England () is a
country that is
part of the
United Kingdom. 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. The mainland of England consists of the central and southern part of the island of
Great Britain in the
North Atlantic, but England also includes
over 100 smaller islands such as the
Isles of Scilly and the
Isle of Wight.
The area now called England has been settled by people of various cultures for about 35,000 years,
but it takes its name from the
Angles, one of the
Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 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. The
English language, the
Anglican Church, and
English law—the basis for the
common law legal systems 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. The
Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming the country into the world's first
industrialised nation, and its
Royal Society laid the foundations of modern experimental science.
Most of England is lowland, but there are upland regions in the north (for example, the
Lake District,
Pennines and
Yorkshire Moors) and in the south and south west (for example,
Dartmoor, the
Cotswolds, and the
North and
South Downs).
London, England's
capital, is the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom and the largest urban zone in the
European Union by most measures.
England's population is about 51 million, around 84% of the population of the United Kingdom, and is largely concentrated in London, the
South East and
conurbations in the
Midlands, the
North West, the
North East and
Yorkshire, which developed as major
industrial regions during the 19th century.
The
Kingdom of England—which included Wales—was a sovereign state until 1 May 1707, when the
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. In 1800, Great Britain was united with Ireland through another
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 in 1927 reincorporated into the kingdom six Irish counties to officially create the current
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Etymology
The name "England" is derived from the
Old English word
Englaland, which means "land of the
Angles". The Angles were one of the
Germanic tribes that settled in England during the
Early Middle Ages. The Angles came from the
Angeln peninsula in the
Bay of Kiel area of the
Baltic Sea. 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. The earliest attested mention of the name occurs in the 1st-century work by
Tacitus,
Germania, in which the Latin word
Anglii is used.
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.
The name
Albion originally referred to the entire island of Great Britain. The earliest record of the name appears in the
Aristotelian Corpus, specifically the 4th-century
De Mundo:
[Massey, A Book of the Beginnings, Vol.1, 440.] "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
Ierne".
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. An alternative origin is suggested by the ancient merchant's handbook
Massaliote Periplus which mentions an "island of the
Albiones".
Albion is now applied to England in a more poetic capacity. Another romantic name for England is
Loegria, related to the
Welsh Lloegr, which is derived from
Arthurian legend.
History
Prehistory and antiquity
The oldest proto-human bones discovered in the area date from 700,000 years ago. The discovery, of
Homo erectus remains, was made in what is today
Norfolk and
Suffolk. Modern humans first arrived in the area around 35,000 years ago;
but due to the tough conditions of the
Last Ice Age, known specifically in this area as the Devensian glaciation, they fled from Britain to the mountains of southern Europe. Only large mammals such as
mammoths,
bison and
woolly rhinoceros remained.
Roughly 11,000 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. The sea level was lower than now, and Britain was connected by land to both Ireland and
Eurasia. As the seas rose, it was separated from Ireland 9,000 years ago and from Eurasia half a century later.
Beaker culture arrived around 2500 BC, and the making of
food vessels constructed out of
clay and
copper was introduced.
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 ores. They were able to spin and weave sheep's wool, from which they made clothing.
During the
Iron Age,
Celtic culture, deriving from the
Hallstatt and
La Tène cultures, arrived from Central Europe. The development of iron
smelting allowed the construction of better
ploughs, advancing agriculture (
see Celtic field), as well as the production of more effective weapons.
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
invade twice in 55 BC; although largely unsuccessful, he managed to set up a
client king from the
Trinovantes. The
Romans conquered Britain in AD 43 during the reign of
Emperor Claudius, and the area was incorporated into the Roman Empire as
Britannia province. 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, resulted in her death at the
Battle of Watling Street.
This era saw a
Greco-Roman high culture prevail with the introduction of law and order,
Roman architecture, personal hygiene, sewage systems, education, many agricultural items, and silk.
In the 3rd century,
Emperor Septimius Severus died at
York, where
Constantine was subsequently proclaimed emperor. 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. By 410, as
their Empire declined, the Romans had
left the island, to defend their frontiers in continental Europe.
