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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 country's capital is London, the metropolitan area of which has a population of 14.2 million as of 2021, representing the United Kingdom's largest metropolitan area. England's population of 56.3 million comprises 84% of the population of the United Kingdom, 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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Trafford Town Hall in Stretford

Stretford is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, sited on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal; the Bridgewater Canal bisects the town. The town is located 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Manchester, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Salford and 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Altrincham. Stretford borders Chorlton-cum-Hardy to the east, Moss Side and Whalley Range to the south-east, Hulme to the north-east, Urmston to the west, Salford to the north and Sale to the south. In 2011 it had a population of 46,910.

Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, Stretford was an agricultural village in the 19th century; it was known locally as Porkhampton, due to the large number of pigs produced for the Manchester market. It was also an extensive market-gardening area, producing more than 500 long tons (508 t) of vegetables each week for sale in Manchester by 1845. The arrival of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894, and the subsequent development of the Trafford Park industrial estate, accelerated the industrialisation that had begun in the late 19th century. By 2001, less than one per cent of Stretford's population was employed in agriculture. (Full article...)

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Town Hall

Oxford (/ˈɒksfərd/ ^ⓘ) is a cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. Founded in the 8th century, it was granted city status in 1542. The city is located at the confluence of the rivers Thames (locally known as the Isis) and Cherwell. It had a population of 163,257 in 2022. It is 56 miles (90 km) north-west of London, 64 miles (103 km) south-east of Birmingham and 61 miles (98 km) north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world; it has buildings in every style of English architecture since late Anglo-Saxon. Oxford's industries include motor manufacturing, education, publishing, science, and information technologies. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Silbury Hill, c. 2400 BC (from History of England)
Image 2Tomb of Richard I of England and Isabella of Angoulême (from History of England)
Image 3Frontispiece 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 4View of the ramparts of the hillfort of Maiden Castle (450 BC), as they look today (from History of England)
Image 5Flatford Mill ('Scene on a Navigable River') by John Constable, c. 1816 (from Culture of England)
Image 6Geoffrey Chaucer, c. 1340s–1400, author of The Canterbury Tales (from History of England)
Image 7Canterbury 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 8The wizard Merlin features as a character in many works of fiction, including the BBC series Merlin. (from Culture of England)
Image 9Francis 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 10Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 720 AD (from History of England)
Image 11The Billingsgate Fish Market in London in the early 19th century (from History of England)
Image 12King Charles II (from History of England)
Image 13Sir Francis Drake's voyage 1585–86 (from History of England)
Image 14Anglo-Saxon helmet from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, 625 AD (replica) (from History of England)
Image 15King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 (from History of England)
Image 16Sir 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 17Shoulder clasp from Sutton Hoo, 625 AD (from History of England)
Image 18A traditional Punch and Judy booth, at Swanage, Dorset, England (from Culture of England)
Image 19First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644 (from History of England)
Image 20Dover Castle, 12th–13th century (from History of England)
Image 21King Henry VIII (from History of England)
Image 22The Battersea Shield (detail), 350 BC. (from History of England)
Image 23The English landscape garden at Stourhead, described as a 'living work of art' when first opened in the 1750s (from Culture of England)
Image 24Elizabeth I (from History of England)
Image 25Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945 (from History of England)
Image 26Durham Cathedral. The Norman cathedral was built 1093–1133 (from History of England)
Image 27Interior of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (from Culture of England)
Image 28The Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral (from Culture of England)
Image 29Stinking Bishop cheese (from Culture of England)
Image 30A pint of real ale (from Culture of England)
Image 31Portrait 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 32The White Tower of the Tower of London, built in 1078 (from History of England)
Image 33The 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 34The 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 35The Great Fire London, 1666. (from History of England)
Image 36The epic poem Beowulf, set in 6th century Scandinavia, composed c. 700–1000 AD. (from History of England)
Image 37Portrait of Edward VI, c. 1550 (from History of England)
Image 38Remains of Hadrian's Wall (from History of England)
Image 39King 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 40England in 878 (from History of England)
Image 41The Lindisfarne Gospels (from Culture of England)
Image 42King'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 43Bronze coins of Cunobelin, called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. 1–42 AD. (from History of England)
Image 44Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers. (from Culture of England)
Image 45Morris dancing (from Culture of England)
Image 46Chester, c. 1880 (from History of England)
Image 47The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers (from History of England)
Image 48The Royal College of Music is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, established by royal charter in 1882. (from Culture of England)
Image 49First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. (from Culture of England)
Image 50Remains of the Roman baths at Bath, England. (from History of England)
Image 51Gold torc from Snettisham, 70 BC (from History of England)
Image 52Stonehenge, erected in several stages from c.3000–2500 BC (from History of England)
Image 53The Mob Quad of Merton College, University of Oxford, 13th–14th century (from History of England)
Image 54The Alfred Jewel, late 9th century (from History of England)
Image 55William 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 56The Ruthwell Cross, 8th century AD (from History of England)
Image 57King Alfred the Great statue in Winchester, Hampshire. The 9th-century English king encouraged education in his kingdom. (from Culture of England)
Image 58Durham Cathedral, dating from 1093 (from Culture of England)
Image 59The Spanish Armada and English ships in August 1588, (unknown, 16th-century, English School) (from History of England)
Image 60Kingdoms and tribes in Britain, c. AD 600 (from History of England)
Image 61Canterbury Cathedral nave, 1377 (from History of England)
Image 62National performing arts are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as The Proms during the summer. (from Culture of England)
Image 63Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill. (from Culture of England)
Image 64Anglo-Saxon king with his Witan. Biblical scene in the Old English Hexateuch (11th century) (from History of England)
Image 65Londinium (Roman London), c. 120 AD (from History of England)
Image 66Whitehall by Francis Dodd (1920) displaying the Palace of Westminster (from Culture of England)
Image 67Procession of characters from Shakespeare's plays (from Culture of England)
Image 68Countries where English is natively spoken or has official status (from Culture of England)
Image 69The 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 70Christopher Lee (seen here as Dracula in 1958) starred in many of Hammer's British horror films. (from Culture of England)
Image 71King James I of England (from History of England)
Image 72Jack 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 73England 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 74Artefacts from Bush Barrow at Stonehenge. Wessex culture, Early Bronze Age, c. 1900 BC (from History of England)
Image 75Alfred 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 76Depiction of the Battle of Hastings (1066) on the Bayeux Tapestry (from History of England)
Image 77One of only four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text, Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, property of the British Library (from History of England)
Image 78Maps of territory held by Royalists (red) and Parliamentarians (green) during the English Civil War (1642–1645) (from History of England)

