Transcript England England England • • • • • • • • • Fact file Official symbols Geographical position History timeline Political structure Sights and cities Famous people Entertainment Links.

England
England
England
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Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Entertainment
Links
Fact file
• Size: 50,350 square miles (130,410 sq. km.)
• Location: England is part of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland. The U.K. is just north of the
continent of Europe.
• Population: 49,138,831 as of 2001
• Where the people live: More than 80% of the
population of the United Kingdom lives in England.
• Capital: London
• Official language: English
• Currency: Pound sterling
• Climate: Generally mild temperatures. It is unusual for
any area to go without rain for more than two or three
weeks, even in the summer.
• Major Products: Cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables,
cattle, sheep, poultry, fish, machinery fuels
Symbols
The national flag of England, known as St.
George's Cross, has been England's national
flag since the 13th century. Originally the
flag was used by the maritime state the
Republic of Genoa. The English monarch
paid a tribute to the Doge of Genoa from
1190 onwards, so that English ships could fly
the flag as a means of protection when
entering the Mediterranean. A red cross
acted as a symbol for many Crusaders in the
12th and 13th centuries. It became
associated with Saint George, along with
countries and cities, which claimed him as
their patron saint and used his cross as a
banner. Since 1606 the St George's Cross
has formed part of the design of the Union
Flag, a Pan-British flag designed by King
James I
The Royal Arms of England is
a coat of arms symbolising
England and the English
monarchs. Designed in the
High Middle Ages, the Royal
Arms
was
subject
to
significant alteration as the
territory, politics and rule of
the Kingdom of England
shifted
throughout
the
Middle Ages.
The rose is the national
The Lion is a national
flower of England. It is
animal of England.
usually a red rose.
Saint Patron
The patron saint of England is Saint
George, he is represented in the
national flag, as well as the Union Flag
as part of a combination. There are
many other English and associated
saints, some of the best known
include; Cuthbert, Alban, Wilfrid,
Aidan, Edward the Confessor, John
Fisher, Thomas More, Petroc, Piran,
Margaret Clitherow and Thomas
Becket. There are non-Christian
religions practised. Jews have a
history of a small minority on the
island since 1070. They were expelled
from England in 1290 following the
Edict of Expulsion, only to be allowed
back in 1656.
Geographical position
England comprises the central and
southern two-thirds of the island of
Great Britain, in addition to a number
of small islands of which the largest is
the Isle of Wight. England is bordered
to the north by Scotland and to the
west by Wales. It is closer to
continental Europe than any other
part of mainland Britain, divided
from France only by a 24-statute mile
(52 km or 28.1 nmi) sea gap. The
Channel Tunnel, near Folkestone,
directly links England to mainland
Europe. The English/French border is
halfway along the tunnel.
Geographical position
England is a country that is part of
the United Kingdom. It shares land
borders with Scotland to the north
and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea
is to the north west, the Celtic Sea
to the south west and the North Sea
to the east, with the English Channel
to the south separating it from
continental Europe. Most of England
comprises the central and southern
part of the island of Great Britain in
the North Atlantic. The country also
includes over 100 smaller islands
such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle
of Wight.
Landscape
Much of England consists of rolling
hills, but it is generally more
mountainous in the north with a
chain of mountains, the Pennines,
dividing east and west. Other hilly
areas in the north and Midlands are
the Lake District, the North York
Moors, and the Peak District. The
approximate dividing line between
terrain types is often indicated by
the Tees-Exe line. To the south of
that line, there are larger areas of
flatter land, including East Anglia
and the Fens, although hilly areas
include
the
Cotswolds,
the
Chilterns, and the North and Sout
Downs.
Rivers
The longest river in
England is the River
Severn which has its
source in Wales, forms
much of the Anglo-Welsh
border and flows into the
Bristol
Channel.
The
longest
river
entirely
within England is the River
Thames
which
flows
through the English and
British capital, London.
