Portal:England
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England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Paleolithic period, but takes its name from the Angles, a Germanic tribe deriving its name from the Anglia peninsula, who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in the 10th century and has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century. The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's 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's terrain is chiefly low hills and plains, especially in central and southern England. However, there is upland and mountainous terrain in the north (for example, the Lake District and Pennines) and in the west (for example, Dartmoor and the Shropshire Hills). The capital is London, which has the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom. 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.
The Kingdom of England – which after 1535 included Wales – ceased being a separate sovereign state on 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union put into effect the terms agreed in the Treaty of Union the previous year, resulting in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1801, Great Britain was united with the Kingdom of Ireland (through another Act of Union) to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922 the Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom, leading to the latter being renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. (Full article...)
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Eliza Acton (17 April 1799 – 13 February 1859) was an English food writer and poet who produced one of Britain's first cookery books aimed at the domestic reader, Modern Cookery for Private Families. The book introduced the now-universal practice of listing ingredients and giving suggested cooking times for each recipe. It included the first recipes in English for Brussels sprouts and for spaghetti. It also contains the first recipe for what Acton called "Christmas pudding"; the dish was normally called plum pudding, recipes for which had appeared previously, although Acton was the first to put the name and recipe together.
Acton was born in 1799 in Sussex. She was raised in Suffolk where she ran a girls' boarding school before spending time in France. On her return to England in 1826 she published a collection of poetry and released her cookery book in 1845, aimed at middle class families. Written in an engaging prose, the book was well received by reviewers. It was reprinted within the year and several editions followed until 1918, when Longman, the book's publisher, took the decision not to reprint. In 1857 Acton published The English Bread-Book for Domestic Use, a more academic and studious work than Modern Cookery. The work consisted of a history of bread-making in England, a study of European methods of baking and numerous recipes. (Full article...)Selected article -
The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personification of Great Britain) was first used in 1572, and often thereafter, to mark the Elizabethan age as a renaissance that inspired national pride through classical ideals, international expansion, and naval triumph over Spain.
This "golden age" represented the apogee of the English Renaissance and saw the flowering of poetry, music and literature. The era is most famous for its theatre, as William Shakespeare and many others composed plays that broke free of England's past style of theatre. It was an age of exploration and expansion abroad, while back at home, the Protestant Reformation became more acceptable to the people, most certainly after the Spanish Armada was repelled. It was also the end of the period when England was a separate realm before its royal union with Scotland. (Full article...)General images
Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers. (from Culture of England)
First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. (from Culture of England)
First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644 (from History of England)
Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945 (from History of England)
The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers (from History of England)
A pint of real ale (from Culture of England)
National performing arts are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as The Proms during the summer. (from Culture of England)
Large miniature of George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland by Nicholas Hilliard, c. 1590, after his appointment as the Queen's Champion, in tilting attire with the Queen's glove as her favour pinned to his hat. (from Culture of England)
Chester, c. 1880 (from History of England)
Flatford Mill ('Scene on a Navigable River') by John Constable, c1816 (from Culture of England)
King Henry VIII (from History of England)
Portrait of Edward VI, c. 1550 (from History of England)
King 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)
Sir Francis Drake's voyage 1585–86 (from History of England)
Silver brooch imitating a coin of Edward the Elder, c. 920, found in Rome, Italy. British Museum (from History of England)
The Great Fire London, 1666. (from History of England)
The Spanish Armada and English ships in August 1588, (unknown, 16th-century, English School) (from History of England)
The Roman Baths in Bath; a temple was constructed on the site between 60–70CE in the first few decades of Roman Britain. It is a lasting monument from Roman Britain. (from Culture of England)
The 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)
Alfred 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)
View of the ramparts of the developed hillfort of Maiden Castle, Dorset, as they look today (from History of England)
Christopher Lee (seen here as Dracula in 1958) starred in many of Hammer's British horror films. (from Culture of England)
Sir Isaac Newton, 1689. Regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time and as a key figure in the Scientific Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Depiction of the Battle of Hastings (1066) on the Bayeux Tapestry (from History of England)
Durham Cathedral, dating from 1093. (from Culture of England)
Roman Empire, 3rd century. (from History of England)
Astley's Amphitheatre, London circa 1808. Astley performed stunts in a 42 ft diameter ring; the standard size used by circuses ever since. (from Culture of England)
Canterbury 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)
William 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)