Middle Ages
A 7th-century ceremonial helmet from the Kingdom of East Anglia, found at
Sutton HooFollowing the Roman retreat, Britain was left open to invasion by pagan, seafaring warriors such as
Saxons and
Jutes who gained control in areas around the south east. The advance was contained for a while after the Britons' victory at the
Battle of Mount Badon. The
Sub-Roman Brythonic kingdoms in the north, later known collectively by British bards as the
Hen Ogledd, were also gradually conquered by
Angles during the 6th century. Reliable contemporary accounts from this period are scarce, as is archaeological evidence, giving rise to its description as a
Dark Age. There are various conflicting theories on the extent and process of the
Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain;
Cerdic, founder of the
Wessex dynasty, may have been a Briton. Nevertheless, by the 7th century a coherent set of Anglo-Saxon petty kingdoms known as the
Heptarchy had emerged in southern and central Britain:
Northumbria,
Mercia,
East Anglia,
Essex,
Kent,
Sussex, and
Wessex. Christianity was introduced in the south by
Augustine from Rome and in the north by
Aidan from Ireland. This reintroduced Christianity, which was lost after the founding of the Heptarchy. The title
Bretwalda, meaning "Lord of the Britons", denoted the most influential kingship. Northumbria and Mercia were the most dominant forces early on. However, following
Viking conquests in the north and east, and the imposition of
Danelaw, the premier English kingdom became Wessex under
Alfred the Great. His grandson
Athelstan unified England in 927, although this was only cemented after
Edred defeated the Viking
Eric Bloodaxe. King
Cnut the Great briefly incorporated England into an empire which also included
Denmark and
Norway. However the Wessex dynasty was restored under
Edward the Confessor.
England was
conquered in 1066 by an army led by
William the Conquerer from the
Duchy of Normandy, a fief of the
Kingdom of France.
The Normans themselves originated from
Scandinavia and had settled in Normandy a few centuries earlier.
They introduced
feudalism and maintained power through barons, who set up various castles across England.
The spoken language of the new aristocratic elite was
Norman French, which would have considerable influence on the
English language. The
Plantagenets from Anjou inherited the English throne under
Henry II, adding England to the budding
Angevin Empire of fiefs the family had inherited in France including
Aquitaine.
[Bartlett, England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings, 1075-1225, 124.] They reigned for three centuries, proving noted monarchs such as
Richard I,
Edward I,
Edward III and
Henry V.
The period saw improvements in trade and legislation, including the signing of the
Magna Carta.
Catholic
monasticism flourished, providing well known 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 and the
Lordship of Ireland was gifted by the
Pope. During the 14th century, the Plantagenets and
Valois both claimed to be legitimate claimants to
Capet and with it France—the two powers clashed in the
Hundred Years' War. The
Black Death epidemic
hit England, starting in 1348, it eventually killed up to half of the countries
inhabitants. From 1453 to 1487 civil war between two branches of the royal family occurred—the
Yorkists and
Lancastrians—known as the
Wars of the Roses. Eventually it led to the Yorkists losing the throne entirely to a Welsh noble family the
Tudors, a branch of the Lancastrians headed by
Henry Tudor who invaded with Welsh and Breton mercenaries, gaining victory at the
Battle of Bosworth Field where the Yorkist king
Richard III was killed.
Early Modern
The
Tudor period would prove to be eventful.
The
Renaissance reached England through Italian courtiers, who reintroduced artistic, educational and scholary debate from classical antiquity.
During this time England began to develop
naval skills, including inventing the
theodolite and exploring to the West.
The catalyst for such explorations, was the
Ottoman Empire's control of the
Mediterranean Sea, which blocked off trade with the East for the Christian states of Europe.
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
roots of the split were more political than theological. Tudor also legally incorporated his ancestral land Wales into the Kingdom of England with the
1535–1542 acts. There were internal religious conflicts during the reigns of Henry's daughters;
Mary I and
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
Spain, the first English colony in the
Americas was founded by explorer
Walter Raleigh in 1585 and named
Virginia.
With the
East India Company, England also competed with the
Dutch and
French to the East.
The nature of the island was changed, when the
Stuart King of Scotland, from a kingdom which was previously a long time rival, inherited the throne of England—creating a
personal union under
James I in 1603.
[Colley, Britons: Forging the Nation, 12] He called himself
King of Great Britain, despite there being no political union yet.
Based on conflicting political, religious and social positions, there was an
English Civil War between the supporters of
Parliament and those of king
Charles I, known as
Roundheads and
Cavaliers respectively. This was an interwoven part of the wider multifacited
Wars of the Three Kingdoms, involving
Scotland and
Ireland. The Parliamentarians were victorious, Charles I was executed and the kingdom replaced with the
Commonwealth. Leader of the Parliament forces,
Oliver Cromwell declared himself
Lord Protector in 1653, a period of
personal rule followed.
By the time of Cromwell's death, England had largely grown weary of
Puritan rule, many wanted to patch up old wounds and so
Charles II was invited to return as monarch in 1660 with the
Restoration.
It was now constitutionally established that King and Parliament should rule together, though in practice this was not fully cemeted until the following century.
With the founding of the
Royal Society, science and the arts were encouraged.
The
Great Fire of London in 1666 gutted the capital but it was rebuilt shortly after. In Parliament two factions had emerged—the
Tories and
Whigs. The former were royalists while the latter were classical liberals. Though the Tories initially supported Catholic king
James II, some of them, along with the Whigs deposed him at the
Revolution of 1688 and invited Dutch prince
William III to become monarch. Some English people, especially in the
north were
Jacobites and continued to support James and his sons. After the parliaments of England and Scotland both agreed,
the two countries joined in
political union, to create the
Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707.
