England 9316 226161952 2008-07-17T02:43:08Z MichiganCharms 4604856 Unexplained edit was against consensus {{pp-semi-vandalism|small=yes}} {{about|the country}} {{Infobox Country |native_name = England |conventional_long_name = |common_name = England |image_flag = Flag of England.svg |image_coat = England COA.svg |symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms |national_motto = {{lang|fr|''[[Dieu et mon droit]]''}}{{spaces|2}}<small>([[French language|French]])<br />"God and my right"</small> |national_anthem = None officially specific to England; the anthem of the [[United Kingdom]] is "[[God Save the Queen]]". See also [[National anthem of England]]. |prime_minister = [[Gordon Brown]] |patron_saint = [[Saint George|St. George]] |image_map = England UK.png |map_width = 250px |map_caption = {{map_caption|location_color=orange|region=the [[United Kingdom]]|region_color=camel}} |capital = [[London]] |demonym = English |latd=51 |latm=30 |lats=27.8 |latNS=N |longd=0 |longm=7 |longs=40.7 |longEW=W |largest_city = capital |official_languages = [[English language|English]]{{smallsup|1}} |ethnic_groups = 84.70% <small>[[White British]]</small><br /> 5.30% <small>[[British Asian|South Asian]]</small><br />3.20% <small>[[White Other]]</small><br /> 2.69% <small>[[Black British|Black]]</small><br /> 1.57% <small>[[British Mixed|Mixed race]]</small><br />1.20% <small>[[Irish Briton|White Irish]]</small><br />0.70% <small>[[British Chinese|Chinese]]</small><br />0.60% <small>[[Other ethnic group (United Kingdom Census)|Other]]</small> |ethnic_groups_year = <small><br />'''[[Demographics of England#Ethnicity|2005]]''' Some groups inc. [[White Other]] and [[Other ethnic group (United Kingdom Census)|Other]] (inc. [[Oriental British|East Asians]]) are thought to be much higher</small> |sovereignty_type = [[Unified]] |sovereignty_note = |established_event1 = by [[Athelstan]] |established_date1 = [[927|AD 927]] |area_rank = |government_type = [[Constitutional monarchy]] |leader_title1 = [[British monarchy|Monarch]] |leader_name1 = [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] |leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] |leader_name2 = [[Gordon Brown]] [[MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2005|MP]] |area_magnitude = 1 E11 |area_km2 = 130,395 |area_sq_mi = 50,346 |percent_water = |population_estimate = 50,762,900{{smallsup|2}} |population_estimate_rank = |population_estimate_year = 2006 |population_census = 49,138,831 |population_census_year = 2001 |population_density_km2 = 388.7 |population_density_sq_mi = 976 |population_density_rank = |GDP_PPP = $1.9 trillion{{Fact|date=June 2008}} |GDP_PPP_rank = |GDP_PPP_year = 2006 |GDP_PPP_per_capita = US$38,000{{Fact|date=June 2008}} |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = |GDP_nominal = $2.2 trillion{{Fact|date=June 2008}} |GDP_nominal_rank = |GDP_nominal_year = 2006 |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $44,000{{Fact|date=June 2008}} |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = |HDI = {{increase}} 0.940 |HDI_rank = |HDI_year = 2006 |HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font> |currency = [[Pound sterling]] |currency_code = GBP |time_zone = GMT |utc_offset = 0 |time_zone_DST = BST |DST_note = |utc_offset_DST = +1 |cctld = [[.uk]]{{smallsup|3}} |calling_code = 44 |footnote1 = English is established by [[De facto|''de facto'']] usage. [[Cornish language|Cornish]] is officially recognised as a [[Regional language|Regional]] or [[Minority language]] under the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]]. |footnote2 = [http://www.gad.gov.uk/Publications/docs/National_population_projections_2004_based_report.pdf National population projections (PDF)] from the [[Office for National Statistics]]. |footnote3 = Also [[.eu]], as part of the [[European Union]]. [[ISO 3166-1]] is [[Great Britain|GB]], but [[.gb]] is unused. }} '''England''' ({{pronEng|ˈɪŋglənd}}) is the largest and most populous [[country]] within the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name="Country">{{cite web|url=http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page823.asp|title=Countries within a country|accessdate=2007-09-10|work=10 Downing Street|quote=The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iso.org/iso/newsletter_i-9.pdf|title=ISO 3166-2 Newsletter Date: 2007-11-28 No I-9. "Changes in the list of subdivision names and code elements" (Page 11)|accessdate=2008-05-31|work=[[International Organization for Standardization]] codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions -- Part 2: Country subdivision codes|quote=ENG England ''country''}}</ref> Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=6 National Statistics Online - Population Estimates]. URL accessed [[6 June]] [[2007]].</ref> whilst its mainland territory occupies most of the southern two-thirds of the island of [[Great Britain]]. England shares land borders with [[Scotland]] to the north and [[Wales]] to the west and elsewhere is bordered by the [[North Sea]], [[Irish Sea]], [[Celtic Sea]], [[Bristol Channel]] and [[English Channel]]. The [[capital]] is [[London]], the largest urban area in Great Britain, and the largest urban zone in the [[European Union]] by most, but not all, measures.<ref>The official definition of LUZ (Larger Urban Zone) is used by the European Statistical Agency ([[Eurostat]]) when describing [[conurbation]]s and areas of high population. This definition ranks London highest, above Paris (see [[Larger Urban Zones (LUZ) in the European Union]]); and a ranking of population within municipal boundaries also puts London on top (see [[Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits]]). However, research by the [[University of Avignon]] in France ranks Paris first and London second when including the whole urban area and [[hinterland]], that is the outlying cities as well (see [[Largest urban areas of the European Union]]).</ref> England became a unified state in the year 927 and takes its name from the [[Angles]], one of the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] tribes who settled there during the 5th and 6th centuries. It has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world<ref>[http://www.britainusa.com/sections/index_nt1.asp?i=41105&L1=41105&L2=41105&D=0 England - Culture]. Britain USA. URL accessed [[September 12]], [[2006]].</ref> being the place of origin of the [[English language]], the [[Church of England]] and [[English law]], which forms the basis of the [[legal systems]] of many countries around the world. In addition, England was the birthplace of the [[Industrial Revolution]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/Global_Warming/Older/Industrial_Revolution.html |title=Industrial Revolution |accessdate=2008-04-27}}</ref> being the first country in the world to become [[Industrialisation|industrialised]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture17a.html |title=The Origins of the Industrial Revolution in England |accessdate=2008-04-27}}</ref> It is home to the [[Royal Society]], which laid the foundations of modern experimental [[science]]. England was the world's oldest [[parliamentary democracy]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/1038758.stm |title=Country profile: United Kingdom |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=2009-04-27}}</ref> and consequently many constitutional, governmental and legal innovations that had their origin in England have been widely adopted by other nations. The [[Kingdom of England]] (including the [[Principality of Wales]]) continued as a separate state until [[1 May]] [[1707]], when the [[Acts of Union 1707|Acts of Union]], putting into effect the terms agreed in the [[Treaty of Union]] the previous year, resulted in [[political union]] with the [[Kingdom of Scotland]] to create the united [[Kingdom of Great Britain]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/themes/96/96282.html |title=Oxford DNB theme: England, Scotland, and the Acts of Union (1707) |accessdate=2007-06-19 |format=HTML |work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography}}</ref> == Etymology and usage == {{seealso|British Isles (terminology)}} England is [[List of meanings of countries' names|named]] after the Angles, the largest of the [[Germanic tribes]] who settled in England in the 5th and 6th centuries, and who are believed to have originated in the peninsula of [[Angeln]], in what is now [[Denmark]] and northern [[Germany]].<ref>''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'', Fourth Edition.</ref> (The further etymology of this tribe's name remains uncertain, although a popular theory holds that it need be sought no further than the word [[angle]] itself, and refers to a fish-hook-shaped region of [[Holstein]].<ref>[http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50008463query_type=word&queryword=Angle&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&result_place=3&search_id=IEYI-46Mn2i-2137&hilite=50008463 OED (etymology) entry for Angle])</ref>) The Angles' name has had various spellings. The earliest known reference to these people is under the Latinised version '''Anglii''' used by [[Tacitus]] in chapter 40 of his [[Germania (book)|Germania]],<ref name="Fordham">[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/tacitus-germanygord.html Germania] by Tacitus. URL accessed [[November 18]], [[2006]].</ref> written around 98 AD. He gives no precise indication of their geographical position within [[Germania]], but states that, with six other tribes, they worshipped a goddess named [[Nerthus]], whose sanctuary was situated on "an island in the Ocean". The early 8th century historian [[Bede]], in his [[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum]] (''Ecclesiastical History of the English People''), refers to the [[English people]] as '''Angelfolc''' (in English) or '''Angli''' (in [[Latin language|Latin]]).<ref>[http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/bede.html Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum]. URL accessed [[19 November]], [[2006]].</ref> According to the [[Oxford English Dictionary]], the first known usage of "England" referring to the southern part of the island of Great Britain was in 897, with the modern spelling first used in 1538.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50075354?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=England&first=1&max_to_show=10 |title=OED entry for England}}</ref> The word "England" is often used colloquially{{ndash}} and incorrectly{{ndash}} to refer to Great Britain or the United Kingdom as a whole.<ref name="england_definition">{{cite web |url=[[wiktionary:England]] |title=INSERT TITLE}}</ref> There are many instances of this usage in history, where references to England are actually intended to include Scotland and Wales as well.<ref name="nelson">For example, "[[England expects that every man will do his duty]]".</ref> The term is widely used; the usage is problematic and can cause offence.{{fact|date=July 2008}} England is officially defined as "subject to any alteration of boundaries under Part IV of the [[Local Government Act 1972]], the area consisting of the counties established by section 1 of that Act, Greater London and the Isles of Scilly."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/legResults.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=Interpretation+Act++&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&TYPE=QS&NavFrom=0&activeTextDocId=1838152&PageNumber=1&SortAlpha=0 |title= Schedule 1 of The Interpretation Act 1978}}</ref> == History == {{main|History of England}} [[Image:Stonehenge back wide.jpg|thumb|left|[[Stonehenge]], a [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]] megalithic monument in [[Wiltshire]], thought to have been erected [[Circa|c.]]2000–2500 BC.]] Bones and flint tools found in [[Norfolk]] and [[Suffolk]] show that ''[[Homo erectus]]'' lived in what is now England about 700,000&nbsp;years ago.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2025530.stm Bone find may rewrite history], BBC News, [[June 4]], [[2002]]. URL accessed [[20 November]] [[2006]]</ref> At this time, England was joined to mainland Europe by a large land bridge. The current position of the English Channel was a large river flowing westwards and fed by tributaries that would later become the [[Thames]] and the [[Seine]]. This area was greatly depopulated during the period of the last major ice age, as were other regions of the British Isles. In the subsequent recolonisation, after the thawing of the ice, genetic research shows that present-day England was the last area of the British Isles to be repopulated,<ref>Stephen Oppenheimer, The Origins of the British, Constable and Robinson</ref> about 13,000&nbsp;years ago. The [[migrants]] arriving during this period contrast with the other of the inhabitants of the British Isles, coming across lands from the south east of Europe, whereas earlier arriving inhabitants came north along a coastal route from Iberia. These migrants would later adopt the [[Celts|Celtic]] culture that came to dominate much of western Europe. By AD&nbsp;43, the time of the main Roman [[invasion]], Britain had already been the target of frequent invasions, planned and actual, by forces of the [[Roman Republic]] and [[Roman Empire]]. It was first invaded by the Roman dictator [[Julius Caesar]] in 55 BC, but it was conquered more fully by the [[Emperor Claudius]] in 43 AD. Like other regions on the edge of the [[Global Empire|empire]], Britain had long enjoyed trading links with the Romans, and their economic and cultural influence was a significant part of the British late pre-Roman [[Iron Age]], especially in the south. With the fall of the Roman Empire 400&nbsp;years later, the Romans left England. ===Mediæval England=== <!--The word does NOT contain a typo; it is the correct spelling in British English--> The [[History of Anglo-Saxon England]] covers the history of early <!