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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 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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Exterior of venue during a production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drury Lane. The present building, opened in 1812, is the most recent of four theatres that stood at the location since 1663, making it the oldest theatre site in London still in use. According to the author Peter Thomson, for its first two centuries, Drury Lane could "reasonably have claimed to be London's leading theatre". For most of that time, it was one of a handful of patent theatres, granted monopoly rights to the production of "legitimate" drama in London (meaning spoken plays, rather than opera, dance, concerts, or plays with music).

The first theatre on the site was built at the behest of Thomas Killigrew in the early 1660s, when theatres were allowed to reopen during the English Restoration. Initially known as "Theatre Royal in Bridges Street", the theatre's proprietors hired prominent actors who performed at the theatre on a regular basis, including Nell Gwyn and Charles Hart. In 1672, the theatre caught fire and Killigrew built a larger theatre on the same plot, renamed the "Theatre Royal in Drury Lane"; it opened in 1674. This building lasted nearly 120 years, under the leaderships of Colley Cibber, David Garrick and Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the last of whom employed Joseph Grimaldi as the theatre's resident Clown. (Full article...)

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Bedingfield attends the 2013 Australian Hair Fashion Awards in Sydney, Australia

Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is an English singer and songwriter. She released her debut album, Unwritten, in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed international success with more than 2.3 million copies sold worldwide. Bedingfield received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the title track "Unwritten", and at the 2005 and 2006 Brit Awards, she was nominated for Best British Female Artist. Unwritten also produced her only UK number one, "These Words".

Her second album, N.B. (2007), yielded the UK top 10 singles "I Wanna Have Your Babies" and "Soulmate". N.B. was not released in North America, but six tracks from it were included with seven new ones and released in 2008 under the name Pocketful of Sunshine, with the singles "Love Like This" and "Pocketful of Sunshine" earning success on the charts. In December 2010, Bedingfield released her third album in North America, Strip Me, with the song of the same name charting on the US Billboard Hot 100 at 91. Bedingfield has sold over 10 million albums and 10 million singles worldwide, totalling over 20 million records worldwide. In 2012, VH1 ranked Bedingfield number 66 on the list of 100 Greatest Women in Music. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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Crawley ^ⓘ is a town and borough in West Sussex, England. It is 28 miles (45 km) south of London, 18 miles (29 km) north of Brighton and Hove, and 32 miles (51 km) north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of 17.36 square miles (44.96 km²) and had a population of 106,597 at the time of the 2011 Census.

The area has been inhabited since the Stone Age, and was a centre of ironworking in Roman times. Crawley developed slowly as a market town from the 13th century, serving the surrounding villages in the Weald. Its location on the main road from London to Brighton brought passing trade, which encouraged the development of coaching inns. A rail link to London opened in 1841. (Full article...)

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Did you know?

...that the Mendip Hills (commonly called The Mendips) are a range of limestone hills situated to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset?
...the England and Wales Cricket Board was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB), the National Cricket Association (NCA) and the Cricket Council?
...that the Flag of England is the St George's Cross?
...that the Tudor rose (pictured) is a traditional heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty?

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In the news

15 July 2024 – Clifton Suspension Bridge human remains discovery: Colombian Yostin Andres Mosquera is charged with the murders of two gay men and remanded in custody by Wimbledon Magistrates Court in London, United Kingdom. (The Guardian)
14 July 2024 – UEFA Euro 2024: In association football, Spain defeat England 2–1 in the final match to win their fourth UEFA European Championship title, having previously won in 1964, 2008, and 2012, the most by any team. (Al Jazeera)
12 July 2024 –: The Metropolitan Police seeks a 24-year-old suspect after human remains of two men are found in two suitcases in Bristol and more remains today in Shepherd's Bush, West London, United Kingdom. (Evening Standard)
10 July 2024 – Killings of Carol, Hannah and Louise Hunt: Louise's ex-boyfriend Kyle Clifford, wanted for the crossbow attack in Bushey, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, is arrested in Enfield, London. (USA Today)
2 July 2024 –: Serial killer Lucy Letby is convicted of an attempted murder in a retrial at Manchester Crown Court in Manchester, England. (BBC News)
20 June 2024 –: Two Just Stop Oil activists film themselves cutting through a metal fence and spraying orange paint on two private jets at Stansted Airport in Essex, England, United Kingdom. Police arrest the activists for criminal damage. (BBC News)

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“

England... is a nation of shopkeepers

”

— Napoleon

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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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