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

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

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

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

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McCartney in 2021

Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring genres ranging from pre-rock and roll pop to classical, ballads, and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is the most successful in modern music history.

Born in Liverpool, McCartney taught himself piano, guitar, and songwriting as a teenager, having been influenced by his father, a jazz player, and rock and roll performers such as Little Richard and Buddy Holly. He began his career when he joined Lennon's skiffle group, the Quarrymen, in 1957, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Sometimes called "the cute Beatle", McCartney later immersed himself in the London avant-garde scene and played a key role in incorporating experimental aesthetics into the Beatles' studio productions. Starting with the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, he gradually became the band's de facto leader, providing creative impetus for most of their music and film projects. Many of his Beatles songs, including "And I Love Her", "Yesterday", "Eleanor Rigby", and "Blackbird", rank among the most covered songs in history. Although primarily a bassist with the Beatles, he played a number of other instruments, including keyboards, guitars, and drums, on various songs. (Full article...)

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View of Hastings Old Town from the East Hill

Hastings (/ˈheɪstɪŋz/ HAY-stingz) is a seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, 24 mi (39 km) east of Lewes and 53 mi (85 km) south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place 8 mi (13 km) to the north-west at Senlac Hill in 1066. It later became one of the medieval Cinque Ports. In the 19th century, it was a popular seaside resort, as the railway allowed tourists and visitors to reach the town. Today, Hastings is a popular seaside resort and is still a fishing port with the UK's largest beach-based fishing fleet. Its estimated population was 91,100 in 2021. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Maps of territory held by Royalists (red) and Parliamentarians (green) during the English Civil War (1642–1645) (from History of England)
Image 2Remains of Hadrian's Wall (from History of England)
Image 3Londinium (Roman London), c. 120 AD (from History of England)
Image 4Silbury Hill, c. 2400 BC (from History of England)
Image 5King Charles II, a patron of the arts and sciences, supported the Royal Society, a scientific group whose early members included Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle and Sir Isaac Newton. (from Culture of England)
Image 6View of the ramparts of the hillfort of Maiden Castle (450 BC), as they look today (from History of England)
Image 7Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers. (from Culture of England)
Image 8Josiah Wedgwood was a leading entrepreneur in the Industrial Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 9Christopher Lee (seen here as Dracula in 1958) starred in many of Hammer's British horror films. (from Culture of England)
Image 10King Henry VIII (from History of England)
Image 11Shoulder clasp from Sutton Hoo, 625 AD (from History of England)
Image 12Depiction of the Battle of Hastings (1066) on the Bayeux Tapestry (from History of England)
Image 13Countries where English is natively spoken or has official status (from Culture of England)
Image 14Flatford Mill ('Scene on a Navigable River') by John Constable, c. 1816 (from Culture of England)
Image 15A pint of real ale (from Culture of England)
Image 16Elizabeth I (from History of England)
Image 17Stonehenge, erected in several stages from c.3000–2500 BC (from History of England)
Image 18The Billingsgate Fish Market in London in the early 19th century (from History of England)
Image 19Bronze coins of Cunobelin, called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. 1–42 AD. (from History of England)
Image 20Durham Cathedral, dating from 1093 (from Culture of England)
Image 21England playing Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground in the 2009 Ashes series. After winning the 2019 Cricket World Cup, England became the first country to win the World Cups in football, rugby union and cricket. (from Culture of England)
Image 22Sir Isaac Newton is regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time and as a key figure in the Scientific Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 23King James I of England (from History of England)
Image 24The Great Fire London, 1666. (from History of England)
Image 25Geoffrey Chaucer, c. 1340s–1400, author of The Canterbury Tales (from History of England)
Image 26Tomb of Richard I of England and Isabella of Angoulême (from History of England)
Image 27Jack In the Green, a traditional English folk custom being celebrated in Hastings Old Town, known for its many pre-Victorian buildings. (from Culture of England)
Image 28Interior of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (from Culture of England)
Image 29Whitehall by Francis Dodd (1920) displaying the Palace of Westminster (from Culture of England)
Image 30Anglo-Saxon king with his Witan. Biblical scene in the Old English Hexateuch (11th century) (from History of England)
Image 31The Fairy Ring by William Holmes Sullivan, c.1908 (from Culture of England)
Image 32The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers (from History of England)
Image 33The English landscape garden at Stourhead, described as a 'living work of art' when first opened in the 1750s (from Culture of England)