--The following word does NOT contain a typo; it is the correct spelling in British English:-->mediæval<!--The preceding word does NOT a typo; it is the correct spelling in British English--> England from the end of Roman Britain and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the [[5th century]] until the Conquest by the Normans in 1066.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/ |title=BBC – History – Anglo-Saxons}}</ref> Fragmentary knowledge of Anglo-Saxon England in the 5th and 6th centuries comes from the British writer [[Gildas]] (6th century) the [[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]] (a history of the English people begun in the 9th century), saints' lives, poetry, archaeological findings, and place-name studies. The dominant themes of the seventh to tenth centuries were the spread of [[Christianity]] and the political unification of England. Christianity is thought to have come from three directions—from [[Rome]] to the south, and Scotland and [[Ireland]] to the north and west. From about 500&nbsp;AD, it is believed{{Fact|date=May 2008}} England was divided into seven [[petty kingdom]]s, known as the ''[[Heptarchy]]'': [[Northumbria]], [[Mercia]], [[East Anglia]], [[Kingdom of Essex|Essex]], [[Kingdom of Kent|Kent]], [[Kingdom of Sussex|Sussex]], and [[Wessex]]. The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms tended to coalesce by means of warfare. As early as the time of [[Ethelbert of Kent]], one king could be recognised as [[Bretwalda]] ("Lord of Britain"). Generally speaking, the title fell in the 7th century to the kings of Northumbria; in the 8th, to those of [[Mercia]]; and in the 9th, to [[Egbert of Wessex]], who, in 825, defeated the Mercians at the [[Battle of Ellendun]]. In the next century, [[House of Wessex|his family]] came to rule all England. [[Image:Statue d'Alfred le Grand à Winchester.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Statue of [[Alfred the Great]] at [[Winchester]].]] [[Image:Joao sem terra assina carta Magna.jpg|thumb|upright|right|The signing of the [[Magna Carta]] in 1215. It was one of the first steps towards the idea of modern [[democracy]].]] <!----------Section needs refs, thus sayeth Moreschi----------> Originally, England (or "Englaland"{{Fact|date=May 2008}}) was a geographical term to describe the part of Britain occupied by the [[Anglo-Saxons]], rather than a name of an individual [[nation-state]]. It became politically united through the expansion of the kingdom of Wessex, whose king [[Athelstan of England|Athelstan]] brought the whole of England under one ruler for the first time in 927, although unification did not become permanent until 954, when [[Edred of England|Edred]] defeated [[Eric Bloodaxe]] and became King of England. In 1016, England was conquered by the [[Denmark|Danish]] king [[Canute the Great]] and became the centre of government for his short-lived empire. With the accession of [[Edward the Confessor]], heir of the native English dynasty, in 1042, England once again became a separate kingdom. Its ties and nature, however, were forever changed following the [[Norman Conquest]] in 1066. <!----------Needs references quite badly, the content is just a little dubious----------> The next few hundred years saw England as a major part of expanding and dwindling empires based in [[France]], with the "Kings of England" using England as a source of troops to enlarge their personal holdings in France for many years ([[Hundred Years' War]]) ; in fact the English crown did not relinquish its last foothold on mainland France until [[Calais]] was lost, in 1558, during the reign of [[Mary Tudor (queen consort of France)|Mary Tudor]] (the Channel Islands are still crown dependencies, though not part of the UK). [[Image:Agincourt miniature.JPG|thumb|right|Fifteenth-century miniature depicting the English victory over France at the [[Battle of Agincourt]].]] In the 13th century Wales (the remaining Romano-Celts) was brought under the control of English [[monarchs]] through conquest. This was formalised in the [[Statute of Rhuddlan]] in 1284 and Wales was legally annexed to the [[Kingdom of England]] by the [[Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542]]. Wales shared a [[State (law)|legal identity]] with England as the joint entity originally called ''England'' and later ''[[England and Wales]]''. An [[Pandemic|epidemic]] of catastrophic proportions, the [[Black Death]] first reached England in the summer of 1348. The Black Death is estimated to have killed between a third and two-thirds of Europe's population. England alone lost as much as 70% of its population, which passed from seven million to two million in 1400. The [[plague (disease)|plague]] repeatedly returned to haunt England throughout the [[14th century|14th]] to [[17th century|17th]] centuries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Plague |title=Plague – LoveToKnow 1911}}</ref>The [[Great Plague of London]] in 1665–1666 was the last plague outbreak.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/voices/voices_salisbury.shtml |title=Spread of the Plague}}</ref> ===Early Modern period=== [[Image:Elizabeth I (Armada Portrait).jpg|thumb|Portrait of [[Queen Elizabeth I]] made to commemorate the English victory over the [[Spanish Armada]] in 1588.]] During the [[English Reformation]] in the [[16th century]], the external authority of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] in England was abolished and replaced with [[Acts of Supremacy|Acts of Royal Supremacy]] and the establishment of the [[Church of England|Church of England ("Anglican Church")]] under the Supreme Governance of the English monarch. This occurred during the reign of [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]. The English Reformation differed from its European counterparts in that its roots were more political than theological.<ref>Cf. "The Reformation must not be confused with the changes introduced into the Church of England during the 'Reformation Parliament' of 1529–36, which were of a political rather than a religious nature, designed to unite the secular and religious sources of authority within a single sovereign power: the Anglican Church did not until later make any substantial change in doctrine". Roger Scruton, ''A Dictionary Political Thought'', Macmillan: 1996, p.470.</ref> The English Reformation paved the way for the spread of [[Anglicanism]] in the church and other institutions. <!----------Inline cites needed-----------> The period known as the [[English Civil War|English Civil War (1642-1651)]] saw political machinations and armed conflicts between supporters of the [[Long Parliament]] ([[Roundhead]]s) and of [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] ([[Cavalier|Royalists]]) in [[First English Civil War|1642 to 1645]] and [[Second English Civil War|1648 to 1649]], followed by conflict between supporters of the [[Rump Parliament]] and of [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] in [[Third English Civil War|1649 to 1651]]. The War ended with the Parliamentary victory at the [[Battle of Worcester]] on [[3 September]] [[1651]]. It had led to the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son Charles II, the replacement of the English monarchy with the [[Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth of England (1649–1653)]] and personal rule by [[Oliver Cromwell]] during [[The Protectorate|The Protectorate (1653–1659)]]. [[Image:Charles II of England in Coronation robes.jpg|left|thumb|[[English Restoration|The Restoration]] under [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] restored peace after the [[English Civil War|Civil War]].]] After Cromwell's death in 1659, a brief return to Commonwealth rule was attempted before [[Convention Parliament (1660)|Parliament invited]] Charles II to return to England in 1660 and [[Restoration (England)|restore the monarchy]]. During the [[Interregnum (England)|interregnum]], the Church of England's monopoly on Christian worship in England came to an end and the [[Protestant Ascendancy]] consolidated in Ireland. Constitutionally, the wars established a precedent that British monarchs could not govern without parliamentary consent, although this would not be cemented until the [[Glorious Revolution]] later in the century. Although embattled for centuries, the [[Kingdom of England]] and [[Kingdom of Scotland]] had been drawing increasingly together since the [[Protestant Reformation]] of the 16th century<ref name="Britons">{{cite book |last=Colley |first=Linda |authorlink=Linda Colley |origyear=1994 |date=2005 |title=Britons: Forging the Nation, 1707-1837 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0300059250 |page=12}}</ref> and after 1603, when the two countries became linked by a [[personal union]], being ruled by the same [[House of Stuart|Stuart dynasty]].<ref name="Britons"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Chronology of Scottish History |publisher=Geddes & Grosset |isbn=1-85534-380-0 |last=Ross |first=David |date=2002 |quote='''1603:''' James VI becomes [[James I of England]] in the [[Union of the Crowns]], and leaves [[Edinburgh]] for [[London]]|page=56}}</ref> Following a number of attempts to unite the Kingdoms, a [[Treaty of Union]] was agreed on 22 July 1706 by representatives of the English and Scottish parliaments,<ref>[http://www.parliament.uk/about/images/historical/1707union.cfm Articles of Union with Scotland 1707] www.parliament.uk </ref>and put into effect by the [[Acts of Union 1707|Acts of Union]] which resulted in [[political union]] between the states with the creation of the united [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] on [[1 May]] [[1707]].<ref name="Britons"/> ([[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]] joining in 1801 with all of Ireland except [[Northern Ireland]] leaving in 1922 has resulted in the current name of the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]]) === Within the Union === {| class="wikitable" style="float:right;margin-left:1em;text-align:center;" |- | width="50%" | [[Image:British Isles England.svg|150px]] | width="50%" | [[Image:British Isles United Kingdom.svg|150px]] |- ! England ! [[United Kingdom]] |} After the Union, England (including Wales) retained its separate legal identity since the continuance of the separate Scottish legal system was enshrined in the Articles of the [[Treaty of Union]]. Wales had already been made part of the Kingdom of England by the [[Statute of Rhuddlan]] in 1284, and it was legally incorporated into England by the [[Wales and Berwick Act 1746]], making laws passed in England automatically applicable to Wales. The Wales and Berwick Act 1746 also referred to the formerly Scottish burgh of [[Berwick-upon-Tweed]]. The border town changed hands several times and was last conquered by England in 1482, but was not officially incorporated into England. Contention about whether Berwick was in England or Scotland was ended by the [[Acts of Union 1707|union]] of the two in 1707. Berwick remains within the English legal system and so is regarded today as part of England (though there has been some suggestion in Scotland that Berwick should be invited to 'return to the fold').<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7237802.stm 'Return to fold' call for Berwick] BBC News, February 10, 2008</ref> The county of [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]] has long been an ambiguous area with its legal identity passing between England and Wales at various periods. In the [[Local Government Act 1972]] it was made part of Wales. The [[Isle of Man]] and the [[Channel Islands]] are [[Crown dependencies]] and are not part of England. England was the birthplace of the [[Industrial Revolution]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/Global_Warming/Older/Industrial_Revolution.html |title=Industrial Revolution |accessdate=2008-04-27}}</ref> being the first country in the world to become [[Industrialisation|industrialised]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture17a.html |title=The Origins of the Industrial Revolution in England |accessdate=2008-04-27}}</ref> == Government and politics == {{main|Government of England|Politics of England}} [[Image:Medieval parliament edward.Jpg|thumb|left|upright|A [[Middle Ages|<!--The following word does NOT contain a typo; it is the correct spelling in British English:-->mediæval<!--The preceding word does NOT a typo; it is the correct spelling in British English-->]] manuscript, showing the [[Parliament of England]] in front of the king c. 1300]] <!----------Section needs more direct refs----------> 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]] that had been agreed the previous year, joined the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland to form the united [[Kingdom of Great Britain]]. Prior to this, England was ruled by a [[List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of England|monarch]] and the [[Parliament of England]]. Following the establishment of devolved government for Scotland and Wales in 1999, England was left as the only country within the United Kingdom still governed in all matters by the UK government and the UK parliament in London.<ref>Groups such as [[Mebyon Kernow]] who proclaim a distinct national identity for Cornwall and campaign for a [[Cornish assembly]] would dispute this claim.</ref> Since Westminster is the UK parliament but also legislates on matters that affect England alone, devolution of national matters to parliament/assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has refocused attention on the anomaly called the [[West Lothian question]]. The "question" is why Scottish and Welsh MPs should continue to be able to vote on legislation relating only to England in the post-devolution era while English MPs have no equivalent right to legislate on devolved matters.<ref>Scottish and Welsh MPs are also unable to vote on devolved issues affecting their ''own'' constituencies.