Some elements such as the law and religion of each remained separate.
Late Modern and contemporary
thumb|135px|alt=A stone factory stands against a vivid blue sky, its reflection mirrored in the waters below.|upright|left|The [[World Heritage Site —
Saltaire,
West Yorkshire is a model mill town from the
Industrial Revolution.]]
Under the newly formed Kingdom of Great Britain, output from the Royal Society and other
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 which would become the largest in history.
Domestically it drove the
Industrial Revolution, a period of profound change in the
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.
The opening of northwest England's
Bridgewater Canal in 1761 ushered in the
canal age in Britain.
[.] In 1825 the world's first permanent steam locomotive hauled passenger railway—the
Stockton and Darlington Railway—opened to the public.
During the Industrial Revolution, many workers moved from England's countryside into 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. England maintained relative stability at home throughout the
French Revolution, as
William Pitt was British Prime Minister for the reign of
George III. During the
Napoleonic Wars,
Napoleon planned for France to
invade from the south-east. However this failed to manifest and the Napoleonic forces were defeated by the British; at sea by
Lord Nelson and on land by the
Duke of Wellington.
The Napoleonic Wars reconditioned the
culture of England and the identity of the
English people, fostering a concept of
Britishness and a united national
British people shared with the
Scots and
Welsh.
[.]London became the biggest city in the world during the
Victorian period, trade within the British Empire and the standing of the military and navy was at a prestigious level also.
Political agitation at home from radicals such as the
Chartists and the
suffragettes eventually built up to legislative reform and
universal suffrage.
Power shifts in Central-Eastern Europe led to
World War I, thousands died in trenches fighting for the United Kingdom as part of the
Allies.
Two-decades later, the world was plunged into
World War II, the United Kingdom again fought for the
Allies—
Winston Churchill was the wartime Prime Minister.
Developments in warfare technology saw many cities damaged by air-raids during
The Blitz.
Following the war the British Empire began to rapidly decline, yet there had been other technological innovations—
automobiles had become the primary means of transport and
Whittle's development of the
jet engine would lead to wider
air travel.
Since the 1970s the there has been a large move away from
manufacturing industries and an increasing emphasis on the
service industry.
As part of the United Kingdom, the area joined a
common market initiative called the
ECC which became the
European Union. Since the late-20th century the
administration of the United Kingdom has moved towards
devolved governance in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
England and Wales continues to exist as a legal entity within the United Kingdom.
Devolution has stimulated a greater emphasis on a more English specific identity and patriotism.
[.] There is no devolved English government, but an attempt to create a similar system on a sub-regional basis was rejected by referendum.
Governance
Politics
As part of the United Kingdom the basic political system in England is a
constitutional monarchy and
parliamentary democracy. 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 the England and Scotland to form the
Kingdom of Great Britain.
Before the union England was ruled by
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
devolved governments.
In the
House of Commons which is the
lower house of the British Parliament based at the
Palace of Westminster, there are 529
Members of Parliament for constituencies in England, out of the 646 total. In the
United Kingdom general election, 2005 the
Labour Party had the most MPs elected in England with 284, while the
Conservative Party had 194 MPs elected although they received a larger percentage of the
popular vote than any other party with 35.7%.
The third largest party are the
Liberal Democrats who had 47 MPs elected.
Respect and
Health Concern each have one MP, and there is an
Independent Labour member originally elected for Labour.
The two largest parties are led by
Gordon Brown for Labour and
David Cameron for Conservatives.
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
2009 European Parliament election saw the regions of England elect the following MEPs: twenty-three Conservatives, ten Labour, nine
United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), nine Liberal Democrats, two
Greens and two
British National Party (BNP). 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 this was rejected in a referendum.
One major issue is the
West Lothian question, in which MPs from Scotland and Wales are able to vote on legislation effecting only England, while English MPs have no equivalent right to legislate on devolved matters. 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
free top-up university fees,
has led to a steady rise in
English nationalism. Some have suggested the creation of a
devolved English parliament, while others have proposed simply limiting voting on legislation which only effects England to English MPs.
