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{{About}}
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{{Use British English|date=November 2010}}
{{pp-semi-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Infobox country
|native_name =
|conventional_long_name = England
|common_name = England
|image_flag = Flag of England.svg
|flag_width = 125px
|alt=Vertical red cross on a white background
|image_coat = Royal Standard of England (2) at 3^5 ratio.svg
|alt=Stylised image of three golden coloured lions, heads facing left, one above the other, on a dark red background
|symbol_width = 125px
|symbol_type = Royal Banner
|national_motto = {{lang|fr|''[[Dieu et mon droit]]''}}{{spaces|2}}<small>([[French language|French]])<br />"God and my right"<ref>{{harvnb|Marden|2003|p=460}}.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Brewer|2006|p=340}}.</ref></small>
|national_anthem = [[National Anthem of England|None]] (''[[de jure]]'')<br />[[God Save the Queen]], [[Land of Hope and Glory]], [[And did those feet in ancient time|Jerusalem]] (''[[de facto]]'')
|prime_minister = [[David Cameron]]
|patron_saint = [[Saint George]]
|image_map = Europe location ENG2.png
|map_width = 250px
|map_caption = {{map caption|location_color=orange|subregion=the [[United Kingdom]]|subregion_color=camel|region=the [[Europe|European continent]]|region_color=white}}
|alt=Map of England within the British Isles and within Europe
|capital = [[London]]
|demonym = English
|latd=51 |latm=30 |lats=27.8 |latNS=N
|longd=0 |longm=7 |longs=40.7 |longEW=W
|largest_city = capital
|official_languages = [[English language|English]] (''[[de facto]]''){{#tag:ref|[[English language|English]] is established by [[De facto|''de facto'']] usage.|group=note}}
|regional_languages = [[Cornish language|Cornish]]
|ethnic_groups = 88.2% [[White people|White]], 5.7% [[British Asian|South Asian]], 2.8% [[Black British|Black]], 1.7% [[British Mixed|Mixed race]], 0.8% [[British Chinese|Chinese]], 0.7% <small>[[Other ethnic group (United Kingdom Census)|Other]]</small>
|ethnic_groups_year = 2007 <small><br /><ref name="ethnicityengl" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Population Estimates by Ethnic Group (experimental)|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=276743&c=london&d=13&e=13&g=325264&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1255450994783&enc=1&dsFamilyId=1812|publisher=neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk|author=Office for National Statistics|authorlink=Office for National Statistics|year=2007|accessdate=2010-03-16}}</ref></small>
|area_rank =
|government_type = [[Devolution|Non-devolved state]] within a [[constitutional monarchy]]
|legislature = [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]
|leader_title1 = [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Monarch]]
|leader_name1 = [[Elizabeth II]]
|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]
|leader_name2 = [[David Cameron]] [[MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2010|MP]]
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area_km2 = 130,395
|area_sq_mi = 50,346
|percent_water =
|population_estimate = 51,446,000<ref name="Population" />
|population_estimate_rank =
|population_estimate_year = 2008
|population_census = 49,138,831
|population_census_year = 2001
|population_density_km2 = 395
|population_density_sq_mi =
|population_density_rank =
|GDP_PPP = $1.9 trillion
|GDP_PPP_rank =
|GDP_PPP_year = 2006
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = US$38,000
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
|GDP_nominal = $2.2 trillion{{Dubious|date=April 2011}}
|GDP_nominal_rank =
|GDP_nominal_year = 2006
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $44,000
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =
|HDI =
|HDI_rank =
|HDI_year =
|HDI_category =
|currency = [[Pound sterling]]
|currency_code = GBP
|time_zone = GMT
|utc_offset = 0
|time_zone_DST = BST
|DST_note =
|utc_offset_DST = +1
|cctld = [[.uk]]{{#tag:ref|Assigned on a [[United Kingdom]] basis, not [[Countries of the United Kingdom|constituent country]].|group=note}}
|calling_code = 44
|date_format = d/m/yy ([[Anno Domini|AD]])
|drives_on = left
}}
{{Wikisource|Portal:England|England portal}}

'''England''' ({{IPAc-en|en-us-England.ogg|ˈ|ɪ|ŋ|ɡ|l|ən|d}}) is a [[country]] that is [[Countries of the United Kingdom|part of]] the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Countries of the UK|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/geography/uk_countries.asp|publisher=statistics.gov.uk|accessdate=2009-02-01|author=Office for National Statistics|authorlink=Office for National Statistics}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Countries within a country|url=http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page823.asp|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080209003312/http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page823.asp|archivedate=2008-02-09|publisher=number-10.gov.uk|accessdate=2009-02-01|authorlink=Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister's Office}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Changes in the list of subdivision names and code elements (Page 11)|url=http://www.iso.org/iso/newsletter_i-9.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=[[International Organization for Standardization]]|accessdate=2009-02-01}}</ref> It shares land borders with [[Scotland]] to the north and [[Wales]] to the west; the [[Irish Sea]] is to the north west, the [[Celtic Sea]] to the south west and the [[North Sea]] to the east, with the [[English Channel]] to the south separating it from [[continental Europe]]. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of [[Great Britain]] in the [[North Atlantic]]. The country also includes [[List of islands of England|over 100&nbsp;smaller islands]] such as the [[Isles of Scilly]] and the [[Isle of Wight]].

The area now called England was first inhabited by modern [[Homo sapien|humans]] during the [[Upper Palaeolithic]] period, but it takes its name from the [[Angles]], one of the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD&nbsp;927, and since the [[Age of Discovery]], which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world.<ref>{{cite web |title= England&nbsp;– Culture|url=http://www.britainusa.com/sections/index_nt1.asp?i=41105&L1=41105&L2=41105&D=0|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080516162153/http://www.britainusa.com/sections/index_nt1.asp?i=41105&L1=41105&L2=41105&D=0|archivedate=2008-05-16|publisher=britainusa.com|accessdate=2009-02-01}}</ref> The [[English language]], the [[Anglican Communion|Anglican Church]], and [[English law]]—the basis for the [[common law]] [[legal system]]s of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's [[parliamentary system]] of government has been widely adopted by other nations.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1038758.stm |title=Country profile: United Kingdom |publisher=news.bbc.co.uk|work=[[BBC News]]|accessdate=2009-02-01 | date=2009-10-26}}</ref> The [[Industrial Revolution]] began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first [[Industrialisation|industrialised]] nation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/Global_Warming/Older/Industrial_Revolution.html |publisher=Ace.mmu.ac.uk |title=Industrial Revolution|accessdate=2009-02-01}}</ref> England's [[Royal Society]] laid the foundations of modern experimental science.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://royalsociety.org/page.asp?id=1058 |title=History of the Royal Society |publisher=royalsociety.org|author=The Royal Society|authorlink=Royal Society|accessdate=2009-02-01}}</ref>

England's terrain mostly comprises low hills and plains, especially in central and southern England. However, there are uplands in the north (for example, the mountainous [[Lake District]], [[Pennines]], and [[Yorkshire Dales]]) and in the south west (for example, [[Dartmoor]] and the [[Cotswolds]]). [[London]], England's [[capital (political)|capital]], is the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom and the largest urban zone in the [[European Union]] by most measures.{{#tag:ref|According to the [[Eurostat|European Statistical Agency]], London is the largest [[Larger Urban Zones (LUZ) in the European Union|Larger Urban Zone]] which uses [[conurbation]]s and areas of high population as its definition. A [[Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits|ranking of population]] within municipal boundaries places London first. However, the [[University of Avignon]] in France claims that [[Paris]] is first and London second when including the whole urban area and [[hinterland]], that is the [[Largest urban areas of the European Union|outlying cities as well]].|group=note}} [[Demography of England|England's population]] is about 51&nbsp;million, around 84% of the population of the United Kingdom, and is largely concentrated in London, the [[Southeast England|South East]] and [[conurbation]]s in the [[English Midlands|Midlands]], the [[North West England|North West]], the [[North East England|North East]] and [[Yorkshire]], which each developed as major [[industrial region]]s during the 19th century. Meadowlands and pastures are found beyond the major cities.

The [[Kingdom of England]]—which [[Statute of Rhuddlan|after 1284]] included Wales—was a sovereign state until 1&nbsp;May 1707, when the [[Acts of Union 1707|Acts of Union]] put into effect the terms agreed in the [[Treaty of Union]] the previous year, resulting in a [[political union]] with the [[Kingdom of Scotland]] to create the new [[Kingdom of Great Britain]].<ref>William E. Burns, ''A Brief History of Great Britain'', [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Fjf4YynnC90C&pg=PT21#v=onepage&q&f=false p. xxi]</ref><ref>[http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/legislativescrutiny/ Acts of Union 1707] parliament.uk, accessed 27 January 2011</ref> In 1800, Great Britain was united with the [[Kingdom of Ireland]] through another [[Act of Union 1800|Act of Union]] to become the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]. In 1922, the [[Irish Free State]] was established as a separate [[dominion]], but the [[Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927]] reincorporated into the kingdom six Irish counties to officially create the current [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]].
{{TOC limit|limit=2}}

== Etymology ==
The name "England" is derived from the [[Old English]] name ''Engla land'', which means "land of the [[Angles]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=England|title=England|publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary|accessdate=21 July 2010}}</ref> The Angles were one of the [[Germanic tribes]] that settled in Great Britain during the [[Early Middle Ages]]. The Angles came from the [[Angeln]] peninsula in the [[Bay of Kiel]] area of the [[Baltic Sea]].<ref>{{harvnb|Ripley|1869|p=570}}.</ref> According to the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', the first known use of "England" to refer to the southern part of the island of Great Britain occurs in 897, and its modern spelling was first used in 1538.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50075354?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=England&first=1&max_to_show=10 |title=England|publisher=[[Oxford English Dictionary]]|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>

The earliest attested mention of the name occurs in the 1st century work by [[Tacitus]], ''[[Germania (book)|Germania]]'', in which the [[Latin]] word ''Anglii'' is used.<ref name="Fordham">{{cite web |url=http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/tacitus-germanygord.html |title= Germania|publisher=[[Tacitus]]|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> The etymology of the tribal name itself is disputed by scholars; it has been suggested that it derives from the shape of the Angeln peninsula, an ''angular'' shape.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50075354?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=Angle&first=1&max_to_show=10 |title=Angle|publisher=[[Oxford English Dictionary]]|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> How and why a term derived from the name of a tribe that was less significant than others, such as the [[Saxons]], came to be used for the entire country and its people is not known, but it seems this is related to the custom of calling the Germanic people in Britain ''Angli Saxones'' or English Saxons.<ref>{{harvnb|Crystal|2004| pp=26–27}}</ref>

An alternative name for England is [[Albion]]. The name ''Albion'' originally referred to the entire island of Great Britain. The earliest record of the name appears in the [[Aristotle|Aristotelian]] [[Corpus Aristotelicum|Corpus]], specifically the 4th century BC ''De Mundo'':<ref name="massey">{{harvnb|Massey|2007|p=440}}.</ref> "Beyond the [[Pillars of Hercules]] is the ocean that flows round the earth. In it are two very large islands called Britannia; these are [[Albion]] and [[Ireland|Ierne]]".<ref name="massey"/> The word ''[[Albion]]'' (Ἀλβίων) or ''insula Albionum'' has two possible origins. It either derives from the Latin ''albus'' meaning white, a reference to the [[white cliffs of Dover]], which is the first view of Britain from the European Continent,<ref>{{harvnb|Room|2006|p=23}}.</ref> or from the phrase in ''[[Massaliote Periplus]]'', the "island of the ''Albiones''".<ref>{{harvnb|Major|2004|p=84}}.</ref> ''Albion'' is now applied to England in a more poetic capacity.<ref>{{harvnb|Foster|1988|p=9}}.</ref> Another romantic name for England is [[Lloegyr|Loegria]], related to the [[Welsh language|Welsh]] word for England, ''Lloegr'', and made popular by its use in [[Arthurian legend]].

== History ==
{{Main|History of England}}

=== Prehistory and antiquity ===
{{Main|Prehistoric Britain}}
[[File:Stonehenge.jpg|thumb|alt=Sun shining through row of upright standing stones with other stones horizontally on the top.|left|[[Stonehenge]], a [[Neolithic]] monument]]
The earliest known evidence of human presence in the area now known as England was that of ''[[Homo antecessor]]'', dating to approximately 780,000 years ago. The oldest proto-human bones discovered in England date from 500,000&nbsp;years ago.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archaeology.co.uk/the-timeline-of-britain/boxgrove.htm|title=500,000 BC – Boxgrove|accessdate=2010-12-20|work=Current Archaeology|publisher=Current Publishing}}</ref> Modern [[human]]s are known to have first inhabited the area during the [[Upper Paleolithic]] period, though permanent settlements were only established within the last 6,000 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.personal.rdg.ac.uk/~sgs04rh/SWRivers/Palaeolithic%20Archaeology%20Teaching%20Resource%20Box_Lifestyles_Basic.pdf|title= Palaeolithic Archaeology Teaching Resource Box|publisher= Palaeolithic Rivers of South-West Britain Project(2006)|accessdate= 20 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geo-east.org.uk/special_projects/eco_culture.htm|title= Chalk east|publisher= A Geo East Project|accessdate= 20 December 2010}}</ref>
After the last [[Last glacial period|ice age]] only large mammals such as [[mammoth]]s, [[bison]] and [[woolly rhinoceros]] remained. Roughly 11,000&nbsp;years ago, when the ice sheets began to recede, humans repopulated the area; genetic research suggests they came from the northern part of the [[Iberian Peninsula]].<ref>{{harvnb|Oppenheimer|2006|p=173}}.</ref> The sea level was lower than now, and Britain was connected by land to both Ireland and [[Eurasia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.qpg.geog.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/tertiaryrivers/tectonics.html |title=Tertiary Rivers: Tectonic and structural background |publisher=University of Cambridge |accessdate=2009-09-09}}</ref>
As the seas rose, it was separated from Ireland 10,000&nbsp;years ago and from Eurasia two millennia later.

[[Beaker culture]] arrived around 2500&nbsp;BC, introducing drinking and food vessels constructed from clay, as well as vessels used as reduction pots to smelt copper ores.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tp.revistas.csic.es/index.php/tp/article/viewFile/5/5|title=Function and significance of Bell Beaker pottery according to data from residue analyses|accessdate=21 December 2010}}</ref> It was during this time that major [[Neolithic]] monuments such as [[Stonehenge]] and [[Avebury]] were constructed. By heating together tin and copper, both of which were in abundance in the area, the Beaker culture people were able to make [[bronze]], and later [[iron]] from [[iron ore]]s. According to [[John T. Koch]] and others, England in the Late Bronze Age was part of a maritime trading-networked culture called the [[Atlantic Bronze Age]] that included all of Britain and also Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal. In those areas, [[Celtic languages]] developed; [[Tartessian language|Tartessian]] may have been the earliest written Celtic language.<ref name=Koch2009>{{cite book | last = Koch | first = John | title = Tartessian: Celtic from the Southwest at the Dawn of History in Acta Palaeohispanica X Palaeohispanica 9 (2009)| publisher=Palaeohispanica | year = 2009 | location = | pages = 339–351 | url = http://ifc.dpz.es/recursos/publicaciones/29/54/26koch.pdf | doi = | id = | issn = 1578-5386 | accessdate = 2010-05-17 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Cunliffe, Karl, Guerra, McEvoy, Bradley; Oppenheimer, Rrvik, Isaac, Parsons, Koch, Freeman and Wodtko |title=Celtic from the West: Alternative Perspectives from Archaeology, Genetics, Language and Literature |year=2010|publisher=Oxbow Books and Celtic Studies Publications |isbn=978-1-84217-410-4 |page=384 |url=http://www.oxbowbooks.com/bookinfo.cfm/ID/88298//Location/DBBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Cunliffe |first=Barry |title=A Race Apart: Insularity and Connectivity in Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 75, 2009 |year=2008| publisher=The Prehistoric Society |page=61}}</ref>

[[File:Queen Boudica by John Opie.jpg|thumb|alt=Painting of woman, with outstretched arm, in white dress with red cloak and helmet, with other human figures to her right and below her to the left.|right|upright|[[Boudica]] led an uprising against the [[Roman Empire]].]]

During the [[British Iron Age|Iron Age]], [[Celts|Celtic culture]], deriving from the [[Hallstatt culture|Hallstatt]] and [[La Tène culture]]s, arrived from Central Europe. The development of iron [[smelting]] allowed the construction of better [[plough]]s, advancing agriculture (for instance, with [[Celtic field]]s), as well as the production of more effective weapons.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bn88JPk_Fr0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=inventions+in+trade&hl=en&ei=fDsTTa_XGJGzhAfrk-S2Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6wEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false|last=Reid|first=Struan|title=Inventions and Trade. P.8|accessdate=23 December 2010}}</ref> [[British language (Celtic)|Brythonic]] was the spoken language during this time. Society was tribal; according to [[Ptolemy]]'s ''[[Geographia]]'' there were around 20 different tribes in the area. However, earlier divisions are unknown because the Britons were not literate. Like other regions on the edge of the Empire, Britain had long enjoyed trading links with the Romans. Julius Caesar of the [[Roman Republic]] attempted to [[Caesar's invasions of Britain|invade twice]] in 55&nbsp;BC; although largely unsuccessful, he managed to set up a [[Roman client kingdoms in Britain|client king]] from the [[Trinovantes]].