</ref> This constitutional arrangement resulted in the Labour government only winning a 2004 vote to impose higher tuition fees on students in England due to the support of Scottish Labours MPs.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3434329.stm Blair wins key top-up fees vote] BBC News, January 27th, 2004</ref> This "question" is also exacerbated by the large number of Scottish MPs in the government, a group sometimes disparagingly called the [[Scottish mafia]], and by having a [[Prime Minister]], Gordon Brown, who represents a Scottish constituency that is unaffected by many of the policy decisions he takes. Though Scotland traditionally benefited from moderate [[malapportionment]] in its favour, having greater representation than justified by its population, the number of MPs representing Scottish constituencies was reduced from 72 to 59 at the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005 General Election]], bringing the number of voters per constituency much closer to that in England. [[Image:Palace.of.westminster.arp.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Palace of Westminster]], the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.]] There are calls for a [[devolved English parliament]], such as by former minister [[Frank Field|Frank Field MP]],<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article4061785.ece Gordon Brown pressed on English parliament] www.timesonline.co.uk, accessed July 14th, 2008 </ref> and there is opinion poll evidence of public support for the idea.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6264823.stm 'Most' support English parliament]BBC News, January 16th, 2007 </ref> Some minor English parties go further, calling for the dissolution of the Union.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.englishindependenceparty.com |title=www.englishindependenceparty.com<!--Bot generated title-->}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.englishindependence.com |title=Campaign for an Independent England – Welcome to the Campaign for an Independent England<!--Bot generated title-->}}</ref> However, the approach favoured by the current [[British Labour Party|Labour]] government was (on the basis that England is too large to be governed as a single sub-state entity) to propose the devolution of power to the [[Regions of England]]. [[Lord Falconer]] claimed a devolved English parliament would dwarf the rest of the United Kingdom.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4792120.stm BBC politics]. URL accessed [[November 12]], [[2006]].</ref> The Conservative Party, on the other hand, are considering proposals to ban Scottish MPs from voting on English only legislation in Westminster. <ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/english-votes-for-english-laws-plan-by-tories-857647.html English votes for English laws' plan by Tories]www.independent.co.uk, July 1st, 2008</ref> In terms of national administration, therefore, England's affairs are managed by a combination of the [[UK government]], the [[UK parliament]] and England-specific [[quango]]s such as [[English Heritage]]. ===Subdivisions and local government=== {{main|Administrative divisions of England|Counties of England}} The top tier of local administration within England comprises the nine [[Regions of England]]. London voted for a [[London Assembly]] and the plan was to hold further referenda in other regions to determine whether people wanted directly elected [[Regions of England|regional]] assemblies to watch over the work of the non-elected [[Regional Development Agency|Regional Development Agencies]]. A referendum on a proposed directly elected North East Assembly was held in November 2004. During the campaign, a common criticism of the proposals was that England did not need "another tier of bureaucracy".<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/talking_point/3984991.stm BBC talking point]. URL accessed [[November 12]], [[2006]].</ref> On the other hand, many said that the proposals were not [[decentralisation|decentralising]] enough, and amounted not to devolution, but to little more than local government reorganisation, with no real power being removed from central government, and no real power given to the regions, which would not even gain the limited powers of the [[Welsh Assembly]], much less the tax-varying and legislative powers of the [[Scottish Parliament]] (but Welsh powers are now being expanded). They said that power was simply to be re-allocated within the region, with little new resource allocation and no real prospects of Assemblies being able to change the pattern of regional aid. Late in the process, responsibility for regional transport was added to the proposals. This was perhaps crucial in the North East, where resentment at the [[Barnett Formula]], which delivers greater public spending per head to adjacent Scotland, was a significant impetus for the North East devolution campaign. The voters rejected the proposal, and plans for referendums in other Regions were shelved. Historically, the highest level of local government in England was the [[Counties of England|county]]. These have their origin in the [[shires]], the subdivisions of the kingdom of [[Wessex]], which were extended over the rest of England as Wessex expanded to unite the country in the ninth and tenth centuries. Some of these new shires, particularly in the south-east of England, retained the extent and names of the kingdoms or subdivisions of kingdoms that had existed there before, such as [[Kingdom of Sussex|Sussex]] and [[Kingdom of Kent|Kent]], but most were new creations, named after their principal town with the suffix "-shire" added, for example [[Warwickshire]] from [[Warwick]]. In the far north of England, the system took longer to become regularised and [[County Durham]], [[Northumberland]], [[Cumberland]] and [[Westmorland]] emerged after the [[Norman Conquest]]. The counties each had a [[county town]]. Since these [[Historic counties of England|historical county lines]] were drawn up before the [[Industrial Revolution]] and the mass urbanisation of England, the changes in the distribution of population and the demands on local administration resulting from those developments have led to a series of local government reorganisations since the latter part of the 19th century. The solution to the emergence of large urban areas was the creation of large [[Metropolitan Counties of England|metropolitan counties]] centred on cities (an example being [[Greater Manchester]]). The creation of [[Unitary Authority|unitary authorities]], where [[Districts of England|districts]] gained the administrative status of a county, began with the [[1990s UK local government reform|1990s reform]] of local government. Today, some confusion exists between the [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial counties]] (which do not necessarily form an administrative unit) and the [[metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties]]. [[Shire county|Non-metropolitan counties]] (or "shire counties") are divided into one or more [[non-metropolitan district|districts]]. At the lowest level, England is divided into [[civil parish|parishes]], although these are not found everywhere (many urban areas for example are [[unparished area|unparished]]). Parishes are prohibited from existing in Greater London. == Law and criminal justice == {{main|English law}} The [[English common law]] legal system, developed over many centuries, is also the foundation of many [[legal systems]] throughout the English-speaking countries of the world.<ref>[http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0000714.html Common law - Tiscali reference]. URL retrieved [[6 June]] [[2007]].</ref> It continued to apply in [[England and Wales]] after the [[Treaty of Union]] because the terms of the Treaty specifically guaranteed the continued existence of Scotland's separate legal system, which meant that England's system has also remained separate. The essence of English common law is that it is made by [[judges]] sitting in [[court]]s, applying their common sense and knowledge of [[legal precedent]] (''[[stare decisis]]'') to the facts before them. The [[Courts of England and Wales|court system]] is headed by the Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales, consisting of the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|Court of Appeal]], the [[High Court of Justice]] (for civil cases) and the [[Crown Court]] (for criminal cases). The Appellate Committee of the [[House of Lords]] (usually just referred to as "The House of Lords") is presently the highest court for both criminal and civil cases in [[England and Wales]] though recent constitutional changes will see the powers of the House of Lords transfer to a new [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom]].<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/supremecourt/supreme.pdf Constitutional reform: A Supreme Court for the United Kingdom]|252&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 258317 bytes -->}}, Department for Constitutional Affairs. Retrieved on [[2006-05-22]]</ref> A decision of the highest [[appeal court]] in England and Wales, the [[Judicial functions of the House of Lords|House of Lords]], is binding on every other court in [[Courts of England and Wales|the hierarchy]], and they will follow its directions. Crime in England and Wales increased in the period between 1981 and 1995 though, since that peak, there has been an overall fall of 42% in crime from 1995 to 2006/7.<ref>[http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/crime0607summ.pdf Crime over the last 25 years] homeoffice.gov.uk</ref>Despite the fall in crime rates, the prison population of England and Wales has almost doubled over the same period, to over 80,000, giving England and Wales the highest rate of incarceration in Western Europe at 147 per 100,000.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7235438.stm New record high prison population] BBC News, February 8, 2008 </ref>[[Her Majesty's Prison Service]], which reports to the [[Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Justice]], manages most of the [[prison]]s within England and Wales. == Geography == [[Image:Humber Bridge.png|thumb|Until 1998, the [[Humber Bridge]] was the [[List of largest suspension bridges|longest]] [[suspension bridge]] in the world.]] {{main|Geography of England}} England comprises the central and southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain, plus offshore islands of which the largest is the [[Isle of Wight]]. It is [[Anglo Scottish border|bordered to the north]] by Scotland and to the west by Wales. It is closer to continental Europe than any other part of Britain, divided from France only by a 24-[[Mile#Statute miles|statute mile]] (52&nbsp;km or 21 [[nautical mile]])<ref>[http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcCorporate/ukcAboutUs/ukm/history.htm Eurotunnel.com] – UK History</ref> sea gap. The [[Channel Tunnel]], near [[Folkestone]], directly links England to the European [[Continental Europe|mainland]]. The English/French border is halfway along the tunnel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.travelbritain.com/England/Kent/index.html |title=TravelBritain – Kent}}</ref> Much of England consists of rolling hills, but it is generally more mountainous in the north with a chain of low mountains, the [[Pennines]], dividing east and west. Other hilly areas in the north and Midlands are the [[Lake District]], the [[North York Moors]], and the [[Peak District]]. The approximate dividing line between terrain types is often indicated by the [[Tees-Exe line]]. To the south of that line, there are larger areas of flatter land, including [[East Anglia]] and [[the Fens]], although hilly areas include the [[Cotswolds]], the [[Chilterns]], the [[North Downs|North]] and [[South Downs]], [[Dartmoor]] and [[Exmoor]]. The largest natural harbour in England is at [[Poole]], on the south-central coast. Some regard it as the second largest harbour in the world, after Sydney, Australia, although this fact is disputed (see [[harbour]]s for a list of other large natural harbour). ===Climate=== {{main|Climate of the United Kingdom}} England has a [[temperate climate]], with plentiful rainfall all year round, although the [[season]]s are quite variable in temperature. However, temperatures rarely fall below −5&nbsp;°C (23&nbsp;°F) or rise above 30&nbsp;°C (86&nbsp;°F). The prevailing wind is from the south-west, bringing mild and wet weather to England regularly from the Atlantic Ocean. It is driest in the [[East England|east]] and warmest in the [[South of England|south]], which is closest to the European mainland. Snowfall can occur in winter and early spring, although it is not that common away from high ground. The highest temperature recorded in England is 38.5&nbsp;°C (101.3&nbsp;°F) on [[August 10]], [[2003]] at [[Brogdale]], near [[Faversham]], in [[Kent]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/3153532.stm Temperature record changes hands] BBC News, [[September 30]], [[2003]]. URL accessed [[September 12]], [[2006]].</ref> The lowest temperature recorded in England is −26.1&nbsp;°C (−15.0&nbsp;°F) on [[January 10]], [[1982]] at [[Edgmond, Shropshire|Edgmond]], near [[Newport, Shropshire|Newport]], in [[Shropshire]].<ref>[http://www.metoffice.com/climate/uk/location/england/#temperature English Climate] Met Office. URL accessed [[September 12]], [[2006]].</ref> ===Major rivers=== [[Image:SevernFromCastleCB.JPG|thumb|right|The River Severn viewed from [[Shrewsbury Castle]] in [[Shropshire]]]] {{main|List of rivers of England}} * [[River Severn|Severn]] (the longest river and largest river basin in Great Britain) * [[River Tees|Tees]] * [[River Thames|Thames]] * [[River Trent|Trent]] * [[River Humber|Humber]] * [[River Tyne, England|Tyne]] * [[River Wear|Wear]] * [[River Ribble|Ribble]] * [[River Great Ouse|Ouse]] * [[River Mersey|Mersey]] * [[River Dee, Wales|Dee]] * [[River Aire|Aire]] * [[River Avon, Warwickshire|Avon]] * [[River Medway|Medway]] ===Major conurbations=== [[Image:Willis building skyline.jpg|thumb|London is the largest urban area in England, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.