England

England (pronounced IPA: /ˈɪŋglənd/) is a nation in northwest Europe and the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. more...

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Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total population of the United Kingdom, whilst the mainland territory of England occupies most of the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west. Elsewhere, it is bordered by the North Sea, Irish Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and English Channel.

England was formed as a country during the 10th century and takes its name from the Angles — one of a number of Germanic tribes who settled in the territory during the 5th and 6th centuries. The capital city of England is London, which is the largest city in the British Isles, capital of the United Kingdom and one of the world's Global Cities.

England ranks as one of the most influential and far-reaching centres of cultural development in the world; it is the place of origin of both the English language and the Church of England, was the historic centre of the British Empire, and the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.

The Kingdom of England was an independent state until 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union resulted in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain.

England's National Day is St George's Day (Saint George being the patron saint), which is on 23 April. However, compared to other country's national days it is little celebrated.

Etymology

See also: List of meanings of countries' names

England is named after the Angles (Old English genitive case, \"Engla\" - hence, Old English \"Engla Land\"), the largest of a number of Germanic tribes who settled in England in the 5th and 6th centuries, who are believed to have originated in Angeln, in modern-day northern Germany.

Their name has had a variety of different spellings. The earliest known reference to these people is under the name Anglii by Tacitus in chapter 40 of his Germania, written around 98. He gives no precise indication of their geographical position within Germania, but states that, together with six other tribes, they worshipped a goddess named Nerthus, whose sanctuary was situated on \"an island in the Ocean.\"

The terms Angelfolc, Anglorum and Anglis were all used by Bede in Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (Ecclesiastical History of the English People) when referring to England and the English people.

Read more at Wikipedia.org