The Vale of York and The
Fens host many of
England's larger rivers.
Climate
England has a temperate climate, with
plentiful rainfall all year round,
although the seasons are quite variable
in temperature. The prevailing wind is
from the south-west, bringing mild and
wet weather to England regularly from
the Atlantic Ocean. It is driest in the
east and warmest in the south, which
is closest to the European mainland.
Snowfall can occur in winter and early
spring. England has warmer maximum
and
minimum
temperatures
throughout the year than the other
countries of the UK. England is also
sunnier throughout the year, but unlike
Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland,
the sunniest month is July.
History
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55 B.C.:
Julius Caesar leads a Roman invasion of what is now Britain. The
Romans build 8,000 to 10,000 miles of road during the occupation.
1066 A.D.:
France's William, Duke of Normandy, defeats Harold II, the English
Saxon King, at the Battle of Hastings. William becomes King.
1215:
Wealthy citizens force King John to sign the Magna Carta. The
document gives English people basic rights.
1348:
A disease called the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death,
sweeps across England. It kills about one-third of the population.
1509-1603:
During the reigns of King Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I,
England splits from the Roman Catholic Church.
1837-1901:
Queen Victoria becomes England's longest reigning monarch. The
prime minister and parliament become more powerful, and the
country moves toward a democratic system of government.
• 1914-1918:
Britain and its allies, including the United States, battle Germany
in World War I.
• 1939-1945:
Prime Minister Winston Churchill leads the British to victory
against Germany, Japan and Italy in World War II.
• 1979:
Margaret Thatcher becomes the United Kingdom's first woman
prime minister.
• May 1997:
Tony Blair is elected Prime Minister.
• July 1997:
After ruling Hong Kong for 155 years, Britain turns over control of
the former colony back to China.
• August 1997:
Diana, the Princess of Wales, dies from injuries suffered in a car
crash in Paris, France.
• 2001:
Tony Blair supports the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
• 2002:
While most European Union-member countries adopt the euro as
their new currency, Great Britain chooses to stay with its own
currency, the pound sterling.
Political structure
As part of the United Kingdom, the
basic political system in England is a
constitutional
monarchy
and
parliamentary system. There has not
been a Government of England since
1707, when the Acts of Union 1707,
putting into effect the terms of the
Treaty of Union, joined England and
Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great
Britain. Before the union England was
ruled by its monarch and the
Parliament of England. Today England is
governed directly by the Parliament of
the United Kingdom, although other
countries of the United Kingdom have
devolved governments. In the House of
Commons which is the lower house of
the British Parliament based at the
Palace of Westminster, there are 532
Members of Parliament (MPs) for
constituencies in England, out of the
650 total.
In the United Kingdom general
election, 2010 the Conservative Party
had won an absolute majority in
England's 532 contested seats with 61
seats more than all other parties
combined (the Speaker of the House
not being counted as a Conservative).
However, taking Scotland, Northern
Ireland and Wales into account this was
not enough to secure an overall
majority, resulting in a hung
parliament. In order to achieve a
majority the Conservative party,
headed by David Cameron, entered
into a coalition agreement with the
third largest party, the Liberal
Democrats, led by Nick Clegg.
Subsequently
Gordon
Brown
announced he was stepping down as
prime minister and leader of the
Labour party, now led by Ed Milliband.
Economy
The economy of England is the largest
part of the UK's economy, which has
the 18th highest GDP PPP per capita
in the world. England is a leader in the
chemical and pharmaceutical sectors
and in key technical industries,
particularly aerospace, the arms
industry, and the manufacturing side
of the software industry. London,
home to the London Stock Exchange,
the United Kingdom's main stock
exchange and the largest in Europe, is
England's financial centre—100 of
Europe's 500 largest corporations are
based in London. London is the
largest financial centre in Europe, and
as of 2009 is also the largest in the
world.