<ref>{{cite web |title=Largest EU city |publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]] |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=384 |accessdate=2006-10-16}}</ref>]] {{main|List of English cities by population}} London is by far the largest urban area in England and one of the largest and busiest cities in the world. Other cities, mainly in central and northern England, are of substantial size and influence. The list of England's largest cities or urban areas is open to debate because, although the normal meaning of city is "a continuously built-up urban area", this can be hard to define, particularly because administrative areas in England often do not correspond with the limits of urban development, and many towns and cities have, over the centuries, grown to form complex urban agglomerations. Various definitions of cities can be used. For the official definition of a UK (and therefore English) city, see ''[[City status in the United Kingdom]]''. <gallery> Image:BirminghamUKSkyline.jpg| Birmingham Image:ManchesterCore.PNG| Manchester Image:Liverpool skyline editnight2.jpg| Liverpool Image:Leeds panoama.jpg| Leeds </gallery> According to the [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]] urban area populations for continuous built-up areas, these are the 15 largest conurbations (population figures from the 2001 census): {{England conurbations}} == Economics == [[Image:City of London Skyline.jpg|350px|thumb|The [[City of London]] is a major business and commercial centre, ranking alongside [[New York City]] and [[Tokyo]] as the leading centre of global finance.<ref>{{cite web |last=Z/Yen Limited |title=The Competitive Position of London as a Global Financial Centre |publisher=CityOfLondon.gov.uk |date=November 2005 |url=http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/131B4294-698B-4FAF-9758-080CCE86A36C/0/BC_RS_compposition_FR.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2006-09-17}}</ref>]] {{main|Economy of England}} England's economy is the second largest in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. It follows the [[Anglo-Saxon economy|Anglo-Saxon economic model]]. England's economy is the largest of the four economies of the United Kingdom, with 100 of Europe's 500 largest corporations based in London.<ref>[http://www.london.gov.uk/london-life/business-and-jobs/financial-centre.jsp Financial Centre], by the Corporation of the City of London. URL accessed [[20 November]], [[2006]].</ref> As part of the United Kingdom, England is a major centre of world economics. One of the world's most highly industrialised countries, 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]]. [[Image:BirminghamBullringPanoramaCB.jpg|350px|Centre|thumb|The [[Bullring, Birmingham|Bullring]] shopping complex in [[Birmingham]] city centre attracted 36.5&nbsp;million visitors in its début year upon opening in 2003.]] London exports mainly manufactured goods and imports materials such as petroleum, tea, wool, raw sugar, timber, butter, metals, and meat.<ref>[http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/world/A0859339.html Fact Monster]. URL accessed [[18 November]], [[2006]].</ref> England exported more than 30,000&nbsp;tons of beef last year, worth around £75,000,000, with France, [[Italy]], [[Greece]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Belgium]] and [[Spain]] being the largest importers of beef from England.<ref>[http://news.eblex.org.uk/article2.asp?ID=277430 Eblex]. URL accessed [[18 November]], [[2006]].</ref> The central bank of the United Kingdom, which sets interest rates and implements monetary policy, is the [[Bank of England]] in London. London is also home to the [[London Stock Exchange]], the main [[stock exchange]] in the UK and the largest in Europe. London is one of the international leaders in finance<ref name = "CityofLondon">[http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/131B4294-698B-4FAF-9758-080CCE86A36C/0/BC_RS_compposition_FR.pdf The Competitive Position of London as a Global Financial Centre (PDF)] (November 2005), City of London government.</ref> and the largest financial centre in Europe. Traditional heavy and manufacturing industries have declined sharply in England in recent decades, as they have in the United Kingdom as a whole. At the same time, [[service industries]] have grown in importance. For example, [[tourism]] is the sixth largest industry in the UK, contributing 76&nbsp;billion pounds to the economy. It employs 1,800,000 full-time equivalent people—6.1% of the working population (2002 figures).<ref>[http://www.visitbritain.com Visit Britain]. URL accessed [[18 November]], [[2006]].</ref> The largest centre for tourism is London, which attracts millions of international tourists every year. As part of the United Kingdom, England's official currency is the [[Pound Sterling]] (also known as the ''British pound'' or GBP). == Demography == {{off-topic|United Kingdom}} [[Image:England counties population.png|thumb|Demography of England]] {{main|Demography of England|Population of England}} With 50,431,700 inhabitants (84% of the UK total),<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=6 Population Estimates] National Statistics Online, [[August 24]], [[2006]]. URL accessed [[September 12]], [[2006]]</ref> England is the most populous and most ethnically diverse nation in the United Kingdom. If it were a [[sovereign state]], England would have the fourth largest population in the European Union and would be the 25th largest [[List of countries by population in 2005|country by population]] in the world. England's population continues to grow: with the exception of 1976, there have been more births than deaths every year since 1901.<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=6 Population Estimates] National Statistics Online, [[August 24]], [[2006]]. URL accessed [[September 12]], [[2006]].</ref> While the percentage of people over 65 increases, the percentage of people under 16 is falling, meaning the country's population is ageing overall. With a density of 383 people per square kilometre (992/sq&nbsp;mi),<ref>http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=760. URL accessed [[19 November]] [[2006]]</ref> it is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, second only to the [[Netherlands]]. The generally accepted view{{Fact|date=May 2008}} is that the ethnic background of the [[English people|English]] populace, before 19th and 20th century [[immigration]], was a mixed European one deriving from historical waves of [[Celt]]ic, [[Roman Empire|Roman]], [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]], [[Norsemen|Norse]], and [[Normans|Norman]] invasions, along with the possible survival of [[Cruithne (people)|pre-Celtic]] ancestry. Genetic studies have shown that the modern-day English gene pool contains more than 50% [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] Y-chromosomes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/07/060721-england.html |title=Ancient Britain Had Apartheid-Like Society, Study Suggests}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2076470.stm|title=English and Welsh are races apart}}</ref> The economic prosperity of England has also made it a destination for economic migrants from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This was particularly true during the Industrial Revolution. Since the fall of the British Empire, many denizens of former colonies have migrated to Britain including the [[Indian sub-continent]] and the British [[Caribbean]]. A [[BBC]]-published report of the 2001 census, by the [[Institute for Public Policy Research]] stated that the vast majority of immigrants settled in London and the South East of England. The largest groups of residents born in other countries were from the Republic of Ireland, [[India]], [[Pakistan]], Germany, and the [[Caribbean]]. Although Germany was high on the list, this was mainly the result of children being born to British forces personnel stationed in that country.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4218740.stm BBC – "British Immigration Map Revealed"] Accessed [[16 May]], [[2007]].</ref> About half the population increase between 1991 and 2001 was due to [[Foreign-born population of Great Britain, 2001|foreign-born]] immigration. In 2004 the number of people who became British citizens rose to a record 140,795&mdash;a rise of 12% on the previous year. The number had risen dramatically since 2000. The overwhelming majority of new citizens come from [[Africa]] (32%) and [[Asia]] (40%), the largest three groups being people from [[India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Somalia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4706862.stm |title=BBC Thousands in UK citizenship queue}}</ref> One in five babies in the UK are born to immigrant mothers, according to official statistics released in 2007. 21.9% of all births in the UK in 2006 were to mothers born outside the United Kingdom compared with just 12.8% in 1995.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pressesc.com/01181997648_britain_immigration |title=1 in 5 babies in Britain born to immigrants}}</ref> As of 2007, 22% of primary school children and 17.7% of children at secondary school in England were from ethnic minority families.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/27/nschools127.xml |title=One fifth of children from ethnic minorities |publisher=The Daily Telegraph |author=Graeme Paton |date=2007-10-01 |accessdate=2008-03-28}}</ref> In 2006, an estimated 591,000 migrants<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=494235&in_page_id=1770 |title=Half a million migrants pour into Britain in a year}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=260 |title=National Statistics Online – Immigration over half a million}}</ref> arrived to live in the UK for at least a year, while 400,000 people emigrated from the UK for a year or more, with Australia, Spain, France, New Zealand and the U.S. most popular destinations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article3166418.ece |title=Record numbers seek new lives abroad}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aol.in/news/story/2007042004189012000001/index.html |title=Indians largest group among new immigrants to UK}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/02/uimmigrants5005.xml |title=1500 immigrants arrive in Britain daily, report says}}</ref> Largest group of arrivals were people from the [[Indian subcontinent]] who accounted for two-thirds of net immigration, mainly fuelled by family reunion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006510002,00.html |title=1,500 migrants enter UK a day}}</ref> One in six were from [[Eastern Europe]]an countries. They were outnumbered by immigrants from [[New Commonwealth]] countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/15/nemi115.xml |title=Emigration soars as Britons desert the UK}}</ref> The [[European Union]] allows free movement between the member states.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7374683.stm 'Why I left UK to return to Poland'], BBC News</ref> While France and Germany put in place controls to curb Eastern European migration, the UK and Ireland did not impose restrictions. Following [[Poland]]'s entry into the EU in May 2004 it is estimated that by the start of 2007 about 375,000 Poles have registered to work in the UK, although the total Polish population in the UK is believed to be 750,000. Many [[Poles]] work in seasonal occupations and a large number is likely to move back and forth including between Ireland and other EU Western nations. A quarter of [[Eastern European]] migrants, often young and well-educated, plan to stay in Britain permanently. Most of them had originally intended to go home but have changed their minds after living there.<ref>[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2110192,00.html 750,000 and rising: how Polish workers have built a home in Britain].</ref> == Culture == {{main|Culture of England|English people|English Renaissance}} England has a vast and influential culture that encompasses elements both old and new. The modern culture of England is sometimes difficult to identify and separate clearly from the culture of the wider United Kingdom, so intertwined are its composite nations. However the English traditional and historic culture remains distinct albeit with substantial regional differences. [[English Heritage]] is a governmental body with a broad remit of managing the historic sites, artefacts and environments of England. London's [[British Museum]], [[British Library]] and [[National Gallery, London|National Gallery]] contain some of the finest collections in the world. The English have played a significant role in the development of the arts and sciences. Many of the most important figures in the history of modern western scientific and philosophical thought were either born in, or at one time or other resided in, England. Major English thinkers of international significance include scientists such as Sir [[Isaac Newton]], [[Francis Bacon]], [[Michael Faraday]], [[Charles Darwin]] and New Zealand-born [[Ernest Rutherford]], philosophers such as [[John Locke]], [[John Stuart Mill]], [[Herbert Spencer]], [[Bertrand Russell]] and [[Thomas Hobbes]], and economists such as [[David Ricardo]], and [[John Maynard Keynes]]. [[Karl Marx]] wrote most of his important works, including ''[[Das Kapital]]'', while in exile in Manchester, and the team that developed the first atomic bomb began their work in England, under the wartime codename tube alloys. ===Architecture=== [[Image:St Paul's Cathedral dome from Paternoster Square - London - 240404.