Image 34The Battersea Shield (detail), 350 BC. (from History of England)
Image 35King Alfred the Great statue in Winchester, Hampshire. The 9th-century English king encouraged education in his kingdom. (from Culture of England)
Image 36Francis Bacon led the advancement of both natural philosophy and the scientific method and his works remained deeply influential in the Scientific Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 37William Hogarth's depiction of a scene from Shakespeare's The Tempest is an example of how English literature influenced English painting in the 18th century. (from Culture of England)
Image 38Artefacts from Bush Barrow at Stonehenge. Wessex culture, Early Bronze Age, c. 1900 BC (from History of England)
Image 39The Spanish Armada and English ships in August 1588, (unknown, 16th-century, English School) (from History of England)
Image 40Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill. (from Culture of England)
Image 41The first general laws against child labour, the Factory Acts, were passed in Britain in the first half of the 19th century. Children younger than nine were not allowed to work and the work day of youth under the age of 18 was limited to twelve hours. (from History of England)
Image 42A traditional Punch and Judy booth, at Swanage, Dorset, England (from Culture of England)
Image 43Kingdoms and tribes in Britain, c. AD 600 (from History of England)
Image 44Canterbury Cathedral nave, 1377 (from History of England)
Image 45England in 878 (from History of England)
Image 46The Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral (from Culture of England)
Image 47King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 (from History of England)
Image 48Morris dancing (from Culture of England)
Image 49Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 720 AD (from History of England)
Image 50Alfred Hitchcock is often regarded as the greatest British filmmaker, and was described as "a straightforward middle-class Englishman who just happened to be an artistic genius." (from Culture of England)
Image 51The Royal College of Music is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, established by royal charter in 1882. (from Culture of England)
Image 52The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork yet found^[update]. It consists of almost 4,600 items and metal fragments. (from Culture of England)
Image 53Durham Cathedral. The Norman cathedral was built 1093–1133 (from History of England)
Image 54The Alfred Jewel, late 9th century (from History of England)
Image 55The wizard Merlin features as a character in many works of fiction, including the BBC series Merlin. (from Culture of England)
Image 56Procession of characters from Shakespeare's plays (from Culture of England)
Image 57The Lindisfarne Gospels (from Culture of England)
Image 58The Roman Baths in Bath; a temple was constructed on the site between 60–70CE in the first few decades of Roman Britain. (from Culture of England)
Image 59First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644 (from History of England)
Image 60The Mob Quad of Merton College, University of Oxford, 13th–14th century (from History of England)
Image 61Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945 (from History of England)
Image 62One of only four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text, Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, property of the British Library (from History of England)
Image 63Frontispiece of Bede's Life of St Cuthbert, showing King Æthelstan presenting a copy of the book to the saint himself. c. 930 (from History of England)
Image 64The White Tower of the Tower of London, built in 1078 (from History of England)
Image 65Sir Francis Drake's voyage 1585–86 (from History of England)
Image 66King Charles II (from History of England)
Image 67National performing arts are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as The Proms during the summer. (from Culture of England)
Image 68Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the Primate of All England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior bishop of the Church of England. (It was the property of the Roman Catholic Church before the English Reformation.) (from Culture of England)
Image 69Anglo-Saxon helmet from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, 625 AD (replica) (from History of England)
Image 70Remains of the Roman baths at Bath, England. (from History of England)
Image 71The epic poem Beowulf, set in 6th century Scandinavia, composed c. 700–1000 AD. (from History of England)
Image 72Chester, c. 1880 (from History of England)
Image 73Portrait of Edward VI, c. 1550 (from History of England)
Image 74First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. (from Culture of England)
Image 75Dover Castle, 12th–13th century (from History of England)
Image 76King's College in Cambridge is regarded as one of the greatest examples of late English Gothic architecture. It has the world's largest fan vault, while the chapel's stained-glass windows and wooden chancel screen are considered some of the finest from their era. (from Culture of England)
Image 77Portrait of the Royal Tudors. At left, Henry VII, with Prince Arthur behind him, then Prince Henry (later Henry VIII), and Prince Edmund, who did not survive early childhood. To the right is Elizabeth of York, with Princess Margaret, then Princess Elizabeth who didn't survive childhood, Princess Mary, and Princess Katherine, who died shortly after her birth. (from History of England)
Image 78Gold torc from Snettisham, 70 BC (from History of England)
Image 79Stinking Bishop cheese (from Culture of England)
Image 80The Ruthwell Cross, 8th century AD (from History of England)

