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Flag of England	Royal Standard of England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers approximately 62%, and over 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 a significant 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 country's capital is London, the metropolitan area of which 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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William Wilberforce
by Karl Anton Hickel, c. 1794

William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, and became an independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Yorkshire (1784–1812). In 1785, he underwent a conversion experience and became an Evangelical Anglican, which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform.

In 1787, Wilberforce came into contact with Thomas Clarkson and a group of activists against the slave trade, including Granville Sharp, Hannah More and Charles Middleton. They persuaded Wilberforce to take on the cause of abolition, and he became a leading English abolitionist. He headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for 20 years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. (Full article...)

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Grace photographed by George Beldam, c. 1902

William Gilbert Grace MRCS LRCP (18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English amateur cricketer who was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest players. He was nominally amateur as a cricketer, but he is said to have made more money from his cricketing activities than any professional cricketer. He was an extremely competitive player and, although he was one of the most famous men in England, he was also one of the most controversial on account of his gamesmanship and moneymaking.

He played first-class cricket for a record-equalling 44 seasons, from 1865 to 1908, during which he captained England, Gloucestershire, the Gentlemen, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the United South of England Eleven (USEE), and several other teams. (Full article...)

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

Image 1First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. (from Culture of England)
Image 2Portrait of Edward VI, c. 1550 (from History of England)
Image 3King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 (from History of England)
Image 4Maps of territory held by Royalists (red) and Parliamentarians (green) during the English Civil War (1642–1645) (from History of England)
Image 5First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644 (from History of England)
Image 6Sir Francis Drake's voyage 1585–86 (from History of England)
Image 7Artefacts from Bush Barrow at Stonehenge. Wessex culture, Early Bronze Age, c. 1900 BC (from History of England)
Image 8Frontispiece 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 9Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill. (from Culture of England)
Image 10William 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 11The Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral (from Culture of England)
Image 12King Alfred the Great statue in Winchester, Hampshire. The 9th-century English king encouraged education in his kingdom. (from Culture of England)
Image 13The Billingsgate Fish Market in London in the early 19th century (from History of England)
Image 14View of the ramparts of the hillfort of Maiden Castle (450 BC), as they look today (from History of England)
Image 15Chester, c. 1880 (from History of England)
Image 16Remains of Hadrian's Wall (from History of England)
Image 17The Battersea Shield (detail), 350 BC. (from History of England)
Image 18National performing arts are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as The Proms during the summer. (from Culture of England)
Image 19Anglo-Saxon king with his Witan. Biblical scene in the Old English Hexateuch (11th century) (from History of England)
Image 20Portrait 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 21Silbury Hill, c. 2400 BC (from History of England)
Image 22Jack 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 23The Great Fire London, 1666. (from History of England)
Image 24Durham Cathedral, dating from 1093 (from Culture of England)
Image 25Elizabeth I (from History of England)
Image 26Morris dancing (from Culture of England)
Image 27The White Tower of the Tower of London, built in 1078 (from History of England)
Image 28Sir 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 29The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers (from History of England)
Image 30The 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 31King Henry VIII (from History of England)
Image 32The Mob Quad of Merton College, University of Oxford, 13th–14th century (from History of England)
Image 33Geoffrey Chaucer, c. 1340s–1400, author of The Canterbury Tales (from History of England)
Image 34King Charles II (from History of England)
Image 35The Ruthwell Cross, 8th century AD (from History of England)
Image 36Shoulder clasp from Sutton Hoo, 625 AD (from History of England)
Image 37King James I of England (from History of England)
Image 38Stinking Bishop cheese (from Culture of England)
Image 39Procession of characters from Shakespeare's plays (from Culture of England)
Image 40Tomb of Richard I of England and Isabella of Angoulême (from History of England)
Image 41Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers. (from Culture of England)
Image 42England in 878 (from History of England)
Image 43Bronze coins of Cunobelin, called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. 1–42 AD. (from History of England)
Image 44Christopher Lee (seen here as Dracula in 1958) starred in many of Hammer's British horror films. (from Culture of England)
Image 45The Alfred Jewel, late 9th century (from History of England)
Image 46Alfred 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 47England 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 48Durham Cathedral. The Norman cathedral was built 1093–1133 (from History of England)
Image 49Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945 (from History of England)
Image 50Anglo-Saxon helmet from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, 625 AD (replica) (from History of England)
Image 51Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 720 AD (from History of England)
Image 52Londinium (Roman London), c. 120 AD (from History of England)
Image 53Interior of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (from Culture of England)
Image 54Dover Castle, 12th–13th century (from History of England)
Image 55Kingdoms and tribes in Britain, c. AD 600 (from History of England)
Image 56The Royal College of Music is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, established by royal charter in 1882. (from Culture of England)
Image 57King'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 58Francis 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 59Remains of the Roman baths at Bath, England. (from History of England)
Image 60A traditional Punch and Judy booth, at Swanage, Dorset, England (from Culture of England)
Image 61The Lindisfarne Gospels (from Culture of England)
Image 62Flatford Mill ('Scene on a Navigable River') by John Constable, c. 1816 (from Culture of England)
Image 63The wizard Merlin features as a character in many works of fiction, including the BBC series Merlin. (from Culture of England)
Image 64A pint of real ale (from Culture of England)
Image 65The English landscape garden at Stourhead, described as a 'living work of art' when first opened in the 1750s (from Culture of England)
Image 66Gold torc from Snettisham, 70 BC (from History of England)
Image 67Countries where English is natively spoken or has official status (from Culture of England)
Image 68Whitehall by Francis Dodd (1920) displaying the Palace of Westminster (from Culture of England)
Image 69King 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 70Depiction of the Battle of Hastings (1066) on the Bayeux Tapestry (from History of England)
Image 71Canterbury 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 72The Spanish Armada and English ships in August 1588, (unknown, 16th-century, English School) (from History of England)
Image 73The 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 74Canterbury Cathedral nave, 1377 (from History of England)
Image 75One of only four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text, Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, property of the British Library (from History of England)
Image 76The epic poem Beowulf, set in 6th century Scandinavia, composed c. 700–1000 AD. (from History of England)
Image 77The 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 78Stonehenge, erected in several stages from c.3000–2500 BC (from History of England)

