The name England comes from the Angles, one of several
Germanic tribes who originally settled the country in
the 5th and 6th centuries. England occupies most of the
southern portion of the island it shares with two other
members of Great Britain: Scotland and Wales. England
is similar in size to Alabama. As well as Scotland and
Wales, England is also bordered by the North Sea, Irish
Sea, Atlantic
Ocean and the English Channel. Most of England
consists of rolling hills. It has a temperate climate
with plenty of rainfall all year.
London is England's capital, and is the center of business as well as government.
England was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Today its exports consist mainly of manufactured goods. England has the world’s deepest and richest coalfields and lays claim to vast offshore deposits of petroleum and natural gas in the North Sea.
England is both the most populous and the most ethnically diverse nation in the United Kingdom with approximately 50,690,000 inhabitants. Its land area is 130,395 square kilometers. English is the official language and the currency is the pound Sterling.
England was the world's first parliamentary democracy. Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Elizabeth II is the Queen of England and the current prime minister is Gordon Brown.
The Church of England is the established church in England, but there is enormous diversity of religious belief. Immigration from South Asia and the Middle East during the second half of the 20th century has resulted in considerable growth in Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism in England.
Web Sites
Websites for Children:Catalog
Search the library's catalog for England: Description and Travel.
Databases
Enter England in these databases: