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 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 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 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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Gilbert posing, looking toward the camera — Cabinet card of W. S. Gilbert in about 1880 by Elliott & Fry

Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most famous of these include H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and one of the most frequently performed works in the history of musical theatre, The Mikado. The popularity of these works was supported for over a century by year-round performances of them, in Britain and abroad, by the repertory company that Gilbert, Sullivan and their producer Richard D'Oyly Carte founded, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. These Savoy operas are still frequently performed in the English-speaking world and beyond.

Gilbert's creative output included over 75 plays and libretti, and numerous short stories, poems and lyrics, both comic and serious. After brief careers as a government clerk and a lawyer, Gilbert began to focus, in the 1860s, on writing light verse, including his Bab Ballads, short stories, theatre reviews and illustrations, often for Fun magazine. He also began to write burlesques and his first comic plays, developing a unique absurdist, inverted style that would later be known as his "topsy-turvy" style. He also developed a realistic method of stage direction and a reputation as a strict theatre director. In the 1870s, Gilbert wrote 40 plays and libretti, including his German Reed Entertainments, several blank-verse "fairy comedies", some serious plays, and his first five collaborations with Sullivan: Thespis, Trial by Jury, The Sorcerer, H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance. In the 1880s, Gilbert focused on the Savoy operas, including Patience, Iolanthe, The Mikado, The Yeomen of the Guard and The Gondoliers. (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 263,490 (2022).

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

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Samuel Cowan (10 May 1901 – 4 October 1964) was an English football player and manager. A relative latecomer to the sport, Cowan did not play football until he was 17 and was 22 by the time he turned professional. He made his league debut for Doncaster Rovers in 1923, and signed for First Division Manchester City the following season.

Cowan played centre half for Manchester City for 11 seasons, captaining the team in the early to mid-1930s. Alongside David Silva & Vincent Kompany, he is the only other player to have represented Manchester City in three FA Cup finals, as a runner-up in 1926 and 1933, and as a winner in 1934. Internationally, he gained three England caps between 1926 and 1931. In total he played 407 times for Manchester City, putting him 12th in terms of all-time appearances. In 1935, he transferred to Bradford City, and subsequently moved to Mossley as player-manager. (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

10 August 2025 – Gaza war protests in the United Kingdom: More than 500 people are detained by the Metropolitan Police in London, United Kingdom, under the Terrorism Act 2000 for attending a protest in support of the now proscribed organisation Palestine Action. (Sky News)
9 August 2025 – Gaza war protests in the United Kingdom: Metropolitan Police carry out the largest mass detainments in London's history, detaining at least 466 people for peacefully protesting the UK's ban on the pro-Palestine activist network Palestine Action. Protesters gathered in Parliament Square to denounce the Israeli invasion of Gaza and the criminalisation of support for Palestine Action, with many holding signs reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" before being forcibly removed by police. (Al Jazeera)
7 August 2025 –: British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Homelessness Rushanara Ali resigns amid controversy over increasing the rent at a property she owns in east London by £700 in order to force the tenants to move. (BBC News)
6 August 2025 –: A month-long legionnaires' disease outbreak that started on July 8 in London, Ontario, Canada, ends after 70 cases and three deaths. (CFPL-DT)
31 July 2025 – Canonisation of John Henry Newman: Pope Leo XIV declares Saint John Henry Newman, a 19th-century Anglican convert who became a prominent English Catholic theologian, as a Doctor of the Church. (AP) (Vatican News)
28 July 2025 –: Two people are killed and two others are injured, including the perpetrator, in a mass stabbing on business premises on Long Lane in Southwark, London, United Kingdom. (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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