Law
The
English law legal system, developed over the centuries, is the foundation of many
legal systems throughout the
Anglosphere. Despite now being part of the United Kingdom, the legal system of the
Courts of England and Wales continued as a separate legal system to the one used in Scotland as part of the
Treaty of Union. The general essence of English law is that it is made by
judges sitting in
courts, applying their common sense and knowledge of
legal precedent—
stare decisis—to the facts before them. The
court system is headed by the Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the
Court of Appeal, the
High Court of Justice for civil cases and the
Crown Court for criminal cases. The
House of Lords is the highest court for both criminal and civil cases in
England and Wales, although constitutional changes will soon see those powers transfer to a new
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. A decision of the highest
appeal court in England and Wales, the
House of Lords, is binding on every other court in the hierarchy, which follow its directions. Crime increased between 1981–1995, though since then there has been 42% fall in crime for the period 1995–2006. The prison population doubled over the same period, giving it the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe at 147 per 100,000.
reporting to the
Ministry of Justice, manages most
prisons, housing over 80,000 convicts.
Regions, counties and districts
}
The
subdivisions of England consist of as many as four levels of
subnational division controlled through a variety of types of administrative entites. They have been created for the purposes of
local government in England. The highest tier of local government are the nine
regions of England—
North East,
North West,
Yorkshire and the Humber,
East Midlands,
West Midlands,
East,
South East,
South West and
Greater London. These were created in 1994 as
Government Offices, used by the British Government to deliver a wide range of policies and programmes regionally. They 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
regional assemblies as a counterweight.
London accepted in 1998—the
London Assembly was created two years later. However, the proposal was rejected by the
northern England devolution referendums, 2004 in the North East, further referendums were cancelled.
There are plans to abolish the remaining regional assemblies in 2010 and transfer their functions to respective
Regional Development Agencies and new system of
Local Authority Leaders’ Boards.
Below the regional level all of England is divided into one of 48
ceremonial counties.
[Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica, 100.] These counties are used primarily as a geographical frame of reference and have developed gradually since the
Middle Ages, with some established as recently as 1974.
Each has a
Lord Lieutenant and
High Sheriff; these posts are used to represent the
British monarch locally.
Outside
Greater London and the
Isles of Scilly, England is also divided into 83
metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties; these correspond to areas used for the purposes of local government
[Singh, Decentralized democratic governance in new millennium, 53.] and may consist of a single district or be divided into several. There are six
metropolitan counties which are based on the most heavily urbanised areas and do not have county councils.
In these areas the principle authorities are the councils of the subdivisions, the
metropolitan boroughs. 27
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. Greater London has a different system for local governance, with thirty-two
London boroughs and the
City of London covering a small area at the core, which is governed by the
City of London Corporation. At the most localised level, much of England is divided into
civil parishes with
councils; they do not exist in Greater London.
Geography
Landscape and rivers
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—
to the north by Scotland and
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
sea gap, though the two countries are connected by the
Channel Tunnel near
Folkestone. As England is on an island, is it surrounded by the water of the
Irish Sea,
North Sea and
Atlantic Ocean. The most important
rivers in England, because of their ports of London, Liverpool and Newcastle, are the tidal rivers
Thames,
Mersey and
Tyne.
The tides raise the level of water in their estuaries and enable ships to enter the ports. The longest river running through England is the
Severn, which is long and empties into the
Bristol Channel; it is also notable for the
Severn Bore tidal waves which can reach in height.
However, the longest river entirely in England is the Thames, which is long.
There are many
lakes in England but the majority are in the aptly named
Lake District; the largest of which is
Lake Windermere, it is known by the nickname "Queen of Lakes".
The
Pennines which are 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 million years ago. The total length of the Pennines is , peaking at
Cross Fell in Cumbria.
The material which they are made up of itself is mostly
sandstone and
limestone, but also
coal. There are
karst landscapes in calcite areas such as parts of Yorkshire and
Derbyshire. The Pennines landscape is high
moorland in upland areas, indented by fertile valleys of the region's rivers.
They contain three national parts, the
Yorkshire Dales,
Northumberland and the
Peak District. The highest point in England is
Scafell Pike in Cumbria which is high.
Straddling the border between England and Scotland are the
Cheviot Hills. The
English Lowlands are to the south of the Pennines, consisting of green rolling hills, including the
Cotswold Hills,
Chiltern Hills,
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
mild climate; both are
national parks.
Climate
England has a
temperate maritime climate meaning that it is mild with temperatures not much lower than in winter and not much higher than in summer.
The weather is damp relatively frequently and is subject to change. The coldest months are January and February, the latter particularly on the
English coast, while July is normally the warmest month. Months with mild to warm weather with least rainfall are May, June, September and October.
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.
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.
Since weather recording records began, the highest temperature received was on 10 August 2003 at
Brogdale in
Kent, while the lowest was on 10 January 1982 in
Edgmond,
Shropshire.
Major conurbations
The
Greater London Urban Area is by far the largest metropolitan area in England
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.
Other urban areas of considerable size and influence tend to be in
northern England or the
English Midlands.
There are
fifty settlements which have been designated
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,
Manchester,
Liverpool,
Leeds,
Newcastle,
Bradford,
Nottingham and others, a large population is not necessarily a prerequisite for a settlement to be afforded city status.
