Interesting Facts about England
England is a small island country located in Europe. It is part of the United Kingdom which consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England is bordered to the north by Scotland and to the west by Wales. It also has sea borders with the Irish Sea to the north-west, the Celtic Sea to the south-west, the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. Approximately 53 million people populate the country with about 8 million of those living in the capital city of London. England is also the home of the Royal family with Buckingham Palace being located in the city of London.
Interesting facts about England
- England consists of the bottom two thirds of the island of Great Britain. The total area of the country of England is 130,395 km2 (50,346 sq mi).
- During the 15th century the British Empire colonized many countries and has had a significant impact on many cultures around the world including language, religion and legal systems.
- England was the world’s first industrial nation.
- England is a constitutional monarchy and has a parliamentary system. The current Prime Minister of England is David Cameron and the ruling monarch is Queen Elizabeth II.
- The longest river to flow through England is the Severn which flows for 354 km (220 miles). The longest river entirely within England is Thames which flows for 346 km (215 miles).
- The largest lake in England is Windermere. It is 18.08 kilometers (11.23 mi) long and 1.49 kilometers (0.93 mi) wide. It has a surface area of 14.73 km2 (5.69 sq mi).
- Scafell Pike is the highest point in England standing at 978 meters (3,209 ft).
- England has a temperate climate with a high level of rainfall. Its temperatures range from below 0 °C (32 °F) in winter to 32 °C (90 °F) in summer. The highest temperature ever recorded was at Brogdale in Kent which was 38.5 °C (101.3 °F). The lowest temperate was ?26.1 °C (?15.0 °F) at Edgmond, Shropshire.
- England is the most populated country in the United Kingdom and has the fourth largest population in the European Union.
- Christianity is the most popular in England with approximately 72% of the population identifying as Christian. 3.1% are practicing Muslims.
- England is home to Stonehenge, Devil’s Arrows, Rudston Monolith and Castlerigg, which are ancient stone structures believed to be erected many thousands of years ago.
- The story of Robin Hood and his merry men originated in England as did King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
- Cuisine such as fish and chips, Yorkshire pudding and gravy, full English breakfast and meat pies all originated in England.
- England consumes the most tea of any country in the world.
- The famous playwright William Shakespeare author of Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Midsummer night’s dream was born and raised in England and lived out his life in the country.
- Many of the sports played around the world today originated in England including; football (soccer), cricket, rugby union, rugby league, tennis, hockey, bowing, snooker and netball.
- The most popular sport in England is football (soccer), closely followed by cricket.
- The St. Georges cross is the red cross on a white flag and is part of the English national flag. The national flower is the Tudor rose. The white dragon and the three lions are also important symbols in England.
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