The [[Roman conquest of Britain|Romans conquered Britain]] in AD&nbsp;43 during the reign of Emperor [[Claudius]], and the area was incorporated into the Roman Empire as [[Britannia province]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,406152,00.html |title=Dig uncovers Boudicca's brutal streak |accessdate=2009-09-05 |work=The Observer |location=London | first=Jason | last=Burke | date=2 December 2000 }}</ref> The best-known of the native tribes who attempted to resist were the [[Catuvellauni]] led by [[Caratacus]]. Later, an uprising led by [[Boudica]], queen of the [[Iceni]], ended with Boudicas suicide following her defeat at the [[Battle of Watling Street]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Tac.+Ann.+14.37&redirect=true|title=Cornelius Tacitus, The Annals|publisher=Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brudribh, Ed|accessdate=22 December 2010}}</ref> This era saw a [[Greco-Roman]] culture prevail with the introduction of [[Roman law]], [[Roman architecture]], sewage systems, many agricultural items, and silk.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heritage-key.com/publication/architecture-roman-britain|title=Architecture in Roman Britain|work=Heritage Key|first=Guy|last=Bedoyere|accessdate=23 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bylBAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA276&dq=roman+law+after+roman+invasion+of+britain&hl=en&ei=cIkTTa_PLZGJhQfc-cS3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=roman%20law%20after%20roman%20invasion%20of%20britain&f=false|title=Thr History of Progress in Great Britain, Volume 2|first=Robert|last=Philip|accessdate=23 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1qiFEQ1tAHQC&pg=PT119&dq=roman+occupation+brought+to+britain+a+sewage+system&hl=en&ei=zLAUTb2BAoqEhQfuk8S3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Medicine through time|publisher=Heinemann|author=Bob Rees, Paul Shute, Nigel Kelly|accessdate=24 December 2010}}</ref> In the 3rd century, Emperor [[Septimius Severus]] died at [[York]], where [[Constantine the Great|Constantine]] was subsequently proclaimed emperor.<ref>{{harvnb|Rankov|1994|p=16}}.</ref> Christianity was first introduced around this time, though there are traditions linked to Glastonbury claiming an introduction through [[Joseph of Arimathea]], while others claim through [[Lucius of Britain]].<ref>{{harvnb|Wright|2008|p=143}}.</ref> By 410, as the empire [[Decline of the Roman Empire|declined]], Britain was left exposed by the [[End of Roman rule in Britain|withdrawal of Roman army units]], to defend the frontiers in continental Europe and take part in civil wars.<ref name="james_anglosaxons" />

=== Middle Ages ===
{{Main|England in the Middle Ages}}
[[File:Sutton Hoo replica (face).jpg|thumb|alt=Studded and decorated metallic mask of human face.|left|A 7th century ceremonial helmet from the [[Kingdom of East Anglia]], found at [[Sutton Hoo]].]]
Roman military withdrawals left Britain open to invasion by pagan, seafaring warriors from north-western continental Europe, chiefly the [[Angles]], [[Saxons]] and [[Jutes]] who had long raided the coasts of the Roman province and now began to settle, initially in the eastern part of the country.<ref name="james_anglosaxons">{{cite web |title=Overview: Anglo-Saxons, 410 to 800|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/overview_anglo_saxons_01.shtml|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2010-12-03|first=Edward|last=James}}</ref> Their advance was contained for some decades after the Britons' victory at the [[Battle of Mons Badonicus|Battle of Mount Badon]], but subsequently resumed, over-running the fertile lowlands of Britain and reducing the area under [[Britons (historical)|Brythonic]] control to a series of separate enclaves in the more rugged country to the west by the end of the 6th century. Contemporary texts describing this period are extremely scarce, giving rise to its description as a [[Dark Age]]. The nature and progression of the [[Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain]] is consequently subject to considerable disagreement. Christianity had in general disappeared from the conquered territories, but was reintroduced by missionaries from Rome led by [[Augustine of Canterbury|Augustine]] from 597 onwards and by Irish missionaries led by [[Aidan of Lindisfarne|Aidan]] around the same time.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Christian Tradition|url=http://www.picturesofengland.com/history/england-history-p4.html|publisher=PicturesofEngland.com|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> Disputes between the varying influences represented by these missions ended in victory for the Roman tradition.

During the settlement period the lands ruled by the incomers seem to have been fragmented into numerous tribal territories, but by the 7th century, when substantial evidence of the situation again becomes available, these had coalesced into roughly a dozen kingdoms including [[Northumbria]], [[Mercia]], [[Wessex]], [[Kingdom of East Anglia|East Anglia]], [[Kingdom of Essex|Essex]], [[Kingdom of Kent|Kent]] and [[Kingdom of Sussex|Sussex]]. Over the following centuries this process of political consolidation continued.<ref>{{harvnb|Kirby|2000|p=4}}</ref> The 7th century saw a struggle for hegemony between Northumbria and Mercia, which in the 8th century gave way to Mercian preeminence.<ref>{{harvnb|Lyon|1960|p=23}}.</ref> In the early 9th century Mercia was displaced as the foremost kingdom by Wessex. Later in that century escalating attacks by the [[Danes]] culminated in the conquest of the north and east of England, overthrowing the kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia. Wessex under [[Alfred the Great]] was left as the only surviving English kingdom, and under his successors it steadily expanded at the expense of the kingdoms of the [[Danelaw]]. This brought about the political unification of England, first accomplished under [[Æthelstan]] in 927 and definitively established after further conflicts by [[Eadred]] in 953. A fresh wave of [[Scandinavia]]n attacks from the late 10th century ended with the conquest of this united kingdom by [[Sweyn Forkbeard]] in 1013 and again by his son [[Cnut the Great|Cnut]] in 1016, turning it into the centre of a short-lived [[North Sea]] empire that also included [[Kingdom of Denmark|Denmark]] and [[Norway]]. However the native royal dynasty was restored with the accession of [[Edward the Confessor]] in 1042.

[[File:King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt, 1415.png|thumb|left|alt=King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt, 1415.|[[King Henry V of England|King Henry V]] at the [[Battle of Agincourt]], fought on [[Saint Crispin|Saint Crispin's Day]] and concluded with an English victory against a larger French army in the [[Hundred Years' War]].]]
A dispute over the succession to Edward led to the [[Norman conquest of England]] in 1066, accomplished by an army led by [[William the Conqueror|Duke William of Normandy]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/overview_normans_01.shtml | title=Overview: The Normans, 1066–1154 | publisher=BBC|accessdate=2010-12-03}}</ref> The [[Normans]] themselves originated from [[Scandinavia]] and had settled in Normandy in the late 9th and early 10th centuries.<ref>{{harvnb|Crouch|2006|pp=2–4}}</ref> This conquest led to the almost total dispossession of the English elite and its replacement by a new French-speaking aristocracy, whose speech had a profound and permanent effect on the [[English language]].<ref>{{cite news | title=Norman invasion word impact study | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/7254446.stm | publisher=BBC News |accessdate=2010-12-03 }}</ref>

The [[House of Plantagenet]] from Anjou inherited the English throne under [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], adding England to the budding [[Angevin Empire]] of fiefs the family had inherited in France including [[Duchy of Aquitaine|Aquitaine]].<ref name="bartlett">{{harvnb|Bartlett|1999|p=124}}.</ref> They reigned for three centuries, proving noted monarchs such as [[Richard I of England|Richard I]], [[Edward I of England|Edward I]], [[Edward III of England|Edward III]] and [[Henry V of England|Henry V]].<ref name="bartlett" /> The period saw changes in trade and legislation, including the signing of the ''[[Magna Carta]]'', an English legal charter used to limit the sovereign's powers by law and protect the privileges of freemen. Catholic [[monasticism]] flourished, providing philosophers and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge were founded with royal patronage. The [[Principality of Wales]] became a Plantagenet fief during the 13th century<ref>{{cite web |title=Edward I (r. 1272–1307)|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/OutPut/Page61.asp|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080624181028/http://www.royal.gov.uk/OutPut/Page61.asp|archivedate=2008-06-24|publisher=Royal.gov.uk |accessdate=2009-09-21}}</ref> and the [[Lordship of Ireland]] was gifted to the English monarchy by the [[Pope]].

During the 14th century, the Plantagenets and [[House of Valois]] both claimed to be legitimate claimants to [[House of Capet]] and with it France—the two powers clashed in the [[Hundred Years' War]].<ref>{{harvnb|Fowler|1967|p=208}}.</ref> The [[Black Death]] epidemic [[Black Death in England|hit England]], starting in 1348, it eventually killed up to half of England's [[Medieval demography|inhabitants]].<ref>{{harvnb|Ziegler|2003|p=230}}.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Goldberg|1996|p=4}}.</ref> From 1453 to 1487 civil war between two branches of the royal family occurred—the [[House of York|Yorkists]] and [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrians]]—known as the [[Wars of the Roses]].<ref>{{harvnb|Crofton|2007|p=111}}.</ref> Eventually it led to the Yorkists losing the throne entirely to a Welsh noble family the [[House of Tudor|Tudors]], a branch of the Lancastrians headed by [[Henry VII of England|Henry Tudor]] who invaded with Welsh and Breton mercenaries, gaining victory at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]] where the Yorkist king [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] was killed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Richard III (r. 1483–1485)|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page50.asp|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080710093939/http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page50.asp|archivedate=2008-07-10|publisher=Royal.gov.uk |accessdate=2009-09-21}}</ref>

=== Early Modern ===
[[File:Portrait of King Henry VIII.jpg|thumb|alt=Painting of large bearded man with fur trimmed cloak, wearing a hat.|left|upright|[[Henry VIII of England|King Henry VIII]] became [[Supreme Head of the Church of England]].]]
During the [[Tudor period]], the [[Renaissance]] reached England through Italian courtiers, who reintroduced artistic, educational and scholarly debate from classical antiquity.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jzm2Vu9h-CYC&pg=PA165&dq=italian+influence+on+the+english+renaissance&hl=en&ei=jDwXTeKtHIG5hAfI9_i3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=italian%20influence%20on%20the%20english%20renaissance&f=false|title=Renaissance essays|author=Denys Hay|page=65|accessdate=26 December 2010}}</ref> During this time England began to develop [[English Navy|naval skills]], and exploration to the West intensified.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royal-navy.org/lib/index.php?title=Tudor_Period_and_the_Birth_of_a_Regular_Navy_Part_Two|title=Royal Navy History, Tudor Period and the Birth of a Regular Navy|accessdate=24 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=RdOTQUDgH54C&printsec=frontcover&dq=england+under+the+tudors+by+goldwin+smith&hl=en&ei=LTcXTbfeOdSAhAeE3-23Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=England Under the Tudors|author=Goldwin Smith|page=176|accessdate=26 December 2010}}</ref>

[[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] broke from communion with the Catholic Church, over issues relating to divorce, under the [[Acts of Supremacy]] in 1534 which proclaimed the monarch head of the [[Church of England]]. Contrary to much of European Protestantism, the [[English Reformation|roots of the split]] were more political than theological.{{#tag:ref|As [[Roger Scruton]] explains, "The Reformation must not be confused with the changes introduced into the Church of England during the 'Reformation Parliament' of 1529–36, which were of a political rather than a religious nature, designed to unite the secular and religious sources of authority within a single sovereign power: the Anglican Church did not until later make substantial change in doctrine".<ref>{{harvnb|Scruton|1982|p=470}}.</ref>|group=note}} He also legally incorporated his ancestral land Wales into the Kingdom of England with the [[Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542|1535–1542 acts]]. There were internal religious conflicts during the reigns of Henry's daughters; [[Mary I of England|Mary I]] and [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]]. The former attempted to bring the country back to Catholicism, while the later broke from it again more forcefully asserting the supremacy of [[Anglicanism]].

An English fleet under [[Francis Drake]] defeated an invading [[Spanish Armada]] during the [[Elizabethan period]]. Competing with [[Spanish Empire|Spain]], the first English colony in the [[Americas]] was founded in 1585 by explorer [[Walter Raleigh]] in [[Virginia]] and named [[Roanoke Colony|Roanoke]]. The Roanoke colony failed and is known as the lost colony after it was found abandoned on the return of the late arriving supply ship.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=W8cr4Vgt9ekC&printsec=frontcover&dq=roanoke+colony&source=bl&ots=yr5cT6698j&sig=duIhnzfHvkazLXYhJ7pzUFbOF00&hl=en&ei=_M8UTdCPCo26hAfi6MC3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAjge#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Roanak:the abandoned colony|author=Karen Ordahl|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield publishers Inc|accessdate=24 December 2010}}</ref> With the [[East India Company]], England also competed with the [[Dutch Empire|Dutch]] and [[French colonial empire|French]] to the East. The nature of the island was changed, when the [[House of Stuart|Stuart]] [[King of Scotland]], from a kingdom which was previously a long time rival, inherited the throne of England—creating a [[Union of the Crowns|personal union]] under [[James I of England|James I]] in 1603.<ref name="Britons">{{harvnb|Colley|1992|p=12}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Making the Act of Union|url=http://www.parliament.uk/actofunion/01_background.html|publisher=Parliament.uk|accessdate=2009-09-05 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080609075346/http://www.parliament.uk/actofunion/01_background.html |archivedate = June 9, 2008}}</ref> He styled himself [[King of Great Britain]], despite having no basis in English law.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_089/89_055_066.pdf|format=PDF|title=The term "Great Britain" in the Middle Ages|last=Hay|first=Denys|publisher=ads.ahds.ac.uk|accessdate=2009-02-19|date=}}</ref>

[[File:Charles II (1675).jpg|right|alt=Painting of seated male figure, with long black hair wearing a white cape and britches.|thumb|upright|The [[English Restoration]] restored the monarchy under King [[Charles II of England|Charles&nbsp;II]] and peace after the [[English Civil War]].]]
Based on conflicting political, religious and social positions, there was an [[English Civil War]] between the supporters of [[Long Parliament|Parliament]] and those of king [[Charles I of England|Charles I]], known as [[Roundhead]]s and [[Cavalier]]s respectively. This was an interwoven part of the wider multifaceted [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]], involving [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]] and [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]]. The Parliamentarians were victorious, Charles I was executed and the kingdom replaced with the [[Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth]]. Leader of the Parliament forces, [[Oliver Cromwell]] declared himself [[Lord Protector]] in 1653, a period of [[the Protectorate|personal rule]] followed.<ref name="Ocromwell">{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/143822/Oliver-Cromwell|title=Oliver Cromwell (English statesman)|year=2009|work=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|publisher=britannica.com|accessdate=2009-08-08}}</ref> After Cromwell's death, and his son [[Richard Cromwell|Richard's]] resignation as Lord Protector, [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] was invited to return as monarch in 1660 with the [[English Restoration|Restoration]]. It was now constitutionally established that King and Parliament should rule together though Parliament would have the real power. This was established with the [[Bill of Rights 1689|Bill of Rights]] in 1689. Among the statutes set down were that the law could only be made by Parliament and could not be suspended by the King, and the King could not impose taxes or raise an army without prior approval by Parliament.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mPoqfoiIp4sC&pg=PA340&lpg=PA340&dq=with+the+restoration+it+was+not+constitutionally+established+that+king+and+parliament+should+rule+together&source=bl&ots=CZ0exBmWVr&sig=vyZeWXbP6v7dmMFrVcV5kj0gpss&hl=en&ei=b-oUTdSzCsi0hAfP6JS3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFUQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=World Civilization|author=Philip J. Adler, Randall L. Pouwels|page=340|accessdate=24 December 2010}}</ref> With the founding of the [[Royal Society]] in 1660, science was greatly encouraged.

The [[Great Fire of London]] in 1666 gutted the capital but it was rebuilt shortly after.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/great_fire_02.shtml|publisher=BBC News|title=London's Burning: The Great Fire|accessdate=2009-09-25}}</ref> In Parliament two factions had emerged—the [[Tory|Tories]] and [[Whig (British political faction)|Whigs]]. The former were royalists while the latter were classical liberals. Though the Tories initially supported Catholic king [[James II of England|James II]], some of them, along with the Whigs deposed him at the [[Glorious Revolution|Revolution of 1688]] and invited Dutch prince [[William III of England|William III]] to become monarch. Some English people, especially in the north were [[Jacobitism|Jacobites]] and continued to support James and his sons. After the parliaments of England and Scotland both agreed,<ref name="unionwithscotland" /> the two countries joined in [[political union]], to create the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] in 1707.<ref name="Britons" /> To accommodate the union, institutions such as the law and national church of each remained separate.<ref>{{harvnb|Gallagher|2006|p=14}}.</ref>

=== Late Modern and contemporary ===
[[File:Saltaire New Mill Reflected.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A stone factory stands against a vivid blue sky, its reflection mirrored in the waters below.|upright|left|[[Saltaire]], [[West Yorkshire]], is a model mill town from the [[Industrial Revolution]], and a [[World Heritage Site]].]]
Under the newly formed Kingdom of Great Britain, output from the Royal Society and other [[English Enlightenment|English initiatives]] combined with the [[Scottish Enlightenment]] to create innovations in science and engineering. This paved the way for the establishment of the [[British Empire]]. Domestically it drove the [[Industrial Revolution]], a period of profound change in the [[socioeconomics|socioeconomic]] and cultural conditions of England, resulting in industrialised agriculture, manufacture, engineering and mining, as well as new and pioneering road, rail and water networks to facilitate their expansion and development.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/workshop_of_the_world_01.shtml|title=The Workshop of the World|author=Hudson, Pat|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2010-12-10}}</ref> The opening of Northwest England's [[Bridgewater Canal]] in 1761 ushered in the [[History of the British canal system|canal age in Britain]].<ref name="Briton20015">{{Harvnb|Office for National Statistics|2000|p=5}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|McNeil|Nevell|2000|p=4}}.</ref> In 1825 the world's first permanent steam locomotive-hauled passenger railway—the [[Stockton and Darlington Railway]]—opened to the public.<ref name="Briton20015"/>

During the Industrial Revolution, many workers moved from England's countryside to new and expanding urban industrial areas to work in factories, for instance at [[Manchester]] and [[Birmingham]], dubbed "Warehouse City" and "Workshop of the World" respectively.<ref>{{harvnb|McNeil|Nevell|2000|p=9}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitbirmingham.com/arts_and_culture/heritage/|title=Heritage|publisher=visitbirmingham.com|author=Birmingham City Council|authorlink=Birmingham City Council|accessdate=2009-10-04}}</ref> England maintained relative stability throughout the [[French Revolution]]; [[William Pitt the Younger]] was British Prime Minister for the reign of [[George III of the United Kingdom|George III]]. During the [[Napoleonic Wars]], [[Napoleon]] planned to [[Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom|invade from the south-east]]. However this failed to manifest and the Napoleonic forces were defeated by the British at sea by [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Lord Nelson]] and on land by the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]]. The Napoleonic Wars fostered a concept of [[Britishness]] and a united national [[British people]], shared with the [[Scottish people|Scots]] and Welsh.<ref name="Colley1">{{Harvnb|Colley|1992|p=1}}.</ref>

[[File:Portland.stone.cenotaph.london.arp.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A cuboid granite cenotaph.|right|The [[Cenotaph]] at [[Whitehall]] is a memorial to members of the [[British Armed Forces]] who died during the two World Wars.]]
London became the largest and most populous metropolitan area in the world during the [[Victorian era]], and trade within the British Empire—as well as the standing of the British military and navy—was prestigious.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=53VUwDw_UYMC&pg=PA13&dq=prestige+of+the+british+empire+in+victorian+times&hl=en&ei=NkQXTf6qIsuJhQfzgoy3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFQQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=prestige%20of%20the%20british%20empire%20in%20victorian%20times&f=false|title=The persistence of Victorian liberalism:The Politics of Social Reform in Britain, 1870-1900|author=Robert F. Haggard|page=13|accessdate=26 December 2010}}</ref> Political agitation at home from radicals such as the [[Chartism|Chartists]] and the [[suffragette]]s enabled legislative reform and [[universal suffrage]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/abolition_women_article_01.shtml#five|title=Women: From Abolition to the Vote|author=Crawford, Elizabeth|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2010-12-10}}</ref> Power shifts in east-central Europe led to World War I; hundreds of thousands of English soldiers died fighting for the United Kingdom as part of the [[Allies of World War I|Allies]].{{#tag:ref|Figure of 550,000 military deaths is for England and Wales<ref>{{Harvnb|Cox|1970|p=180}}</ref>|group=note}} Two decades later, in [[World War II]], the United Kingdom was again one of the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]. At the end of the [[Phoney War]], [[Winston Churchill]] became the wartime Prime Minister. Developments in warfare technology saw many cities damaged by air-raids during [[the Blitz]]. Following the war, the British Empire experienced rapid [[decolonisation]], and there was a speeding up of technological innovations; [[automobile]]s became the primary means of transport and [[Frank Whittle]]'s development of the [[jet engine]] led to wider [[air travel]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituaries-air-commodore-sir-frank-whittle-1309015.html | title=Obituaries: Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle | author=Golley, John | date=10 August 1996 |accessdate=2010-12-02|newspaper=The Independent | location = London}}</ref> Residential patterns were altered in England by private motoring, and by the creation of the [[National Health Service (England)|National Health Service]] (NHS) in 1948. England's NHS provided [[publicly funded health care]] to all UK permanent residents free at the point of need, being paid for from general taxation. Combined, these changes prompted the reform of [[local government in England]] in the mid-20th century.<ref>{{Harvnb|Clark|1973|p=1.}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Wilson|Game|2002|p=55}}.</ref>

