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England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It has land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west, and is otherwise surrounded by the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south, the Celtic Sea to the south-west, and the Irish Sea to the west. Continental Europe lies to the south-east, and Ireland to the west. At the 2021 census, the population was 56,490,048. London is both the largest city and the capital.

The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Paleolithic. It takes its name from the Angles, a Germanic tribe who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in the 10th century and has had extensive cultural and legal impact on the wider world since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century. The Kingdom of England, which included Wales after 1535, ceased to be a separate sovereign state on 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union brought into effect a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland that created the Kingdom of Great Britain.

England is the origin of the English language, the English legal system (which served as the basis for the common law systems of many other countries), association football, and the Anglican branch of Christianity; its parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England is home to the two oldest universities in the English-speaking world: the University of Oxford, founded in 1096, and the University of Cambridge, founded in 1209. Both universities are ranked among the most prestigious in the world.

England's terrain chiefly consists of low hills and plains, especially in the centre and south. Upland and mountainous terrain is mostly found in the north and west, including Dartmoor, the Lake District, the Pennines, and the Shropshire Hills. The London metropolitan area has a population of 14.2 million as of 2021, representing the United Kingdom's largest metropolitan area. England's population of 56.3 million comprises 84% of the population of the United Kingdom, largely concentrated around London, the South East, and conurbations in the Midlands, the North West, the North East, and Yorkshire, which each developed as major industrial regions during the 19th century. (Full article...)

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The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past the wall to the west. The death toll is generally thought to have been relatively small, although some historians have challenged this belief.

The fire started in a bakery in Pudding Lane shortly after midnight on Sunday 2 September, and spread rapidly. The use of the major firefighting technique of the time, the creation of firebreaks by means of removing structures in the fire's path, was critically delayed due to the indecisiveness of the Lord Mayor, Sir Thomas Bloodworth. By the time large-scale demolitions were ordered on Sunday night, the wind had already fanned the bakery fire into a firestorm which defeated such measures. The fire pushed north on Monday into the heart of the City. Order in the streets broke down as rumours arose of suspicious foreigners setting fires. The fears of the homeless focused on the French and Dutch, England's enemies in the ongoing Second Anglo-Dutch War; these substantial immigrant groups became victims of street violence. On Tuesday, the fire spread over nearly the whole city, destroying St Paul's Cathedral and leaping the River Fleet to threaten Charles II's court at Whitehall Palace. Coordinated firefighting efforts were simultaneously getting underway. The battle to put out the fire is considered to have been won by two key factors: the strong east wind dropped, and the Tower of London garrison used gunpowder to create effective firebreaks, halting further spread eastward. (Full article...)

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Cambridge (/ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/ ^ⓘ KAYM-brij) is a city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, 55 miles (89 km) north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of the City of Cambridge was 145,700; the population of the wider built-up area (which extends outside the city council area) was 181,137. Cambridge became an important trading centre during the Roman and Viking ages, and there is archaeological evidence of settlement in the area as early as the Bronze Age. The first town charters were granted in the 12th century, although modern city status was not officially conferred until 1951.

