Portal:England

The England portal

Flag of England	Royal Standard of England

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. It 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...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Featured article - show another

This is a Featured article, which represents some of the best content on English Wikipedia..

Altrincham (/ˈɒltrɪŋəm/ ^ⓘ OL-tring-əm, locally /ˈɒltrɪŋɡəm/) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Manchester, 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Sale and 10 miles (16 km) east of Warrington. At the 2021 census, the built up area had a population of 49,680.

It lies within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and became part of Greater Manchester in 1974. Altrincham developed as a market town following the right to hold a market being granted in 1290; the market continues today. Further socioeconomic development came with the extension of the Bridgewater Canal to Altrincham in 1765 and the arrival of the railway in 1849, stimulating industrial activity in the town. Outlying villages were absorbed by Altrincham's subsequent growth, along with the grounds of Dunham Massey Hall, formerly the home of the Earl of Stamford, and now a tourist attraction with three Grade I Listed Buildings and a deer park. (Full article...)

List of Featured articles

Selected article - show another

Vignette of Wild from Old England by Charles Knight, p. 326

Jonathan Wild, also spelled Wilde (1682 or 1683 – 24 May 1725), was an English thief-taker and a major figure in London's criminal underworld, notable for operating on both sides of the law, posing as a public-spirited vigilante entitled the "Thief-Taker General". He simultaneously ran a significant criminal empire, and used his crimefighting role to remove rivals and launder the proceeds of his own crimes.

Wild exploited a strong public demand for action during a major 18th-century crime wave in the absence of any effective police force in London. As a powerful gang-leader himself, he became a master manipulator of legal systems, collecting the rewards offered for valuables which he had stolen himself, bribing prison guards to release his colleagues, and blackmailing any who crossed him. Wild was consulted on crime by the government due to his apparently remarkable prowess in locating stolen items and those who had stolen them. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

General images

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

Image 1England in 878 (from History of England)
Image 2The White Tower of the Tower of London, built in 1078 (from History of England)
Image 3The Great Fire London, 1666. (from History of England)
Image 4Chester, c. 1880 (from History of England)
Image 5A traditional Punch and Judy booth, at Swanage, Dorset, England (from Culture of England)
Image 6William 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 7The 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 8Depiction of the Battle of Hastings (1066) on the Bayeux Tapestry (from History of England)
Image 9Countries where English is natively spoken or has official status (from Culture of England)
Image 10Josiah Wedgwood was a leading entrepreneur in the Industrial Revolution. (from Culture of England)
Image 11Dover Castle, 12th–13th century (from History of England)
Image 12King 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 13King James I of England (from History of England)
Image 14Shoulder clasp from Sutton Hoo, 625 AD (from History of England)
Image 15The Mob Quad of Merton College, University of Oxford, 13th–14th century (from History of England)
Image 16Artefacts from Bush Barrow at Stonehenge. Wessex culture, Early Bronze Age, c. 1900 BC (from History of England)
Image 17Remains of Hadrian's Wall (from History of England)
Image 18Anglo-Saxon king with his Witan. Biblical scene in the Old English Hexateuch (11th century) (from History of England)
Image 19Interior of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (from Culture of England)
Image 20King Alfred the Great statue in Winchester, Hampshire. The 9th-century English king encouraged education in his kingdom. (from Culture of England)
Image 21The Fairy Ring by William Holmes Sullivan, c.1908 (from Culture of England)
Image 22The Royal College of Music is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, established by royal charter in 1882. (from Culture of England)
Image 23View of the ramparts of the hillfort of Maiden Castle (450 BC), as they look today (from History of England)
Image 24The 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 25Flatford Mill ('Scene on a Navigable River') by John Constable, c. 1816 (from Culture of England)
Image 26The Battersea Shield (detail), 350 BC. (from History of England)
Image 27The English landscape garden at Stourhead, described as a 'living work of art' when first opened in the 1750s (from Culture of England)
Image 28The Lindisfarne Gospels (from Culture of England)
Image 29A pint of real ale (from Culture of England)
Image 30Elizabeth I (from History of England)
Image 31England 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 32Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 720 AD (from History of England)
Image 33First played in 1877, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. (from Culture of England)
Image 34Jack 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 35Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol played a major role in reviving the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal goodwill. (from Culture of England)
Image 36Portrait 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 37Geoffrey Chaucer, c. 1340s–1400, author of The Canterbury Tales (from History of England)
Image 38The Procession Picture, c. 1600, showing Elizabeth I borne along by her courtiers (from History of England)
Image 39Canterbury Cathedral nave, 1377 (from History of England)
Image 40Tomb of Richard I of England and Isabella of Angoulême (from History of England)
Image 41Canterbury 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 42Sir 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 43Gold torc from Snettisham, 70 BC (from History of England)
Image 44Frontispiece 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 45Francis 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 46The epic poem Beowulf, set in 6th century Scandinavia, composed c. 700–1000 AD. (from History of England)
Image 47Morris dancing (from Culture of England)
Image 48The Alfred Jewel, late 9th century (from History of England)
Image 49Maps of territory held by Royalists (red) and Parliamentarians (green) during the English Civil War (1642–1645) (from History of England)
Image 50The wizard Merlin features as a character in many works of fiction, including the BBC series Merlin. (from Culture of England)
Image 51King Henry VIII (from History of England)
Image 52Christopher Lee (seen here as Dracula in 1958) starred in many of Hammer's British horror films. (from Culture of England)
Image 53Londinium (Roman London), c. 120 AD (from History of England)
Image 54The Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral (from Culture of England)
Image 55Sir Francis Drake's voyage 1585–86 (from History of England)
Image 56Stinking Bishop cheese (from Culture of England)
Image 57Anglo-Saxon helmet from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, 625 AD (replica) (from History of England)
Image 58Whitehall by Francis Dodd (1920) displaying the Palace of Westminster (from Culture of England)
Image 59National performing arts are held annually at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as The Proms during the summer. (from Culture of England)
Image 60Edward Elgar is one of England's most celebrated classical composers. (from Culture of England)
Image 61First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644 (from History of England)
Image 62Durham Cathedral. The Norman cathedral was built 1093–1133 (from History of England)
Image 63Stonehenge, erected in several stages from c.3000–2500 BC (from History of England)
Image 64King'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 65Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London, 8 May 1945 (from History of England)
Image 66Procession of characters from Shakespeare's plays (from Culture of England)
Image 67Alfred 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 68The Billingsgate Fish Market in London in the early 19th century (from History of England)
Image 69Remains of the Roman baths at Bath, England. (from History of England)
Image 70Portrait of Edward VI, c. 1550 (from History of England)
Image 71The Ruthwell Cross, 8th century AD (from History of England)
Image 72Durham Cathedral, dating from 1093 (from Culture of England)
Image 73The Spanish Armada and English ships in August 1588, (unknown, 16th-century, English School) (from History of England)
Image 74King Charles II (from History of England)
Image 75King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 (from History of England)
Image 76Bronze coins of Cunobelin, called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. 1–42 AD. (from History of England)
Image 77Kingdoms and tribes in Britain, c. AD 600 (from History of England)
Image 78The 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 79Silbury Hill, c. 2400 BC (from History of England)
Image 80One of only four surviving exemplifications of the 1215 text, Cotton MS. Augustus II. 106, property of the British Library (from History of England)