Traditionally the status was afforded to towns with
diocesan cathedrals and so there are smaller cities like
Wells,
Ely,
Ripon,
Truro and
Chichester.
According to the
Office for National Statistics the ten largest, continuous built-up urban areas are;
Economy
England's economy is one of the largest in in the world, with an average
GDP per capita of £22,907.
Usually regarded as a
mixed market economy, it has adopted many
free market principles in contrast to the
Rhine Capitalism of Europe, yet maintains an advanced social welfare infrastructure. The official currency in England is the
pound sterling, also known as the GBP.
Taxation in England is quite competitive when
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. The economy of England is the largest part of the
UK's economy,
which has the
18th highest GDP
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 UK's main
stock exchange and the largest in Europe, is England's financial centre—100 of Europe's 500 largest corporations are based in London. London is the largest financial centre in Europe, and as of 2009 is also the largest in the world.
The
Bank of England, founded in 1694 by Scottish banker
William Paterson, is the UK'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
state-owned institution. 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. 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.
[Reitan, The Thatcher Revolution, 50.] 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
marques are now foreign-owned, such as
Rolls-Royce,
Lotus,
Jaguar and
Bentley—
crude oil and
petroleum from the English parts of
North Sea Oil along with
Wytch Farm,
aircraft engines and
alcoholic beverages.
Agriculture is intensive and highly mechanised, producing 60% of food needs with only 2% of the labour force. Two thirds of production is devoted to livestock, the other to arable crops.
Infrastructure
The
Department for Transport is the government body responsible for overseeing transport in England. There are several
motorways in England, one of the most important trunk roads is the
A1 Great North Road, stretching across the country from London to Newcastle.
[UK Parliament, Department for Transport annual report 2007, 175.] The longest motorway in England is the
M6, stretching from
Rugby to the
North West up to the
Anglo-Scottish border.
There are other major roads; the
M1 from London to Leeds, the
M25 which encircles London, the
M60 which encircles Manchester, the
M4 from London to South Wales, the
M62 from Liverpool to Manchester and East Yorkshire and the
M5 from Birmingham to Bristol and the South West.
across the country is common, major companies include
National Express,
Arriva and
Go-Ahead Group. The red
double-decker buses 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.
There are tram networks, such as;
Blackpool,
Manchester Metrolink,
Sheffield Supertram and
Midland Metro.
[White, Public transport, 63.]Rail transport in England is the oldest in the world, with the system originating there in 1825. Much of Britain's of rail network lies in England, covering the country extensively. These lines are mostly
single,
double or
quadruple track, though there are
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. There are
air transport facilities in England connected the public to numerous international locations, the largest airport is
London Heathrow Airport which in terms of passenger volume in the busiest in Europe and one of
busiest in the world.
[O'Hanlon, Global Airlines, 205.] Other large airports include
Manchester Airport,
London Stansted Airport,
Luton Airport and
Birmingham International Airport.
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.
[Else, Inghilterra, 781.] Travel by waterways such as
rivers,
canals,
docks is common with around of navigable waterways in England, half of which is owned by
British Waterways.
The
Thames is the major waterway in England, with imports and exports focused at the
Port of Tilbury, one of the UK's three major ports.
The
National Health Service (NHS) is the
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. The NHS is largely funded from general taxation including
National Insurance payments, it provides most services at no additional cost though there are extra charges associated with eye tests, dental care, prescriptions and aspects of personal care. The government department responsible for the NHS is the
Department of Health, headed by the
Secretary of State for Health, who sits in the
British Cabinet. Most of the expenditure of the Department of Health is spent on the NHS—£98.6 billion was spent in 2008-2009.
In recent years the private sector has been increasingly used to provide more NHS services despite opposition by doctors and trade unions. 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.
Demography
Population
Population of English ceremonial counties
With over 51 million inhabitants, England is the most populous country of the United Kingdom, accounting for 84% of the combined total.
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
country by population in the world. With a density of 395 people per square kilometre, it would be the second most densely populated country in the European Union after
Malta. The
English people are a
British people—genetic evidence suggests that 75–95% descend in the paternal line from prehistoric settlers who originally came from the
Iberian Peninsula.
[Oppenheimer, Origins of the British, 378.] There is a significant
Norse element, as well as a 5% contribution from
Angles and
Saxons,
though other geneticists place the Norse-
Germanic estimate up to half.
Over time various cultures have been influential—
Prehistoric,
Brythonic,
Roman,
Anglo-Saxon,
Norse Viking,
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. Since the late 1990s, English people
have migrated to
Spain.
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. By 1801 the population had grown to 8.3 million, and by 1901 had grown to 30.5 million. Due to the economic prosperity in
South East England there are many economic migrants from the other parts of the United Kingdom.