The city is well known as the home of the University of Cambridge, which was founded in 1209 and consistently ranks among the best universities in the world. The buildings of the university include King's College Chapel, Cavendish Laboratory, and the Cambridge University Library, one of the largest legal deposit libraries in the world. The city's skyline is dominated by several college buildings, along with the spire of the Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church, and the chimney of Addenbrooke's Hospital. Anglia Ruskin University, which evolved from the Cambridge School of Art and the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology, also has its main campus in the city. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various England-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1View of the ramparts of the hillfort of Maiden Castle (450 BC), as they look today (from History of England)
Image 2Alfred Hitchcock is often regarded as the greatest British filmmaker, and was described as "a straightforward middle-class Englishman who just happened to be an artistic genius." (from Culture of England)
Image 3Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945 (from History of England)
Image 4Dover Castle, 12th–13th century (from History of England)
Image 5Countries where English is natively spoken or has official status (from Culture of England)
Image 6A traditional Punch and Judy booth, at Swanage, Dorset, England (from Culture of England)
Image 7Depiction of the Battle of Hastings (1066) on the Bayeux Tapestry (from History of England)
Image 8England playing Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground in the 2009 Ashes series. After winning the 2019 Cricket World Cup, England became the first country to win the World Cups in football, rugby union and cricket. (from Culture of England)
Image 9The Ruthwell Cross, 8th century AD (from History of England)
Image 10Gold torc from Snettisham, 70 BC (from History of England)
Image 11The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers (from History of England)
Image 12The Billingsgate Fish Market in London in the early 19th century (from History of England)
Image 13Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill. (from Culture of England)
Image 14King Charles II (from History of England)
Image 15Chester, c. 1880 (from History of England)
Image 16Durham Cathedral. The Norman cathedral was built 1093–1133 (from History of England)
Image 17King's College in Cambridge is regarded as one of the greatest examples of late English Gothic architecture. It has the world's largest fan vault, while the chapel's stained-glass windows and wooden chancel screen are considered some of the finest from their era. (from Culture of England)
Image 18Shoulder clasp from Sutton Hoo, 625 AD (from History of England)
Image 19Kingdoms and tribes in Britain, c. AD 600 (from History of England)
Image 20Josiah Wedgwood was a leading entrepreneur in the Industrial Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 21The first general laws against child labour, the Factory Acts, were passed in Britain in the first half of the 19th century. Children younger than nine were not allowed to work and the work day of youth under the age of 18 was limited to twelve hours. (from History of England)
Image 22Sir Isaac Newton is regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time and as a key figure in the Scientific Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 23The Lindisfarne Gospels (from Culture of England)
Image 24The White Tower of the Tower of London, built in 1078 (from History of England)
Image 25Remains of Hadrian's Wall (from History of England)
Image 26Francis Bacon led the advancement of both natural philosophy and the scientific method and his works remained deeply influential in the Scientific Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 27King Charles II, a patron of the arts and sciences, supported the Royal Society, a scientific group whose early members included Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle and Sir Isaac Newton. (from Culture of England)
Image 28The Royal College of Music is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, established by royal charter in 1882. (from Culture of England)
Image 29King Henry VIII (from History of England)
Image 30Portrait of Edward VI, c. 1550 (from History of England)
Image 31Interior of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (from Culture of England)
Image 32Portrait of the Royal Tudors. At left, Henry VII, with Prince Arthur behind him, then Prince Henry (later Henry VIII), and Prince Edmund, who did not survive early childhood. To the right is Elizabeth of York, with Princess Margaret, then Princess Elizabeth who didn't survive childhood, Princess Mary, and Princess Katherine, who died shortly after her birth. (from History of England)
Image 33Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the Primate of All England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior bishop of the Church of England. (It was the property of the Roman Catholic Church before the English Reformation.) (from Culture of England)
Image 34Frontispiece of Bede's Life of St Cuthbert, showing King Æthelstan presenting a copy of the book to the saint himself. c. 930 (from History of England)
Image 35The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork yet found^[update]. It consists of almost 4,600 items and metal fragments. (from Culture of England)
Image 36Stonehenge, erected in several stages from c.3000–2500 BC (from History of England)
Image 37Durham Cathedral, dating from 1093 (from Culture of England)
Image 38The Spanish Armada and English ships in August 1588, (unknown, 16th-century, English School) (from History of England)
Image 39The Great Fire London, 1666. (from History of England)
Image 40Jack In the Green, a traditional English folk custom being celebrated in Hastings Old Town, known for its many pre-Victorian buildings. (from Culture of England)
Image 41The Fairy Ring by William Holmes Sullivan, c.1908 (from Culture of England)
Image 42King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 (from History of England)
Image 43Sir Francis Drake's voyage 1585–86 (from History of England)
Image 44Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers. (from Culture of England)
Image 45Procession of characters from Shakespeare's plays (from Culture of England)
Image 46The wizard Merlin features as a character in many works of fiction, including the BBC series Merlin. (from Culture of England)
Image 47Maps of territory held by Royalists (red) and Parliamentarians (green) during the English Civil War (1642–1645) (from History of England)
Image 48The Mob Quad of Merton College, University of Oxford, 13th–14th century (from History of England)
Image 49First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. (from Culture of England)
Image 50Anglo-Saxon helmet from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, 625 AD (replica) (from History of England)
Image 51England in 878 (from History of England)
Image 52The Alfred Jewel, late 9th century (from History of England)
Image 53Artefacts from Bush Barrow at Stonehenge. Wessex culture, Early Bronze Age, c. 1900 BC (from History of England)
Image 54Silbury Hill, c. 2400 BC (from History of England)
Image 55King James I of England (from History of England)
Image 56Canterbury Cathedral nave, 1377 (from History of England)
Image 57Elizabeth I (from History of England)
Image 58Whitehall by Francis Dodd (1920) displaying the Palace of Westminster (from Culture of England)
Image 59Stinking Bishop cheese (from Culture of England)
Image 60Geoffrey Chaucer, c. 1340s–1400, author of The Canterbury Tales (from History of England)
Image 61The epic poem Beowulf, set in 6th century Scandinavia, composed c. 700–1000 AD. (from History of England)
Image 62Christopher Lee (seen here as Dracula in 1958) starred in many of Hammer's British horror films. (from Culture of England)
Image 63King Alfred the Great statue in Winchester, Hampshire. The 9th-century English king encouraged education in his kingdom. (from Culture of England)
Image 64Flatford Mill ('Scene on a Navigable River') by John Constable, c. 1816 (from Culture of England)
Image 65Remains of the Roman baths at Bath, England. (from History of England)
Image 66The Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral (from Culture of England)
Image 67Londinium (Roman London), c. 120 AD (from History of England)
Image 68One of only four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text, Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, property of the British Library (from History of England)
Image 69A pint of real ale (from Culture of England)
Image 70William Hogarth's depiction of a scene from Shakespeare's The Tempest is an example of how English literature influenced English painting in the 18th century. (from Culture of England)
Image 71National performing arts are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as The Proms during the summer. (from Culture of England)
Image 72The Battersea Shield (detail), 350 BC. (from History of England)
Image 73The Roman Baths in Bath; a temple was constructed on the site between 60–70CE in the first few decades of Roman Britain. (from Culture of England)
Image 74First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644 (from History of England)
Image 75Bronze coins of Cunobelin, called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. 1–42 AD. (from History of England)
Image 76The English landscape garden at Stourhead, described as a 'living work of art' when first opened in the 1750s (from Culture of England)
Image 77Anglo-Saxon king with his Witan. Biblical scene in the Old English Hexateuch (11th century) (from History of England)
Image 78Morris dancing (from Culture of England)
Image 79Tomb of Richard I of England and Isabella of Angoulême (from History of England)
Image 80Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 720 AD (from History of England)