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The Herdwick is a breed of domestic sheep native to the Lake District in North West England. The name "Herdwick" is derived from the Old Norse herdvyck, meaning sheep pasture. Though low in lambing capacity and perceived wool quality when compared to more common commercial breeds, Herdwicks are prized for their robust health, their ability to live solely on forage, and their tendency to be territorial and not to stray over the difficult upland terrain of the Lake District. It is considered that up to 99% of all Herdwick sheep are commercially farmed in the central and western Lake District.

The wool of a Herdwick has unique qualities relating to durability. Thick bristle type fibres will often protrude from garments made from the wool, forming a protective layer in blizzards—most likely the same qualities that protect the sheep in similar conditions. Herdwicks have been known to survive under a blanket of snow for three days while eating their own wool. (Full article...)

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Did you know?

The Westminster Assembly

... that the 1643 Westminster Assembly, which was appointed by the Parliament of England to restructure the Church of England, produced the Westminster Confession, the foundation of the Presbyterian Church?
... that Declaration of Sports was a 1617 declaration of James I of England listing archery and dancing as permissible on Sundays and that Puritans in Parliament had it publicly burned in 1643?
... that Jemmy Button was a Yaghan from Tierra del Fuego who was bought for a mother-of-pearl button in 1830 and taken on HMS Beagle to meet the King and Queen of England?

In the news

13 September 2024 – Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal: Seven men receive prison sentences ranging from six to 25 years for sexual offences against girls aged 11 to 16 that occurred in the town of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Northern England from the late 1980s until 2013. (BBC News)
13 September 2024 –: Bedfordshire Police arrest an 18-year-old man on suspicion of murder after three people are found dead in flat in a tower block in Luton, England, United Kingdom. (BBC News)
10 September 2024 –: His Majesty's Prison Service begins releasing thousands of prisoners in England and Wales early amid a record high prison population and a shortage of prison cells for new inmates. (BBC News)
10 September 2024 – 2021–present United Kingdom cost-of-living crisis: The House of Commons of the United Kingdom votes 348–228 to end the Winter Fuel Payment for 10 million pensioners in England and Wales after Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that the scheme was no longer affordable to be applied universally. (Sky News)

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“

The rustics of England, especially those inhabiting the South hams (villages) of Devonshire, have great fun Wassailing the Orchards on Christmans Eve, New Year's and Twelfth Nigh (Boxing Day), when they drink toasts to the largest apple trees and sprinkle them with cyder (cider) carried by the beadle, the parish clerk, or some other such obsolete individual. The Devonshire people do this because they did it the year before.

”

— Will Cuppy

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Related WikiProjects

England • Bedfordshire • Brighton • Cheshire • Cornwall • Derbyshire • Dorset • Greater Manchester • Hampshire • Lincolnshire • London • Merseyside • Northamptonshire • North East England • Sheffield • Surrey. Warwickshire • West Midlands • Worcestershire • Yorkshire

Topics

Cities and major towns: Blackpool • Birmingham • Bristol • Chelmsford • Leeds • Liverpool • London • Manchester • Newcastle • Nottingham • Oxford • Portsmouth • Sheffield • Southampton • Stoke-on-Trent

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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