Portal:England

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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. England shares a land border with Scotland to the north and another land border with Wales to the west, and is 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. In 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, forming 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 amongst 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 over 15 million as of 2025, 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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Portrait, c. 1690

William III and II (William Henry; Dutch: Willem Hendrik; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1672, and King of England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1689 until his death in 1702. He ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland with his wife, Queen Mary II, and their joint reign is known as that of William and Mary.

William was the only child of William II, Prince of Orange, and Mary, Princess Royal, the daughter of King Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland. His father died before his birth, making William III the prince of Orange from birth. In 1677, he married his first cousin Mary, the elder daughter of his maternal uncle James, Duke of York (later King James II). (Full article...)

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Council House

Derby (/ˈdɑːrbi/ ^ⓘ DAR-bee) is a cathedral city and unitary authority area on the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original county town. As a unitary authority, Derby is administratively independent from Derbyshire County Council. The population of Derby is 274,149 (2024).

The Romans established the town of Derventio, which was later captured by the Anglo-Saxons and then by the Vikings who made Djúra-bý one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw. Initially a market town, Derby grew rapidly in the industrial era and was home to Lombe's Mill, an early British factory and it contains the southern part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. With the arrival of the railways in the 19th century, Derby became a centre of the British rail industry. Despite having a cathedral since 1927, Derby did not gain city status until 1977. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill. (from Culture of England)
Image 2Alfred 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 3Kingdoms and tribes in Britain, c. AD 600 (from History of England)
Image 4Geoffrey Chaucer, c. 1340s–1400, author of The Canterbury Tales (from History of England)
Image 5King Charles II (from History of England)
Image 6The 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 7Josiah Wedgwood was a leading entrepreneur in the Industrial Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 8Remains of the Roman baths at Bath, England. (from History of England)
Image 9Maps of territory held by Royalists (red) and Parliamentarians (green) during the English Civil War (1642–1645) (from History of England)
Image 10King'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 11Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers. (from Culture of England)
Image 12Frontispiece 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 13The epic poem Beowulf, set in 6th century Scandinavia, composed c. 700–1000 AD. (from History of England)
Image 14King James I of England (from History of England)
Image 15Procession of characters from Shakespeare's plays (from Culture of England)
Image 16Shoulder clasp from Sutton Hoo, 625 AD (from History of England)
Image 17Chester, c. 1880 (from History of England)
Image 18One of only four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text, Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, property of the British Library (from History of England)
Image 19King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 (from History of England)
Image 20The Royal College of Music is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, established by royal charter in 1882. (from Culture of England)
Image 21Flatford Mill ('Scene on a Navigable River') by John Constable, c. 1816 (from Culture of England)
Image 22Francis 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 23England 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 24King Alfred the Great statue in Winchester, Hampshire. The 9th-century English king encouraged education in his kingdom. (from Culture of England)
Image 25The Great Fire London, 1666. (from History of England)
Image 26King 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 27Anglo-Saxon helmet from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, 625 AD (replica) (from History of England)
Image 28Christopher Lee (seen here as Dracula in 1958) starred in many of Hammer's British horror films. (from Culture of England)
Image 29Gold torc from Snettisham, 70 BC (from History of England)
Image 30A traditional Punch and Judy booth, at Swanage, Dorset, England (from Culture of England)
Image 31Bronze coins of Cunobelin, called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. 1–42 AD. (from History of England)
Image 32Interior of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (from Culture of England)
Image 33Remains of Hadrian's Wall (from History of England)
Image 34Artefacts from Bush Barrow at Stonehenge. Wessex culture, Early Bronze Age, c. 1900 BC (from History of England)
Image 35The 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 36William 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 37Depiction of the Battle of Hastings (1066) on the Bayeux Tapestry (from History of England)
Image 38Sir 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 39Canterbury 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 40Elizabeth I (from History of England)
Image 41A pint of real ale (from Culture of England)
Image 42First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644 (from History of England)
Image 43The White Tower of the Tower of London, built in 1078 (from History of England)
Image 44Jack 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 45The Battersea Shield (detail), 350 BC. (from History of England)
Image 46Portrait 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 47The Mob Quad of Merton College, University of Oxford, 13th–14th century (from History of England)
Image 48The Alfred Jewel, late 9th century (from History of England)
Image 49View of the ramparts of the hillfort of Maiden Castle (450 BC), as they look today (from History of England)
Image 50First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. (from Culture of England)
Image 51Silbury Hill, c. 2400 BC (from History of England)
Image 52The Billingsgate Fish Market in London in the early 19th century (from History of England)
Image 53The Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral (from Culture of England)
Image 54Anglo-Saxon king with his Witan. Biblical scene in the Old English Hexateuch (11th century) (from History of England)
Image 55Tomb of Richard I of England and Isabella of Angoulême (from History of England)
Image 56Sir Francis Drake's voyage 1585–86 (from History of England)
Image 57Durham Cathedral. The Norman cathedral was built 1093–1133 (from History of England)
Image 58Countries where English is natively spoken or has official status (from Culture of England)
Image 59King Henry VIII (from History of England)
Image 60Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945 (from History of England)
Image 61Whitehall by Francis Dodd (1920) displaying the Palace of Westminster (from Culture of England)
Image 62The Lindisfarne Gospels (from Culture of England)
Image 63National performing arts are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as The Proms during the summer. (from Culture of England)
Image 64Stinking Bishop cheese (from Culture of England)
Image 65The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers (from History of England)
Image 66The Ruthwell Cross, 8th century AD (from History of England)
Image 67Morris dancing (from Culture of England)
Image 68Dover Castle, 12th–13th century (from History of England)
Image 69The 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 70Durham Cathedral, dating from 1093 (from Culture of England)
Image 71Portrait of Edward VI, c. 1550 (from History of England)
Image 72Canterbury Cathedral nave, 1377 (from History of England)
Image 73The Fairy Ring by William Holmes Sullivan, c.1908 (from Culture of England)
Image 74Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 720 AD (from History of England)
Image 75The English landscape garden at Stourhead, described as a 'living work of art' when first opened in the 1750s (from Culture of England)
Image 76Stonehenge, erected in several stages from c.3000–2500 BC (from History of England)
Image 77England in 878 (from History of England)
Image 78The Spanish Armada and English ships in August 1588, (unknown, 16th-century, English School) (from History of England)
Image 79The wizard Merlin features as a character in many works of fiction, including the BBC series Merlin. (from Culture of England)

