same time as the Angles. Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the The Slovak language ( slovenčina, slovenský jazyk, not to be confused with Slovenščina) sometimes referred to as "Slovakian" Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Luxembourgish (lb Lëtzebuergesch Luxembourgeois Luxemburgisch Luxemburgs Lussimbordjwès also called Luxembourgian, also spelled Luxemburgish, is one of Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Maltese (Maltese Malti is the National language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English, Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - Slovene or Slovenian ( slovenski jezik or slovenščina, not to be confused with Slovenčina) is a South Slavic language Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. Croatian language ( hrvatski jezik) is a South Slavic language which is used primarily in Croatia, by Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina in neighbouring Serbian (sr-Cyrl српски језик sr-Latn ''srpski jezik'' is a South Slavic language, Bosnian language (Bosnian bosanski jezik) sometimes referred as Bosniak language or Bosniac language is a South Slavic language native Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside Basque ( native name: euskara) is the Language spoken by the Basque people who inhabit the Pyrenees in North-Central Spain Georgian (ka ქართული ენა kartuli ena) is the Official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. "Bro-Saoz" (Breton) "Pow Sows" (Cornish) "Sasana" (Irish) "Sostyn" (Manx) "Sasainn" (Scottish Gaelic) "Lloegr" (Welsh), an ancient geographic term and not Saxon-related; but the inhabitants are referred to as "Saeson". The Breton language ( Brezhoneg) formerly often called Armoric or Armorican, is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. Śāsana ( Sanskrit) ( Pali: sāsana is a term used by Buddhists to refer to their religion or non-religion Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Manx ( Gaelg or Gailck, ɡilk or) also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language once spoken on the Isle England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Logres (also Logris or Loegria) is the name of King Arthur 's realm in the Matter of Britain. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic The names in Asian languages: "אנגליה" (Anglia) (Hebrew) "إنجلترا" (Ingiltra) or "إنكلترا" (Inkiltra) (Arabic) "انگلستان" (Inglistan) (Hindi, Persian) "eng-ge-re-ji" (Punjabi languages) "இங்கிலாந்து" (In-gi-laan-dhu) (Tamil) "Engalaantha" (Sri Lankans (Sinhalese)) "ইংল্যান্ড" (Ingland) (Bangla) "อังกฤษ" (Ang-grit) (Thai) "Inggris" (Indonesian) "Anh Quôc" (Vietnamese) "英倫" (Ying-lun) (Cantonese) "英格蘭"/"英格兰" (Yīnggélán) (Chinese) "잉글랜드" (Ing-geul-laen-deu) (Korean) "イングランド" (Ingurando) (Japanese) Names in other languages: "Uingereza" (Ou-I-ng'e-re-za) (Swahili) "እንግሊዝኛ" (ənglizña) (Amharic) "Tinglizt" (Tamazight) "Ingriis" (Somali)

Alternative names include:

• The slang "Blighty", from the Hindustani bila yati meaning "foreign". Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and Indonesian or Bahasa Indonesia, based on the Riau version of Malay language, was declared the official language with the declaration of Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam) Standard Mandarin, also known as Standard Spoken Chinese, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used in mainland China and Taiwan This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language See Hangul for details on the native Korean writing system is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities Swahili (called Kiswahili in the language itself is the First language of the Swahili people (Waswahili who inhabit several large stretches Amharic (አማርኛ amarəñña) is a Semitic language spoken in North Central Ethiopia by the Amhara. Nomenclature The term Berber has been used in Europe since at least the 17th century and is still used today Somali ( Af Soomaali, الصوماليه is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by ethnic Somalis Hindustani (हिन्दुस्तानी ہندوستانی Hindustānī, hɪn̪d̪ʊst̪aːniː also known as " Hindi-Urdu," is a term covering
• The ancient name "Albion", supposedly referring to the white (Latin: alba) cliffs of Dover. Albion (Ἀλβιών in Greek) is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. Although it refers to the whole island of Great Britain, it is occasionally, and incorrectly, used for England. Following the Roman conquest of Britain, the term contracted to mean only the area north of Roman control and is today a relative of Alba, the Celtic languages name for Scotland. Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name (ˈalˠ̪əpə for Scotland. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family.
• More poetically, England has been called "this sceptred isle. . . this other Eden" and "this green and pleasant land", quotations from the poetry of William Shakespeare (in Richard II) and William Blake (And did those feet in ancient time) respectively. William Shakespeare ( baptised King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595 William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827 was an English poet, painter, and Printmaker. " And did those feet in ancient time " is a short Poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem (1804