Good article - show another

This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Turing in 1951

Alan Mathison Turing (/ˈtjʊərɪŋ/; 23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954) was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist. He was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the Turing machine, which can be considered a model of a general-purpose computer. Turing is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science.

Born in London, Turing was raised in southern England. He graduated from King's College, Cambridge, and in 1938, earned a doctorate degree from Princeton University. During World War II, Turing worked for the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, Britain's codebreaking centre that produced Ultra intelligence. He led Hut 8, the section responsible for German naval cryptanalysis. Turing devised techniques for speeding the breaking of German ciphers, including improvements to the pre-war Polish bomba method, an electromechanical machine that could find settings for the Enigma machine. He played a crucial role in cracking intercepted messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Axis powers in many engagements, including the Battle of the Atlantic. (Full article...)

List of Good articles

Did you know?

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"?

More selections

In the news

26 May 2025 – 2025 Liverpool parade incident: A vehicle ploughs into crowds of Liverpool F.C. fans celebrating their Premier League title win in the city centre of Liverpool, England. 109 people are injured, and a suspect is detained by Merseyside Police. (BBC News)
24 May 2025 – 2024–25 EFL Championship: In association football, Sunderland AFC defeats Sheffield United 2–1 in stoppage time to win the English Football League play-off final at Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, and are promoted to the Premier League after an 8-year absence as a result. (Sky Sports) (The Guardian)
21 May 2025 –: NHS England announces the country will start rolling out a vaccination programme for gonorrhea, using the 4CMenB vaccine, starting in August. This will be the world's first vaccination programme for gonorrhea. (BBC News) (The Week) (NHS England)
19 May 2025 – Iran–United Kingdom relations: The Iranian foreign ministry summons the British chargé d'affaires to protest the arrest of seven Iranian nationals in London earlier this month. (DW)
18 May 2025 – 2024–25 Premier League: Everton F.C. play their final game at Goodison Park in Walton, Liverpool, England, the club's home ground for the last 133 years. They will transition to Everton Stadium in Vauxhall starting the 2025–26 season. (BBC Sport)
17 May 2025 – 2024–25 FA Cup: In English football, Crystal Palace wins the FA Cup after defeating Manchester City 1–0 in the final played at Wembley Stadium in London. It is Crystal Palace's first major trophy in the club's 119-year history. (Fox Sports)

Read more...

Selected featured content

Articles:

Lists:

Read more...

Selected quotes

“

An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one.

”

— George Mikes

More selections • Read more...

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

Things you can do

Things you can do.

Please visit the English Wikipedians' notice board and help to write new England-related articles, and expand and improve existing ones.
Visit Wikipedia:WikiProject England/Assessment, and help out by assessing unrated English articles.
Add the Project Banner to English articles around Wikipedia.
Check for announcements and open tasks for ways to improve English related articles.
Help nominate and select new content for the England portal.
Requested articles: Charterhouse Lane • Renewable energy in England • Ealing Village
Expand: Dorothy Boyd • David Troughton

Related Portals

East Midlands	London	North East England	North West England	South East England	South West England	West Midlands	Yorkshire and the Humber
East Midlands	London	North East	North West	South East	South West	West Midlands	Yorkshire and the Humber
Derbyshire	London transport		Cheshire Cumbria Greater Manchester Lancashire	Berkshire East Sussex Hampshire Kent Oxfordshire Surrey West Sussex	Cornwall Devon Somerset	Staffordshire	Yorkshire