Since the 20th century there has been significant population movement to England, mostly from other parts of the [[British Isles]], but also from the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], particularly the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref>{{harvnb|Gallagher|2006|pp=10–11}}.</ref> Since the 1970s there has been a large move away from [[manufacturing]] and an increasing emphasis on the [[service industry]].<ref name="thatcher" /> As part of the United Kingdom, the area joined a [[common market]] initiative called the [[European Economic Community]] which became the [[European Union]]. Since the late 20th century the [[politics of the United Kingdom|administration of the United Kingdom]] has moved towards [[devolution|devolved governance]] in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://publius.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/28/1/217 |title=Reforging the Union: Devolution and Constitutional Change in the United Kingdom|accessdate=2009-02-04|journal=Publius: the Journal of Federalism|volume=28|issue=1|page=217|author=Keating, Michael|authorlink=Michael Keating (political scientist)|date= 1 January 1998|ref=harv|postscript=<!--None--> }}</ref> [[England and Wales]] continues to exist as a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom.<ref name="BBC Wales">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/themes/guide/ch11_part2_coming_of_the_tudor.shtml|title=The coming of the Tudors and the Act of Union|year=2009|publisher=BBC News|work=[[BBC Wales]]|accessdate=2009-09-09}}</ref> Devolution has stimulated a greater emphasis on a more English-specific identity and patriotism.<ref>{{harvnb|Kenny|English|Hayton|2008|p=3}}.</ref><ref name="Ward180">{{Harvnb|Ward|2004|p=180}}.</ref> There is no devolved English government, but an attempt to create a similar system on a sub-regional basis was rejected by referendum.<ref name="refreject" />

== Governance ==
=== Politics ===
{{Main|Politics of England}}
[[File:Palace of Westminster.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of rectangular floodlight building, reflected in water. The building has multiple towers including one at each end. The tower on the right includes an illuminated clock face.|right|[[Palace of Westminster]], the seat of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]]]
As part of the United Kingdom, the basic political system in England is a [[constitutional monarchy]] and [[parliamentary system]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The British Parliamentary System|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A591383|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2010-04-20}}</ref> There has not been a [[Government of England]] since 1707, when the [[Acts of Union 1707]], putting into effect the terms of the [[Treaty of Union]], joined England and Scotland to form the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]].<ref name="unionwithscotland">{{cite web |title=The first Parliament of Great Britain|url=http://www.parliament.uk/actofunion/08_02_great.html|publisher=Parliament.uk|accessdate=2009-09-05 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080621165514/http://www.parliament.uk/actofunion/08_02_great.html |archivedate = June 21, 2008}}</ref> Before the union England was ruled by [[List of English monarchs|its monarch]] and the [[Parliament of England]]. Today England is governed directly by the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]], although other [[countries of the United Kingdom]] have [[Devolution|devolved]] governments.<ref name="Devolution">{{cite web|url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/devolution.aspx|title=Devolution in the United Kingdom|date=2009-03-26|author=Cabinet Office|authorlink=Cabinet Office|publisher=cabinetoffice.gov.uk|accessdate=2009-08-16}}{{dead link|date=April 2011}}</ref> In the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] which is the [[lower house]] of the British Parliament based at the [[Palace of Westminster]], there are 532 Members of Parliament (MPs) for constituencies in England, out of the 650 total.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lists of MPs|url=http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/ |publisher=Parliament.uk |accessdate=2009-05-21}}</ref>

In the [[United Kingdom general election, 2010]] the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] had won an absolute majority in England's 532 contested seats with 61 seats more than all other parties combined (the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House]] not being counted as a Conservative). However, taking Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales into account this was not enough to secure an overall majority, resulting in a [[hung parliament]].<ref>{{cite news |title=What is a hung parliament?|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8427233.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-05-20 | date=2009-05-07}}</ref> In order to achieve a majority the Conservative party, headed by [[David Cameron]], entered into a coalition agreement with the third largest party, the [[Liberal Democrats]], led by [[Nick Clegg]]. Subsequently [[Gordon Brown]] announced he was stepping down as prime minister<ref>{{cite news |title=Gordon Brown's resignation speech |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8676273.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-05-20 | date=2009-05-11}}</ref> and leader of the Labour party, now led by [[Ed Miliband]].

[[File:Buck.palace.soldiers.arp.jpg|thumb|alt=Lines of men wearing large black bearskin hats and red tunics.|left|Changing of the [[Queen's Guard]] at the [[British monarch|royal residence]], [[Buckingham Palace]]]]
As the United Kingdom is a member of the European Union, there are elections held regionally in England to decide who is sent as [[Members of the European Parliament]]. The [[European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)|2009 European Parliament election]] saw the regions of England elect the following MEPs: twenty-three Conservatives, ten Labour, nine [[UK Independence Party]] (UKIP), nine Liberal Democrats, two [[Green Party of England and Wales|Greens]] and two [[British National Party]] (BNP).<ref>{{cite news |title=European Election 2009: UK Results|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/elections/euro/09/html/ukregion_999999.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-09-05 | date=2009-04-19}}</ref>

Since [[devolution]], in which other countries of the United Kingdom—Scotland, Wales and [[Northern Ireland]]—each have their own devolved parliament or assemblies for local issues, there has been debate about how to counterbalance this in England. Originally it was planned that various [[regions of England]] would be devolved, but following the proposal's rejection by the [[North East England|North East]] in a referendum, this has not been carried out.<ref name="refreject"/>

One major issue is the [[West Lothian question]], in which MPs from Scotland and Wales are able to vote on legislation affecting only England, while English MPs have no equivalent right to legislate on devolved matters.<ref>{{cite news |title=West Lothian question|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7702326.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-09-05 | date=2008-10-31}}</ref> This when placed in the context of England being the only country of the United Kingdom not to have free cancer treatment, prescriptions, residential care for the elderly and [[top-up fees|free top-up university fees]],<ref name="msnmoney">{{cite web |title=Are Scottish people better off?|url=http://money.uk.msn.com/consumer/article.aspx?cp-documentid=6543296|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080417222726/http://money.uk.msn.com/consumer/article.aspx?cp-documentid=6543296|archivedate=2008-04-17|publisher=MSN Money|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> has led to a steady rise in [[English nationalism]].<ref>{{cite news |title=English nationalism 'threat to UK'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/596703.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-09-05 | date=2000-01-09}}</ref> Some have suggested the creation of a [[devolved English parliament]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Gordon Brown pressed on English parliament|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article4061785.ece|work=The Times |location=London|accessdate=2009-09-05 | first=Lorraine | last=Davidson | date=2008-06-03}}</ref> while others have proposed simply limiting voting on legislation which only affects England to English MPs.<ref>{{cite news |title=English votes for English laws' plan by Tories|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/english-votes-for-english-laws-plan-by-tories-857647.html|accessdate=2009-09-05|work=The Independent | location=London | first=Andrew | last=Grice | date=2008-07-01}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

=== Law ===
{{Main|English law}}
[[File:Royal courts of justice.jpg|thumb|alt=Ornate grey stone building.|right|The [[Royal Courts of Justice]]]]
The [[English law]] legal system, developed over the centuries, is the foundation of many [[legal systems]] throughout the [[Anglosphere]].<ref>{{harvnb|Bennett|2004|p=181}}.</ref> Despite now being part of the United Kingdom, the legal system of the [[Courts of England and Wales]] continued, under the [[Treaty of Union]], as a separate legal system from the one used in Scotland. The general essence of English law is that it is made by judges sitting in [[court]]s, applying their common sense and knowledge of [[legal precedent]]—''[[stare decisis]]''—to the facts before them.<ref>{{harvnb|Fafinski|2007|p=60}}.</ref>

The [[Courts of England and Wales|court system]] is headed by the Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|Court of Appeal]], the [[High Court of Justice]] for civil cases, and the [[Crown Court]] for criminal cases.<ref>{{harvnb|Fafinski|2007|p=127}}.</ref> The [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom]] is the highest court for criminal and civil cases in [[England and Wales]]. It was created in 2009 after constitutional changes, taking over the [[Judicial functions of the House of Lords|judicial functions]] of the [[House of Lords]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Constitutional reform: A Supreme Court for the United Kingdom|url=http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/supremecourt/supreme.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=DCA.gov.uk |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> A decision of the Supreme Court is binding on every other court in the hierarchy, which must follow its directions.<ref>{{harvnb|Fafinski|2007|p=67}}.</ref>

Crime increased between 1981 and 1995, but fell by 42% in the period 1995–2006.<ref>{{cite web |title=Crime over the last 25 years |url=http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/crime0607summ.pdf |publisher=HomeOffice.gov.uk |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> The prison population doubled over the same period, giving it the [[List of countries by incarceration rate|highest incarceration rate]] in Western Europe at 147 per 100,000.<ref name="crimebbc">{{cite news |title=New record high prison population |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7235438.stm |work =BBC News Online |accessdate=2009-09-05 | date=8 February 2008}}</ref> [[Her Majesty's Prison Service]], reporting to the [[Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Justice]], manages most [[prisons in England|prisons]], housing over 80,000 convicts.<ref name="crimebbc" />

=== Regions, counties, and districts ===
{{Main|Subdivisions of England}}
{{See also|Regions of England|Counties of England|Districts of England}}
{{Image label begin|image=Ceremonial counties of England.svg|width={{{width|230}}}|float={{{float|right}}}}}
{{Image label small|x=-120.0|y=-20.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Northumberland]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-130.0|y=-44.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Tyne and Wear]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-130.0|y=-60.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[County Durham|Durham]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-60.0|y=-60.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Cumbria]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-60.0|y=-100.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Lancashire]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-120.0|y=-80.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[North Yorkshire]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-160.0|y=-95.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[East Riding of Yorkshire|E. Riding of Yorks.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-140.0|y=-115.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[South Yorkshire|S. Yorks.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-120.0|y=-100.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[West Yorkshire|W. Yorks.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-90.0|y=-116.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Greater Manchester|Gr. Manc.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-65.0|y=-120.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Merseyside|Mers.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-75.0|y=-130.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Cheshire]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-120.0|y=-135.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Derbyshire|Derbs.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-145.0|y=-130.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Nottinghamshire|Notts.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-170.0|y=-125.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Lincolnshire]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-158.0|y=-152.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Rutland]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-135.0|y=-155.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Leicestershire|Leics.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-110.0|y=-150.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Staffordshire|Staffs.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-50.0|y=-150.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Shropshire]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-75.0|y=-180.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Herefordshire|Heref.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-100.0|y=-175.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Worcestershire|Worcs.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-100.0|y=-163.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[West Midlands (county)|W. Mids.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-127.0|y=-175.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Warwickshire|Warks.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-145.0|y=-172.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Northamptonshire|Northants.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-160.0|y=-164.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Cambridgeshire|Cambs.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-200.0|y=-152.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Norfolk]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-205.0|y=-172.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Suffolk]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-190.0|y=-195.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Essex]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-165.0|y=-193.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Hertfordshire|Herts.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-165.0|y=-182.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Bedfordshire|Beds.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-165.0|y=-210.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Greater London|Gr. London]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-193.0|y=-223.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Kent]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-185.0|y=-240.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[East Sussex|E. Sussex]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-154.0|y=-223.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Surrey]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-144.0|y=-240.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[West Sussex|W. Sussex]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-137.0|y=-212.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Berkshire]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-150.0|y=-197.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Buckinghamshire|Bucks.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-125.0|y=-201.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Oxfordshire|Oxon.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-100.0|y=-195.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Gloucestershire|Glos.]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-90.0|y=-212.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Bristol]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-124.0|y=-230.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Hampshire]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-100.0|y=-220.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Wiltshire]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-75.0|y=-230.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Somerset]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-120.0|y=-250.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Isle of Wight]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-95.0|y=-242.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Dorset]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-55.0|y=-245.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Devon]]}}
{{Image label small|x=-20.0|y=-260.0|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text=[[Cornwall]]}}
{{Image label end}}
The [[subdivisions of England]] consist of up to four levels of [[administrative division|subnational division]] controlled through a variety of types of administrative entities created for the purposes of [[local government in England|local government]]. The highest tier of local government are the nine [[regions of England]]: [[North East England|North East]], [[North West England|North West]], [[Yorkshire and the Humber]], [[East Midlands]], [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]], [[East of England|East]], [[South East England|South East]], [[South West England|South West]], and [[London]]. These were created in 1994 as [[Government Office]]s, used by the British Government to deliver a wide range of policies and programmes regionally, but there are no elected bodies at this level, except in London.<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to the national site of the Government Office Network|url=http://www.gos.gov.uk/national/|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5hYQkeu1p|archivedate=2009-06-15 |publisher=GOS.gov.uk |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> The same boundaries are used for electing [[Members of the European Parliament]] on a regional basis.

After [[devolution]] began to take place in other parts of the United Kingdom it was planned that referendums for the regions of England would take place for their own elected [[Regional Assemblies in England|regional assemblies]] as a counterweight. [[Greater London Authority referendum, 1998|London accepted]] in 1998: the [[London Assembly]] was created two years later. However, when the proposal was rejected by the [[northern England devolution referendums, 2004]] in the North East, further referendums were cancelled.<ref name="refreject">{{cite news |title=Prescott's dream in tatters as North East rejects assembly |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article503255.ece |work=The Times |location=London |accessdate=2009-09-05 | first1=Jill | last1=Sherman | first2=Andrew | last2=Norfolk | date=5 November 2004}}</ref> There are plans to abolish the remaining regional assemblies in 2010 and transfer their functions to respective [[Regional Development Agency|Regional Development Agencies]] and a new system of [[Local authority leaders' board]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Prosperous Places|url=http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/citiesandregions/pdf/1073344.pdf|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5ln5KtF1u|archivedate=2009-12-05 |publisher=communities.gov.uk |accessdate=2009-09-05 |author=Department for Communities and Local Government|authorlink=Department for Communities and Local Government}}</ref>

Below the regional level, all of England is divided into 48 [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial counties]].<ref name="britannicagov">{{harvnb|Encyclopædia Britannica|2002|p=100}}</ref> These are used primarily as a geographical frame of reference and have developed gradually since the [[Middle Ages]], with some established as recently as 1974.<ref name=maud>{{harvnb|Redcliffe-Maud|Wood|1974}}.</ref> Each has a [[Lord Lieutenant]] and [[High Sheriff]]; these posts are used to represent the [[British monarch]] locally.<ref name="britannicagov" /> Outside [[Greater London]] and the [[Isles of Scilly]], England is also divided into 83 [[Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England|metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties]]; these correspond to areas used for the purposes of local government<ref name="localgov">{{harvnb|Singh|2009|p=53}}.</ref> and may consist of a single district or be divided into several.

There are six [[metropolitan county|metropolitan counties]] based on the most heavily urbanised areas, which do not have county councils.<ref name="localgov" /> In these areas the principal authorities are the councils of the subdivisions, the [[metropolitan borough]]s. Elsewhere, 27 [[non-metropolitan county|non-metropolitan "shire" counties]] have a [[county council]] and are divided into districts, each with a district council. They are typically, though not always, found in more rural areas. The remaining non-metropolitan counties are of a single district and usually correspond to large towns or counties with low populations; they are known as [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authorities]]. Greater London has a different system for local government, with 32 [[London borough]]s, plus the [[City of London]] covering a small area at the core, governed by the [[City of London Corporation]].<ref>{{harvnb|Axford|2002|p=315}}.</ref> At the most localised level, much of England is divided into [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]]es with [[Parish councils in England|councils]]; they do not exist in Greater London.<ref>{{harvnb|Singh|2009|p=54}}.</ref>

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of England}}

=== Landscape and rivers ===
[[File:Wastwater, Lake District.jpg|thumb|alt=Blue lake between green hills.|right|[[Wastwater]] in the [[Lake District]]]]
Geographically England comprises the central and southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain, plus such offshore islands as the [[Isle of Wight]] and the [[Isles of Scilly]]. It is bordered by two fellow countries of the United Kingdom—[[Anglo Scottish border|to the north]] by Scotland and [[Wales-England border|to the west]] by Wales. England is closer to the European Continent than any other part of mainland Britain. It is separated from [[France]] by a {{convert|34|km|mi|adj=on}}<ref name="Engchannel">{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/187921/English-Channel|title=English Channel|year=2009|work=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|publisher=britannica.com|accessdate=2009-08-15}}</ref> sea gap, though the two countries are connected by the [[Channel Tunnel]] near [[Folkestone]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History|url=http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcAboutUs/ukm/history.htm|publisher=EuroTunnel.com|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> As England is on an island, it is surrounded by the water of the [[Irish Sea]], [[North Sea]] and [[Atlantic Ocean]].