There has been
significant Irish migration, with 25% of English people having
Irish ancestry.
The European population totals at 89.90%, including
Germans and
Poles.
Other people from much further afield in the former British colonies have arrived since the 1950s—5.30% of people living in England have migrated from the
Indian subcontinent, mostly
India and
Pakistan.
2.30% of the population are black, mostly from the
Caribbean.
There is a significant number of
Chinese and
British Chinese.
As of 2007, 22% of primary school children in England were from
ethnic minority families.
About half of the population increase between 1991–2001 was due to
foreign-born immigration. Debate over immigration is politically prominent, according to a
Home Office poll 80% of people want to cap it. The
ONS has projected that the population will grow by six million between 2004 and 2029.
Language
As its name suggests, the English language, today spoken by hundreds of millions of people around the world, originated as the language of England, where it remains the principal tongue today. An
Indo-European language in the
Anglo-Frisian branch of the
Germanic family, it is closely related to
Scots. After the
Norman conquest, the
Old English language was displaced and confined to the lower social classes as
Norman French and
Latin were used by the aristocracy. By the 17th 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.
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.
English language learning and teaching is an important economic activity, and includes
language schooling, tourism spending, and publishing. There is no
legislation mandating an official language for England, but English is the only language used for official business. Despite the country's relatively small size, there are many distinct
regional accents, and individuals with particularly strong accents may not be easily understood everywhere in the country.
Cornish, which died out as a community language in the 18th century, is being revived, and is now protected under the
ECRML. It is spoken by 0.1% of people in Cornwall, and is taught to some degree in several primary and secondary schools. State schools teach students a second language, usually
French,
German or
Spanish. Due to immigration, it was reported in 2007 that around 800,000 school students spoke a foreign language at home,
the most common being
Punjabi and
Urdu.
Education
Universities and learning institutions
The body responsible for
state education in general up to the age of 19, in the United Kingdom is the
Department for Children, Schools and Families—this body directly controls state schools in England. Funded through
taxation state-run schools are attended by approximately 93% of English schoolchildren. There is a minority of
faith schools, mostly Church of England or Catholic Church. 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, there are selective intake
grammar schools, to which entrance is subject to passing the
eleven plus exam. Around 7.2% of English schoolchildren attend
private schools, which are funded by private sources. Standards are monitored by regular inspections of state-funded schools by the
Office for Standards in Education and of private schools by the
Independent Schools Inspectorate.
After finishing compulsory education, pupils take a
GCSE examination, following which they may decide to continue in
further education and attend a
further education college. Students normally enter
university from 18 onwards, where they study for an
academic degree. England has more than 90 state-funded universities, which are monitored by the
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. Students are generally entitled to
student loans for maintenance. The
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. England has a
history of promoting education, and its top institutions are internationally respected. Perhaps the best known English universities are
Oxford and
Cambridge.
The King's School, Canterbury and
The King's School, Rochester are the oldest schools in the English-speaking world. Many of England's more well-known schools, such as
Winchester College,
Eton College,
St Paul's School,
Rugby School, and
Harrow School are fee-paying institutions.
Science, engineering and innovation
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,
Tim Berners-Lee,
Andrew Wiles and
Richard Dawkins. Experts claim that the earliest concept of a
metric system was invented by
John Wilkins, first secretary of the
Royal Society in 1668. 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
steamships, and numerous important bridges, hence revolutionising public transport and modern-day engineering.
Inventions and discoveries of the English include; the first industrial spinning machine,
the first computer and the first
modern computer, the
World Wide Web along with
HTTP and
HTML, the first successful human
blood transfusion, the
vacuum cleaner, the
lawnmower, the
seat belt, the
hovercraft, the
electric motor, the
microphone,
steam engines, and theories such as the
Darwinian theory of evolution and
atomic theory.
Newton developed the ideas of
universal gravitation,
Newtonian mechanics, and
infinitesimal calculus, and
Robert Hooke his eponymously named
law of elasticity. Other inventions include the iron plate
railway, the
thermosiphon,
tarmac, the
rubber band, the
mousetrap,
"cat's eye" road safety device, joint development of the
light bulb, steam
locomotives, the
seed drill, the
jet engine and many modern techniques and technologies used in
precision engineering.
Religion
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.
The largest form practiced in the present day is
Anglicanism, dating from the 16th-century
Reformation period, with the 1536 split from Rome over
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. It has the status of
established church in England. There are around 26 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. Many
cathedrals and parish churches are historic buildings of significant architectural importance, such as
Westminster Abbey,
York Minster,
Durham Cathedral and
Salisbury Cathedral.
