Portal:England

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

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

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

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

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Portrait by Godfrey Kneller, 1690

Mary II (30 April 1662 – 28 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband, King William III and II, from 1689 until her death in 1694. She was also Princess of Orange following her marriage on 4 November 1677. Her joint reign with William over Britain is known as that of William and Mary.

Mary was born during the reign of her uncle King Charles II. She was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York (the future James II of England), and his first wife, Anne Hyde. Mary and her sister Anne were raised as Anglicans at the behest of Charles II, although their parents both converted to Roman Catholicism. Charles lacked legitimate children, making Mary second in the line of succession. At the age of 15, she married her cousin William of Orange, a Protestant. Charles died in 1685 and James became king, making Mary heir presumptive. James's attempts at rule by decree and the birth of his son from a second marriage, James Francis Edward (later known as "the Old Pretender"), led to his deposition in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the adoption of the English Bill of Rights. (Full article...)

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British Island Airways (BIA) was the legal successor to British United Island Airways (BUIA). It commenced operations under that name in mid-1970. Ten years later it merged with Air Anglia, Air Wales and Air Westward to form Air UK, at the time the United Kingdom's biggest regional airline and its third-largest scheduled operator. The first British Island Airways had its head office at Congreve House (1970–1972) and Berkeley House (1973–1979), which are respectively located in Station Road and on the high street in Redhill, Surrey.

In 1982 British Island Airways was reconstituted by splitting off the charter operation Air UK had inherited from BIA at the time of its creation into a separate company. (Full article...)

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

Image 1Portrait of Edward VI, c. 1550 (from History of England)
Image 2Francis 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 3Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 720 AD (from History of England)
Image 4Kingdoms and tribes in Britain, c. AD 600 (from History of England)
Image 5Stinking Bishop cheese (from Culture of England)
Image 6Canterbury Cathedral nave, 1377 (from History of England)
Image 7Stonehenge, erected in several stages from c.3000–2500 BC (from History of England)
Image 8Londinium (Roman London), c. 120 AD (from History of England)
Image 9The Great Fire London, 1666. (from History of England)
Image 10The English landscape garden at Stourhead, described as a 'living work of art' when first opened in the 1750s (from Culture of England)
Image 11King James I of England (from History of England)
Image 12The Lindisfarne Gospels (from Culture of England)
Image 13View of the ramparts of the hillfort of Maiden Castle (450 BC), as they look today (from History of England)
Image 14King Henry VIII (from History of England)
Image 15Gold torc from Snettisham, 70 BC (from History of England)
Image 16Shoulder clasp from Sutton Hoo, 625 AD (from History of England)
Image 17Procession of characters from Shakespeare's plays (from Culture of England)
Image 18The Billingsgate Fish Market in London in the early 19th century (from History of England)
Image 19The Ruthwell Cross, 8th century AD (from History of England)
Image 20National performing arts are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as The Proms during the summer. (from Culture of England)
Image 21Elizabeth I (from History of England)
Image 22Canterbury 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 23The Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral (from Culture of England)
Image 24First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644 (from History of England)
Image 25The White Tower of the Tower of London, built in 1078 (from History of England)
Image 26England 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 27The wizard Merlin features as a character in many works of fiction, including the BBC series Merlin. (from Culture of England)
Image 28Flatford Mill ('Scene on a Navigable River') by John Constable, c. 1816 (from Culture of England)
Image 29William 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 30Dover Castle, 12th–13th century (from History of England)
Image 31Countries where English is natively spoken or has official status (from Culture of England)
Image 32Remains of Hadrian's Wall (from History of England)
Image 33The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers (from History of England)
Image 34Interior of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (from Culture of England)
Image 35Jack 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 36The Battersea Shield (detail), 350 BC. (from History of England)
Image 37Sir 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 38Geoffrey Chaucer, c. 1340s–1400, author of The Canterbury Tales (from History of England)
Image 39England in 878 (from History of England)
Image 40Alfred 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 41Anglo-Saxon king with his Witan. Biblical scene in the Old English Hexateuch (11th century) (from History of England)
Image 42Chester, c. 1880 (from History of England)
Image 43Durham Cathedral. The Norman cathedral was built 1093–1133 (from History of England)
Image 44The 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 45Whitehall by Francis Dodd (1920) displaying the Palace of Westminster (from Culture of England)
Image 46Depiction of the Battle of Hastings (1066) on the Bayeux Tapestry (from History of England)
Image 47Remains of the Roman baths at Bath, England. (from History of England)
Image 48King Alfred the Great statue in Winchester, Hampshire. The 9th-century English king encouraged education in his kingdom. (from Culture of England)
Image 49King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 (from History of England)
Image 50The 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 51A pint of real ale (from Culture of England)
Image 52Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill. (from Culture of England)
Image 53King Charles II (from History of England)
Image 54First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. (from Culture of England)
Image 55Bronze coins of Cunobelin, called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. 1–42 AD. (from History of England)
Image 56The Fairy Ring by William Holmes Sullivan, c.1908 (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 58The Mob Quad of Merton College, University of Oxford, 13th–14th century (from History of England)
Image 59Morris dancing (from Culture of England)
Image 60The Alfred Jewel, late 9th century (from History of England)
Image 61A traditional Punch and Judy booth, at Swanage, Dorset, England (from Culture of England)
Image 62The Royal College of Music is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, established by royal charter in 1882. (from Culture of England)
Image 63King 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 64Silbury Hill, c. 2400 BC (from History of England)
Image 65Portrait 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 66The epic poem Beowulf, set in 6th century Scandinavia, composed c. 700–1000 AD. (from History of England)
Image 67One of only four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text, Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, property of the British Library (from History of England)
Image 68Anglo-Saxon helmet from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, 625 AD (replica) (from History of England)
Image 69Maps of territory held by Royalists (red) and Parliamentarians (green) during the English Civil War (1642–1645) (from History of England)
Image 70Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers. (from Culture of England)
Image 71Josiah Wedgwood was a leading entrepreneur in the Industrial Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 72Durham Cathedral, dating from 1093 (from Culture of England)
Image 73Christopher Lee (seen here as Dracula in 1958) starred in many of Hammer's British horror films. (from Culture of England)
Image 74The Spanish Armada and English ships in August 1588, (unknown, 16th-century, English School) (from History of England)
Image 75Sir Francis Drake's voyage 1585–86 (from History of England)
Image 76Artefacts from Bush Barrow at Stonehenge. Wessex culture, Early Bronze Age, c. 1900 BC (from History of England)
Image 77Frontispiece 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 78The 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 79Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945 (from History of England)
Image 80Tomb of Richard I of England and Isabella of Angoulême (from History of England)