The major ports of London, [[Liverpool]], and [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], lie on the tidal rivers of the [[River Thames|Thames]], [[River Mersey|Mersey]] and [[River Tyne|Tyne]] respectively. The tides raise the level of water in their estuaries and enable ships to enter the ports. At {{convert|354|km|mi}}, the [[River Severn|Severn]] is the longest river flowing through England.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/sevenwonders/west/severn-river/ | publisher=BBC | title=The River Severn|accessdate=2010-12-05}}</ref> It empties into the [[Bristol Channel]] and is notable for its [[Severn Bore]] tidal waves, which can reach {{convert|2|m|ft}} in height.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/recreation/31439.aspx | title=Severn Bore and Trent Aegir | publisher=Environment Agency|accessdate=2010-12-05}}</ref> However, the longest river entirely in England is the Thames, which is {{convert|346|km|mi}} in length.<ref name="Thames">{{cite web|url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-home/related-139-94056-articles-reviews/River+Thames-London+(England)/related.do|title=River Thames and London (England)|work=London Evening Standard|publisher=ThisisLondon.co.uk|accessdate=2009-08-17}}</ref> There are many [[lakes in England]]; the largest is [[Windermere]], within the aptly named [[Lake District]].<ref name="metoffice_nw">{{cite web | url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/nw/|title=North West England & Isle of Man: climate|publisher=Met Office|accessdate=2010-12-05}}</ref>

[[File:Widecombe in the Moor, Devon.jpg|thumb|alt=Green hills with trees in the foreground.|left|Terrain of [[Dartmoor]], [[Devon]]]]
In geological terms, the [[Pennines]], known as the "backbone of England", are the oldest range of mountains in the country, originating from the end of the [[Paleozoic Era]] around 300&nbsp;million years ago.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.summitpost.org/area/range/220026/pennines.html|title=Pennines|publisher=Smmit Post|accessdate=2009-09-08}}</ref> The total length of the Pennines is {{convert|400|km|mi}}, peaking at [[Cross Fell]] in Cumbria.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/articles/2005/04/21/pennine_way_40th_feature.shtml | title=The Pennine Way celebrates 40 years|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2010-12-05}}</ref> The material of which they are composed is mostly [[sandstone]] and [[limestone]], but also [[coal]]. There are [[karst]] landscapes in calcite areas such as parts of Yorkshire and [[Derbyshire]]. The Pennine landscape is high [[moorland]] in upland areas, indented by fertile valleys of the region's rivers. They contain three [[national parks in England|national parks]], the [[Yorkshire Dales]], [[Northumberland National Park|Northumberland]], and the [[Peak District]]. The highest point in England, at {{convert|978|m|ft}}, is [[Scafell Pike]] in Cumbria.<ref name="metoffice_nw" /> Straddling the border between England and Scotland are the [[Cheviot Hills]].

The [[English Lowlands beech forests|English Lowlands]] are to the south of the Pennines, consisting of green rolling hills, including the [[Cotswold Hills]], [[Chiltern Hills]], [[North Downs|North]] and [[South Downs]]—where they meet the sea they form white rock exposures such as the [[cliffs of Dover]]. The granitic Southwest Peninsula in the [[West Country]] provides upland moorland, such as [[Dartmoor]] and [[Exmoor]], which flourish with a [[Climate of south-west England|mild climate]]; both are national parks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/aboutus|title=National Parks – About us|publisher=nationalparks.gov.uk|accessdate=2010-12-05}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

=== Climate ===
{{Main|Climate of England}}
England has a [[temperate climate|temperate]] [[maritime climate]] meaning that it is mild with temperatures not much lower than {{convert|0|°C|°F}} in winter and not much higher than {{convert|32|°C|°F}} in summer.<ref name="weather">{{cite web |title=What is the Climate like in Britain?|url=http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/weather/|publisher=Woodlands Kent|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> The weather is damp relatively frequently and is subject to change. The coldest months are January and February, the latter particularly on the [[Geography of the United Kingdom|English coast]], while July is normally the warmest month. Months with mild to warm weather with least rainfall are May, June, September and October.<ref name="weather" />

The biggest influences on the climate of England comes from the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, its northern [[latitude]] and warming of the waters around the [[Gulf Stream]].<ref name="weather" /> England receives quite a significant proportion of rainfall during the year, with autumn and winter being the wettest time—geographically the [[Lake District]] receives more rain than anywhere else in the country.<ref name="weather" /> Since weather recording records began, the highest temperature received was {{convert|38.5|°C|°F}} on 10 August 2003 at [[Brogdale]] in [[Kent]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Temperature record changes hands|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/3153532.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-09-05 | date=2003-09-30}}</ref> while the lowest was {{convert|−26.1|°C|°F}} on 10 January 1982 in [[Edgmond, Shropshire|Edgmond]], [[Shropshire]].<ref>{{cite web |title=English Climate|url=http://www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/location/england/#temperature|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071219165514/http://www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/location/england/#temperature|archivedate=2007-12-19|publisher=MetOffice.com}}</ref>
{{Weather box
|location = England
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan high C = 7
|Feb high C = 7
|Mar high C = 9
|Apr high C = 12
|May high C = 15
|Jun high C = 18
|Jul high C = 21
|Aug high C = 21
|Sep high C = 18
|Oct high C = 14
|Nov high C = 10
|Dec high C = 7
|year high C = 13
|Jan low C = 1
|Feb low C = 1
|Mar low C = 2
|Apr low C = 4
|May low C = 6
|Jun low C = 9
|Jul low C = 11
|Aug low C = 11
|Sep low C = 9
|Oct low C = 7
|Nov low C = 4
|Dec low C = 2
|year low C = 6
|Jan precipitation mm = 84
|Feb precipitation mm = 60
|Mar precipitation mm = 67
|Apr precipitation mm = 57
|May precipitation mm = 56
|Jun precipitation mm = 63
|Jul precipitation mm = 54
|Aug precipitation mm = 67
|Sep precipitation mm = 73
|Oct precipitation mm = 84
|Nov precipitation mm = 84
|Dec precipitation mm = 90
|year precipitation mm = 838
|source 1 = Met Office<ref name="england">{{cite web | year = 2001 | url = http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/england.html | title = England 1971–2000 averages | publisher=Met Office}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

=== Major conurbations ===
{{See also|List of places in England}}
The [[Greater London Urban Area]] is by far the largest metropolitan area in England<ref name="largesturb" /> and one of the busiest cities in the world. It is considered a [[global city]] and has a population larger than other countries in the United Kingdom besides England itself.<ref name="largesturb" /> Other urban areas of considerable size and influence tend to be in [[northern England]] or the [[English Midlands]].<ref name="largesturb" /> There are [[List of cities in the United Kingdom|fifty settlements]] which have been designated [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status in England]], while the wider United Kingdom has sixty-six.

While many cities in England are quite large in size, such as [[Birmingham]], [[Sheffield]], [[Manchester]], [[Liverpool]], [[City of Leeds|Leeds]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], [[City of Bradford|Bradford]], [[Nottingham]] and others, a large population is not necessarily a prerequisite for a settlement to be afforded city status.<ref name="cathcities">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/the-complete-guide-to-cathedral-cities-in-the-uk-760201.html|title=The Complete Guide To: Cathedral cities in the UK|last=O'Brian|first=Harriet|date=2007-11-24|work=The Independent |location=London|accessdate=2009-09-08 }}</ref> Traditionally the status was afforded to towns with [[List of cathedrals in England and Wales|diocesan cathedrals]] and so there are smaller cities like [[Wells]], [[Ely, Cambridgeshire|Ely]], [[Ripon]], [[Truro]] and [[Chichester]].<ref name="cathcities" /> According to the [[Office for National Statistics]] the ten largest, continuous built-up urban areas are:<ref name="largesturb">{{cite web |title=UK's major urban areas|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fom2005/03_FOPM_UrbanAreas.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=Statistics.gov.uk |accessdate=2009-09-05|author=Office for National Statistics|authorlink=Office for National Statistics}}</ref>
{| style="width:100%;" class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:5%;"| Rank
! style="width:30%;"| Urban area
! style="width:15%;"| Population
! style="width:5%;"| Localities
! style="width:45%;"| Major localities
|- style="text-align:center;"
||1 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Greater London Urban Area]] || style="text-align:center;"|8,278,251|| 67 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Greater London]], divided into the [[City of London]] and 32 [[London borough]]s including [[London Borough of Croydon|Croydon]], [[London Borough of Barnet|Barnet]], [[London Borough of Ealing|Ealing]], [[London Borough of Bromley|Bromley]]<ref>{{cite web |title=ONS Key Population and Vital Statistics|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/KPVS34-2007/KPVS2007.pdf|format=PDF|year=2007|publisher=statistics.gov.uk|accessdate=2009-09-18|author=Office for National Statistics|authorlink=Office for National Statistics}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:center;"
||2 || style="text-align:center;"|[[West Midlands Urban Area]] || style="text-align:center;"|2,284,093 || 22 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Birmingham]], [[Wolverhampton]], [[Dudley]], [[Walsall]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
||3 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Greater Manchester Urban Area]] || style="text-align:center;"|2,240,230 || 57 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Manchester]], [[Salford, Greater Manchester|Salford]], [[Bolton]], [[Stockport]], [[Oldham]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
||4 || style="text-align:center;"|[[West Yorkshire Urban Area]] || style="text-align:center;"|1,499,465 || 26 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Leeds]], [[Bradford]], [[Huddersfield]], [[Wakefield]], [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
||5 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Tyneside]] || style="text-align:center;"|879,996 ||25 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], [[North Shields]], [[South Shields]], [[Gateshead]], [[Jarrow]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
||6 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Liverpool Urban Area]] || style="text-align:center;"|816,216 || 8 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Liverpool]], [[St Helens, Merseyside|St Helens]], [[Bootle]], [[Huyton-with-Roby]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
||7 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Nottingham Urban Area]] || style="text-align:center;"|666,358 || 15 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Nottingham]], [[Beeston, Nottinghamshire|Beeston]] and [[Stapleford, Nottinghamshire|Stapleford]], [[Carlton, Nottinghamshire|Carlton]], [[Long Eaton]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
||8 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Sheffield Urban Area]] || style="text-align:center;"|640,720 || 7 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Sheffield]], [[Rotherham]], [[Chapeltown, South Yorkshire|Chapeltown]], [[Mosborough]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
||9 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Bristol Urban Area]] || style="text-align:center;"| 551,066 || 7 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Bristol]], [[Kingswood, South Gloucestershire|Kingswood]], [[Mangotsfield]], [[Stoke Gifford]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
||10 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton]] || style="text-align:center;"| 461,181 || 10 || style="text-align:center;"|[[Brighton]], [[Worthing]], [[Hove]], [[Littlehampton]], [[Shoreham-by-Sea|Shoreham]], [[Lancing, West Sussex|Lancing]]
|}

== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of England}}
{{See also|Banknotes of the pound sterling}}
[[File:City of London skyline from London City Hall - Oct 2008.jpg|thumb|alt=An aerial photograph of the City of London and its surrounding London boroughs.|The [[City of London]] is the world's largest [[financial centre]].<ref name="London vs. New York">{{cite web|url=http://www.cincodias.com/articulo/mercados/Londres-versus-Nueva-York/20080901cdscdimer_3/cdsmer/|title=London vs. New York, 2005–06|publisher=Cinco Dias|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref><ref name="Global Financial Centres Index">{{cite web|url=http://217.154.230.218/NR/rdonlyres/8D37DAE2-5937-4FC5-A004-C2FC4BED7742/0/BC_RS_GFCI5.pdf|title=Global Financial Centres Index, 2009-03 |format=PDF |publisher=City of London Corporation |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>]]
England's economy is one of the largest in the world, with an average [[GDP per capita]] of £22,907.<ref name="regionalacc" /> Usually regarded as a [[Anglo-Saxon economy|mixed market economy]], it has adopted many [[free market]] principles, yet maintains an advanced social welfare infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Welfare State&nbsp;– Never Ending Reform|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/field_01.shtml|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-09-17}}</ref> The official currency in England is the [[pound sterling]], also known as the GBP. [[Taxation in England]] is quite competitive when [[Tax rates around the world|compared]] to much of the rest of Europe—as of 2009 the basic rate of personal tax is 20% on taxable income up to £37,400, and 40% on any additional earnings above that amount.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tax in England|url=http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/tax/income_tax_rates.htm|publisher=AdviceGuide.org.uk|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>

The economy of England is the largest part of the [[economy of the United Kingdom|UK's economy]],<ref name="regionalacc">{{cite web |title=Regional Accounts|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/economy/national-accounts/regional-accounts/index.html|publisher=statistics.gov.uk|accessdate=2009-09-17|author=Office for National Statistics|authorlink=Office for National Statistics}}</ref> which has the [[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|18th]] highest GDP [[Purchasing power parity|PPP]] per capita in the world. 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]]. London, home to the [[London Stock Exchange]], the United Kingdom's main [[stock exchange]] and the largest in Europe, is England's financial centre—100 of Europe's 500&nbsp;largest corporations are based in London.<ref>{{cite web |title=Financial Centre|url=http://legacy.london.gov.uk/london-life/business-and-jobs/financial-centre.jsp|publisher=London.gov.uk|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> London is the largest financial centre in Europe, and as of 2009 is also the largest in the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Global Financial Centres Index|url=http://217.154.230.218/NR/rdonlyres/8D37DAE2-5937-4FC5-A004-C2FC4BED7742/0/BC_RS_GFCI5.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=cityoflondon.gov.uk|author=City of London Policy and Resources Committee|authorlink=City of London Corporation |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>

[[File:Bentley Mulsanne 2009.JPG|thumb|alt=A blue coloured car.|The [[Bentley Mulsanne (2010)|Bentley Mulsanne]]. [[Bentley]] is a well-known English automobile company.]]
The [[Bank of England]], founded in 1694 by Scottish banker [[William Paterson (banker)|William Paterson]], is the United Kingdom's [[central bank]]. Originally instituted to act as private banker to the Government of England, it carried on in this role as part of the United Kingdom—since 1946 it has been a [[nationalisation|state-owned institution]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Bank’s relationship with Parliament|url=http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/about/parliament/index.htm|publisher=BankofEngland.co.uk|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> The Bank has a [[monopoly]] on the issue of banknotes in [[England and Wales]], although not in other parts of the United Kingdom. Its [[Monetary Policy Committee]] has devolved responsibility for managing the monetary policy of the country and setting interest rates.<ref>{{cite web |title=Monetary Policy Committee|url=http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetarypolicy/overview.htm|publisher=BankofEngland.co.uk|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>

England is highly industrialised, but since the 1970s there has been a decline in traditional heavy and [[manufacturing]] industries, and an increasing emphasis on a more [[service industry]] oriented economy.<ref name="thatcher">{{harvnb|Reitan|2003|p=50}}.</ref> [[Tourism]] has become a significant industry, attracting millions of visitors to England each year. The [[export]] part of the economy is dominated by [[pharmaceuticals]], [[automobiles]]—although many English [[marque]]s are now foreign-owned, such as [[Rolls-Royce Motor Cars|Rolls-Royce]], [[Lotus Cars|Lotus]], [[Jaguar Cars|Jaguar]] and [[Bentley]]—[[crude oil]] and petroleum from the English parts of [[North Sea oil]] along with [[Wytch Farm]], [[aircraft engine]]s and [[alcoholic beverage]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=England Exports|url=http://mambiz.com/main/?cat=28|publisher=EconomyWatch.com|accessdate=2009-09-05}} {{Dead link|date=June 2010| bot=DASHBot}}</ref> [[Agriculture]] is intensive and highly mechanised, producing 60% of food needs with only 2% of the labour force.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intute.ac.uk/worldguide/html/1069_economic.html|title=World Guide&nbsp;– England&nbsp;– Economy Overview |work=World Guide|publisher=Intute|accessdate=2009-09-09}}</ref> Two thirds of production is devoted to livestock, the other to arable crops.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pteducation.com/gk/UK.pdf|format=PDF|title=Economy of the United Kingdom|publisher=PTeducation|accessdate=2009-10-08}}</ref>

=== Infrastructure ===
{{Main|Transport in England|Healthcare in England}}
[[File:Routemaster RM758.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Red two-storey vehicle with windows on each level.|right|A [[Routemaster]] double-decker bus in London]]
The [[Department for Transport]] is the government body responsible for overseeing transport in England. There are several [[List of motorways in the United Kingdom|motorways in England]], one of the most important trunk roads is the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1 Great North Road]], stretching across the country from London to Newcastle.<ref name="roads">{{harvnb|UK Parliament|2007|p=175}}.</ref> The longest motorway in England is the [[M6 motorway|M6]], stretching from [[Rugby, Warwickshire|Rugby]] to the [[North West England|North West]] up to the [[Anglo-Scottish border]].<ref name="roads" /> There are other major roads; the [[M1 motorway|M1]] from London to Leeds, the [[M25 motorway|M25]] which encircles London, the [[M60 motorway|M60]] which encircles Manchester, the [[M4 motorway|M4]] from London to South Wales, the [[M62 motorway|M62]] from Liverpool to Manchester and East Yorkshire and the [[M5 motorway|M5]] from Birmingham to Bristol and the South West.<ref name="roads" />

[[Bus]] transport across the country is common, major companies include [[National Express Group|National Express]], [[Arriva]] and [[Go-Ahead Group]]. The red [[double-decker bus]]es in London have become a symbol of England. There is a [[rapid rail]] network in two English cities; the [[London Underground]] and the [[Tyne and Wear Metro]], the latter in Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland.<ref name="pubwhite">{{harvnb|White|2002|p=63}}.</ref> There are tram networks, such as; [[Blackpool tramway|Blackpool]], [[Manchester Metrolink]], [[Sheffield Supertram]] and [[Midland Metro]].<ref name="pubwhite" />

[[File:Heathrow T5.jpg|thumb|alt=Planes congregate by a building.|left|[[London Heathrow Airport]] has more international [[World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic|passenger traffic]] than any other airport in the world.<ref name="airports">{{harvnb|O'Hanlon|2008|p=205}}.</ref>]]
[[Rail transport in England]] is the oldest in the world, with the system originating there in 1825.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/johnmoore/1825/sept_27.htm|title=27 September 1825&nbsp;– Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway|publisher=The Stockton and Darlington Railway|accessdate=2009-09-08}}</ref> Much of Britain's {{convert|16116|km|mi}} of rail network lies in England, covering the country extensively. These lines are mostly [[single track (rail)|single]], [[double track|double]] or [[quadruple track]], though there are [[British narrow gauge railways|narrow gauge lines]]. There is rail transport access to France and Belgium through an undersea rail link, the [[Channel Tunnel]] which was completed in 1994.