Population
With over 51 million inhabitants,
England is by far the most populous
country of the United Kingdom,
accounting for 84% of the combined
total. England taken as a unit and
measured against international states
has the fourth largest population in
the European Union and would be the
25th largest country by population in
the world.With a density of 395
people per square kilometre, it would
be the second most densely
populated country in the European
Union after Malta
Religion
Christianity is the most widely
practised religion in England, as it has
been since the Early Middle Ages,
although it was first introduced much
earlier, in Gaelic and Roman times. It
continued through Early Insular
Christianity, and today about 71.6% of
English people identify as Christians.
The largest form practised in the
present day is Anglicanism, dating
from the 16th century Reformation
period, with the 1536 split from Rome
over Henry VIII wanting to divorce
Catherine of Aragon, the religion
regards itself as both Catholic and
Reformed.
Sights and Cities
English Heritage
English Heritage is a governmental
body with a broad remit of managing
the historic sites, artefacts and
environments of England. It is
currently
sponsored
by
the
Department for Culture, Media and
Sport. The charity National Trust for
Places of Historic Interest or Natural
Beauty holds a contrasting role.
Seventeen of the twenty-five United
Kingdom UNESCO World Heritage Sites
fall within England. Some of the best
known of these include; Hadrian's
Wall, Stonehenge, Avebury and
Associated Sites, Tower of London,
Jurassic Coast, Saltaire, Ironbridge
Gorge, Studley Royal Park and various
others.
London
From history and art to a
900 year-old royal castle,
London has so much to
offer. Windsor Castle is still
a working palace and the
place Queen Elizabeth calls
home. Besides royalty,
London is home to some of
the best museums in the
world. Every year, more
than 5 million people visit
the British Museum, the
United Kingdom's largest.
The Tate Britain, originally
built in 1897, houses more
than 600 years worth of art.
The River Thames
The 215-mile long River
Thames snakes through
central London and divides
it into northern and
southern halves. The poet
John Burns described the
river as "liquid history"
because so many important
figures in England's history
have lived on or around the
river. In fact, the river gave
birth to London as the
nation's capital because it
was the main port.
Cambridge
Located in southeast England
on the River Cam, Cambridge
is home to one of one of the
oldest universities in the
world. The University of
Cambridge is also one of the
largest in the United Kingdom.
The city was built early in the
thirteenth century. Much of its
old medieval architecture can
still be seen, including winding
streets and churches with
steeples. More than 3 1/2
million people visit Cambridge
every year to enjoy the historic
city and its surrounding
countryside.
Liverpool
Located in northwest England,
the city of Liverpool is home to
one of the greatest seaports in
the world. It was also the gateway
for American troops and supplies
during
World
War
II.
The city is most famous, though,
for being the birthplace of one of
the most famous rock bands of all
time-the Beatles! In honor of the
"Fab Four," Liverpool offers a
Magical Mystery Tour, during
which fans can visit Penny Lane,
Strawberry Fields and the
childhood home of Beatle Paul
McCartney.
Stratford-upon-Avon
From its early history as a
market town to the present day,
Stratford has remained one of
England's most beautiful towns.
The birthplace of playwright
William Shakespeare, Stratford is
situated in the countryside, on
the banks of the river Avon.
Many of the town's buildings
date back to Shakespearean
times. Visitors can see his home
and walk through his gardens,
which contain the trees, flowers
and herbs mentioned in
Shakespeare's works.
Bath
The golden city of Bath
has been welcoming visitors
for over 2,000 years. The city
boasts some of Europe's
most amazing architectural
landmarks, including the
Roman Baths, the most wellpreserved Roman religious
spa from the ancient world.
The city of Bath developed
around
these
ancient
springs. Today, the Roman
Baths are one of the United
Kingdom's
top
five
attractions.
National Gallery
The most senior art gallery is
the National Gallery in
Trafalgar
Square,
which
houses a collection of over
2,300 paintings dating from
the mid-13th century to
1900. The Tate galleries
house
the
national
collections of British and
international modern art;
they also host the famously
controversial Turner Prize.