Slang terms sometimes used for the people of England include "Sassenachs" or "Sasanachs" (from the Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic respectively, both originally meaning "Saxon", and originally a Scottish Highland term for Lowland Scots), "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. Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. The Scottish Highlands ( Scottish Gaelic: A' Ghàidhealtachd, Scots: Hielans) include the rugged and Mountainous The Scottish Lowlands ( a' Ghalldachd, meaning roughly 'the non-Gaelic region' in Gaelic, and called Lawlands or Lallans in Scots Citrus is a common term and Genus of Flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of Scurvy (NLat scorbutus is a disease resulting from a deficiency of Vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of Collagen in humans Australian English ( AuE, AusE, en-AU) is the form of the English language used in Australia. New Zealand English ( NZE, en-NZ) is the form of the English language used in New Zealand. Also see alternative words for British. There are many alternative ways to describe the people of the United Kingdom (UK though the official designated nationality is British.

National symbols, insignia and anthems

The two main traditional symbols of England are the St George's Cross (the English flag), and the Three Lions coat of arms. The St George's Cross (or the Cross of St George is a centred red cross on a white background The Flag of England is the St George's Cross. The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and The royal coat of arms of England was the official coat of arms of the monarchs of England, and were used as the official coat of arms of the Kingdom of England

Other national symbols exist, but have varying degrees of official usage, such as the oak tree and the rose. This article is about symbols of nations Many countries it can be used for is Chantal The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin A rose is a perennial flowering Shrub or vine of the Genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species

England's National Day is St George's Day (Saint George being the patron saint), which is on 23 April. The National Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the Nationhood of a Nation or non-sovereign Country. St George's Day is celebrated by several nations kingdoms countries and cities of which Saint George is the Patron saint, including England, the In Christian hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at ^[98]

A one-pound coin with an English oak tree

A one-pound coin with the three lions of England

Saint George and the Dragon, Paolo Uccello, c. In Christian hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Paolo Uccello (born Paolo di Dono, 1397 &ndash December 10 1475) was an Italian painter who was notable for his pioneering work on visual 1470. This small dragon has the look of a griffin or a wyvern. The griffin is a Legendary creature with the body of a Lion and the head and often wings of an Eagle. A wyvern or wivern (derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for serpent and ˈwɪvən is a legendary winged reptilian creature often found in Mediaeval

The English rose at the border of Wales and England

St. George's Cross

Main article: St. George's Cross

The St. The St George's Cross (or the Cross of St George is a centred red cross on a white background George's Cross is a red cross on a white background and is the national flag of England. A national flag is a Flag that symbolises a country The flag is flown by the government but usually can be flown by Citizens of that country as well

It is believed to have been adopted for the uniform of English soldiers during the Crusades of the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents ^[99] From about 1277 it became the national flag of England. The Flag of England is the St George's Cross. The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and

St. George's Cross was originally the flag of Genoa and was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the powerful Genoese fleet. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English The maritime Republic of Genoa was rising and going to become, with its rival Venice, one of the most important powers in the world. The Most Serene Republic of Genoa (Repubblica di Genova was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from the 11th century The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica The English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the Doge of Genoa for this privilege. The Republic of Genoa ( Italy) was technically a Communal Republic in the early Middle Ages, but in actuality it was an Oligarchy ruled The cross of St George would become the official Flag of England. The Flag of England is the St George's Cross. The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and

A red cross acted as a symbol for many Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents 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. In Christian hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. The Most Serene Republic of Genoa (Repubblica di Genova was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from the 11th century The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members It remained in national use until 1707, when the Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack, especially at sea) 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 Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 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.