England has extensive domestic and international [[aviation]] links. The largest airport is [[London Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow]], which is the [[World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic|world's busiest airport measured by number of international passengers]].<ref name=wsj230211>{{Cite news|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110223-710213.html|title=Delta Expects New Slots To Foster Growth At Heathrow Airport|accessdate=23 March 2011|publisher=The Wall Street Journal| date=23 February 2011}}</ref> Other large airports include [[Manchester Airport]], [[London Stansted Airport]], [[Luton Airport]] and [[Birmingham Airport, England|Birmingham Airport]].<ref name="airports" /> By sea there is [[ferry]] transport, both for internal and external trips, some of the most common links are to Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium.<ref name="waterworks">{{harvnb|Else|2007|p=781}}.</ref> Travel by waterways such as [[river]]s, [[canal]]s, [[dock (maritime)|docks]] is common with around {{convert|7100|km|mi|-2|abbr=on}} of navigable waterways in England, half of which is owned by [[British Waterways]] ([[Waterscape]]).<ref name="waterworks" /> The [[river Thames|Thames]] is the major waterway in England, with imports and exports focused at the [[Port of Tilbury]], one of the United Kingdom's three major ports.<ref name="waterworks" />

[[File:NorfolkAndNorwichUniversityHospital(KatyAppleton)Aug2005.jpg|thumb|alt=Birds I view of a large hospital.|right|[[Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital]], an NHS hospital.]]
The [[National Health Service (England)|National Health Service]] (NHS) is the [[Socialised medicine|publicly funded healthcare system]] in England responsible for providing the majority of healthcare in the country. The NHS began on 5 July 1948, putting into effect the provisions of the [[National Health Service Act 1946]]. It was based on the findings of the [[Beveridge Report]], prepared by economist and social reformer [[William Beveridge]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/beveridge_william.shtml|title=BBC History on William Beveridge|accessdate= 2009-09-05|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The NHS is largely funded from general taxation including [[National Insurance]] payments,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snsg-00724.pdf | archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5ln5L5oTN | archivedate=2009-12-05| title=NHS Expenditure in England |format=PDF | work=House of Commons Library | accessdate= 2009-09-05}}</ref> and it provides most of its services free at the point of use, although there are charges for some people for eye tests, dental care, prescriptions and aspects of personal care.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Medicinespharmacyandindustry/Prescriptions/NHScosts/DH_087013| title=NHS costs and exemptions| work=Department of Health| accessdate= 2009-09-05}} {{Dead link|date=June 2010| bot=DASHBot}}</ref>

The government department responsible for the NHS is the [[Department of Health (United Kingdom)|Department of Health]], headed by the [[Secretary of State for Health]], who sits in the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|British Cabinet]]. Most of the expenditure of the Department of Health is spent on the NHS—£98.6&nbsp;billion was spent in 2008–2009.<ref name="budget2008">{{cite news | date=3 March 2008| url=http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/7/3/bud08_chapterc.pdf |format=PDF | title=Budget 2008, Chapter C| work=HM Treasury| accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> In recent years the private sector has been increasingly used to provide more NHS services despite opposition by doctors and trade unions.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5133480.stm|title=Private sector role in NHS|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-09-05| date=2006-06-30}}</ref> The average [[life expectancy]] of people in England is 77.5 years for males and 81.7 years for females, the highest of the four [[countries of the United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?ID=168|title=Life expectancy|work=|publisher=statistics.gov.uk|accessdate=2009-07-20|author=Office for National Statistics|authorlink=Office for National Statistics}}</ref>

== Demography ==
=== Population ===
{{Main|Demography of England|English people|English diaspora}}
[[File:England counties population (crop).png|upright|thumb|alt=Map of England with regions shaded in different shades of blue.|The [[Non-metropolitan county|non-metropolitan counties]] and [[unitary authorities of England]], colour-coded to show population.]]
With over 51&nbsp;million inhabitants, England is by far the most populous country of the United Kingdom, accounting for 84% of the combined total.<ref name="Population">{{cite web |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15106 |title=Population estimates for UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland&nbsp;– current datasets |author=[[Office for National Statistics]] |publisher=statistics.gov.uk|accessdate=2009-06-05}}</ref> England taken as a unit and measured against international states has the fourth largest population in the European Union and would be the 25th largest [[List of countries by population in 2005|country by population]] in the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=World Population Prospects: Analytical Report for the 2004 |url=http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/WPP2004/WPP2004_Volume3.htm |publisher=United Nations |accessdate=2009-09-05 |author=[[United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs]]}}</ref> With a density of 395 people per square kilometre, it would be the second most densely populated country in the European Union after [[Malta]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Density of England rises | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_7610000/newsid_7618900/7618994.stm |work =BBC News Online | accessdate=2009-09-05| date=16 September 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=England is most crowded country in Europe |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/2967374/England-is-most-crowded-country-in-Europe.html|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |accessdate=2009-09-05| first=Urmee | last=Khan | date=16 September 2008}}</ref>

The [[English people]] are a [[British people]]<ref name="ethnicityengl">{{cite web |title=Ethnic group: Census 2001, Key Statistics for local Authorities |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=6561 |publisher=Statistics.gov.uk |accessdate=2009-09-05 |author=[[Office for National Statistics]]|year=2001 |work=[[United Kingdom Census 2001]]}}</ref> Genetic evidence suggests that 75–95% descend in the paternal line from prehistoric settlers who originally came from the [[Iberian Peninsula]].<ref name="opp">{{harvnb|Oppenheimer|2006|p=378}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=British and Irish, descendant of the Basques? |url=http://www.eitb24.com/new/en/B24_38277/life/GENETIC-STUDY-British-and-Irish-descendant-of-the-Basques/ |publisher=Eitb24.com |accessdate=2009-09-05}} {{Dead link|date=June 2010| bot=DASHBot}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=What does being British mean? Ask the Spanish |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/3348004/What-does-being-British-mean-Ask-the-Spanish.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |accessdate=2009-09-05 | first=Stephen | last=Oppenheimer | date=10 October 2006}}</ref> There is a significant [[Norseman|Norse]] element, as well as a 5% contribution from [[Angles]] and [[Saxons]],<ref name="opp" /> though other geneticists place the Norse-[[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] estimate up to half.<ref name="UKmaybe">{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/science/06brits.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all |title=A United Kingdom? Maybe |last=Wade |first=Nicholas |date=6 March 2007|newspaper =The New York Times |accessdate=2009-08-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Evidence for a segregated social structure in early Anglo-Saxon England|url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1635457 |publisher=PubMedCentral.nih.gov |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> Over time, various cultures have been influential: [[Prehistoric Britain|Prehistoric]], [[Britons (historical)|Brythonic]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Roman Britons after 410 |url=http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba68/feat1.shtml |publisher=Britarch.ac.uk |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> [[Ancient Rome|Roman]], [[Anglo-Saxon]],<ref>{{cite book |title=Anglo-Saxon Origins: The Reality of the Myth |url=http://books.google.com/?id=D3GPUqysfoAC&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=Anglo-Saxon+Origins:+The+Reality+of+the+Myth&q=Anglo-Saxon%20Origins%3A%20The%20Reality%20of%20the%20Myth |publisher=Malcolm Todd| accessdate=2009-09-05 |isbn=9781871516852 |last=Cameron | first = Keith |year=1994 | month = March}}</ref> [[Norsemen|Norse]] [[Viking]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Legacy of the Vikings |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/conquest/after_viking/legacy_vikings_01.shtml |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> [[Gaels|Gaelic]] cultures, as well as a large influence from [[Normans]]. There is an English diaspora in former parts of the British Empire; especially the United States, Canada, Australia, [[Chile]], South Africa and New Zealand.{{#tag:ref|For instance, in 1980 around 50&nbsp;million [[United States|Americans]] claimed [[English Americans|English ancestry]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Shifting Identities&nbsp;– statistical data on ethnic identities in the US |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_/ai_80408799 |publisher=Bnet |accessdate=09-07-29 | year=2001}}</ref> In Canada there are around 6.5&nbsp;million [[Demographics of Canada|Canadians]] who claim [[English Canadians|English ancestry]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories |url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=01&Data=Count&Table=2&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000 |publisher=Statistics Canada |accessdate=09-07-29}}</ref> Around 70% of [[Demographics of Australia|Australians]] in 1999 denoted their origins as [[Anglo-Celtic]], a category which includes all peoples from Great Britain and Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Australian Population: Ethnic Origins |url=http://elecpress.monash.edu.au/pnp/free/pnpv7n4/v7n4_3price.pdf |author=Centre for Population and Urban Research, Monash University |accessdate=09-07-29}}</ref> Chileans of [[English Chilean|English descent]] are somewhat of an anomaly in that [[Chile]] itself was never part of the British Empire, but today there are around 420,000 people of English origins living there.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inmigración británica en Chile |url=http://www.galeon.com/typepad/|publisher=Galeon.com |accessdate=09-07-29}}</ref> |group=note}} Since the late 1990s, English people [[British migration to Spain|have migrated]] to Spain.<ref>{{cite news |title=An Englishman's home is his casa as thousands go south |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/09/spain.spain |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |accessdate=2009-09-05 | first=Jason | last=Burke | date=9 October 2005}}</ref><ref name="Leave">{{cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/nov/16/emigration |title=Record numbers leave the country for life abroad |first1 =Alan | last1 = Travis |first2 = Sarah | last2 = Knapton |date=16 November 2007 |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |accessdate=2009-08-08 }}</ref>

[[File:07england ethnicity.jpg|left|thumb|alt=Pie chart with main body in blue and multiple smaller segments in other colours.|2007 estimates of [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|ethnic groups in England]]]]
At the time of the ''[[Domesday Book]]'', compiled in 1086, more than 90% of the English population of about two million lived in the countryside.<ref>{{cite web |title=Medieval English society |url=http://history.wisc.edu/sommerville/123/123%2013%20Society.htm |author=University of Wisconsin |accessdate= 2009-09-05}}</ref> By 1801 the population had grown to 8.3&nbsp;million, and by 1901 had grown to 30.5&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |title=The UK population: past, present and future |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fom2005/01_FOPM_Population.pdf |accessdate=2009-09-05 |author=[[Office for National Statistics]]}}</ref> Due in particular to the economic prosperity of [[South East England]], there are many economic migrants from the other parts of the United Kingdom.<ref name="ethnicityengl" /> There has been [[Irish migration to Great Britain|significant Irish migration]], with 24% of British people and 77% of Londoners claiming Irish ancestry.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1224611.stm|title=One in four Britons claim Irish roots|publisher=BBC News Online|accessdate=2010-11-26 | date=16 March 2001}}</ref> The proportion of ethnically European residents totals at 89.90%, including [[British Germans|Germans]]<ref name="migra" /> and [[Polish British|Poles]].<ref name="ethnicityengl" />

Other people from much further afield in the former British colonies have arrived since the 1950s: in particular, 5.30% of people living in England have family origins in the [[Indian subcontinent]], mostly India and [[Pakistan]].<ref name="ethnicityengl" /><ref name="migra">{{cite news |title=British Immigration Map Revealed |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4218740.stm |work=BBC News Online|accessdate=2009-09-05 | date=7 September 2005}}</ref> 2.30% of the population are black, mostly from the [[Caribbean]].<ref name="ethnicityengl" /><ref name="migra" /> There is a significant number of Chinese and [[British Chinese]].<ref name="ethnicityengl" /><ref name="migra" /> As of 2007, 22% of primary school children in England were from [[minority group|ethnic minority]] families.<ref name="Paton">{{cite news| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/27/nschools127.xml |title=One fifth of children from ethnic minorities |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |first=Graeme | last = Paton |date=1 October 2007 |accessdate=2008-03-28 }}</ref> About half of the population increase between 1991 and 2001 was due to immigration.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article379434.ece |title=Immigration rise increases segregation in British cities |last=Leppard |first=David |date=10 April 2005 |work=The Times |location=London |accessdate=2009-08-08 }}</ref> Debate over immigration is politically prominent;<ref>{{cite web |title=Immigration debate hots up in England |url=http://www.paperarticles.com/2008/11/immigration-debate-hots-up-in-england.html |publisher=The Independent News Service |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> according to a [[Home Office]] poll, 80% of people want to cap it.<ref>{{cite news |title=80% say cap immigration |url=http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/115745/80-say-cap-immigration |newspaper=Daily Express | location = London | date = 23 July 2009 | first=Gabriel | last = Milland |accessdate=2009-09-05 }}</ref> The [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] has projected that the population will grow by six million between 2004 and 2029.<ref name="increase">{{cite news |title=50&nbsp;million population of England set to rise by six million in 25&nbsp;years |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-410112/50-million-population-England-set-rise-million-25-years.html |newspaper=Daily Mail |location=London |accessdate=2009-09-05 | date=12 October 2006}}</ref>

=== Language ===
{{Main|English language|History of the English language}}
[[File:Anglospeak.svg|thumb|right|The [[English-speaking world]]. Countries in dark blue have a majority of native speakers. Countries in light blue have English as an official language, ''de jure'' or ''de facto''. English is also one of the [[Languages of the European Union|official languages of the European Union]].<ref name="EUlang">{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/languages-of-europe/doc135_en.htm |title=Official EU languages |date=8 May 2009 |publisher =[[European Commission]] |accessdate=2009-10-16}}</ref>]]

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. It is an [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] language in the [[Anglo-Frisian languages|Anglo-Frisian]] branch of the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] family.<ref>{{harvnb|Arlotto|1971|p=108}}.</ref> After the [[Norman Conquest of England|Norman conquest]], the [[Old English|Old English language]] was displaced and confined to the lower social classes as [[Norman language|Norman French]] and [[Latin]] were used by the aristocracy.

By the 15th century, English came back into fashion among all classes, though much changed; the [[Middle English]] form showed many signs of French influence, both in vocabulary and spelling. During the [[English Renaissance]], many words were coined from Latin and Greek origins.<ref>{{harvnb|Green|2003|p=13}}.</ref> [[Modern English]] has extended this custom of flexibility, when it comes to incorporating words from different languages. Thanks in large part to the British Empire, the English language is the world's unofficial ''[[lingua franca]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=English: Not America's Language? |url=http://www.theglobalist.com/DBWeb/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=3229 | first = Mauro E. | last = Mujica | date = 19 June 2003 | location = Washington DC |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080117232711/http://www.theglobalist.com/DBWeb/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=3229 |archivedate=2008-01-17 |work=The Globalist |accessdate=2009-02-01}}</ref>

[[English language learning and teaching]] is an important economic activity, and includes [[language schools|language schooling]], tourism spending, and publishing. There is no [[United Kingdom legislation|legislation]] mandating an official language for England,<ref>{{cite web |title=English language history |url=http://www.yaelf.com/history.shtml |publisher=Yaelf |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> but English is the only language used for official business. Despite the country's relatively small size, there are many distinct [[Regional accents of English speakers#England|regional accents]], and individuals with particularly strong accents may not be easily understood everywhere in the country.

[[Cornish language|Cornish]], which died out as a community language in the 18th century, is being revived,<ref>{{cite web |title=Cornish language |url=http://www.gos.gov.uk/gosw/culturehome/heritage/cornish/?view=Standard |publisher=gos.gov.uk |accessdate=2009-09-22 |authorlink=Government Office |author=Government Offices for the English Regions}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Strategy for the Cornish language |url=http://www.magakernow.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=38603 |publisher=Cornish Language Partnership |accessdate=2009-09-22}}{{dead link|date=April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Manx, Cornish and Irish just three of 2,500 languages facing extinction, say UN |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1151045/Cornish-Manx-Irish-2-500-languages-facing-extinction-says-UN.html |work=Daily Mail |location=London| accessdate=2009-09-17 | first=Claire | last=Bates | date=23 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Cornish Language Development Project&nbsp;– Evaluation&nbsp;– Final Report, page 20 |url=http://www.magakernow.org.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=41357&p=0 |publisher=Hywel Evans, Aric Lacoste / ERS |accessdate=2009-09-17}}{{dead link|date=April 2011}}</ref> and is now protected under the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]].<ref>{{cite web |title=South West&nbsp;– Cornish Language |url=http://www.gos.gov.uk/gosw/culturehome/heritage/cornish/ |publisher=Government Office South West |accessdate=2009-09-17}}</ref> It is spoken by 0.1% of people in Cornwall,<ref>{{cite web |title=On being a Cornish "Celt": changing Celtic heritage and traditions |url=http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/cornishcom/documents/OnbeingaCornishcelt.pdf |publisher=[[University of Exeter]] |accessdate=2009-02-01}}</ref> and is taught to some degree in several primary and secondary schools.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Cornish: They revolted in 1497, now they're at it again |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-cornish-they-revolted-in-1497-now-theyre-at-it-again-1782535.html |work=The Independent |location=London|accessdate=2009-09-17 | first=Emily | last=Dugan | date=6 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.magakernow.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=38586 |title=Cornish in Schools |year=2009 |work=Cornish Language Partnership |accessdate=2009-09-22}}{{dead link|date=April 2011}}</ref> State schools teach students a second language, usually French, German or Spanish.<ref>{{cite news |title=Number of primaries teaching foreign languages doubles |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/jun/26/schools.uk2 |work=The Guardian |location=London |accessdate= 2009-09-23 | first=Anthea | last=Lipsett | date=26 June 2008}}</ref> Due to immigration, it was reported in 2007 that around 800,000 school students spoke a foreign language at home,<ref name="Paton"/> the most common being [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] and [[Urdu]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1045097/English-second-language-1-8-pupils-England.html |title=English is a second language for 1 in 8 pupils in England |last=Drury |first=Ian |date=15 August 2008 |work=Daily Mail |accessdate=23 September 2009 | location=London}}</ref>

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in England}}
[[File:Canterbury Cathedral - Portal Nave Cross-spire.jpeg|thumb|alt=Large yellow stone ornate building with buttresses and square central tower.|right|[[Canterbury Cathedral]], seat of the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]]]
Christianity is the most widely practised religion in England, as it has been since the Early Middle Ages, although it was first introduced much earlier, in Gaelic and Roman times. It continued through [[Early Insular Christianity]], and today about 71.6% of English people identify as Christians.<ref name="statsio">{{cite web |title=Religion|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=8301|publisher=Statistics.gov.uk|accessdate=2009-09-05|author=Office for National Statistics|authorlink=Office for National Statistics}}</ref> The largest form practised in the present day is [[Church of England|Anglicanism]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Church of England|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/cofe/cofe_1.shtml|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2010-12-04}}</ref> {{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} dating from the 16th century [[English Reformation|Reformation]] period, with the 1536 split from Rome over [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] wanting to divorce [[Catherine of Aragon]]; the religion regards itself as both Catholic and [[Reformed]].

There are [[High Church]] and [[Low Church]] traditions, and some Anglicans regard themselves as [[Anglo-Catholics]], after the [[Tractarian movement]]. The monarch of the United Kingdom is the head of the Church, acting as its [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England|Supreme Governor]]. It has the status of [[established church]] in England. There are around 26&nbsp;million adherents to the Church of England and they form part of the [[Anglican Communion]] with the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] acting as the symbolic worldwide head.<ref>{{cite web |title=Global Anglicanism at a Crossroads|url=http://pewresearch.org/pubs/896/global-anglicanism-at-a-crossroads|publisher=PewResearch.org|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> Many [[List of cathedrals in England and Wales|cathedrals]] and parish churches are historic buildings of significant architectural importance, such as [[Westminster Abbey]], [[York Minster]], [[Durham Cathedral]] and [[Salisbury Cathedral]].

[[File:George novgorod.jpg|thumb|alt=Icon of man in armour on white horse fighting black dragon to his left.|left|upright|[[Saint George]], the [[patron saint]] of England]]
The second largest Christian practice is the [[Latin Rite]] of the Catholic Church, which traces its formal, corporate history in England to the 6th century with [[Augustine of Canterbury|Augustine's mission]] and was the main religion on the entire island for around a thousand years. Since its reintroduction after the [[Catholic Emancipation]], the Church has organised ecclesiastically on an [[Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales|England and Wales]] basis where there are 4.5&nbsp;million members (most of whom are English).<ref>{{cite news |title=People here 'must obey the laws of the land'|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1578212/People-here-must-obey-the-laws-of-the-land.html|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London|accessdate=2009-09-05 | date=2008-02-09}}</ref> There has been one Pope from England to date, [[Pope Adrian IV|Adrian IV]]; while saints [[Bede]] and [[Anselm of Canterbury|Anselm]] are regarded as [[Doctors of the Church]].