Architecture
Many ancient standing stone monuments
were erected during the prehistoric
period, amongst the best known are
Stonehenge, Devil's Arrows, Rudston
Monolith and Castlerigg. With the
introduction
of
Ancient
Roman
architecture there was a development of
basilicas, baths, amphitheaters, triumphal
arches, villas, Roman temples, Roman
roads, Roman forts, stockades and
aqueducts. It was the Romans who
founded the first cities and towns such as
London, Bath, York, Chester and St
Albans. Perhaps the best known example
is Hadrian's Wall stretching right across
northern
England.
Another
well
preserved example is the Roman Baths at
Bath, Somerset.
Bank of England
The Bank of England, founded in 1694
by Scottish banker William Paterson, is
the United Kingdom's central bank.
Originally instituted to act as private
banker to the Government of England,
it carried on in this role as part of the
United Kingdom—since 1946 it has
been a state-owned institution. The
Bank has a monopoly on the issue of
banknotes in England and Wales,
although not in other parts of the
United Kingdom. Its Monetary Policy
Committee has devolved responsibility
for managing the monetary policy of
the country and setting interest rates.
Famous People
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (26 April 1564;
died 23 April 1616) was an English
poet and playwright, widely regarded
as the greatest writer in the English
language and the world's pre-eminent
dramatist. He is often called England's
national poet and the "Bard of Avon".
His surviving works, including some
collaborations, consist of about 38
plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative
poems, and several other poems. His
plays have been translated into every
major living language and are
performed more often than those of
any other playwright.
Sir Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (4 January 1643 –
31 March 1727) was an English
physicist,
mathematician,
astronomer, natural philosopher,
alchemist, and theologian. His
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia
Mathematica
(Latin
for
"Mathematical Principles Of Natural
Philosophy"; usually called the
Principia), published in 1687, is
probably the most important
scientific book ever written. It lays
the groundwork for most of classical
mechanics. In this work, Newton
described universal gravitation and
the three laws of motion, which
dominated the scientific view of the
physical universe for the next three
centuries.
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard SpencerChurchill, (30 November 1874 – 24
January 1965) was a British politician
and statesman known for his
leadership of the United Kingdom
during the Second World War
(WWII). He is widely regarded as one
of the great wartime leaders. He
served as prime minister twice
(1940–45 and 1951–55). A noted
statesman and orator, Churchill was
also an officer in the British Army, a
historian, writer, and an artist. To
date, he is the only British prime
minister to have received the Nobel
Prize in Literature, and the first
person to be recognised as an
honorary citizen of the United
States.
Charles John Huffam Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February
1812 – 9 June 1870) was the most popular
English novelist of the Victorian era and he
remains popular, responsible for some of
English literature's most iconic characters.
Many of his novels, with their recurrent
concern for social reform, first appeared in
magazines in serialised form, a popular
format at the time. Unlike other authors
who completed entire novels before
serialisation, Dickens often created the
episodes as they were being serialized. The
practice lent his stories a particular
rhythm, punctuated by cliffhangers to keep
the public looking forward to the next
instalment. The continuing popularity of
his novels and short stories is such that
they have never gone out of print.
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin,
(16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was
an English comic actor and film director
of the silent film era. He became one of
the best-known film stars in the world
before the end of the First World War.
Chaplin used mime, slapstick and other
visual comedy routines, and continued
well into the era of the talkies, though
his films decreased in frequency from
the end of the 1920s. His most famous
role was that of The Tramp, which he
first played in 1914. From the April 1914
onwards he was writing and directing
most of his films, by 1916 he was also
producing, and from 1918 composing
the music. With Mary Pickford, Douglas
Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith, he cofounded United Artists in 1919.