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The dome of [[St. Paul's Cathedral]], designed by Sir [[Christopher Wren]].]] {{seealso|List of historic houses in England|Castles in England}} England has played a significant part in the advancement of Western architecture. It is home to some of the most notable <!--The following word does NOT contain a typo; it is the correct spelling in British English:-->mediæval<!--The preceding word does NOT a typo; it is the correct spelling in British English--> castles and forts in the world, including [[Warwick Castle]], the [[Tower of London]] and [[Windsor Castle]] (the largest inhabited castle in the world and the oldest in continuous occupation). It is known for its numerous grand country houses, and for its many <!--The following word does NOT contain a typo; it is the correct spelling in British English:-->mediæval<!--The preceding word does NOT a typo; it is the correct spelling in British English--> and later churches and cathedrals. English architects have contributed to many styles over the centuries, including [[Tudor architecture]], [[English Baroque]], the [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] style and Victorian movements such as [[Gothic Revival]]. Among the best-known contemporary English architects are [[Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank|Norman Foster]] and [[Richard Rogers]]. ===Cuisine=== {{main|English cuisine}} Although highly regarded in the Middle Ages, English cuisine later became a source of fun among Britain's French and European neighbours, being viewed until the late 20th century as crude and unsophisticated by comparison with continental tastes. However, with the influx of non-European immigrants (particularly those of south and east Asian origins) from the 1950s onwards, the English diet was transformed. Indian and Chinese cuisine in particular were absorbed into British culinary life, with restaurants and takeaways appearing in almost every town in Britain, and 'going for an Indian' becoming a regular part of British social life. A distinct hybrid food style composed of dishes of Asian origin, but adapted to British tastes, emerged and was subsequently exported to other parts of the world. Many of the well-known Indian dishes in the western world, such as [[Chicken tikka masala|Tikka Masala]] and [[Balti (food)|Balti]], are in fact dishes of this sort. Dishes forming part of the old tradition of English food include: {{columns |width=170px |col1 = * [[Apple pie]] * [[Bangers and mash]] * [[Bedfordshire clanger]] * [[Bubble and Squeak]] * [[Cornish pasty]] * [[Cottage pie]] * [[Cream tea|Devonshire Cream Tea]] * [[Faggot (food)|Faggot and peas]] * [[Fish and chips]] |col2width = 160px |col2 = * [[Full breakfast|Full English breakfast]] * [[Gravy]] * [[Jellied eels]] * [[Lancashire Hotpot|Lancashire hotpot]] * [[Lincolnshire sausage]] * [[Mince pie]]s * [[Pie and mash]] * [[Ploughman's lunch]] * [[Pork pie]] |col3 = * [[Scouse (food)|Scouse]] * [[Shepherd's pie]] * [[Spotted Dick]] * [[Steak and kidney pie]] * [[Sunday roast]] * [[Toad in the hole]] * [[Yorkshire pudding]] }} ===Engineering and innovation=== {{seealso|Category:English inventors|Category:English inventions}} [[Image:GodfreyKneller-IsaacNewton-1689.jpg|thumb|right|[[Isaac Newton]], promulgator of [[universal gravitation]], [[Newtonian mechanics]] and [[infinitesimal calculus]].]] [[Image:CharlesBabbage.jpg|thumb|right|[[Charles Babbage]], 19th century inventor of the [[Analytical engine|first computer]].]] 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 [[steamship]]s, and numerous important bridges, hence revolutionising public transport and modern-day engineering. Other notable English figures in the fields of engineering and innovation include: * [[Richard Arkwright]], inventor of the first industrial spinning machine. * [[Charles Babbage]], 19th century inventor of [[Analytical engine|the first computer]]; and [[Alan Turing]] and [[Tommy Flowers]], inventors of the modern [[computer]] and many of its associated concepts and initial technologies. * [[Tim Berners-Lee]], inventor of the [[World Wide Web]] and much of the technology on which it is based ([[http]], [[html]]). * [[James Blundell (physician)|James Blundell]], performer of the first [[blood transfusion]]. * [[Hubert Cecil Booth]], inventor of the [[vacuum cleaner]]; and [[James Dyson]], inventor of the [[DC01|Dual Cyclone]] bagless [[vacuum cleaner]]. * [[Edwin Beard Budding]], inventor of the [[lawnmower]]. * [[George Cayley]], inventor of the [[seat belt]]. * [[Christopher Cockerell]], inventor of the [[hovercraft]]. * [[John Dalton]], pioneer in [[atomic theory]]. * [[Michael Faraday]], inventor of the [[electric motor]]. * [[Thomas Fowler]], inventor of the [[thermosiphon]]. * [[Robert Hooke]], promulgator of [[Hooke's law of elasticity]]. * [[E. Purnell Hooley]], inventor of [[Tarmacadam|tarmac]]. * [[Thomas Newcomen]] and [[Thomas Savery]], inventors of the first [[steam engine]]s. * [[Isaac Newton]], promulgator of [[universal gravitation]], [[Newtonian mechanics]] and [[infinitesimal calculus]]. * [[Stephen Perry]], inventor of the [[rubber band]]. * [[Percy Shaw]], inventor of the [[Cat's eye (road)|"cat's eye" road safety device]]. * [[George|George Stephenson]] and son [[Robert Stephenson]], railway pioneers. * [[Joseph Swan]], joint inventor and developer (with American [[Thomas Edison]]) of the [[light bulb]]. * [[Richard Trevithick]], builder of the earliest steam [[locomotive]]s. * [[Jethro Tull (agriculturist)|Jethro Tull]], inventor of the [[seed drill]]. * [[Frank Whittle]], inventor of the [[jet engine]]. * [[Joseph Whitworth]], inventor of many of the modern techniques and technologies used in [[precision engineering]]. ===Folklore=== {{main|English folklore}} English folklore is rich and diverse. Many of the land's oldest legends share themes and sources with the [[Celt]]ic folklore of Wales, Scotland and Ireland, a typical example being the legend of [[Herne the Hunter]], which shares many similarities with the traditional Welsh legend of [[Gwyn ap Nudd]]. Successive waves of pre-Norman invaders and settlers, from the Romans onwards, via Saxons, Jutes, Angles, Norse to the Norman Conquest have all influenced the myth and legend of England. Some tales, such as that of The Lambton Wyrm show a distinct Norse influence, while others, particularly some of the events and characters associated with the [[Matter of Britain|Arthurian legends]] show a distinct Romano-Gaulic slant.<ref>B.Branston '''The Lost Gods of England'''.</ref> Among the most famous English folk-tales are the legends of [[King Arthur]], although it would be wrong to regard these stories as purely English in origin as they also concern Wales and, to a lesser extent, Ireland and Scotland. They should therefore be considered as part of the folklore of the [[British Isles]] as a whole. Post-Norman stories include the tales of [[Robin Hood]], which exists in many forms, and stories of other folk heroes such as [[Hereward the Wake]] and [[Fulk FitzWarin]] who, although being based on historical characters, have grown to become legends in their own right. ===Literature=== [[Image:Shakespeare.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[William Shakespeare]], the English poet and playwright widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and one of the greatest in [[Western literature]].<ref name ="Britannica">[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109536 Encyclopedia Britannica article on Shakespeare]. Accessed [[February 26]], [[2006]].</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761562101/Shakespeare.html |title=MSN Encarta Encyclopedia article on Shakespeare |accessmonthday=February 26 |accessyear=2006}}</ref><ref name="Columbia">{{cite web|url=http://columbia.thefreedictionary.com/Shakespeare,+William|title=Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia article on Shakespeare|accessmonthday=February 26|accessyear=2006}}</ref>]] {{main|English literature}} <!-----NOTE: This list is becoming excessive. Please consider carefully as to the international and encyclopaedic relevance of an author's entry. This section would benefit from its own article space to list the individuals.-----> The English language has a rich and prominent literary heritage. England has produced a wealth of significant literary figures including playwrights [[William Shakespeare]], [[Christopher Marlowe]], [[Ben Jonson]], [[John Webster]], as well as writers [[Daniel Defoe]], [[Henry Fielding]], [[Jane Austen]], [[William Makepeace Thackeray]], [[Charlotte Brontë]], [[Emily Brontë]], [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], [[Charles Dickens]], [[Mary Shelley]], [[H. G. Wells]], [[George Eliot]], [[Rudyard Kipling]], [[D. H. Lawrence]], [[E. M. Forster]], [[Virginia Woolf]], [[George Orwell]] and [[Harold Pinter]]. Others, such as [[J. K. Rowling]], [[Enid Blyton]] and [[Agatha Christie]] have been among the best-selling novelists of the last century. Among the [[poet]]s, [[Geoffrey Chaucer]], [[Edmund Spenser]], [[Sir Philip Sydney]], [[Thomas Kyd]], [[John Donne]], [[Andrew Marvell]], [[Alexander Pope]], [[William Wordsworth]], [[Lord Byron]], [[John Keats]], [[John Milton]], [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]], [[T. S. Eliot]] (American-born, but a British subject from 1927) and many others remain read and studied around the world. Among men of letters, [[Samuel Johnson]], [[William Hazlitt]] and [[George Orwell]] are some of the most famous. England continues to produce writers working in all branches of literature, and in a wide range of styles; contemporary English literary writers attracting international attention include [[Martin Amis]], [[Julian Barnes]] and [[Zadie Smith]]. ===Music=== [[Image:Edward Elgar statue.png|upright|thumb|left|The [[composer]] Sir [[Edward Elgar]] is primarily remembered for his orchestral music, some of which develops patriotic themes.]] {{main|Music of England}} Composers from England have not achieved recognition as broad as that earned by their literary counterparts, and, particularly during the 19th century, were overshadowed in international reputation by other European composers; however, many works of earlier composers such as [[Thomas Tallis]], [[William Byrd]], and [[Henry Purcell]] are still frequently performed throughout the world today. A revival of England's musical status began during the 20th century with the prominence of composers such as [[Edward Elgar]], [[Gustav Holst]], [[William Walton]], [[Eric Coates]], [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]], [[Frederick Delius]] and [[Benjamin Britten]]. <!--- NOTE: This list has a tendency to become excessive. Please consider carefully as to the international and encyclopaedic relevance of a band's entry. --->In [[popular music]], however, 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 (band)|Queen]], and [[The Rolling Stones]] are among the highest selling in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTopArt |title=RIAA<!--Bot generated title-->}}</ref> England is also credited with being the birthplace of many musical genres and movements such as [[hard rock]], [[British invasion]], [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[britpop]], [[glam rock]], [[drum and bass]], [[progressive rock]], [[punk rock]], [[gothic rock]], [[shoegazing]], [[acid house]], [[UK garage]], [[trip hop]] and [[dubstep]]. ===Science and philosophy=== 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]]. Some experts claim that the earliest concept of a [[Metric system]] was invented by [[John Wilkins]], first secretary of the [[Royal Society]] in 1668.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6890000/newsid_6898200/6898274.stm?bw=nb&mp=wm&news=1&ms3=10 |title=Metric system was British - BBC video news}}</ref> England played a major role in the development of Western philosophy, particularly during the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]]. [[Jeremy Bentham]], leader of the Philosophical Radicals influenced the development of English Law and of [[socialism]].<ref>{{cite book|title=[[History of Western Philosophy (Russell)|History of Western Philosophy]]|author=[[Bertrand Russell]]|year=1946}}</ref> although the [[Levellers]] and other radical movements of the Civil War were significant. Major English philosophers include [[William of Ockham]], [[Francis Bacon]], [[Thomas Hobbes]], [[John Locke]], [[Thomas Paine]], [[John Stuart Mill]], [[Herbert Spencer]], [[Bertrand Russell]] and [[Bernard Williams]]. ===Sport=== {{main|Sport in England}} Several modern sports were codified in England during the 19th century, among them [[cricket]], [[rugby union]] and [[rugby league]], [[football (association)|football]], [[tennis]] and [[badminton]]. Of these, association football, cricket and rugby remain the country's most popular spectator sports. England contains more [[UEFA]] [[UEFA Stadia List|5 star and 4 star rated stadia]] than any other country, and is home to some of the sport's top [[football club|clubs]]. <!