A form of [[Protestantism]] known as [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|Methodism]] is the third largest and grew out of Anglicanism through [[John Wesley]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Methodist Church|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/methodist_1.shtml|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> It gained popularity in the [[mill town]]s of [[Lancashire]] and [[Yorkshire]], and amongst tin miners in [[Cornwall]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linguae-celticae.org/dateien/Independent_Study_on_Cornish_Language.pdf|title=AN INDEPENDENT ACADEMIC STUDY ON CORNISH|page 8|accessdate=26 December 2010}}</ref> There are other [[non-conformist]] minorities, such as [[Baptists]], [[Quakers]], [[Congregational church|Congregationalists]], [[Unitarianism|Unitarians]] and [[The Salvation Army]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cambridge History of Christianity|url=http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521815000&ss=exc|publisher=Hugh McLeod|accessdate=2009-09-05 }}</ref>

The patron saint of England is [[Saint George]]; he is represented in the national flag, as well as the Union Flag as part of a combination.<ref name="flaghistory">{{cite web |title=United Kingdom&nbsp;– History of the Flag|url=http://flagspot.net/flags/gb-hist.html|publisher=FlagSpot.net|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref><ref name="flaghistory" /> There are many other English and associated saints; some of the best known include: [[Cuthbert]], [[Saint Alban|Alban]], [[Wilfrid]], [[Aidan of Lindisfarne|Aidan]], [[Edward the Confessor]], [[John Fisher]], [[Thomas More]], [[Saint Petroc|Petroc]], [[Saint Piran|Piran]], [[Margaret Clitherow]] and [[Thomas Becket]]. There are non-Christian religions practised. Jews have a history of a small minority on the island since 1070.<ref name="jews">{{cite web |title=From Expulsion (1290) to Readmission (1656): Jews and England|url=http://www.gold.ac.uk/media/350th-anniversary.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=Goldsmiths.ac.uk |accessdate=2009-02-01}}</ref> They were expelled from England in 1290 following the [[Edict of Expulsion]], only to be allowed back in 1656.<ref name="jews" />

Especially since the 1950s, Eastern religions from the [[British Empire|former British colonies]] have begun to appear, due to foreign immigration; [[Islam]] is the most common of these, accounting for around 3.1% in England.<ref name="statsio" /> [[Hinduism]], [[Sikhism]] and [[Buddhism]] are next in number, adding up to 2% combined,<ref name="statsio" /> introduced from India and [[South East Asia]].<ref name="statsio" /> Around 14.6% claim to have [[irreligion|no religion]].<ref name="statsio" />

== Education ==
{{Main|Education in England|List of universities in England}}
[[File:Senate House, University of London.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Senate House of the University of London.|right|[[Senate House (University of London)|Senate House]], the administrative centre of the [[University of London]]]]
The [[Department for Education]] is the government department responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including education.<ref>{{harvnb|Gearon|2002|p=246}}.</ref> State-run and -funded schools are attended by approximately 93% of English schoolchildren.<ref>{{harvnb|West|2003|p=28}}.</ref> Of these, a minority are [[faith school]]s, primarily Church of England or Catholic. Between three and four is [[nursery school]], four and eleven is primary school, and eleven to sixteen is secondary school, with an option for a two-year extension to attend [[sixth form college]].

Although most English secondary schools are [[comprehensive school|comprehensive]], in some areas there are selective intake [[grammar school]]s, to which entrance is subject to passing the [[eleven plus exam]]. Around 7.2% of English schoolchildren attend [[Independent school (UK)|private schools]], which are funded by private sources.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Independent Schools in the United Kingdom|url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580406/independent_schools_in_the_united_kingdom.html|publisher=encarta.msn.com|work=[[Encarta]]|accessdate=2009-09-17|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5kwbmg0Pk|archivedate=2009-10-31|deadurl=yes}}</ref> Standards in state schools are monitored by the [[Office for Standards in Education]], and in private schools by the [[Independent Schools Inspectorate]].<ref>{{harvnb|Gearon|2002|p=102}}.</ref>

[[File:KingsCollegeChapelWest.jpg|thumb|alt=Large yellow stone building with an arched window and two towers at the end nearest the photographer. In the foreground is grass and water with people in a punt.|left|[[King's College, Cambridge|King's College]], University of Cambridge]]
After finishing compulsory education, pupils take a [[General Certificate of Secondary Education|GCSE]] examination, following which they may decide to continue in [[further education]] and attend a [[List of further education colleges in England|further education college]]. Students normally enter [[universities in the United Kingdom]] from 18 onwards, where they study for an [[academic degree]]. There are over 90&nbsp;universities England, all but one of which are [[Public university|public]]. The [[Department for Business, Innovation and Skills]] is the government department responsible for higher education in England.<ref>{{cite web |title=Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee Contents |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmdius/170/17004.htm|publisher=publications.parliament.uk|accessdate=2009-09-16|authorlink=Parliament of the United Kingdom|author=United Kingdom Parliament}}</ref> Students are generally entitled to [[student loan]]s for maintenance.{{#tag:ref|Students attending English universities now have to pay tuition fees towards the cost of their education, as do English students who choose to attend university in Scotland. Scottish students attending Scottish universities have their fees paid by the devolved Scottish Parliament.<ref name="msnmoney" />|group=note}} The [[Undergraduate degree|first degree]] offered to undergraduates is the [[Bachelor's degree]], which usually takes three years to complete. Students are then eligible for a postgraduate degree, a [[Master's degree]], taking one year, or a [[Doctorate]] degree, which takes three.

[[List of universities in England|England's universities]] include some of the highest-ranked universities in the world; the [[University of Cambridge]], [[Imperial College London]], the [[University of Oxford]] and [[University College London]] are all ranked in the global top 10 in the 2010 ''[[QS World University Rankings]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2010/results|title=QS World University Rankings Results 2010|accessdate=23 January 2011|publisher=QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited}}</ref> The [[London School of Economics]] has been described as the world's leading social science institution for both teaching and research.<ref name=london_156>{{Citation |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/sunday_times_university_guide/article2496158.ece |title=The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2007 – Profile for London School of Economics|work=The Times |location=London|accessdate=6 June 2008 | date=23 September 2007}}</ref> The [[London Business School]] is considered one of the world's leading business schools and in 2010 its MBA programme was ranked best in the world by the ''[[Financial Times]]''.<ref name = "ft">{{cite web|url=http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/global-mba-rankings| title= FT Global MBA Rankings |work=Financial Times |accessdate=25 January 2010}}</ref> [[Academic degree]]s in England are usually split into classes: first class (I), upper second class (II:1), lower second class (II:2) and third (III), and unclassified (below third class).

[[The King's School, Canterbury]] and [[King's School, Rochester]] are the oldest schools in the English-speaking world.<ref>{{harvnb|Webster|1937|p=383}}.</ref> Many of England's better-known schools, such as [[Winchester College]], [[Eton College]], [[St Paul's School (London)|St Paul's School]], [[Rugby School]], and [[Harrow School]] are fee-paying institutions.<ref>{{harvnb|Lowe|1971|p=317}}.</ref>
{{Clear}}

== Science and technology ==
{{Main|List of English inventions and discoveries|Royal Society}}
[[File:Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727).jpg|thumb|alt=Torso of man with long white hair and dark coloured jacket|left|upright|Sir [[Isaac Newton]] is one of the most influential figures in the [[history of science]].]]
Prominent English figures from the field of science and mathematics include Sir [[Isaac Newton]], [[Michael Faraday]], [[Robert Hooke]], [[Robert Boyle]], [[Joseph Priestley]], [[J. J. Thomson]], [[Charles Babbage]], [[Charles Darwin]], [[Stephen Hawking]], [[Christopher Wren]], [[Alan Turing]], [[Francis Crick]], [[Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister|Joseph Lister]], [[Tim Berners-Lee]], [[Andrew Wiles]] and [[Richard Dawkins]]. Some experts claim that the earliest concept of a [[metric system]] was invented by [[John Wilkins]], first secretary of the [[Royal Society]] in 1668.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6890000/newsid_6898200/6898274.stm?bw=nb&mp=wm&news=1&ms3=10|publisher=BBC News|title=Metric system was British|accessdate=2009-09-05 | date=2007-07-13}}</ref> As birthplace of the [[Industrial Revolution]], England was home to many significant inventors during the late 18th and early 19th century. Famous English engineers include [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]], best known for the creation of the [[Great Western Railway]], a series of famous [[steamship]]s, and numerous important bridges, hence revolutionising public transport and modern-day engineering.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.designmuseum.org/designinbritain/isambard-kingdom-brunel|publisher=DesignMuseum.org|title=Isambard Kingdom Brunel|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> [[Thomas Newcomen]]'s [[Newcomen steam engine|steam engine]] helped spawn the Industrial Revolution.<ref>{{harvnb|Oakes|2002|p=214}}</ref> The physician [[Edward Jenner]]'s [[smallpox vaccine]] is said to have "saved more lives [...] than were lost in all the wars of mankind since the beginning of recorded history."<ref name="saunders_jenner">{{harvnb|Saunders|1982|p=13}}</ref><ref name="white_jenner">{{harvnb|White|2009|p=335}}</ref><ref name="levine">{{harvnb|Levine|1960|p=183}}</ref>

Inventions and discoveries of the English include; the [[jet engine]], the first industrial [[spinning frame|spinning machine]], [[Analytical engine|the first computer]] and the first [[Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine|modern computer]], the [[World Wide Web]] along with [[HTTP]] and [[HTML]], the first successful human [[blood transfusion]], the motorised [[vacuum cleaner]],<ref name="americanheritage">{{cite web|url=http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2006/4/2006_4_4.shtml|title=The Vacuum Cleaner|author=Curt Wohleber|date=Spring 2006|accessdate=2010-12-08|work=Invention & Technology Magazine|publisher=American Heritage Publishing}}{{dead link|date=April 2011}}</ref> the [[lawn mower]], the [[seat belt]], the [[hovercraft]], the [[electric motor]], [[steam engine]]s, and theories such as the Darwinian theory of [[evolution]] and [[atomic theory]].<ref name="invent">{{cite web |url= http://www.english-crafts.co.uk/history/inventors.htm|publisher=English-Crafts.co.uk|title=English Inventors and Inventions|accessdate=2009-09-05}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Newton developed the ideas of [[universal gravitation]], [[Newtonian mechanics]], and [[infinitesimal calculus]], and [[Robert Hooke]] his eponymously named [[Hooke's law of elasticity|law of elasticity]]. Other inventions include the iron plate [[railway]], the [[thermosiphon]], [[tarmac]], the [[rubber band]], the [[mousetrap]], [[Cat's eye (road)|"cat's eye" road safety device]], joint development of the [[light bulb]], steam [[locomotive]]s, the modern [[seed drill]] and many modern techniques and technologies used in [[precision engineering]].<ref name="invent" />

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of England|English Renaissance}}

=== Architecture ===
[[File:St Pauls Cathedral, London.jpg|thumb|alt=White stone building with tower topped with a dome. In the foreground are trees and a red rectangular vertical box with windows.|right|upright|[[St Paul's Cathedral]], [[English Baroque]]]]
Many ancient [[standing stone]] monuments were erected during the prehistoric period, amongst the best known are [[Stonehenge]], [[Devil's Arrows]], [[Rudston Monolith]] and [[Castlerigg stone circle|Castlerigg]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.stone-circles.org.uk/stone/index.htm|publisher=Stone-Circles.org.uk|title=The Prehistoric Sites of Great Britain|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> With the introduction of [[Ancient Roman architecture]] there was a development of [[basilicas]], [[Roman baths|baths]], [[amphitheaters]], [[triumphal arch]]es, [[villa]]s, [[Roman temple]]s, [[Roman road]]s, [[Roman fort]]s, [[stockade]]s and [[aqueduct]]s.<ref name="roman">{{cite web |url=http://www.castles.me.uk/ancient-roman-architecture-england-wales.htm|publisher=Castles.me.uk|title=Ancient Roman architecture in England and Wales|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> It was the Romans who founded the first cities and towns such as London, Bath, York, Chester and St Albans. Perhaps the best known example is [[Hadrian's Wall]] stretching right across northern England.<ref name="roman" /> Another well preserved example is the [[Roman Baths (Bath)|Roman Baths]] at [[Bath, Somerset]].<ref name="roman" />

[[Anglo-Saxon architecture|Early Medieval architecture's]] secular buildings were simple constructions mainly using [[timber]] with [[thatch]] for roofing. Ecclesiastical architecture ranged from a synthesis of [[Early Christian Ireland|Hiberno]]—[[Germanic Christianity|Saxon]] [[monasticism]],<ref>{{harvnb|Colgrave|1985|p=326}}.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Pevsner|1942|p=14}}.</ref> to [[Early Christian art and architecture|Early Christian]] [[basilica]] and architecture characterised by pilaster-strips, blank arcading, baluster shafts and triangular headed openings. After the Norman conquest in 1066 various [[Castles in England]] were created so law lords could uphold their authority and in the north to protect from invasion. Some of the best known medieval castles include the [[Tower of London]], [[Warwick Castle]], [[Durham Castle]] and [[Windsor Castle]] amongst others.<ref name="buildings" />

[[File:Broadway tower edit.jpg|thumb|alt=Yellow stone tower with two circular turrets which run the height of the building.|left|The [[Broadway Tower]] is a [[folly]], or mock tower, in [[Worcestershire]].]]
Throughout the Plantagenet era an [[English Gothic architecture]] flourished—the [[Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England|medieval cathedrals]] such as [[Canterbury Cathedral]], [[Westminster Abbey]] and [[York Minster]] are prime examples.<ref name="buildings">{{harvnb|Atkinson|2008|p=189}}.</ref> Expanding on the [[Norman architecture|Norman base]] there was also [[castle]]s, [[palace]]s, [[List of historic houses in England|great houses]], [[university|universities]] and [[parish church]]es. Medieval architecture was completed with the 16th century [[Tudor architecture|Tudor style]]; the four-centred arch, now known as the [[Tudor arch]], was a defining feature as were [[wattle and daub]] houses domestically. In the aftermath of the [[Renaissance]] a form of architecture echoing classical antiquity, synthesised with Christianity appeared—the [[English Baroque]] style, architect [[Christopher Wren]] was particularly championed.<ref>{{harvnb|Downes|2007|p=17}}.</ref>

[[Georgian architecture]] followed in a more refined style, evoking a simple Palladian form; the [[Royal Crescent]] at Bath is one of the best examples of this. With the emergence of [[romanticism]] during Victorian period, a [[Gothic Revival]] was launched—in addition to this around the same time the Industrial Revolution paved the way for buildings such as [[The Crystal Palace]]. Since the 1930s various [[modernist architecture|modernist]] forms have appeared whose reception is often controversial, though traditionalist resistance movements continue with support in influential places.{{#tag:ref|While people such as [[Norman Foster (architect)|Norman Foster]] and [[Richard Rogers]] represent the modernist movement, [[Prince Charles]] since the 1980s has voiced strong views against it in favour of traditional architecture and put his ideas into practice at his [[Poundbury]] development in Dorset.<ref name=ArchCon4>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8045027.stm|publisher=BBC News| title=Architects to hear Prince appeal | date=2009-05-12| accessdate=2009-06-20}}</ref> Architects like [[Raymond Erith]], [[Francis Johnson (architect)|Francis Johnson]] and [[Quinlan Terry]] continued to practice in the classical style.|group=note}}

=== Folklore ===
{{Main|English folklore}}
[[File:Robin shoots with sir Guy by Louis Rhead 1912.png|thumb|alt=Drawing depicting Robin Hood, wearing Lincoln green clothing, and Sir Guy of Gisbourne, wearing brown furs, in a forest preparing to shoot with bows and arrows.|right|upright|[[Robin Hood]] illustrated in 1912 wearing [[Lincoln green]]]]
English folklore developed over many centuries. Some of the characters and stories are present across England, but most belong to specific regions. Common folkloric beings include [[pixie]]s, [[giant (mythology)|giants]], [[elf]]s, [[bogeymen]], [[troll]]s, [[goblin]]s and [[dwarf (mythology)|dwarves]]. While many legends and folk-customs are thought to be ancient, for instance the tales featuring [[Offa of Angel]] and [[Wayland the Smith]],<ref name=keary>{{harvnb|Keary|1882|p=50}}.</ref> others date from after the Norman invasion; [[Robin Hood]] and his [[Merry Men]] of [[Sherwood Forest|Sherwood]] and their battles with the [[Sheriff of Nottingham]] being, perhaps, the best known.<ref>{{harvnb|Pollard|2004|p=272}}.</ref>

During the [[High Middle Ages]] tales originating from Brythonic traditions entered English folklore—the [[Arthurian myth]].<ref name=woodbbc>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/arthur_03.shtml |title=King Arthur, 'Once and Future King' |author=Michael Wood|publisher=BBC News |date= |accessdate=2009-09-16}}</ref><ref name=higham1>{{harvnb|Higham|2002|p=25}}.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Koch|2006|p=732}}.</ref> These were derived from [[Anglo-Norman]], French and Welsh sources,<ref name=higham1/> featuring [[King Arthur]], [[Camelot]], [[Excalibur]], [[Merlin]] and the [[Knights of the Round Table]] such as [[Lancelot]]. These stories are most centrally brought together within [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]]'s ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]''.{{#tag:ref|These tales may have come to prominence, at least in part, as an attempt by the Norman ruling elite to legitimise their rule of the British Isles, finding [[Anglo-Saxon]] history ill-suited to the task during an era when members of the deposed [[House of Wessex]], especially [[Edgar the Ætheling]] and his nephews of the Scottish [[House of Dunkeld]], were still active in the isles.<ref name=higham1/><ref>{{harvnb|Lacy|1986|p=649}}.</ref> Also [[Michael Wood (historian)|Michael Wood]] explains; "Over the centuries the figure of Arthur became a symbol of British history—a way of explaining the matter of Britain, the relationship between the Saxons and the Celts, and a way of exorcising ghosts and healing the wounds of the past."<ref name=woodbbc/>|group=note}} Another early figure from [[Britons (historic)|British tradition]], [[King Cole]], may have been based on a real figure from Sub-Roman Britain. Many of the tales and [[pseudohistory|pseudo-histories]] make up part of the wider [[Matter of Britain]], a collection of shared British folklore.

