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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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A contemporary engraving of Fawkes made in 1605

Guy Fawkes (/fɔːks/; 13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was born and educated in York; his father died when Fawkes was eight years old, after which his mother married a recusant Catholic.

Fawkes converted to Catholicism and left for mainland Europe, where he fought for Catholic Spain in the Eighty Years' War against Protestant Dutch reformers in the Low Countries. He travelled to Spain to seek support for a Catholic rebellion in England without success. He later met Thomas Wintour, with whom he returned to England. Wintour introduced him to Robert Catesby, who planned to assassinate King James I and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. The plotters leased an undercroft beneath the House of Lords; Fawkes was placed in charge of the gunpowder that they stockpiled there. The authorities were prompted by an anonymous letter to search Westminster Palace during the early hours of 5 November, and they found Fawkes guarding the explosives. He was questioned and tortured over the next few days and confessed to wanting to blow up the House of Lords. (Full article...)

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"Ah! Sun-flower" is an illustrated poem written by the English poet, painter and printmaker William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794 (no.43 in the sequence of the combined book, Songs of Innocence and of Experience). It is one of only four poems in Songs of Experience not found in the "Notebook" (the Rossetti MS). (Full article...)

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

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

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Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar, Somerset, England. The gorge is the site of the Cheddar show caves, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated to be 9,000 years old, was found in 1903. Older remains from the Upper Late Palaeolithic era (12,000–13,000 years ago) have been found. The caves, produced by the activity of an underground river, contain stalactites and stalagmites. The gorge is part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest called Cheddar Complex.

Cheddar Gorge, including the caves and other attractions, has become a tourist destination. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, following its appearance on the television programme Seven Natural Wonders (2005), Cheddar Gorge was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, surpassed only by Dan yr Ogof caves. The gorge attracts about 500,000 visitors per year. (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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The rustics of England, especially those inhabiting the South hams (villages) of Devonshire, have great fun Wassailing the Orchards on Christmans Eve, New Year's and Twelfth Nigh (Boxing Day), when they drink toasts to the largest apple trees and sprinkle them with cyder (cider) carried by the beadle, the parish clerk, or some other such obsolete individual. The Devonshire people do this because they did it the year before.

”

— Will Cuppy

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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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