England

England
Flag of England
Anthem: Various
Predominantly "God Save the King"
(National anthem of the United Kingdom)
Location of England (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the United Kingdom (green)
Location of England (dark green)

– in Europe (green & dark grey)
– in the United Kingdom (green)

StatusCountry
Capital
and largest city
London
51°30′N 0°7′W / 51.500°N 0.117°W / 51.500; -0.117
National languageEnglish
Regional languagesCornish
Ethnic groups
List
Religion
(2021)[1]
List
Demonym(s)English
GovernmentPart of a constitutional monarchy, direct government exercised by the UK Government
• Monarch
Charles III
Parliament of the United Kingdom
• House of Commons533 MPs (of 650)
Establishment
by 12 July 927
1 May 1707
Area
• Total[a]
132,930 km2 (51,320 sq mi)[2]
• Land[b]
130,310 km2 (50,310 sq mi)[2]
Population
• Mid-2021 estimate
Neutral increase 56,536,419[3]
• 2021 census
Neutral increase 56,490,048[1]
• Density
434/km2 (1,124.1/sq mi)[3]
GVA2021 estimate
 • Total£1.760 trillion
 • Per capita£31,138[4]
GDP (nominal)2021 estimate
• Total
£1.961 trillion
• Per capita
£34,690[5]
CurrencyPound sterling (GBP£)
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy (AD)
Driving sideleft
Calling code+44
ISO 3166 codeGB-ENG

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom.[6] The country is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers roughly 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. The population was 56,490,048 at the 2021 census. London is both the largest city and the capital.

The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Paleolithic, but 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.[7] The Kingdom of England, which included Wales after 1535, ceased being a separate sovereign state on 1 May 1707 when the Acts of Union put the terms agreed in the Treaty of Union the previous year into effect; this resulted in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland that created the Kingdom of Great Britain.[8]

England is the origin of many well-known worldwide exports, including 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 Church of England; its parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations.[9] The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation.[10] 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.[11][12]

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 greater metropolitan 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,[13] 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.[14]

  1. ^ a b c UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – England Country (E92000001)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Standard Area Measurements (Latest) for Administrative Areas in the United Kingdom (V2)". Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Park, Neil (21 December 2022). "Estimates of the population for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  4. ^ Fenton, Trevor (25 April 2023). "Regional gross value added (balanced) per head and income components". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  5. ^ Fenton, Trevor (25 April 2023). "Regional gross domestic product: all ITL regions". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  6. ^ "A Beginners Guide to UK Geography (2023)". Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  7. ^ "England – Culture". britainusa.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  8. ^ Burns, William E. A Brief History of Great Britain. p. xxi.; "Acts of Union 1707". parliament.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  9. ^ "Country profile: United Kingdom". BBC News. 26 October 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  10. ^ "Industrial Revolution". Ace.mmu.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 27 April 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  11. ^ "What makes UK universities so popular?". CamVision Education. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  12. ^ "World University Rankings". Times Higher Education (THE). 4 October 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  13. ^ Park, Neil (24 June 2020). "Population estimates for UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland". Office for National Statistics (United Kingdom).
  14. ^ 2011 Census – Population and household estimates for England and Wales, March 2011. Accessed 31 May 2013.


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