The rune stone U 344 was raised in memory of a Viking who went to England three times. (from History of England)
King Alfred the Great statue in Winchester, Hampshire. The 9th-century English king encouraged education in his kingdom, and proposed that primary education be taught in English, with those wishing to advance to holy orders to continue their studies in Latin. (from Culture of England)
Elizabeth I (from History of England)
Francis Bacon in a portrait by Pourbus the Younger, (1617). His works are seen as developing the scientific method and remained highly influential through the Scientific revolution. (from Culture of England)
King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 (from History of England)
Landing of the Romans on the Coast of Kent (Cassell's History of England, Vol. I – anonymous author and artists, 1909) (from History of England)
The English landscape garden at Stourhead, described as a 'living work of art' when first opened in the 1750s (from Culture of England)
Maps of territory held by Royalists (red) and Parliamentarians (green) during the English Civil War (1642–1645) (from History of England)
The Lindisfarne Gospels (from Culture of England)
Kingdoms and tribes in Britain, c. AD 600 (from History of England)
The wizard Merlin features as a character in many works of fiction, including the BBC series Merlin. (from Culture of England)
King'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)
Caesar's first invasion of Britain (from History of England)
The Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral (from Culture of England)
England 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)
Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill (from Culture of England)
The 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)
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London. (from Culture of England)
A traditional Punch and Judy booth, at Swanage, Dorset, England. (from Culture of England)
Stonehenge, erected in several stages from c.3000-1500BC (from History of England)
The Billingsgate Fish Market in London in the early 19th century (from History of England)
Procession of characters from Shakespeare's plays. (from Culture of England)
Countries where English has official status or is widely spoken (from Culture of England)
Pope Gregory I seeing Anglo-Saxon children in a slave market in Rome. He sent Augustine as a missionary to England in 596. (from History of England)
One of only four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text, Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, property of the British Library (from History of England)
England in 878 (from History of England)
Hampton Court Palace (from Culture of England)
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Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, including his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement with Pope Clement VII about such an annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation, separating the Church of England from papal authority. He appointed himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved convents and monasteries, for which he was excommunicated. Henry is also known as "the father of the Royal Navy," as he invested heavily in the navy, increasing its size from a few to more than 50 ships, and established the Navy Board.
Domestically, Henry is known for his radical changes to the English Constitution, ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings in opposition to Papal supremacy. He also greatly expanded royal power during his reign. He frequently used charges of treason and heresy to quell dissent, and those accused were often executed without a formal trial by means of bills of attainder. He achieved many of his political aims through the work of his chief ministers, some of whom were banished or executed when they fell out of his favour. Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Richard Rich, and Thomas Cranmer all figured prominently in his administration. (Full article...)Did you know?
- ... that the 1643 Westminster Assembly, which was appointed by the Parliament of England to restructure the Church of England, produced the Westminster Confession, the foundation of the Presbyterian Church?
- ... that Declaration of Sports was a 1617 declaration of James I of England listing archery and dancing as permissible on Sundays and that Puritans in Parliament had it publicly burned in 1643?
- ... that Jemmy Button was a Yaghan from Tierra del Fuego who was bought for a mother-of-pearl button in 1830 and taken on HMS Beagle to meet the King and Queen of England?
In the news
- 8 March 2022 –
- Due to the panic buying of nickel futures, whose prices have increased above the $100,000 per tonne mark for the first time, and which doubled for the second consecutive day, the London Metal Exchange suspends all trading of nickel. (Reuters) (Reuters 2)
- 7 March 2022 –
- Metal markets register new highs. Aluminium and nickel register a record price on the London stock exchange, at about $4,000 and $55,000 per tonne, respectively; nickel prices rose 90% on intraday trading. Copper also recorded new highs, at $10,845 per tonne, while palladium reached $3,440 per ounce. Russia is a substantial producer of all of these metals, and the market expects shortages of these commodities as the country is hit by further sanctions. (Reuters) (Reuters 2) (Barron's)
- 2 March 2022 – 2022 Russian financial crisis
- Russian stocks endure a total wipeout in value on the London stock exchange, losing $570 billion in two weeks, with many Russian companies' stocks worth pennies. Entities such as Gazprom and Lukoil have lost almost all of their value. Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia, had a market cap of $102 billion six months ago but the value of outstanding shares is currently less than $190 million. (Bloomberg) (Barron's)
- 2 March 2022 – COVID-19 pandemic
- A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the booster shot of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine restores protection against the Omicron variant. (NBC News)
- 26 February 2022 – Protests against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Protesters gather at the Russian embassy in London. During the protest, demonstrators are seen throwing eggs at the embassy, and call for Vladimir Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine. (The Independent)
- 21 February 2022 – COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in England
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