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The pier from Clevedon seafront

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

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

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Did you know?

A trade-cog, the main horse-transport type used during the invasion of England

...that Mary Somerville was the first to sign John Stuart Mill's petition to give women the right to vote?
...that William the Conqueror's transport of over 2000 horses across the English Channel during the Norman invasion of England is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry?
...that the Premier League's proposal to play some matches outside England was condemned by the Football Supporters' Federation as an "outrageous desecration of the national game"?

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In the news

5 February 2025 – Grenfell Tower fire: United Kingdom Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announces that Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, London, will be demolished following a meeting with bereaved relatives and survivors of the 2017 fire. (BBC News)
29 January 2025 – Expansion of Heathrow Airport: UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves approves the construction of a third runway at Greater London's Heathrow Airport after decades of delays. (Sky News)
23 January 2025 – 2024 Southport stabbing: A court in Liverpool, England, sentences the man who was found guilty of killing three children and injuring 10 others in a mass stabbing in Southport, Merseyside, to life imprisonment with a minimum of 52 years in prison. (DW)
22 January 2025 – Hunt family murders: Kyle Clifford, the perpetrator of the Hunt family killings in Bushey, England, in 2024, pleads guilty to three counts of murder. (BBC News)
20 January 2025 – 2024 Southport stabbing: Axel Rudakubana pleads guilty to all 16 charges, including three charges of murder in relation to a mass stabbing in Southport, Merseyside, England, in July 2024. Rudakubana is expected to be sentenced on Thursday. (ITV News)
18 January 2025 – Gaza war protests: More than 70 people are arrested at a pro-Palestine protest in London, England, United Kingdom for violating protest regulations. (BBC News)

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“

An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one.

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— George Mikes

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Related WikiProjects

England • Bedfordshire • Brighton • Cheshire • Cornwall • Derbyshire • Dorset • Greater Manchester • Hampshire • Lincolnshire • London • Merseyside • Northamptonshire • North East England • Sheffield • Surrey. Warwickshire • West Midlands • Worcestershire • Yorkshire

Topics

Cities and major towns: Blackpool • Birmingham • Bristol • Chelmsford • Leeds • Liverpool • London • Manchester • Newcastle • Nottingham • Oxford • Portsmouth • Sheffield • Southampton • Stoke-on-Trent

Culture: The Football Association • Rugby Football Union • England and Wales Cricket Board • English inventions and discoveries

Geography: Geology • Climate • Mountains and hills • Islands • Rivers

Economy: Bank of England • London Stock Exchange • Chancellor of the Exchequer • Monetary Policy Committee • HM Treasury

History: Timeline of English history • Prehistoric Britain • Roman Britain • Anglo-Saxon England • Norman England • Plantagenet England • House of Lancaster • House of York • House of Tudor • House of Stuart

Governance: Kingdom of England • Prime Minister of the United Kingdom • Parliament of the United Kingdom • Home Secretary • Local Government Boundary Commission for England • Administrative divisions of England • English law

Symbols: Flags • Flag of England • St George's Cross • Tudor rose • Coat of arms of England

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