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'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
England and Wales basis where there are 4.5 million members (most of whom are English). There has been one Pope from England to date,
Adrian IV; while saints
Bede and
Anslem are regarded as
Doctors of the Church. A form of
Protestantism known as
Methodism is the third largest and grew out of Anglicanism through
John Wesley. It gained popularity in the
mill towns of
Lancashire and
Yorkshire, and amongst tin miners in
Cornwall. There are other
non-conformist minorities, such as
Baptists,
Quakers,
Congregationalists,
Unitarians and the
Salvation Army.
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.
There are many other English and associated saints, some of the best known include;
Cuthbert,
Alban,
Wilfrid,
Aidan,
Edward the Confessor,
John Fisher,
Thomas More,
Petroc,
Piran,
Margaret Clitherow and
Thomas Becket.
There are non-Christian religions practiced.
Jews have a history of a small minority on the island since 1070.
They were expelled from England in 1290 following the
Edict of Expulsion, only to be allowed back in 1656.
Especially since the 1950s Eastern religions from the
former British colonies have began to appear, due to foreign immigration;
Islam is the most common of these accounting for around 3.1% in England.
,
Sikhism and
Buddhism are next in number adding up to 2% combined,
introduced from
India and
South East Asia.
Around 14.6% claim to have
no religion.
Prior to the rise of Christianity—
Celtic,
Roman,
Anglo-Saxon and
Norse mythology was practiced.
Culture
Architecture
Many ancient
standing stone monuments were erected during the prehistoric period, amongst the best known are
Stonehenge,
Devil's Arrows,
Rudston Monolith and
Castlerigg. With the introduction of
Ancient Roman architecture there was a development of
basilicas,
baths,
amphitheaters,
triumphal arches,
villas,
Roman temples,
Roman roads,
Roman forts,
stockades and
aqueducts.
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.
Another well preserved example is the
Roman Baths at
Bath, Somerset.
's secular buildings were simple constructions mainly using
timber with
thatch for roofing. Ecclesiastical architecture ranged from a synthesis of
Hiberno—
Saxon monasticism, to
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.
Throughout the Plantagenet era an
English Gothic architecture flourished—the
medieval cathedrals such as
Canterbury Cathedral,
Westminster Abbey and
York Minster are prime examples.
[Atkinson, English Architecture, 189.] Expanding on the
Norman base there was also
castles,
palaces,
great houses,
universities and
parish churches. Medieval architecture was completed with the 16th century
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.
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 forms have appeared whose reception is often controversial, though traditionalist resistance movements continue with support in influential places.
Folklore
thumb|alt="Robin shoots with Sir Guy"|140px|right|[[Robin Hood illustrated in 1912 by
Louis Rhead.]]
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
pixies,
giants,
elfs,
bogeymen,
trolls,
goblins and
dwarves. While many legends and folk-customs are thought to be ancient, for instance the tales featuring
Offa of Angeln and
Weyland Smith,
[Keary, Outlines of primitive belief among the Indo-European races, 50.] others date from after the Norman invasion;
Robin Hood and his
Merry Men of
Sherwood and their battles with the
Sheriff of Nottingham being, perhaps, the best known. During the
High Middle Ages tales originating from Brythonic traditions entered English folklore—the
Arthurian myth.
[Higham, King Arthur: myth-making and history, 25.] These were derived from
Anglo-Norman,
French and
Welsh sources,
[ 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. Another early figure from British tradition, King Cole, may have been based on a real figure from Sub-Roman Britain. Many of the tales and pseudo-histories make up part of the wider Matter of Britain, a collection of shared British folklore.]
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 rode naked on horseback through Coventry, Hereward the Wake was a heroic English figure resisting the Norman invasion, Herne the Hunter is an equestrian ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park and Mother Shipton is the archetypal witch. On 5 November people make bonfires, set off fireworks and eat toffee apples in commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot centred around Guy Fawkes. The chivalrous bandit is a reacurring character such as Dick Turpin, while Blackbeard is the archetypal pirate. There are various national and regional folk activities, participated in to this day, such as Morris dancing, Maypole dancing, Rapper sword in the North East, Long Sword dance in Yorkshire, Mummers Plays, bottle-kicking in Leicestershire and cheese-rolling at Cooper's Hill. There is no official national costume, but a few are well established such as the Pearly Kings and Queens associated with cockneys, the Royal Guard, the Morris costume and Beefeaters.Cuisine
Since the Early Modern Period the food of England has historically been characterised by its simplicity of approach such as meat and two veg, honesty of flavour, and a reliance on the high quality of natural produce. 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. The cuisine of England has, however, recently undergone a revival, which has been recognised by the food critics with some good ratings in Restaurant's best restaurant in the world charts. An early book of English recipes is the Forme of Cury from the royal court of Richard II.