----Please do not add any list here without discussing on the talk page first:-->Among these, [[Aston Villa]], [[Liverpool FC]], [[Manchester United]] and [[Nottingham Forest]] have won the [[European Cup]]. The [[England national football team]] are considered one of the game's superpowers (currently ranked 15th by [[FIFA]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/lastranking/gender=m/fullranking.html |title=FIFA World rankings}}</ref> and 9th by [[World Football Elo Ratings|Elo]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eloratings.net/world.html|title=World Football Elo rankings}}</ref>), having won the [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] in [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966]] when it was hosted in England. Since then, however, they have failed to reach a final of a major international tournament, although they reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 1990 and the quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006 and [[UEFA European Football Championship|Euro]] 2004. More recently, England failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 championships when it lost 2–3 to Croatia on [[November 21]], [[2007]] in its final qualifying match. England, playing at home at Wembley Stadium, needed just a draw to ensure qualification. This is the first time since the 1994 World Cup that England has failed to qualify for a major football championship and first time since 1984 that the team will miss the UEFA European Championship. On [[November 22]], [[2007]], the day after the defeat to Croatia, England fired its football coach, [[Steve McClaren]] and his assistant [[Terry Venables]], ostensibly as a direct consequence of its failure to qualify for [[Euro 2008]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Harris, Rob |url=http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-england-mcclaren&prov=ap&type=lgns |title=England fires coach Steve McClaren after failure to qualify for Euro 2008 |work=Associated Press |date=2007-11-22 |accessdate=2007-11-26}}</ref> The [[England national rugby union team]] won the [[2003 Rugby World Cup]] (and finishing as runners-up in 2007). Rugby union clubs such as [[Leicester Tigers]], [[London Wasps]] and the [[Northampton Saints]] have had success in the Europe-wide [[Heineken Cup]]. At [[rugby league]], the [[England national rugby league team]] are ranked third in the world and first in Europe. They have taken part in three [[Rugby League World Cup|World Cup's]] finishing second in 1975 and 1995, hosting the competition in the latter. In 2008 the team will once again contest the [[2008 Rugby League World Cup|World Cup]] in Australia. From 2008 England will become a full test nation in lieu of the [[Great Britain national rugby league team]], when that team is retired. At a domestic level, England is host to large clubs like [[Wigan Warriors]], [[St Helens]] and [[Leeds Rhinos]], all of whom have won the [[World Club Challenge]] and have produced some of the world's greats. It is in [[Huddersfield]] in [[1895]] that the game was born. The [[England cricket team]] is a composite England and Wales Cricket Team. It has seen mixed fortunes in recent years but won [[2005 Ashes series|The Ashes in 2005]], and is currently ranked the fourth best [[Test Cricket|Test]] nation in the world. The 2009 ICC [[World T20]] will be hosted in England and Wales, and the [[2018 Cricket World Cup]] may also be hosted in England. [[Sport England]] is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in England. The [[2012 Summer Olympics]] are to be hosted by London, England. It will run from [[26 July]] to [[12 August]] [[2012]]. London will become the first city to have hosted the modern Olympic Games three times, having previously done so in 1908 and 1948. == Language == ===English=== [[Image:Anglospeak.svg|right|thumb|300px|Places in the world where English is spoken. Countries where it is the majority language are dark blue; countries where it is an [[official language|official]] but not majority language are light blue.]] [[Image:Beowulf.firstpage.jpeg|thumb|upright|right|[[Beowulf]] is one of the oldest surviving epic poems in what is identifiable as a form of the [[English language]].]] {{main|English language|History of the English 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 (although not officially designated as such). An [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] language in the [[Anglo-Frisian languages|Anglo-Frisian]] branch of the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] family, it is closely related to [[Scots language|Scots]] and the [[Frisian languages]]. As the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms merged into England, "[[Old English language|Old English]]" emerged; some of its literature and poetry has survived. Used by aristocracy and commoners alike before the [[Norman Conquest of England|Norman Conquest]] (1066), English was displaced in cultured contexts under the new regime by the [[Norman language|Norman French]] language of the new Anglo-Norman aristocracy. Its use was confined primarily to the lower social classes while official business was conducted in a mixture of [[Latin]] and [[French language|French]]. Over the following centuries, however, English gradually came back into fashion among all classes and for all official business except certain traditional ceremonies, some of which survive to this day. Although, [[Middle English]], as it had by now become, showed many signs of French influence, both in vocabulary and spelling. During the [[Renaissance]], many words were coined from Latin and [[Greek (language)|Greek]] origins; and more recent years, [[Modern English]] has extended this custom, willing to incorporate foreign-influenced words. It is most commonly accepted that—thanks in large part to the British Empire, and now the United States—the English language is now the world's unofficial [[lingua franca]].<ref>[http://www.theglobalist.com/DBWeb/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=3229 English: Not America's Language? by Mauro E. Mujica - The Globalist > > Global Culture]. URL retrieved [[6 June]] [[2007]].</ref> [[English language learning and teaching]] is an important economic sector, including [[language schools]], tourism spending, and publishing houses. ===Other languages=== [[UK legislation]] does not recognise any language as being official,<ref>[http://www.yaelf.com/history.shtml Yaelf]. URL accessed [[November 15]], [[2006]].</ref> but English is the only language used in England for general official business. The other national languages of the UK ([[Welsh language|Welsh]], [[Irish language|Irish]], [[Scots language|Scots]] and [[Scots Gaelic language|Scottish Gaelic]]) are confined to their respective nations, except Welsh to some degree. The only non-[[Anglic]] native spoken language in England is the [[Cornish language]], a [[Celtic languages|Celtic language]] spoken in Cornwall, which became extinct in the 19th century but has been revived and is spoken in various degrees of fluency, currently by about 2,000 people.<ref>[http://www.wholeearthmag.com/ArticleBin/325.html Whole Earth] magazine. URL accessed [[November 13]], [[2006]].</ref> This has no official status (unlike Welsh) and is not required for official use, but is nonetheless supported by national and local government under the [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]]. Cornwall County Council has produced a draft strategy to develop these plans. There is, however, no programme as yet for public bodies to actively promote the language. [[Scots language|Scots]] is spoken by some adjacent to the Anglo-Scottish Border, and [[Welsh language|Welsh]] is still spoken by some natives around Oswestry, Shropshire, on the Welsh border. Most deaf people within England speak [[British sign language|British sign language (BSL)]], a [[sign language]] native to Britain. The [[British Deaf Association]] estimates that 250,000 people throughout the UK speak BSL as their first or preferred language,<ref>[http://www.signcommunity.org.uk/language/aboutbsl.php British Sign Language (BSL)]. Sign Community Online, 2006. URL accessed [[September 12]], [[2006]].</ref> but does not give statistics specific to England. BSL is not an official language of the UK and most British government departments and hospitals have limited facilities for deaf people. The [[BBC]] broadcasts several of its programmes with BSL interpreters. Different languages from around the world, especially from the former British Empire and the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], have been brought to England by immigrants. Many of these are widely spoken within ethnic minority communities, with [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]], [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Urdu Language|Urdu]], [[Gujarati Language|Gujarati]], [[Polish Language|Polish]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]] and [[Cantonese language|Cantonese]] being the most common languages that people living in Britain consider their ''[[first language]]''. These are often used by official bodies to communicate with the relevant sections of the community, particularly in large cities, but this occurs on an "as needed" basis rather than as the result of specific legislative ordinances. Other languages have also traditionally been spoken by minority populations in England, including [[Romany language|Romany]]. Despite the relatively small size of the nation, there are many distinct [[Regional accents of English speakers#England|English regional accents]]. Those with particularly strong accents may not be easily understood elsewhere in the country. Use of foreign non-standard varieties of English (such as [[Caribbean English]]) is also increasingly widespread, mainly because of the effects of immigration. == Religion == {{main|Religion in England}} Due to immigration in the past decades, there is an enormous diversity of religious belief in England, as well as a growing percentage that have no religious affiliation. Levels of attendance in various denominations have begun to decline.<ref name=Gledhill>{{cite news | last = Gledhill | first = Ruth | title = Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour | work = The Times | publisher = The Times | date = [[8 May]] 2008 | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3890080.ece | accessdate = [[1 Jul]] 2008}}</ref><ref name=BBCminority> {{cite news | title = Minorities prop up church-going | work = BBC | publisher = BBC | date = [[18 Sep]] 2006 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5349132.stm | accessdate = [[1 Jul]] 2008}}</ref> England is classed largely as a [[secular]] country even allowing for the following affiliation percentages : [[Christianity]]: 71.6%, [[Islam]]: 3.1%, [[Hindu]]: 1.1%, [[Sikh]]: 0.7%, [[Jewish]]: 0.5%, and [[Buddhist]]: 0.3%, [[irreligion|No Faith]]: 22.3%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/commentaries/ethnicity.asp |title=2001 Census}}</ref> The EU Eurobarometer poll of 2005 shows that only 38% of people in the UK believe in a god, while 40% believe in "some sort of spirit or life force" and 20% do not believe in either.<ref name="Atheists">{{PDFlink |[http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf Eurobarometer poll conducted in 2005] |1.64&nbsp;[[Mebibyte|MiB]]<!--application/pdf, 1722129 bytes-->}}. Page 11. European Commission. Retrieved on [[7 December]] [[2006]].</ref> ===Christianity=== [[Image:Rochester cathedral stained glass 2.jpg|upright|right|thumb|Stained glass from [[Rochester Cathedral]] in [[Kent]], England, incorporating the [[Flag of England]].]] {{seealso|Churches Together in England}} Christianity reached England through missionaries from Scotland and from Continental Europe; the era of [[Augustine of Canterbury|St. Augustine]] (the first [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]) and the Celtic Christian missionaries in the north (notably [[St. Aidan]] and [[St. Cuthbert]]). The [[Synod of Whitby]] in 664 ultimately led to the English Church being fully part of Roman Catholicism. Early English Christian documents surviving from this time include the 7th century illuminated [[Lindisfarne Gospels]] and the historical accounts written by the Venerable Bede. England has many early cathedrals, most notably [[York Minster]] (1080), [[Durham Cathedral]] (1093) and [[Salisbury Cathedral]] (1220), In 1536, the Church was split from Rome over the issue of the divorce of [[King Henry VIII]] from Catherine of Aragon. The split led to the emergence of a separate ecclesiastical authority, and later the influence of the [[Reformation]], resulting in the Church of England and Anglicanism. Unlike the other three constituent countries of the UK, the Church of England is an [[established church]] (although the [[Church of Scotland]] is a 'national church' recognised in law). [[Image:Canterbury Cathedral - Portal Nave Cross-spire.jpeg|thumb|left|[[Canterbury Cathedral]] is the [[mother church]] of the [[Church of England]], a significant worldwide Christian [[Christian denomination|denomination]].]] The 16th century break with Rome under the reign of [[King Henry VIII]] and the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] had major consequences for the Church (as well as for politics). The Church of England remains the largest Christian church in England; it is part of the [[Anglican Communion]]. Many of the Church of England's [[List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom|cathedrals]] and parish churches are historic buildings of significant architectural importance. Other major Christian [[Protestant]] denominations in England include the [[Methodism|Methodist Church]], the [[Baptist Church]] and the [[United Reformed Church]]. Smaller denominations, but not insignificant, include the [[Religious Society of Friends]] (the "Quakers") and the [[Salvation Army]]—both founded in England. There are also Afro-Caribbean Churches, especially in the London area. The [[Catholic Church in Great Britain|Roman Catholic Church]] re-established a hierarchy in England in the 19th century. Attendances were considerably boosted by immigration, especially from Ireland and more recently [[Poland]]. The Church of England remains the official [[state church]] of England. ===Other religions=== Throughout the second half of the 20th century, immigration from many colonial countries, often from [[South Asia]] and the [[Middle East]] have resulted in a considerable growth in Islam, [[Sikhism]] and [[Hinduism]] in England. Cities and towns with large [[Muslim]] communities include [[Birmingham]], [[Blackburn]], [[Coventry]], [[Bolton]], [[Bradford]], [[Leicester]], London, [[Luton]], [[Manchester]], [[Oldham]] and [[Sheffield]]. Cities and towns with large [[Sikh]] communities include London, [[Slough]], [[Staines]], [[Hounslow]], [[Southall]], [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]], [[Ilford]], [[Barking]], [[Dagenham]], [[Leicester]], [[Leeds]], [[Birmingham]], [[Wolverhampton]] and others. The Jewish community in England is mainly in the [[Greater London]] area, particularly the north west suburbs such as [[Golders Green]];<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/England.html Jewish Virtual Library – England by Shira Schonenburg]. URL retrieved [[6 June]] [[2007]].