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Exterior walls, seen across the moat

Berkhamsted Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. The castle was built to obtain control of a key route between London and the Midlands during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century. Robert of Mortain, William the Conqueror's half brother, was probably responsible for managing its construction, after which he became the castle's owner. The castle was surrounded by protective earthworks and a deer park for hunting. The castle became a new administrative centre of the former Anglo-Saxon settlement of Berkhamsted. Subsequent kings granted the castle to their chancellors. The castle was substantially expanded in the mid-12th century, probably by Thomas Becket.

The castle was besieged in 1216 during the civil war between King John and rebellious barons, who were supported by France. It was captured by Prince Louis, the future Louis VIII, who attacked it with siege engines for twenty days, forcing the garrison to surrender. After being retaken by royal forces the subsequent year, it was given to Richard, Earl of Cornwall, beginning a long association with the Earldom of Cornwall and the later duchy. Richard redeveloped the castle as a palatial residence, and made it the centre of the earldom's administration. King Edward III further developed the castle in the 14th century and gave it to his son, Edward, the Black Prince, who expanded the hunting grounds. The castle was also used to hold royal prisoners, including King John II of France and rival claimants to the English throne. (Full article...)

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Did you know?

...that the HMS Queen (1902) was fitted with Babcock and Wilcox cylindrical boilers due to service problems with the water service boilers?
...that the Charter Roll is the administrative record created by the medieval office of the chancery that recorded all the charters issued by the chancery?
...that Canterbury in eastern Kent was abandoned at the end of the Roman period, but was resettled by the Saxons?
...that English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams has sold more albums in the United Kingdom than any other British solo artist in history?

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In the news

29 January 2025 – Expansion of Heathrow Airport: UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves approves the construction of a third runway at Greater London's Heathrow Airport after decades of delays. (Sky News)
23 January 2025 – 2024 Southport stabbing: A court in Liverpool, England, sentences the man who was found guilty of killing three children and injuring 10 others in a mass stabbing in Southport, Merseyside, to life imprisonment with a minimum of 52 years in prison. (DW)
22 January 2025 – Hunt family murders: Kyle Clifford, the perpetrator of the Hunt family killings in Bushey, England, in 2024, pleads guilty to three counts of murder. (BBC News)
20 January 2025 – 2024 Southport stabbing: Axel Rudakubana pleads guilty to all 16 charges, including three charges of murder in relation to a mass stabbing in Southport, Merseyside, England, in July 2024. Rudakubana is expected to be sentenced on Thursday. (ITV News)
18 January 2025 – Gaza war protests: More than 70 people are arrested at a pro-Palestine protest in London, England, United Kingdom for violating protest regulations. (BBC News)

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Do not be misled by memories of your youth when, on the Continent, wanting to describe someone as exceptionally dull, you remarked: 'He is the type who would discuss the weather with you.' In England this is an ever-interesting, even thrilling topic, and you must be good at discussing the weather.

”

— George Mikes

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Culture: The Football Association • Rugby Football Union • England and Wales Cricket Board • English inventions and discoveries

Geography: Geology • Climate • Mountains and hills • Islands • Rivers

Economy: Bank of England • London Stock Exchange • Chancellor of the Exchequer • Monetary Policy Committee • HM Treasury

History: Timeline of English history • Prehistoric Britain • Roman Britain • Anglo-Saxon England • Norman England • Plantagenet England • House of Lancaster • House of York • House of Tudor • House of Stuart

Governance: Kingdom of England • Prime Minister of the United Kingdom • Parliament of the United Kingdom • Home Secretary • Local Government Boundary Commission for England • Administrative divisions of England • English law

Symbols: Flags • Flag of England • St George's Cross • Tudor rose • Coat of arms of England

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