Until recently, the flag was not commonly flown in England with the British Union Flag being used instead. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This was certainly evident at the 1966 football World Cup when English fans predominantly flew the latter. However, since devolution in the United Kingdom, the St George Cross has experienced a growth in popularity and is now the predominant flag used in English sporting events. ^[100]

Three Lions

Main article: Coat of arms of England

The coat of arms of England are described as gules, three lions passant guardant or. The royal coat of arms of England was the official coat of arms of the monarchs of England, and were used as the official coat of arms of the Kingdom of England A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people The earliest surviving record of their use was by Richard I ("Richard the Lionheart") in the late 12th century. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death

Since union with Scotland and Northern Ireland, the arms of England are no longer used on their own; instead they form a part of the conjoined Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official Coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. However, both the Football Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board use logos based on the three lions. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey The England and Wales Cricket Board ( ECB) ( Bwrdd Criced Cymru a Lloegr) is the governing body of Cricket in England and Wales. In recent years, it has been common to see banners of the arms flown at English football matches, in the same way the Lion Rampant is flown in Scotland. The Royal Standard of Scotland, also known as the Royal Standard of the King of Scots or more commonly the Lion Rampant was the flag used historically by the

In 1996, Three Lions was the official song of the England football team for the 1996 European Football Championship, which were held in England. " Three Lions " is a song released in 1996 the official anthem of the England football team for that year's European Championships, held in England The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship ( Euro 96) was hosted by England.

Rose

The Tudor rose is the national floral emblem of England, and was adopted as a national emblem of England around the time of the Wars of the Roses. The Tudor rose (sometimes called the English Rose is a traditional heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty This article is about symbols of nations Many countries it can be used for is Chantal The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485 were a series of dynastic Civil wars fought in England between supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York ^[101]

The rose is used in a variety of contexts in its use for England's representation. The Rose of England is a Royal Badge, and is a Tudor, or half-red-half-white rose,^[102] symbolising the end of the Wars of the Roses and the subsequent marriage between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. In Heraldry, a badge is an Emblem or Personal device used to indicate allegiance to or property of an individual or family The House of Lancaster was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three of whom became English kings in the late 15th century This symbolism is reflected in the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom and the crest of the FA. The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official Coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey However, the rose of England is often displayed as a red rose (which also symbolises Lancashire), such as the badge of the England national rugby union team. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea A white rose (which also symbolises Yorkshire) is also used on different occasions. Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain.

Anthem

England does not have an official designated national anthem, as the United Kingdom as a whole has "God Save the Queen". "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National However, the following are often considered unofficial English national anthems:

• "I Vow to Thee, My Country"
• "Land of Hope and Glory"
• "Nimrod"
• "Jerusalem"
• "Heart of Oak"

"God Save the Queen" is usually played for English sporting events, such as football matches, against teams from outside the UK,^[103] although "Land of Hope and Glory" was used as the English anthem for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. I Vow to Thee My Country is a British Patriotic song created in 1921 when a Poem by Cecil Spring-Rice was set to music by Gustav Holst Usage as the national anthem of England See also National anthem of England Land of Hope and Glory has long been traditionally sung amidst much flag-waving Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra Op 36 ("Enigma", commonly referred to as the "Enigma" Variations, is a set of a theme and its fourteen " And did those feet in ancient time " is a short Poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem (1804 "Heart of Oak" is the official march of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002 ^[104] Since 2004, "Jerusalem" has been sung before England cricket matches,^[105] and "Rule Britannia" ("Britannia" being the Roman name for Great Britain, a personification of the United Kingdom) was often used in the past for the English national football team when they played against another of the home nations. Rule Britannia! is a British Patriotic song, originating from the Poem "Rule Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football "Home nation" (common noun redirects here home nation is also used to refer to the host country of Multi-sport events (eg More recently, however, "God Save the Queen" has been used by the rugby union and football teams. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short ^[103]

Gallery

Durham Cathedral	Tower of London, London. The Cathedral Church of Christ Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly referred to as Durham Cathedral, in the city of Durham, England Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London	The Palace of Westminster, the political centre of the United Kingdom.	Stonehenge, a Neolithic and Bronze Age megalithic monument in Wiltshire. Stonehenge is a Prehistoric Monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye
Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol. The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a Suspension bridge, spanning the Avon Gorge and linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in

References

External links

• England travel guide from Wikitravel
• Office for National Statistics
• Enjoy England – The official website of the English Tourist Board
• Enjoy England's Travel Blog – Discover England's best hidden gems
• Official website of the United Kingdom Government
• England-related pages from the BBC
• English Nature – wildlife and the natural world of England. Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.
• English Heritage – national body protecting and promoting English history and heritage.
• Historical and genealogical information from Genuki England

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