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The pier from Clevedon seafront

Clevedon Pier is a seaside pier in the town of Clevedon, Somerset, England on the east shore of the Severn Estuary. It was described by Sir John Betjeman, as "the most beautiful pier in England" and was designated a Grade I listed building in 2001.

The pier was built during the 1860s to attract tourists and provide a ferry port for rail passengers to South Wales. The pier is 312 m (1,024 ft) long and consists of eight spans supported by steel rails covered by wooden decking, with a pavilion on the pier head. (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

12 April 2025 –: Three prison officers sustain life-threatening injuries in a mass stabbing and burn attack when Hashem Abedi, the brother of Islamic terrorist Salman Abedi, the perpetrator of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, attacks prison officers at HM Prison Frankland in County Durham, England, with hot cooking oil and shivs. (BBC News)
9 April 2025 –: Universal Destinations & Experiences formally announces that they have chosen a site near Kempston Hardwick in Bedfordshire, England, as the location for their Universal Studios United Kingdom resort. The theme park will officially open in 2031 and will be the largest theme park in the UK upon completion. (AP)
7 April 2025 –: The first birth of a baby in the United Kingdom to a woman with a transplanted womb is announced. The baby girl, delivered at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London to a 36-year-old woman, is reported to be healthy. (BBC News)
5 April 2025 –: Two people are killed after a caravan catches fire at a campsite in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England. (Sky News)
5 April 2025 – 2025 Grand National: In horse racing, Nick Rockett, rode by Irish jockey Patrick Mullins, wins the 2025 Grand National at Aintree Racecourse in England. (BBC Sport)
31 March 2025 –: Three people are killed in a multiple-vehicle collision involving a bus and a car near Heathrow Airport in Greater London, England. (The Independent)

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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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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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