England information  England information

England information

Situated north west of mainland Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Irish Sea, English Channel and North Sea, England forms part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It became a unified state during the 10^th century and derived it’s name from a Germanic tribe (the Angles) who settled on the island 1500 years ago.

Historically England has had a significant bearing on the world creating amongst other things the ‘English Language’ the ‘Church of England’, ‘English law’ (which forms the basis of many countries legal systems), the ‘Parliamentary System’ the ‘industrial revolution’, and the ‘Royal Society’. England has the 2^nd largest economy in Europe and the 5^th largest in the world. London is the capital and is one of the busiest cities in the world with the largest stock exchange. The ageing and ethnically diverse population of England numbers around 50 million.

     

Historical facts

The British Isles was once connected to mainland Europe. Evidence of prehistoric man (app. 700,000 years old) was found in England. The Romans successfully invaded England in 43AD and remained for 400 years. Anglo Saxon kingdoms were established after the fall of the Roman Empire. The Saxons remained in power until the Norman Conquest in 1066. 'England' derived from the Anglo Saxon name 'Angleland'. The ruling of England switched between the Saxons and Danes in the 10th Century. The Normans (led by William the Conqueror) took control after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Norman conquest led England away from Scandinavian rule and towards European. The Norman conquest created a powerful monarchy and system of Government. From the 14^th to 17^th Century the Black Death killed 70% of the population in England. The last outbreak of the plague in England was the Great Plague of London in 1665. The Church of England was formed in the 16th century during the English Reformation. Henry Vlll forged the Church of England’s break from the Catholic church. The English civil war in the 17th Century saw conflict between Parliament and the Monarchy. The English civil war led to the execution of Charles I and the creation of the Commonwealth. The Monarchy was restored 10 years after the civil war when Charles ll was invited to return. After the Civil war a decree meant the monarch could only reign with Parliaments consent. In 1707 the United Kingdom of Britain was formed as Scottish King James Vl took power. England has enjoyed greater power Since the forming of the United Kingdom. During the 19^th Century the working classes began to gain more of a voice. Queen Victoria famously reigned over the United Kingdom for over 60 years from 1837 to 1901. England fought in, and recovered from, two world wars in the 20th century.