</ref> although [[Manchester]], [[Leeds]] and [[Gateshead]] also have significant Jewish communities.<ref>[http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/worship/worship7.html Manchester Jewish Synagogues, Judaism, Hebrew Congregations and Jewish Organisations in Greater Manchester]. URL retrieved [[6 June]] [[2007]].</ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,2763,1005805,00.html Rabbi Bezalel Rakow – Guardian Unlimited]. URL retrieved [[6 June]] [[2007]].</ref> England was also the founding place for many [[Neopagan]] religions, notably [[Wicca]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecauldron.com/historywicca.php|title=www.ecauldron.com/historywicca.php<!--INSERT TITLE-->}}</ref> == Education == [[Image:Canaletto (II) 005.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Eton College]] (1746&ndash;54) by [[Canaletto]].]] {{main|Education in England}} {{see also|List of universities in England}} There is a long history of the promotion of education in England in schools, colleges and universities. England is home to the oldest existing schools in the English speaking world: [[The King's School, Canterbury]] and [[The King's School, Rochester]], believed to be founded in the 6th and 7th century respectively. At least eight existing schools in England were founded in the first millennium. [[Sherborne School]] was granted a royal charter in 1550, but may have been the site of a school since the 8th century. Most of these ancient institutions are now fee-paying schools, however some [[state school]]s are also very old, most notably [[Beverley Grammar School]] founded in 700. The oldest surviving girls' school in England is [[Red Maids' School]] founded in 1634. The most famous schools in England are now fee-paying institutions, including [[Winchester College]] (founded 1382), [[Eton College]] (1440), [[St Paul's School (London)|St Paul's School]] (1509), [[Rugby School]] (1567) and [[Harrow School]] (1572). [[Image:KingsCollegeChapelWest.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The chapel of [[King's College, Cambridge|King's College]], [[Cambridge University]].]] England is also home to the two oldest universities in the English speaking world: [[Oxford University]] (12th century) and [[Cambridge University]] (early 13th century). There are now more than 90 universities in England. Several of these are world famous in their own right. Primary and secondary education in England is administered by the [[Department for Children, Schools and Families]]. Schools are of two main types: ''state schools'' funded through taxation and free to all, and ''private schools'' (also known as "public" or "independent" schools) funded through fees. 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]]. University education is the responsibility of the [[Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills]]. Students attending English Universities now have to pay tuition fees towards the cost of their education, as do English students who choose to attend a Scottish university (though Scottish students attending Scottish universities get their fees paid for them by the Scottish Government.) == Healthcare == [[Image:NorfolkAndNorwichUniversityHospital(KatyAppleton)Aug2005.jpg|thumb|right|[[Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital]], a [[National Health Service]] hospital in England.]] {{main|Healthcare in England}} The [[National Health Service|National Health Service (NHS)]] is the [[Socialized medicine|publicly-funded healthcare system]] in England responsible for provided the majority of healthcare in the country. The NHS provides most services at no cost to the patient though there are charges associated with eye tests, dental care, prescriptions, and many aspects of personal care. The NHS began on [[5 July]] [[1948]], putting into effect the provisions of the [[National Health Service Act 1946]].<!--Not directly pertinent?: (The Act originally set up the NHS in [[England and Wales]] until Wales adopted its own version during the 1960s; see [[NHS Wales]].)--> Private health care has continued parallel to the NHS, paid for largely by private insurance, but it is used by less than 8% of the population, and generally as a top-up to NHS services. Recently the private sector has been increasingly used to increase NHS capacity despite a large proportion of the public opposing such involvement.<ref name="BMA 2007 survey">{{cite web |url=http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/PDFnhssystreform2007/$FILE/48751Surveynhsreform.pdf |pulisher=[[British Medical Association]] |date=2007-06-01 |title=Survey of the general public's views on NHS system reform in England}}</ref> The NHS is largely funded from general taxation (including a proportion from [[National Insurance]] payments).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.icaew.com/index.cfm?route=100799 |title=NHS Funding need not damage business health |accessdate=2008-03-31 |date=2008-03-14 |publisher=Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales |work=}}</ref> The UK government department responsible for the NHS is the [[Department of Health (United Kingdom)|Department of Health]], headed by the [[Secretary of State for Health]] (Health Secretary), who sits in the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|British Cabinet]]. Most of the expenditure of The Department of Health (£98.6&nbsp;billion in 2008-9<ref name="budget2008">{{cite web |author=HM Treasury |title=Budget 2008, Chapter C |date=2008-03-24 |url=http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/7/3/bud08_chapterc.pdf |accessdate=2008-03-24 |pages=23}}</ref>) is spent on the NHS. == Transport == [[Image:DSCF1934d submitted.jpg|thumb|In terms of numbers of international passengers, [[Heathrow Airport]] is the [[World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic|world's busiest airport]].]] [[Image:Eurostar on CTRL.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Eurostar]] [[high speed train]].]] {{main|Transport in England}} The government department overseeing transport is the [[Department for Transport]]. The growth in private car ownership in the latter half of the 20th century led to major road-building programmes. Important trunk roads built include the [[A1 road|A1 Great North Road]] from London to Newcastle and Edinburgh, and the [[A580 road|A580]] "East Lancs." road between Liverpool and Manchester. The [[M6 motorway]] is the country's longest motorway running from Rugby through North West England to the Scottish border. Other major roads include the [[M1 motorway]] from London to Leeds up the east of the country, the [[M25 motorway]] which encircles London, the [[M60 motorway]] which encircles Manchester, the [[M4 motorway]] from London to South Wales, the [[M62 motorway]] from Liverpool to Manchester and Yorkshire, and the [[M5 motorway]] from Birmingham to Bristol and the South West. Most of the British National Rail network of 16,116 route&nbsp;km (10,072&nbsp;route miles) lies in England. Urban rail networks are also well developed in London and several other cities, including the [[Manchester Metrolink]] and the [[London Underground]]. The London Underground is the oldest and most extensive underground railway in the world, and as of 2007 consists of {{convert|407|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} of line<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A48502 BBC]. URL accessed [[20 November]] [[2006]].</ref> and serves 275 stations. There are around {{convert|7100|km|mi|-2|abbr=on}} of navigable waterways in England, of which roughly half is owned by British Waterways. An estimated 165&nbsp;million journeys are made by people on Britain's waterways annually. The [[river Thames|Thames]] is the major waterway in England, with imports and exports focused at [[Tilbury#Docks|Tilbury]], one of the three major ports in the UK. Ports in the UK handled over 560&nbsp;million tonnes of domestic and international freight in 2005.<ref>[http://www.dft.gov.uk/162259/162469/190425/Trends_2006_FINAL_v5.pdf Department for Transport, Transport Trends 2006 (PDF)]. URL accessed [[17 February]], [[2007]].</ref> [[London Heathrow Airport]] is England's largest airport, the largest airport by traffic volume in Europe and one of the [[world's busiest airport]]s. [[London Gatwick Airport]] is England's second largest airport, followed by [[Manchester Airport]]. Other major airports include [[London Stansted Airport]] in [[Essex, England|Essex]], about {{convert|50|km|mi|-1}} north of London, [[Luton Airport]] and [[Birmingham, UK International Airport|Birmingham International Airport]]. == People == {{main|English people}} The ancestry of the English, considered as an ethnic group, is mixed; it can be traced to the mostly [[Celt]]ic Romano-Britons,<ref>''[http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba68/feat1.shtml Roman Britons after 410]'' by Martin Henig: '''British Archaeology''' Retrieved [[22 October]] [[2006]].</ref> to the eponymous [[Anglo-Saxons]],<ref>''[http://www.intellectbooks.com/nation/html/anglos.htm Anglo-Saxon Origins: The Reality of the Myth]'' by Malcolm Todd. Retrieved [[22 October]] [[2006]].</ref> the Danish-[[Vikings]]<ref>''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/conquest/after_viking/legacy_vikings_01.shtml Legacy of the Vikings]'' By Elaine Treharne, '''BBC History'''. Retrieved [[22 October]] [[2006]].</ref> that formed the [[Danelaw]] during the time of [[Alfred the Great]] and the Normans,<ref>''[http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/hudson_norman_01.shtml What Did the Normans Do for Us?]'' By Dr John Hudson, '''BBC History'''. Retrieved [[22 October]] [[2006]].</ref><ref>''The Adventure of the English'', [[Melvyn Bragg]], 2003. Pg 21</ref> among others. The 19th and 20th centuries, furthermore, brought much new [[immigration]] to England. Ethnicity aside, the simplest view is that an English person is someone who was born or lives in England, holds British nationality and regards themselves as English, regardless of his or her racial origin. It has, however, been a notoriously complicated, emotive and controversial identity to delimit. Centuries of English dominance within the United Kingdom has created a situation where to be English is, as a [[linguistics|linguist]] would put it, an "unmarked" state. The English frequently include themselves and their neighbours in the wider term of "British" or even use English when they should use British. In contrast Scots and Welsh tend to be more forward about referring to themselves by one of those more specific terms.<ref>{{cite news |title=What makes you British? |work=BBC News online |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/uk/2002/race/1993622.stm |date=[[2007-03-30]]}}</ref> This reflects a more subtle form of English-specific [[patriotism]] in England; [[St George's Day]], the country's [[national day]], was barely celebrated. Celebrations have increased year on year however, over the past five years.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4476533.stm St George's events 'not enough']. BBC News, [[April 23]], [[2005]]. URL accessed [[September 12]], [[2006]].</ref> Modern celebration of English identity is often found around its sports, one field in which the British [[Home Nations]] often compete individually. The English [[Football (soccer)|Association football]] [[English national football team|team]], [[English rugby union team|rugby union team]] and [[English cricket team|cricket team]] often cause increases in the popularity of celebrating Englishness. == Nomenclature == The country is named after the Angles, one of several [[Germanic tribe]]s who settled the country in the fifth and sixth centuries. There are two distinct linguistic patterns for the name of the country. {{col-begin}} {{col-1-of-2}} Most [[Celtic languages]] use names referring to the [[Saxons]], another family of Germanic tribes that arrived at about the same time as the Angles. * "[[:br:Bro-Saoz|Bro-Saoz]]" ([[Breton language|Breton]]) * "[[:kw:Pow Sows|Pow Sows]]" ([[Cornish language|Cornish]]) * "[[:ga:Sasana|Sasana]]" ([[Irish language|Irish]]) * "[[:gv:Sostyn|Sostyn]]" ([[Manx language|Manx]]) * "[[:gd:Sasainn|Sasainn]]" ([[Scottish Gaelic]]) * "[[:cy:Lloegr|Lloegr]]" ([[Welsh language|Welsh]]), an ancient geographic term and not Saxon-related; but the inhabitants are referred to as "Saeson". Most other European languages use names similar to "England": * "England" ([[Danish language|Danish]], [[German language|German]], [[Icelandic Language|Icelandic]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], [[Swedish language|Swedish]], [[Luxembourgish language|Luxembourgish]]) * "Engeland" ([[Dutch language|Dutch]]) * "Englanti" ([[Finnish language|Finnish]]) * "Inglismaa" ([[Estonian language|Estonian]]) * "Angleterre" ([[French language|French]]) * "Anglaterra" ([[Catalan language|Catalan]]) * "Inglaterra" ([[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Galician language|Galician]]) * "Inghilterra" ([[Italian language|Italian]]) * "Ingalaterra" ([[Basque language|Basque]]) * "Ingilterra" ([[Maltese language|Maltese]], [[Egyptian Arabic|Egyptian]]) * "Anglia" ([[Latin (language)|Latin]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Romanian language|Romanian]], [[Albanian language|Albanian]], [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]) * "Anglie" ([[Czech language|Czech]]) * "Anglicko" ([[Slovak language|Slovak]]) * "Англия" (Angliya) ([[Russian language|Russian]], [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]) * "Anglija" ([[Slovenian language|Slovene]], [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], [[Latvian language|Latvian]], [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]]) * "Engleska" ([[Croatian