[[File:Morris men.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Men in bright red clothing holding sticks in the air.|[[Morris dance]], an English [[folk dance]]]]
Some folk figures are based on semi or actual historical people whose story has been passed down centuries; [[Lady Godiva]] for instance was said to have ridden naked on horseback through [[Coventry]], [[Hereward the Wake]] was a heroic English figure resisting the Norman invasion, [[Herne the Hunter]] is an [[equestrianism|equestrian]] [[ghost]] associated with [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]] Forest and [[Windsor Great Park|Great Park]] and [[Mother Shipton]] is the archetypal witch.<ref>{{harvnb|Briggs|2004|p=26}}.</ref> On 5 November people make bonfires, set off [[fireworks]] and eat [[toffee apple]]s in [[Guy Fawkes Night|commemoration]] of the foiling of the [[Gunpowder Plot]] centred around [[Guy Fawkes]]. The chivalrous bandit, such as [[Dick Turpin]], is a recurring character, while [[Blackbeard]] is the archetypal pirate. There are various national and regional folk activities, participated in to this day, such as [[Morris dancing]], [[Maypole dance|Maypole dancing]], [[Rapper sword]] in the North East, [[Long Sword dance]] in Yorkshire, [[Mummers Play]]s, [[bottle-kicking]] in Leicestershire, and [[Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake|cheese-rolling]] at [[Brockworth, Gloucestershire|Cooper's Hill]].<ref>{{harvnb|Withington|2008|p=224}}.</ref> There is no official national costume, but a few are well established such as the [[Pearly Kings and Queens]] associated with cockneys, the [[Queen's Guard|Royal Guard]], the [[Morris dance|Morris costume]] and [[Beefeater]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/costume.html|publisher=Woodlands-Junior.kent.sch.uk|title=What is England's national costume?|accessdate=09-06-24}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|English cuisine}}
[[File:Fish and chips.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Fish and chips.|[[Fish and chips]] is a widely consumed part of [[English cuisine]].]]
Since the [[Early Modern Period]] the food of England has historically been characterised by its simplicity of approach, honesty of flavour, and a reliance on the high quality of natural produce.<ref>{{harvnb|Else|2007|p=76}}.</ref> During the [[Middle Ages]] and through the Renaissance period, English cuisine enjoyed an excellent reputation, though a decline began during the [[Industrial Revolution]] with the move away from the land and increasing urbanisation of the populace. The French sometimes referred to English people as ''les rosbifs'', as a stereotype to suggest English food is unsophisticated or crude.<ref>{{harvnb|Else|2007|p=85}}.</ref> The cuisine of England has, however, recently undergone a revival, which has been recognised by the food critics with some good ratings in ''[[Restaurant (magazine)|Restaurant]]'''s [[best restaurant in the world]] charts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theworlds50best.com/module/acms_winners?group_id=1|publisher=TheWorlds50Best.com|title=The S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants|accessdate=2009-09-05}}{{dead link|date=April 2011}}</ref> An early book of English recipes is the ''[[Forme of Cury]]'' from the royal court of [[Richard II of England|Richard II]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3061656/King-Richard-IIs-recipe-book-to-go-online.html|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London|title=King Richard II's recipe book to go online|accessdate=2009-09-05 | first=Nicole | last=Mart | date=2008-09-22}}</ref>

[[File:Apple pie.jpg|thumb|left|alt=An apple pie on a red table cloth, with green apples next to it.|[[Apple pie]] has been consumed in England since the [[Middle Ages]].]]
Traditional examples of English food include the [[Sunday roast]]; featuring a [[roasting|roasted joint]], usually [[beef]], [[lamb and mutton|lamb]] or [[chicken]], served with assorted boiled vegetables, [[Yorkshire pudding]] and [[gravy]].<ref name="tradfood" /> Other prominent meals include [[fish and chips]] and the [[Full breakfast|full English breakfast]]—consisting of [[bacon]], grilled tomatoes, fried bread, [[black pudding]], [[baked beans]], fried [[mushrooms]], sausages and eggs. Various [[meat pie]]s are consumed such as [[steak and kidney pie]], [[cottage pie]], Cornish [[pasty]] and [[pork pie]], the latter of which is consumed cold.<ref name="tradfood">{{cite web |url= http://www.travelsignposts.com/England/traditional-English-food-specialities.php|publisher=TravelSignPosts.com|title=Traditional English Food Specialities|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>

Sausages are commonly eaten, either as [[bangers and mash]] or [[toad in the hole]]. [[Lancashire hotpot]] is a well known stew. Some of the most popular [[cheese]]s are [[Cheddar cheese|Cheddar]] and [[Wensleydale (cheese)|Wensleydale]]. Many [[Anglo-Indian]] hybrid dishes, [[curries]], have been created such as [[chicken tikka masala]] and [[balti (food)|balti]]. Sweet English dishes include [[apple pie]], [[mince pie]]s, [[spotted dick]], [[scones]], [[Eccles cake]]s, [[custard]] and [[sticky toffee pudding]]. Common drinks include tea, which became far more widely drunk due to [[Catherine of Braganza]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tea.co.uk/catherine-of-braganza|publisher=Tea.co.uk|title=Catherine of Braganza|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> while alcoholic drinks include [[wine]]s and [[English beer]]s such as [[bitter (beer)|bitter]], [[mild ale|mild]], [[stout]], and [[brown ale]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/the-pint-of-real-ale/features/types-of-beer-finished|publisher=Icons of England|title=Types of Beer|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>

=== Visual arts ===
{{Main|English art|Arts Council England}}
[[File:JWW TheLadyOfShallot 1888.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A painting of a red haired woman, sitting in a boat, surrounded by trees.|''[[The Lady of Shalott (painting)|The Lady of Shalott]]'' by [[John William Waterhouse]] in the [[Pre-Raphaelite]] style.]]
The earliest known examples are the prehistoric rock and [[cave art]] pieces, most prominent in [[North Yorkshire]], [[Northumberland]] and [[Cumbria]], but also feature further south, for example at [[Creswell Crags]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-836-1/dissemination/pdf/ERA_Brochure.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=ArchaeologyDataService.ac.uk|title=The Prehistoric Cave Art of England|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> With the arrival of [[Roman culture]] in the 1st century, various forms of art utilising statues, busts, glasswork and mosaics were the norm. There are numerous surviving artefacts, such as those at [[Lullingstone Roman Villa|Lullingstone]] and [[Isurium Brigantum|Aldborough]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.17022|publisher=english-heritage.org.uk|title=Aldborough Roman Site|accessdate=2009-09-05|author=English Heritage|authorlink=English Heritage}}</ref> During the Early Middle Ages the style was sculpted crosses and ivories, manuscript painting, gold and enamel jewellery, demonstrating a love of intricate, interwoven designs such as in the [[Staffordshire Hoard]] discovered in 2009. Some of these blended [[Insular art|Gaelic and Anglian]] styles, such as the [[Lindisfarne Gospels]] and [[Vespasian Psalter]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0023715.html|publisher=Tiscali.co.uk|title=Early Middle Ages Art|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> Later [[Gothic art]] was popular at Winchester and Canterbury, examples survive such as [[Benedictional of St. Æthelwold]] and [[Luttrell Psalter]].<ref name="engart" />

The Tudor era saw [[Artists of the Tudor court|prominent artists]] as part of their court, portrait painting which would remain an enduring part of English art, was boosted by German [[Hans Holbein the Younger|Hans Holbein]], natives such as [[Nicholas Hilliard]] built on this.<ref name="engart">{{cite web |url= http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0028010.html|publisher=Tiscali.co.uk|title=English art|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> Under the Stuarts, Continental artists were influential especially the Flemish, examples from the period include—[[Anthony van Dyck]], [[Peter Lely]], [[Godfrey Kneller]] and [[William Dobson]].<ref name="engart" /> The 18th century was a time of significance with the founding of the [[Royal Academy]], a [[classicism]] based on the [[Renaissance art|High Renaissance]] prevailed—[[Thomas Gainsborough]] and [[Joshua Reynolds]] became two of England's most treasured artists.<ref name="engart" />

The [[Norwich School (art movement)|Norwich School]] continued the landscape tradition, while the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood]] with their vivid and detailed style revived the [[Early Renaissance]] style—[[Holman Hunt]], [[Dante Gabriel Rossetti]] and [[John Everett Millais]] were leaders.<ref name="engart" /> Prominent amongst twentieth century artists was [[Henry Moore]], regarded as the voice of British sculpture, and of British modernism in general.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Turner|first=Chris|title=The Bronze Age: Henry Moore and his successors|journal=Tate Magazine|issue=6|url=http://www.tate.org.uk/magazine/issue6/moore.htm|ref=harv}}</ref> Contemporary painters include [[Lucian Freud]], whose work ''[[Benefits Supervisor Sleeping]]'' in 2008 set a world record for sale value of a painting by a living artist.<ref>{{cite news | title = Freud work sets new world record | date = 14 May 2008 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7398949.stm |publisher=BBC News | accessdate = 2008-05-14}}</ref>

=== Literature, poetry and philosophy ===
{{Main|English literature}}
[[File:Geoffrey Chaucer (17th century).jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A man dressed in grey with a beard, holding a rosary, depicted next to a coat of arms.|[[Geoffrey Chaucer]] was an English author, poet and philosopher, best remembered for his unfinished frame narrative ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]''.]]
Early authors wrote in Latin such as [[Bede]] and [[Alcuin]].<ref name="warnancmod">{{harvnb|Warner|1902|p=35}}.</ref> The period of [[Old English literature]] provided the epic poem ''[[Beowulf]]'', the secular prose the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'',<ref>{{harvnb|Rogers|2001|p=17}}.</ref> along with Christian writings such as ''[[Judith (poem)|Judith]]'', [[Cædmon|Cædmon's]] ''[[Cædmon|Hymn]]'' and saintly hagiographies.<ref name="warnancmod" /> Following the Norman conquest [[Latin literature|Latin]] continued amongst the educated classes, as well as an [[Anglo-Norman literature]].

[[Middle English literature]] emerged with [[Geoffrey Chaucer]] author of ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]'', along with [[John Gower|Gower]], the [[Pearl Poet]] and [[William Langland|Langland]]. [[Franciscans]], [[William of Ockham]] and [[Roger Bacon]] were major [[philosopher]]s of the Middle Ages. [[Julian of Norwich]] with her ''[[Revelations of Divine Love]]'' was a prominent Christian mystic. With the [[English Renaissance]] literature in the [[Early Modern English]] style appeared. [[William Shakespeare]], whose works include ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[Macbeth]]'', and ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'', remains one of the most championed authors in English literature.<ref>{{harvnb|Rogers|2001|p=135}}.</ref>

[[Christopher Marlowe|Marlowe]], [[Edmund Spenser|Spenser]], [[Philip Sydney|Sydney]], [[Thomas Kyd|Kyd]], [[John Donne|Donne]], [[Ben Jonson|Jonson]] are other established authors of the [[Elizabethan literature|Elizabethan age]].<ref name="elizren">{{harvnb|Rowse|1971|p=48}}.</ref> [[Francis Bacon]] and [[Thomas Hobbes]] wrote on [[empiricism]] and [[materialism]], including [[scientific method]] and [[social contract]].<ref name="elizren" /> [[Robert Filmer|Filmer]] wrote on the [[Divine Right of Kings]]. [[Andrew Marvell|Marvell]] was the best known poet of the [[Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth]],<ref>{{harvnb|Norbrook|2000|p=6}}.</ref> while [[John Milton]] authored ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' during the [[Restoration literature|Restoration]].
{{Quote box
| quote =This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, this earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, this other Eden, demi-paradise; this fortress, built by nature for herself. This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.
| source = [[William Shakespeare]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Richard II|url=http://www.users.waitrose.com/~uk1/shakespeare/sceptred.htm|publisher=[[William Shakespeare]]|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>
| width =28%
| align =right
}}
Some of the most prominent philosophers from the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] were [[John Locke|Locke]], [[Thomas Paine|Paine]], [[Samuel Johnson|Johnson]] and [[Jeremy Bentham|Benthem]]. More radical elements were later countered by [[Edmund Burke]] who is regarded as the founder of conservatism.<ref>{{harvnb|Heywood|2007|p=74}}.</ref> The poet [[Alexander Pope]] with his satirical verse became well regarded. The English played a significant role in [[romanticism]]—[[Samuel Taylor Coleridge|Coleridge]], [[Lord Byron|Byron]], [[John Keats|Keats]], [[Mary Shelley|M Shelley]], [[Percy Bysshe Shelley|PB Shelley]], [[William Blake|Blake]] and [[William Wordsworth|Wordsworth]] were major figures.<ref>{{harvnb|Watson|1985|p=360}}.</ref>

In response to the [[Industrial Revolution]], agrarian writers looked to find a way between [[liberty]] and [[tradition]]; [[William Cobbett|Cobbett]], [[G. K. Chesterton|Chesterton]] and [[Hilaire Belloc|Belloc]] were main exponents, while founder of [[guild socialism]], [[Arthur Penty|Penty]] and [[cooperative movement]] advocate [[G. D. H. Cole|Cole]] are somewhat related.<ref>{{harvnb|Cole|1947|p=268}}.</ref> Empiricism continued through [[John Stuart Mill|Mill]] and [[Bertrand Russell|Russell]], while [[Bernard Williams|Williams]] was involved in analytics. Authors from around the time of the [[Victorian era]] include [[Charles Dickens|Dickens]], the [[Brontë sisters]], [[Jane Austen|Austen]], [[George Eliot|Eliot]], [[Rudyard Kipling|Kipling]], [[Thomas Hardy|Hardy]], [[H. G. Wells]], [[Lewis Carroll|Carroll]] and [[Evelyn Underhill|Underhill]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hawkins-Dady|1996|p=970}}.</ref> Since then England has continued to produce novellists such as [[C. S. Lewis]], [[George Orwell|Orwell]], [[D. H. Lawrence]], [[Virginia Woolf|Woolf]], [[Enid Blyton|Blyton]], [[Aldous Huxley|Huxley]], [[Agatha Christie|Christie]], [[Terry Pratchett|Pratchett]], [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], and [[J. K. Rowling]].<ref>{{harvnb|Eccleshare|2002|p=5}}.</ref>
{{Clear}}

=== Performing arts ===
{{Main|Folk music of England|Music of the United Kingdom}}
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The traditional [[folk music of England]] is centuries old and has contributed to several genres prominently; mostly [[sea shanties]], [[jig]]s, [[hornpipe]]s and [[dance music]]. It has its own distinct variations and regional peculiarities. [[Wynkyn de Worde]] printed ballads of Robin Hood from the 16th century are an important artefact, as are [[John Playford]]'s ''[[The Dancing Master]]'' and [[Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer|Robert Harley's]] ''[[Roxburghe Ballads]]'' collections.<ref>{{harvnb|Chappell|1966|p=690}}.</ref> Some of the best known songs are ''The Good Old Way'', ''[[Pastime with Good Company]]'', ''[[Maggie May (traditional song)|Maggie May]]'' and ''[[Spanish Ladies]]'' amongst others. Many [[nursery rhymes]] are of English origin such as ''[[Twinkle Twinkle Little Star]]'', ''[[Roses are red]]'', ''[[Jack and Jill (song)|Jack and Jill]]'', ''[[Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush]]'' and ''[[Humpty Dumpty]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Lax|1989|p=7}}.</ref>

Early English composers in [[classical music]] include Renaissance artists [[Thomas Tallis]] and [[William Byrd]], followed up by [[Henry Purcell]] from the [[Baroque music|Baroque period]]. German-born [[George Frideric Handel]] became a British subject<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_publications_and_archives/parliamentary_archives/handel_and_naturalisation.cfm|title=British Citizen by Act of Parliament: George Frideric Handel|month=July | year=2009|work=Parliamentary Archives|publisher=parliament.uk|authorlink=Parliament of the United Kingdom|author=United Kingdom Parliament|accessdate=2009-08-10}}</ref> and spent most of his composing life in London, creating some of the most well-known works of classical music, ''The [[Messiah]]'', ''[[Water Music (Handel)|Water Music]]'', and ''[[Music for the Royal Fireworks]]''. There was a revival in the profile of composers from England in the 20th century led by [[Benjamin Britten]], [[Frederick Delius]], [[Edward Elgar]], [[Gustav Holst]], [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]] and others.<ref>{{harvnb|Stradling|1993|p=166}}.</ref> Present-day composers from England include [[Michael Nyman]], best known for ''[[The Piano]]''.

In the field of [[popular music]] many 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 (band)|Queen]], [[Rod Stewart]] and [[The Rolling Stones]] are among the highest selling recording artists in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTopArt |title=Top Selling Artists |publisher=riaa.com|author=Recording Industry Association of America|authorlink=Recording Industry Association of America |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> Many musical genres have origins or strong associations with England, such as [[British invasion]], [[hard rock]], [[glam rock]], [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[mod (subculture)|mod]], [[britpop]], [[drum and bass]], [[progressive rock]], [[punk rock]], [[indie rock]], [[gothic rock]], [[shoegazing]], [[acid house]], [[UK garage]], [[trip hop]] and [[dubstep]].<ref>{{harvnb|Else|2007|p=65}}.</ref>

Large outdoor [[List of music festivals in the United Kingdom|music festivals]] in the summer and autumn are popular, such as [[Glastonbury Festival|Glastonbury]], [[V Festival]], [[Reading and Leeds Festivals]]. The most prominent [[opera house]] in England is the [[Royal Opera House]] at [[Covent Garden]].<ref name="foreman">{{harvnb|Foreman|2005|p=371}}.</ref> [[The Proms]], a season of [[orchestral]] [[classical music]] concerts held at the [[Royal Albert Hall]], is a major cultural event held annually.<ref name="foreman" /> [[The Royal Ballet]] is one of the world's foremost classical ballet companies, its reputation built on two prominent figures of 20th century dance, ''[[prima ballerina]]'' [[Margot Fonteyn]] and [[choreographer]] [[Frederick Ashton]].