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Insanity in English law is a defence to criminal charges based on the idea that the defendant was unable to understand what he was doing, or, that he was unable to understand that what he was doing was wrong.

The defence comes in two forms; where the defendant claims he was insane at the time of the crime, and where the defendant asserts he is insane at the time of trial. In the first situation, the defendant must show that he was either suffering from a disease which damaged the functioning of the mind and led to a defect of reason that prevented him from understanding what he was doing, or that he could not tell that what he was doing was wrong. In the second situation, the test is whether or not the defendant can differentiate between "guilty" and "not guilty" verdicts, instruct counsel and recognise the charges he is facing. If successful, he is likely to be detained under the Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act 1964, although judges have a wide discretion as to what to do. (Full article...)

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Did you know?

...that Lambeth, in the London Borough of Lambeth appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086?
...that Kate Marsden journeyed overland to Siberia to find a leprosy cure.
...that the Old Bailey was destroyed in the 1666 Great Fire of London, only to be rebuilt in 1674?
...that a Jury is only sent to cases of an indictable offence that has been sent to a Crown Court by a magistrates?

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In the news

6 November 2024 – Protests against Donald Trump: Just Stop Oil protesters spray orange paint on the outside of the American Embassy in London, United Kingdom, following Donald Trump's re-election in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. (The Independent)
24 October 2024 – Regulation of electronic cigarettes, Smoking bans in the United Kingdom: The British government announces that single-use vapes will be banned in England and Wales beginning on 1 June 2025. (BBC News)
23 October 2024 –: Three people are found deceased and seven are hospitalized due to carbon monoxide poisoning at a care home in Swanage, Dorset, England. (Sky News)
16 October 2024 –: An explosion at a house in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, kills at least two people and injures six others. An investigation to determine the cause of the explosion by the Health and Safety Executive is underway. (BBC News)
15 October 2024 –: A car driving in the wrong direction collides with another car on the M6 motorway in Cumbria, England, killing five people, including two children and seriously injuring another. (BBC News) (Sky News)

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“

England... is a nation of shopkeepers

”

— Napoleon

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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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