language|Croatian]], [[Serbian language|Serbian]], [[Bosnian language|Bosnian]]) * "Αγγλία" ("Anglía") ([[Greek language|Greek]]) {{col-2-of-2}} Names in African languages: * "እንግሊዝኛ" (ənglizña) ([[Amharic]]) * "Ingriis" ([[Somali language|Somali]]) * "Tinglizt" ([[Berber languages|Berber]]) * "Uingereza" (Ou-I-ng'e-re-za) ([[Swahili language|Swahili]]) Names in Asian languages: * "İngiltere" ([[Turkish language|Turkish]]) * "ინგლისი" ("inglisi") ([[Georgian language|Georgian]]) * "אנגליה" (Anglia) ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]) * "إنجلترا" (Ingiltra) or "إنكلترا" (Inkiltra) ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]) * "انگلستان" (Inglistan) ([[Hindi]], [[Urdu]], [[Persian language|Persian]]) * "eng-ge-re-ji" ([[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]) * "Engalaantha" ([[Sinhala language|Sri Lankans (Sinhalese)]]) * "ইংল্যান্ড" (Ingland) ([[Bangla language|Bengali]]) * "இங்கிலாந்து" (In-gi-laan-dhu) ([[Tamil language|Tamil]]) * "อังกฤษ" (Ang-grit) ([[Thai language|Thai]]) * "Anh Quôc" ([[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]) * "Inggris" ([[Indonesian language|Indonesian]]) * "英倫" (Ying-lun) ([[Cantonese language|Cantonese]]) * "英格蘭"/"英格兰" (Yīnggélán) ([[Standard Mandarin|Chinese]]) * "잉글랜드" (Ing-geul-laen-deu) ([[Korean language|Korean]]) * "イングランド" (Ingurando) ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]) {{col-end}} Alternative names include: * The slang "Blighty", from the [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] ''bila yati'' meaning "foreign". * The ancient name "[[Albion]]", supposedly referring to the white ([[Latin]]: ''alba'') cliffs of [[Dover, England|Dover]]. Although it refers to the whole island of Great Britain, it is occasionally, and incorrectly, used for England. Following the Roman conquest of Britain, the term contracted to mean only the area north of Roman control and is today a relative of [[Alba]], the [[Celtic languages]] name for Scotland. * More poetically, England has been called "this sceptred isle... this other Eden" and "this green and pleasant land", quotations from the poetry of [[William Shakespeare]] (in ''[[Richard II (play)|Richard II]]'') and [[William Blake]] (''[[And did those feet in ancient time]]'') respectively. Slang terms sometimes used for the people of England include "Sassenachs" or "Sasanachs" (from the [[Scots Gaelic]] and [[Irish Gaelic]] respectively, both originally meaning "Saxon", and originally a Scottish [[Scottish Highlands|Highland]] term for [[Scottish Lowlands|Lowland]] Scots), "Limeys" (in reference to the [[citrus fruit]]s carried aboard English sailing vessels to prevent [[scurvy]]) and "Pom/Pommy" (used in [[Australian English#Vocabulary|Australian English]] and [[New Zealand English]]), but these may be perceived as offensive. Also see [[alternative words for British]]. == National symbols, insignia and anthems == The two main traditional symbols of England are the [[St George's Cross]] (the [[English flag]]), and the ''Three Lions'' [[coat of arms of England|coat of arms]]. Other [[national emblem|national symbols]] exist, but have varying degrees of official usage, such as the [[Oak|oak tree]] and the [[rose]]. England's [[National Day]] is [[St George's Day]] ([[Saint George]] being the [[patron saint]]), which is on [[23 April]].<ref name="St. George">{{cite news |title=The Great Saint George Revival |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/82166.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=[[23 April]] [[1998]] |accessdate=2006-12-08}}</ref> <gallery> Image:Uk pound coin oak tree.jpg|A one-pound coin with an English oak tree Image:Uk pound coin lions passant.jpg|A one-pound coin with the three lions of England Image:Paolo Uccello 050.jpg|''[[Saint George]] and the Dragon'', [[Paolo Uccello]], c. 1470. <small>This small dragon has the look of a [[griffin]] or a [[wyvern]].</small> Image:Welcome to England bilingual.jpg|The English rose at the border of Wales and England </gallery> === St. George's Cross === {{main|St. George's Cross}} <!----------This section has no references; please add them----------> The St. George's Cross is a red cross on a white background and is the [[national flag]] of England. It is believed to have been adopted for the uniform of English soldiers during the [[Crusades]] of the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannia.com/history/stgeorge.html |title=St. George – England's Patron Saint<!--Bot generated title-->}}</ref> From about 1277 it became the national [[flag of England]]. St. George's Cross was originally the flag of [[Genoa]] and was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the powerful Genoese fleet. The maritime [[Republic of Genoa]] was rising and going to become, with its rival [[Republic of Venice|Venice]], one of the most important powers in the world. The English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the [[Doge of Genoa]] for this privilege. The cross of St George would become the official [[Flag of England]]. A red cross acted as a symbol for many [[Crusade]]rs in the 12th and 13th centuries. It became associated with [[St. George]] and England, along with other countries and cities (such as [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Milan]] and the [[Republic of Genoa]]), which claimed him as their [[patron saint]] and used his cross as a banner. It remained in national use until 1707, when the [[Union Flag]] (also known as the Union Jack, especially at sea) which English and Scottish ships had used at sea since 1606, was adopted for all purposes to unite the whole of Great Britain under a common flag. The flag of England no longer has much of an official role, but it is widely flown by Church of England properties and at sporting events. Until recently, the flag was not commonly flown in England with the British [[Union Flag]] being used instead. This was certainly evident at the 1966&nbsp;football World Cup when English fans predominantly flew the latter. However, since devolution in the United Kingdom, the St George Cross has experienced a growth in popularity and is now the predominant flag used in English sporting events.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6141770.stm |title=BBC NEWS |England |Football – shaping a new England?<!--Bot generated title-->}}</ref> ===Three Lions=== [[Image:England COA.svg|100px|right|Coat of arms of England]] {{main|Coat of arms of England}} The [[coat of arms]] of England are described as ''gules, three lions passant guardant or''{{Fact|date=May 2008}}. The earliest surviving record of their use was by [[Richard I of England|Richard I]] ("Richard the Lionheart") in the late 12th century. Since union with Scotland and Northern Ireland, the arms of England are no longer used on their own; instead they form a part of the conjoined [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom]]. However, both [[the Football Association]] and the [[England and Wales Cricket Board]] use logos based on the three lions. In recent years, it has been common to see banners of the arms flown at English football matches, in the same way the [[Lion Rampant]] is flown in Scotland. In 1996, ''[[Three Lions]]'' was the official song of the England football team for the [[1996 European Football Championship]], which were held in England. ===Rose=== [[Image:Tudor rose.svg|125px|right|Tudor rose]] The [[Tudor rose]] is the [[national flower|national floral emblem]] of England, and was adopted as a national emblem of England around the time of the [[Wars of the Roses]].<ref>[http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page828.asp National Flowers of the UK], 10 Downing Street. URL accessed [[September 14]], [[2006]].</ref> The rose is used in a variety of contexts in its use for England's representation. The ''Rose of England'' is a [[Heraldic badge|Royal Badge]], and is a Tudor, or half-red-half-white rose,<ref>[http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s245/st74325.htm England's Rose] – The Official History, Sport Network. Museum of Rugby, [[June 3]], [[2005]]. URL accessed [[September 18]], [[2006]].</ref> symbolising the end of the Wars of the Roses and the subsequent marriage between the [[House of Lancaster]] and the [[House of York]]. This symbolism is reflected in the [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom]] and the crest of the [[The Football Association|FA]]. However, the rose of England is often displayed as a red rose (which also symbolises [[Lancashire]]), such as the badge of the England national rugby union team. A white rose (which also symbolises [[Yorkshire]]) is also used on different occasions. ===Anthem=== 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: * "[[I Vow to Thee, My Country]]" * "[[Land of Hope and Glory]]" * "[[Enigma Variations|Nimrod]]" * "[[Jerusalem (hymn)|Jerusalem]]" * "[[Heart of Oak]]" "[[God Save the Queen]]" is usually played for English sporting events, such as football matches, against teams from outside the UK,<ref name="gystlm">{{cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/Devolution/Story/0,,190958,00.html |title=Guardian - National Anthem faces red card}}</ref> although "Land of Hope and Glory" was used as the English anthem for the [[2002 Commonwealth Games]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200208050035 |title=New Statesman – Sport – Jason Cowley loves the Commonwealth Games |accessdate=2007-06-18}}</ref> Since 2004, "Jerusalem" has been sung before England cricket matches,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://anthem4england.co.uk/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4 |title=Anthem 4 England - Jerusalem - English Anthems - News |accessdate=2007-06-18}}</ref> and "[[Rule Britannia]]" ("Britannia" being the Roman name for Great Britain, a personification of the United Kingdom) was often used in the past for the [[English national football team]] when they played against another of the [[home nations]]. More recently, however, "God Save the Queen" has been used by the [[rugby union]] and football teams.<ref name="gystlm"/> == Gallery == <center><gallery> Image:Southx.jpg|[[Durham Cathedral]] Image:Tower of London, Traitors Gate.jpg|[[Tower of London]], London. Image:Palace of Westminster, London - Feb 2007.jpg|The [[Palace of Westminster]], the political centre of the United Kingdom. Image:Stonehenge Closeup.jpg|[[Stonehenge]], a [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]] megalithic monument in [[Wiltshire]]. Image:Clifton.bridge.arp.750pix.jpg|[[Clifton Suspension Bridge]], Bristol. </gallery></center> == References == {{reflist|2}} == External links == {{wiktionary|England}} {{sisterlinks|England}} * {{wikitravel}} * [http://www.statistics.gov.uk Office for National Statistics] * [http://www.enjoyengland.com/ ''Enjoy England''] – The official website of the English Tourist Board * [http://enjoyengland.typepad.com/ ''Enjoy England'''s Travel Blog] – Discover England's best hidden gems * [http://www.direct.gov.uk/ Official website of the United Kingdom Government] * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/ England-related pages from the BBC] * [http://www.english-nature.org.uk/ English Nature] – wildlife and the natural world of England. * [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/ English Heritage] – national body protecting and promoting English history and heritage. * [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/ Historical and genealogical information from ''Genuki England''] {{Template group |list = {{England topics}} {{United Kingdom topics}} }} {{Template group |title = Geographic locale |list = {{United Kingdom constituents and affiliations|state=collapsed}} <!--Template removed per [[Wikipedia:Templates_for_deletion/Log/2008_April_7#Template:Germanic-speaking_regions_of_Europe]]--> }} {{DEFAULTSORT:England}} [[Category:England|England]] [[Category:British Isles]] [[af:Engeland]] [[ak:Ngyiresi]] [[als:England]] [[ang:Englaland]] [[ar:إنجلترا]] [[an:Anglaterra]] [[roa-rup:Anglia]] [[ast:Inglaterra]] [[gn:Ingyaterra]] [[az:İngiltərə]] [[bn:ইংল্যান্ড]] [[zh-min-nan:Eng-tē]] [[be:Англія]] [[be-x-old:Ангельшчына]] [[bar:Englånd]] [[bs:Engleska]] [[br:Bro-Saoz]] [[bg:Англия]] [[ca:Anglaterra]] [[cv:Англи]] [[cs:Anglie]] [[cy:Lloegr]] [[da:England]] [[de:England]] [[dv:އިނގިރޭސިވިލާތް]] [[dsb:Engelska]] [[et:Inglismaa]] [[el:Αγγλία]] [[es:Inglaterra]] [[eo:Anglio]] [[eu:Ingalaterra]] [[fa:انگلستان]] [[fo:Ongland]] [[fr:Angleterre]] [[fy:Ingelân]] [[fur:Anglie]] [[ga:Sasana]] [[gv:Sostyn]] [[gd:Sasainn]] [[gl:Inglaterra - England]] [[zh-classical:英格蘭]] [[ko:잉글랜드]] [[hy:Անգլիա]] [[hi:इंग्लैंड]] [[hsb:Jendźelska]] [[hif:England]] [[hr:Engleska]] [[io:Anglia]] [[id:Inggris]] [[ia:Anglaterra]] [[zu:INgilandi]] [[is:England]] [[it:Inghilterra]] [[he:אנגליה]] [[jv:Inggris]] [[ka:ინგლისი]] [[kw:Pow Sows]] [[sw:Uingereza (nchi)]] [[ht:Angletè]] [[ku:Ingilîstan]] [[lo:ປະເທດອັງກິດ]] [[la:Anglia]] [[lv:Anglija]] [[lb:England]] [[lt:Anglija]] [[lij:Inghiltæra]] [[li:Ingeland]] [[ln:Ingɛlandi]] [[hu:Anglia]] [[mk:Англија]] [[ml:ഇംഗ്ലണ്ട്]] [[mi:Ingarangi]] [[mr:इंग्लंड]] [[ms:England]] [[nah:Inglatlālpan]] [[nl:Engeland]] [[nds-nl:Engelaand (regio)]] [[ja:イングランド]] [[pih:Ingland]] [[no:England]] [[nn:England]] [[nrm:Angliétèrre]] [[oc:Anglatèrra]] [[uz:Angliya]] [[pms:Anghiltèra]] [[nds:England]] [[pl:Anglia]] [[pt:Inglaterra]] [[ro:Anglia]] [[rm:Engalterra]] [[qu:Inlatirra]] [[ru:Англия]] [[sco:Ingland]] [[st:Engelane]] [[sq:Anglia]] [[scn:Nglaterra]] [[simple:England]] [[ss:Ngilandi]] [[sk:Anglicko]] [[sl:Anglija]] [[so:Ingriis]] [[sr:Енглеска]] [[sh:Engleska]] [[su:Inggris]] [[fi:Englanti]] [[szl:Yngland]] [[sv:England]] [[tl:Inglatera]] [[ta:இங்கிலாந்து]] [[tet:Inglaterra]] [[th:อังกฤษ]] [[vi:Anh]] [[tg:Англия]] [[tpi:Inglan]] [[to:ʻIngilani]] [[tr:İngiltere]] [[uk:Англія]] [[ur:انگلستان]] [[vec:Inghiltera]] [[vo:Linglän]] [[vls:Iengeland]] [[wuu:英格朗特]] [[yi:ענגלאנד]] [[yo:Ile Geesi]] [[bat-smg:Onglėjė]] [[zh:英格兰]]