=== Museums, libraries, and galleries ===
{{See|Museums in England}}
[[File:London Natural History Museum Panorama.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A museum building entrance.|The [[Natural History Museum]] in London]]
[[English Heritage]] is a governmental body with a broad remit of managing the historic sites, artefacts and environments of England. It is currently sponsored by the [[Department for Culture, Media and Sport]]. The charity [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty]] holds a contrasting role. Seventeen of the twenty-five United Kingdom [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]s fall within England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/gb|title=United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|work=World Heritage|publisher=whc.unesco.org|author=UNESCO|authorlink=UNESCO|accessdate=2009-09-08}}</ref> Some of the best known of these include; [[Hadrian's Wall]], [[Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites]], [[Tower of London]], [[Jurassic Coast]], [[Saltaire]], [[Ironbridge Gorge]], [[Studley Royal Park]] and various others.<ref>{{cite web |title=English World Heritage Sites to get strongest ever protections|url=http://www.ihbc.org.uk/news/docs/English%20World%20Heritage%20Sites%20to%20get%20strongest%20ever%20protections%20CLG%20press%20notice%2027%20May%202008.pdf |format=PDF |publisher=Institute of Historic Building Conservation |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>

There are many [[museums in England]], but the most notable is London's [[British Museum]]. Its collection of more than seven million objects<ref>{{cite web |title=Museum in London|url=http://www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/museum_in_london.aspx |publisher=BritishMuseum.org |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world,<ref>{{cite news |title=250 Years of the British Museum|url=http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1871956,00.html|work=Time |accessdate=2009-09-17 | date=2009-01-15}}</ref> sourced from every continent, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present. The [[British Library]] in London is the [[national library]] and is one of the world's largest [[research libraries]], holding over 150&nbsp;million items in all known languages and formats; including around 25&nbsp;million books.<ref>{{cite web |title=British Library|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/80260/British-Library |publisher=britannica.com |accessdate=2009-09-05|work=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref> The most senior art gallery is the [[National Gallery]] in [[Trafalgar Square]], which houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.<ref>{{cite web |title=The National Gallery|url=http://www.artinfo.com/galleryguide/22865/9383/the-national-gallery-london/about/ |publisher=ArtInfo.com |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> The [[Tate]] galleries house the national collections of British and international modern art; they also host the famously controversial [[Turner Prize]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2382373.stm|title=The art of Turner protests|last=Youngs|first=Ian|date=2002-10-31|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2009-08-10}}</ref>

== Sports ==
{{Main|Sport in England}}
[[File:Wembley Stadium interior.jpg|thumb|right|alt=The interior of an empty stadium as viewed from its upper tier of seating. The seats are a vivid red and the pitch is a vivid green. The pale grey sky is visible through an opening in the ceiling above the pitch.|Inside [[Wembley Stadium]], one of the most expensive stadiums ever built<ref name="Daily Mail&nbsp;&nbsp;— stadium ready">{{cite news | date=3 March 2007| url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=441182 | title=Wembley kick-off: Stadium is ready and England play first game in fortnight |work=Daily Mail |location=London | accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>]]
England has a strong sporting heritage, and during the 19th century codified many sports that are now played around the world. Sports originating in England include [[association football]],<ref name="football" /> [[cricket]], [[rugby union]], [[rugby league]], [[tennis]], [[badminton]], [[squash (sport)|squash]],<ref>{{cite web |title=History of squash|url=http://www.worldsquash2008.com/the-championships/history-of-squash.aspx |publisher=WorldSquash2008.com |accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> [[rounders]],<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Game|url=http://www.nra-rounders.co.uk/dyncat.cfm?catid=17177|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071112065508/http://www.nra-rounders.co.uk/dyncat.cfm?catid=17177|archivedate=2007-11-12|publisher=NRA-Rounders.co.uk}}</ref> [[hockey]], [[boxing]], [[snooker]], [[billiards]], [[darts]], [[table tennis]], [[bowls]], [[netball]], [[thoroughbred|thoroughbred horseracing]] and [[fox hunting]]. It has helped the development of [[sailing]] and [[Formula One]]. Football is the most popular of these sports. The [[England national football team]], whose home venue is [[Wembley Stadium]], won the [[1966 FIFA World Cup]], the year the country hosted the competition.

At club level England is recognised by [[FIFA]] as the birth-place of club football, due to [[Sheffield F.C.|Sheffield FC]] founded in 1857 being the oldest club.<ref name="football">{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=621801.html|publisher=[[FIFA]]|title=Sheffield FC: 150 years of history|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> [[The Football Association]] is the oldest of its kind, [[FA Cup]] and [[The Football League]] were the first cup and league competitions respectively. In the modern day the [[Premier League]] is the world's most lucrative football league<ref name=Deloitte2>{{cite web| url = http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/161923/premier-league-towers-over-world-football-says-deloitte | title = Premier League towers over world football, says Deloitte | publisher=sportbusiness.com | accessdate = 2010-01-08}}</ref> and amongst the elite.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method3/trank2006.html|title=UEFA ranking of European leagues|publisher=UEFA|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> The [[European Champion Clubs' Cup|European Cup]] has been won by [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] and [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]], while [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] and [[Leeds United A.F.C.|Leeds United]] have reached the final.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rsssf.com/ec/ec1stats.html|publisher=[[RSSSF]]|title=UEFA Champions League Finals 1956–2008|accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>

[[File:Flintoff bowling Siddle, 2009 Ashes 2.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Men in cricket whites play upon a green grass cricket field amidst a stadium.|[[England cricket team|England]] on the way to victory against [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] in the [[2009 Ashes series]] at [[Lord's Cricket Ground]]]]
[[Cricket]] is generally thought to have been developed in the early medieval period among the farming and metalworking communities of the [[Weald]].<ref>{{harvnb|Underdown|2000|p=6}}.</ref> The [[England cricket team]] is a composite England and Wales team. One of the game's top rivalries is [[The Ashes]] series between England and [[Australia cricket team|Australia]], contested since 1882. The finale of the [[2009 Ashes series|2009 Ashes]] was watched by nearly 2&nbsp;million people, although the climax of the [[2005 Ashes series|2005 Ashes]] was viewed by 7.4&nbsp;million as it was available on terrestrial television.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/engvaus2009/content/current/story/422272.html |title=Ashes climax watched by a fraction of 2005 audience |author=Cricinfo staff |publisher=[[Cricinfo]] |date=26&nbsp;August 2009 |accessdate=2009-09-09}}</ref> England are the current holders of the trophy and are fifth in both [[Test cricket|Test]] and [[One Day International]] cricket.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/rankings/content/current/page/211271.html |title=ICC Test and ODI Championships / Official Team Rankings |publisher=[[Cricinfo]] |accessdate=2009-09-09}}</ref>

England has hosted four [[Cricket World Cup]]s (1975, 1979, 1983, 1999) and the [[ICC World Twenty20]] in [[2009 ICC World Twenty20|2009]]. There are several domestic level competitions, including the [[County Championship]] in which [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]] are by far the most successful club having won the competition 31&nbsp;times.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/yorkshire/content/current/story/261973.html |title=A brief history of Yorkshire |publisher=[[Cricinfo]] |accessdate=2009-09-09}}</ref> [[Lord's Cricket Ground]] situated in London is sometimes referred to as the "Mecca of Cricket".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket-flaw-lords-out-of-order-1166513.html |title=Cricket: Flaw Lord's out of order |last=Fay |first=Stephen |work=The Independent |location=London |date=1998-06-21 |accessdate=2009-09-09 }}</ref> [[William Penny Brookes]] was prominent in organising the format for the modern [[Olympic Games]]. London hosted the [[Summer Olympic Games]] in [[1908 Summer Olympics|1908]] and [[1948 Summer Olympics|1948]], and will host them again in [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012]]. England competes in the [[Commonwealth Games]], held every four years. [[Sport England]] is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in England. A [[British Grand Prix|Grand Prix]] is held at [[Silverstone Circuit|Silverstone]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.silverstone.co.uk/about/history/|publisher=Silverstone.co.uk|title=The History of British Motorsport and Motor Racing at Silverstone|accessdate=2009-10-31|work=Silverstone}}</ref>

[[File:England world cup winners.jpg|thumb|right|alt=White men in grey suits, pale blue shirts and red ties celebrate upon the top floor of an open-top bus. On man holds a golden trophy in the air with one hand.|The [[England national rugby union team|England rugby union team]] during their victory parade after winning the [[2003 Rugby World Cup]]]]
The [[England national rugby union team|England rugby union team]] won the [[2003 Rugby World Cup]], the country was one of the host nations of the competition in the [[1991 Rugby World Cup]] and is set to host the [[2015 Rugby World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8170488.stm|publisher=BBC News|title=England will host 2015 Rugby World Cup|accessdate=2009-09-05 | date=2009-07-28}}</ref> The top level of club participation is the [[Guinness Premiership|English Premiership]]. [[Leicester Tigers]], [[London Wasps]], [[Bath Rugby]] and [[Northampton Saints]] have had success in the Europe-wide [[Heineken Cup]]. In another form of the sport—[[rugby league]] which was born in [[Huddersfield]] in 1895, the [[England national rugby league team]] are ranked third in the world and first in Europe.

Since 2008 England has been a full test nation in lieu of the [[Great Britain national rugby league team]], which won three [[Rugby League World Cup|World Cups]] but is now retired. Club sides play in [[Super League]], the present-day embodiment of the [[Rugby Football League Championship]]. Some of the most successful clubs include [[Wigan Warriors]], [[St Helens RLFC|St Helens]], [[Leeds Rhinos]] and [[Huddersfield Giants]]; the former three have all won the [[World Club Challenge]] previously. The United Kingdom is to host the [[2013 Rugby League World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.therfl.co.uk/home/news_item_top.php?id=14835 |publisher=Rugby Football League |title=UK to host 2013 World Cup |date=2009-07-28 |accessdate=2009-07-28}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> In tennis, [[The Championships, Wimbledon|the Wimbledon Championships]] are the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely considered the most prestigious.<ref>{{cite news | date=5 July 2008| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/05/sports/tennis/05wimbledon.html?_r=1&ref=tennis | title=Traditional Final: It’s Nadal and Federer|work=The New York Times | accessdate=2009-09-05|publisher=nytimes.co.uk | first=Christopher | last=Clarey}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Kaufman|Macpherson|2005|p=958}}.</ref>
{{Clear}}

== National symbols ==
{{Main|National symbols of England}}
[[File:Royal Arms of England (1198-1340).svg|thumb|right|upright|alt=A red shield tapers to its bottom end; on it are three stylised golden lions with blue claws.|The [[Royal Arms of England]]]]
The national [[flag of England]], known as St. George's Cross, has been the national flag since the 13th century. Originally the flag was used by the maritime state the [[Republic of Genoa]]. The English monarch paid a tribute to the [[Doge of Genoa]] from 1190 onwards, so that English ships could fly the flag as a means of protection when entering the Mediterranean.
A red cross acted as a symbol for many [[Crusades|Crusaders]] in the 12th and 13th centuries. It became associated with [[Saint George]], along with countries and cities, which claimed him as their [[patron saint]] and used his cross as a banner.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannia.com/history/stgeorge.html |title=St. George&nbsp;– England's Patron Saint |publisher=Britannia.com |date= |accessdate=1&nbsp;February 2009}}</ref> Since 1606 the St George's Cross has formed part of the design of the [[Union Flag]], a Pan-British flag designed by King [[James I of England|James I]].<ref name="flaghistory" />
[[File:Double Delight (Tudor) Rose.jpg|left|thumb|alt=A red and white flower.|The [[Tudor rose]], England's [[national flower|national floral emblem]]]]
There are numerous other symbols and symbolic artefacts, both official and unofficial, including the [[Tudor rose]], the nation's [[national emblem|floral emblem]], the [[dragon|White Dragon]] and the ''Three Lions'' featured on the [[Royal Arms of England]]. The Tudor rose was adopted as a national emblem of England around the time of the [[Wars of the Roses]] as a symbol of peace.<ref name="Flowers">{{cite web|url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page828|title=National flowers|date=2003-01-13|publisher=Number10.gov.uk|accessdate=2009-08-08}}</ref> It is a [[syncreticism|syncretic]] symbol in that it merged the white rose of the [[House of York|Yorkists]] and the red rose of the [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrians]]—cadet branches of the [[House of Plantagenet|Plantagenets]] who went to war over control of the royal house. It is also known as the ''Rose of England''.<ref name="Rose">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbynetwork.net/main/s245/st74325.htm|title=England's Rose&nbsp;– The Official History|last=Smith|first=Jed|date=2005-06-03|work=Museum of Rugby, Twickenham|publisher=RugbyNetwork.net|accessdate=2009-08-08}}</ref> The [[oak|oak tree]] is a symbol of England, representing strength and endurance. The term [[Royal Oak]] is used to denote the escape of King [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] from the grasps of the parliamentarians after his father's execution; he hid in an oak tree to avoid detection before making it safely into exile.

The Royal Arms of England, a national [[coat of arms]] featuring three lions, dates back to its adoption by [[Richard the Lionheart]] from 1198–1340. It is described as ''gules, three lions passant guardant or'' and provide one of the most prominent symbols of England; it is similar to the traditional arms of [[Normandy]]. England does not have an official designated national anthem, as the United Kingdom as a whole has ''[[God Save the Queen]]''. However, the following are often considered unofficial English national anthems:
''[[Jerusalem (hymn)|Jerusalem]]'', ''[[Land of Hope and Glory]]'' (used for England during the [[2002 Commonwealth Games]]),<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200208050035 | title=Jason Cowley loves the Commonwealth Games| work=New Statesman| accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref> and ''[[I Vow to Thee, My Country]]''. England's [[National Day]] is [[St George's Day]], as Saint George is the patron saint of England, it is held annually on 23 April.<ref name="St. George">{{cite news | date=23 April 1998| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/82166.stm | title=The Great Saint George Revival|publisher=BBC News| accessdate=2009-09-05}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note|colwidth=30em}}

== References ==
{{reflist|20em}}

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{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links}}
{{Portal|England}}
* [http://www.direct.gov.uk/ Official website of the United Kingdom Government]
* [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/ English Heritage]&nbsp;&nbsp;– national body protecting English heritage
* [http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ Natural England]&nbsp;&nbsp;– wildlife and the natural world of England
* [http://www.enjoyengland.com/ Enjoy England]&nbsp;&nbsp;– website of the English Tourist Board
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/ BBC England]&nbsp;&nbsp;– news items from the BBC relating to England
* {{Wikitravel}}

{{Template group
|title = Articles related to England
|list =
{{England topics}}
{{English official language clickable map}}
{{United Kingdom topics}}
{{United Kingdom constituents and affiliations}}
{{British Isles}}
{{British peoples}}
{{England counties}}
{{National personifications}}
}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2010}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2010}}

[[Category:England| ]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:English-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:Northern Europe]]
[[Category:Western Europe]]
[[Category:Island countries]]
[[Category:Great Britain]]

[[ace:Inggréh]]
[[af:Engeland]]
[[ak:Ngyiresi]]
[[als:England]]
[[ang:Englaland]]
[[ar:إنجلترا]]
[[an:Anglaterra]]
[[roa-rup:Anglia]]
[[ast:Inglaterra]]
[[gn:Ingyaterra]]
[[az:İngiltərə]]
[[bn:ইংল্যান্ড]]
[[zh-min-nan:Eng-tē]]
[[be:Англія]]
[[be-x-old:Ангельшчына]]
[[bar:England]]
[[bs:Engleska]]
[[br:Bro-Saoz]]
[[bg:Англия]]
[[ca:Anglaterra]]
[[cv:Англи]]
[[ceb:Inglatera]]
[[cs:Anglie]]
[[cbk-zam:Inglatera]]
[[cy:Lloegr]]
[[da:England]]
[[de:England]]
[[dv:އިނގިރޭސިވިލާތް]]
[[dsb:Engelska]]
[[et:Inglismaa]]
[[el:Αγγλία]]
[[es:Inglaterra]]
[[eo:Anglio]]
[[ext:Ingalaterra]]
[[eu:Ingalaterra]]
[[fa:انگلند]]
[[fo:Ongland]]
[[fr:Angleterre]]
[[fy:Ingelân]]
[[fur:Anglie]]
[[ga:Sasana]]
[[gv:Sostyn]]
[[gd:Sasainn]]
[[gl:Inglaterra - England]]
[[xal:Инглишин Таңһч]]
[[ko:잉글랜드]]
[[hy:Անգլիա]]
[[hi:इंग्लैण्ड]]
[[hsb:Jendźelska]]
[[hr:Engleska]]
[[io:Anglia]]
[[id:Inggris]]
[[ia:Anglaterra]]
[[ie:Anglia]]
[[os:Англис]]
[[xh:INgesi]]
[[zu:INgilandi]]
[[is:England]]
[[it:Inghilterra]]
[[he:אנגליה]]
[[jv:Inggris]]
[[pam:Inglaterra]]
[[ka:ინგლისი]]
[[kk:Англия]]
[[kw:Pow Sows]]
[[ky:Англия]]
[[sw:Uingereza]]
[[ht:Angletè]]
[[ku:Ingilîstan]]
[[lo:ປະເທດອັງກິດ]]
[[la:Anglia]]
[[lv:Anglija]]
[[lb:England]]
[[lt:Anglija]]
[[lij:Inghiltæra]]
[[li:Ingeland]]
[[ln:Ingɛlandi]]
[[lmo:Inghiltèra]]
[[hu:Anglia]]
[[mk:Англија]]
[[ml:ഇംഗ്ലണ്ട്]]
[[mt:Ingilterra]]
[[mi:Ingarangi]]
[[mr:इंग्लंड]]
[[arz:انجلترا]]
[[ms:England]]
[[my:အင်္ဂလန်နိုင်ငံ]]
[[nah:Inglatlālpan]]
[[nl:Engeland]]
[[nds-nl:Engelaand (regio)]]
[[ne:इङ्गल्याण्ड]]
[[ja:イングランド]]
[[nap:Ngreterra]]
[[ce:Ингалс]]
[[pih:Ingland]]
[[no:England]]
[[nn:England]]
[[nrm:Angliétèrre]]
[[oc:Anglatèrra]]
[[uz:Angliya]]
[[pnb:انگلستان]]
[[pap:Inglatera]]
[[km:អង់គ្លេស]]
[[pms:Anghiltèra]]
[[tpi:Inglan]]
[[nds:England]]
[[pl:Anglia]]
[[pt:Inglaterra]]
[[kaa:Angliya]]
[[ro:Anglia]]
[[rm:Engalterra]]
[[qu:Inlatirra]]
[[ru:Англия]]
[[se:Englánda]]
[[sc:Inghilterra]]
[[sco:Ingland]]
[[stq:Änglound]]
[[st:Engelane]]
[[sq:Anglia]]
[[scn:Nglaterra]]
[[simple:England]]
[[ss:Ngilandi]]
[[sk:Anglicko]]
[[sl:Anglija]]
[[szl:Yngland]]
[[so:Ingriis]]
[[sr:Енглеска]]
[[sh:Engleska]]
[[su:Inggris]]
[[fi:Englanti]]
[[sv:England]]
[[tl:Inglatera]]
[[ta:இங்கிலாந்து]]
[[tt:Англия]]
[[te:ఇంగ్లాండు]]
[[tet:Inglaterra]]
[[th:อังกฤษ]]
[[tg:Англия]]
[[to:ʻIngilani]]
[[tr:İngiltere]]
[[uk:Англія]]
[[ur:انگلستان]]
[[vec:Inghiltera]]
[[vi:Anh]]
[[vo:Linglän]]
[[fiu-vro:Inglüsmaa]]
[[zh-classical:英格蘭]]
[[vls:Iengeland]]
[[war:Inglaterra]]
[[wuu:英格兰]]
[[ts:England]]
[[yi:ענגלאנד]]
[[yo:Ilẹ̀gẹ̀ẹ́sì]]
[[zh-yue:英倫]]
[[bat-smg:Onglėjė]]
[[zh:英格兰]]

Revision as of 12:57, 1 May 2011

well well welll welly well well ha ha

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