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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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13 May 2026 –: Sussex Police say they have recovered the bodies of three women off a beach in Brighton, England, and are working to identify the women. (The Guardian)
11 May 2026 – United Kingdom anti-immigration protests: British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood bans seven foreign far-right activists, including American influencer Valentina Gomez, from entering the UK, who were planning to attend a far-right rally in London, England, led by Tommy Robinson. Prime minister Keir Starmer says "agitators" will be blocked from entering the country ahead of the rally on May 16. (The Guardian)
8 May 2026 – 2026 United Kingdom local elections: Reform UK take full control of Havering London Borough Council, making it the first Reform-run council in Greater London. (The Independent)
7 May 2026 – 2026 United Kingdom local elections: Voters in England elect six mayors and 5,066 council seats across 136 councils. In Scotland, voters elect 129 seats to the Scottish Parliament. In Wales, voters elect 96 seats to the Senedd. (BBC News) (The Guardian)
1 May 2026 – Terrorism in the United Kingdom, 2026 London antisemitic attacks: 2026 Golders Green attack, Antisemitism during the 2026 Iran war; A 45-year-old man is charged with three counts of attempted murder after attacking three people in London, England, on Wednesday. (BBC News)

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“

I have seen much to hate here, much to forgive. But in a world where England is finished and dead, I do not wish to live.

”

— Alice Duer Miller

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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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