Margaret Hilda Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness
Thatcher; (born 13 October 1925)
served as Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader
of the Conservative Party from 1975 to
1990. Thatcher is the only woman to
have held either post. She read
chemistry at Somerville College, Oxford
and later trained as a barrister. She won
a seat in the 1959 general election,
becoming the MP for Finchley as a
Conservative. When Edward Heath
formed a government in 1970, he
appointed Thatcher Secretary of State
for Education and Science. In 1975
Thatcher entered the contest herself and
became leader of the Conservative
Party. At the 1979 general election she
became Britain's first female Prime
Minister.
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana
Frances; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997)
was a member of the British royal
family and international personality of
the late 20th century as the first wife
of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she
married on 29 July 1981. The marriage
produced two sons: Princes William
and Harry,currently second and third
in line to the thrones of the 16
Commonwealth realms. Diana was
born into an old, aristocratic English
family with royal connections, and
remained the focus of worldwide
media scrutiny before, during and
after her marriage, which ended in
divorce on 28 August 1996. She died in
a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997.
Joanne Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, (born 31 July
1965), better known as J. K.
Rowling is a British author best
known as the creator of the Harry
Potter fantasy series, the idea for
which was conceived whilst on a
train trip from Manchester to
London in 1990. The Potter books
have gained worldwide attention,
won multiple awards, sold more
than 400 million copies and been
the basis for a popular series of
films, in which Rowling had
creative control serving as a
producer in two of the seven
instalments.
Entertainment
Englishmen are proud of their
traditions and carefully keep them
up. The best examples are their
queen, money system, their
weights and measures. There are
many customs and some of them
are very old. There is, for example,
the Marble Championship, where
the British Champion is crowned;
he wins a silver cup known among
folk dancers as Morris Dancing.
Morris Dancing is an event where
people, worn in beautiful clothes
with ribbons and bells, dance with
handkerchiefs or big sticks in their
hands, while traditional musicsounds.
Halloween is a day on which
many children dress up in
unusual costumes. In fact,
this holiday has a Celtic
origin. The day was originally
called All Halloween's Eve,
because it happens on
October 31, the eve of all
Saint's Day. The name was
later
shortened
to
Halloween.
The
Celts
celebrated the coming of
New Year on that day.
Sports
England has a strong sporting heritage,
and during the 19th century codified
many sports that are now played around
the world. Sports originating in England
include association football, cricket, rugby
union, rugby league, tennis, badminton,
squash, rounders, hockey, boxing, snooker,
billiards, darts, table tennis, bowls,
netball, thoroughbred horseracing and fox
hunting. It has helped the development of
sailing and Formula One. Football is the
most popular of these sports. The England
national football team, whose home
venue is Wembley Stadium, won the FIFA
World Cup in 1966, the year the country
hosted the competition.
Sports in England
Although
cricket
is
officially recognized as
England's national sport,
for many people football
(soccer) is the most
important sport. Football
is incredibly popular in
the UK. England is home
to some world class
football teams, the most
famous being Manchester
United,
Arsenal
and
Liverpool.
Football
dates
back
hundreds
of
years.
Nowadays it is England's
premier sport. There are a
total of 92 professional
clubs in the English
Football League. Most
players
are
semiprofessional, and have full
time jobs as well. The
highlight of the English
football year is the FA Cup
Final, held each year in
May.
Boat Race
The Boat Race takes place on the
river Thames, often on Easter
Sunday. A boat with a team from
Oxford University and one with a
team from Cambridge University
hold a race. British people think that
the Grand National horse race is the
most exciting horse race in the
world. It takes place near Liverpool
every year. Sometimes it happens
the same day as the Boat Race takes
place, sometimes a week later.
Amateur riders as well as
professional jockeys can participate.
It is a very famous event.
Links
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www.alleng.ru
www.infoplease.com
www.england.costasur.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_symbol
s_of_England
• www.200stran.ru/hymns.html
• www.lonelyplanet.com/
• www.timeforkids.com/