Traditional examples of English food include the Sunday roast; featuring a roasted joint, usually beef, lamb or chicken, served with assorted boiled vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.Visual arts
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. 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 and Aldborough. 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 Gaelic and Anglian styles, such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and Vespasian Psalter. Later Gothic art was popular at Winchester and Canterbury, examples survive such as Benedictional of St. Æthelwold and Luttrell Psalter.
The Tudor era saw prominent artists as part of their court, portrait painting which would remain an enduring part of English art, was boosted by German Hans Holbein, natives such as Nicholas Hilliard built on this.Literature, poetry and philosophy
Early authors wrote in Latin such as Bede and Alcuin.[Warner, Library of the world's best literature, ancient and modern, 35.] While the period of Old English literature provided the epic poem Beowulf, the secular prose the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, along with Christian writings such as Judith, Cædmon's Hymn and saintly hagiographies.[Rowse, The Elizabethan Renaissance, 48.] Francis Bacon and Thomas Hobbes wrote on empiricism and materialism, including scientific method and social contract.
Some of the most prominent philosophers from the Enlightenment were Locke, Paine, Johnson and Benthem. More radical elements were later countered by Edmund Burke who is regarded as the founder of conservatism. The poet Alexander Pope with his satirical verse became well regarded. The English played a significant role in romanticism—Coleridge, Byron, Keats, M Shelley, PB Shelley, Blake and Wordsworth were major figures. In response to the Industrial revolution, agrarian writers looked to find a way between liberty and tradition; Cobbett, Chesterton and Belloc were main exponents, while founder of guild socialism, Penty and cooperative movement advocate Cole are somewhat related. Empiricism continued through Mill and Russell, while Williams was involved in analytics. Authors from around the time of the Victorian era include Dickens, Brontë sisters, Austen, Kipling, Wells, and Underhill. Since then England has continued to produce novelists such as C. S. Lewis, Orwell, Blyton, Christie, Tolkien, and J. K. Rowling.Performing arts
The traditional folk music of England is centuries old and has contributed to several genres prominently; mostly sea shanties, jigs, hornpipes 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's Roxburghe Ballads collections. Some of the best known songs are The Good Old Way, Pastime with Good Company, 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, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush and Humpty Dumpty. Early English composers in classical music include Renaissance artists Thomas Tallis and William Byrd, followed up by Henry Purcell from the Baroque period. German-born George Frideric Handel became a British subject and spent most of his composing life in London, creating some of the most well-known works of classical music, The Messiah, 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. 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, Rod Stewart and The Rolling Stones are among the highest selling recording artists in the world. Many musical genres have origins or strong associations with England, such as British invasion, hard rock, glam rock, heavy metal, mod, britpop, drum and bass, progressive rock, punk rock, indie rock, gothic rock, shoegazing, acid house, UK garage, trip hop and dubstep. Large outdoor music festivals in the summer and autumn are popular, such as Glastonbury, V Festival, Reading and Leeds Festivals. The most prominent opera house in England is the Royal Opera House at Covent Gardens.[Foreman, London: a musical gazetteer, 371.] The Proms, a season of orchestral classical music concerts held at the Royal Albert Hall, is a major cultural event held annually.Museums, libraries, and galleries
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 Sites fall within England. 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. There are many museums in England, but the most notable is London's British Museum. Its collection of more than seven million objects is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world, 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 million items in all known languages and formats; including around 25 million books. 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. The Tate galleries house the national collections of British and international modern art; they also host the famously controversial Turner Prize.Sports
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,
Cricket is generally thought to have been developed in the early medieval period among the farming and metalworking communities of the Weald. 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, contested since 1882. The finale of the 2009 Ashes was watched by nearly 2 million people, although the climax of the 2005 Ashes was viewed by 7.4 million as it was available on terrestrial television. England are the current holders of the trophy and are fifth in both Test and One Day International cricket. England has hosted four Cricket World Cups (1975, 1979, 1983, 1999) and the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009. There are several domestic level competitions, including the County Championship in which Yorkshire are by far the most successful club having won the competition 31 times. Lord's Cricket Ground situated in London is sometimes referred to as the "Mecca of Cricket".
The England national 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. The top level of club participation is the 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 1898, 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 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, Leeds Rhinos and Huddersfield Giants; the former three have all won the World Club Challenge previously. In tennis the Wimbledon Championships are the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely considered the most prestigious.
William Penny Brookes was prominent in organising the format for the modern Olympic Games. London hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948, and will host them again in 2012. England competes in the Commonwealth Games, which are held every four years. Sport England is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in England. A Grand Prix is usually held at Silverstone, but will be moved to Donington.National symbols
England's coat of arms
A red cross acted as a symbol for many 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. 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.
The national coat of arms of England, featuring three lions dates back to its adoption by Richard the Lionheart from 1198–1340. They are 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, Land of Hope and Glory (used for England during the 2002 Commonwealth Games), 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.
