Jeff Wallenfeldt - The United Kingdom - England

Published in 2014 by Britannica Educational Publishing

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First Edition

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The United Kingdom: England/edited by Jeff Wallenfeldt.First edition.

pages cm.(The Britannica guide to countries of the European Union)

In association with Britannica Educational Publishing, Rosen Educational Services.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-61530-975-7 (eBook)

1. EnglandJuvenile literature. 2. Great BritainJuvenile literature. I. Wallenfeldt, Jeffrey H. II. Title: England.

DA27.5.U45 2013

942dc23

2013001089

Manufactured in the United States of America

On the cover: The Shard skyscraper towers over London. iStockphoto.com/Lance Bellers

On page xii: Vintage map of England (with Wales). iStockphoto.com/Duncan Walker

Cover, p. iii (map contour, stars), back cover, multiple interior pages (stars) iStockphoto.com/pop_jop; cover, p. iii (map inset) Globe Turner/Shutterstock.com; cover, multiple interior pages (background graphic) Mina De La O/Digital Vision/Getty Images

CONTENTS

T herell Always Be an England, or so states the patriotic song of the same name dating from the World War II era. Time will tell what the future holds for England, but its past has played such a prominent role in world history that it is hard to imagine that there hasnt always been an England. However, as distinctive as the English character might seem, it was formed out of a blend of different peoples, shaped by foreign invasions and internal divisions, and continues to evolve through cultural and demographic changes. The country and its people are surprisingly diverse, as is the countrys history. The story of England is a story of triumph and loss, of pastoral peace and shocking violence. Mostly, it is a story of achievement.

This book attempts to tell that story by looking at England today and tracing the long path of history that has brought the country to this point. The tale continues to fascinate authors, historians, and lovers of popular culture because it allots such fertile ground for discovery and intrigue. After all, the England that gave the world Shakespeare, the Beatles, and a political tradition that was influential in the formation of the United States also has a history of colonialism, religious persecution, and several murderous monarchs.

To begin to understand this complexity, it helps to begin, as this book does, by looking at the land itself. Geographically, England is not one of the worlds larger countries, comprising as it does just part of the island known as Great Britain (which also includes Scotland and Wales). Perhaps the most striking aspect of Englands geography is that no point within the nation is more than 75 miles (120 kilometres) from the coast. This goes a long way toward explaining why the fear of invasion has played a big role in English history, and why England rose to world prominence as a dominant naval power.

Within this relatively small nation there are several distinct regions, each with its own traditions. The shared English languagespoken in a wide variety of regional dialects within Englandis itself a hodgepodge of influences, reflecting the various ethnic groups that have blended to make up the English population: Celts, Germanic peoples, Romans, Danes, and French, among others. This mix continues to evolve, as recent decades have seen considerable immigration, primarily from Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Across many of its regions, England has a rich agricultural tradition. Its moderate and notoriously rainy climate creates a fertile environment for crops such as wheat, barley, and corn, along with various fruits and vegetables. England also has established a strong fishing industry. These traditional sources of food production continue to play an important part in the nations economy, but in the modern world, the industry in which England plays the greatest role internationally is finance. The City of London is one of the worlds leading centres for securities trading, and England is home to some of the worlds oldest and largest financial services firms.

Even older than Englands financial industry is the countrys parliamentary system. England is governed jointly with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom. The governments that oversee each component of the United Kingdom grew out of Englands parliamentary system, which evolved in medieval times. This system has been influential in the development of vital democratic traditions such as the rule of law, constitutional government, and freedom of speech.

Along with its parliamentary system, England also has a judicial system which, over the centuries, has developed concepts that are familiar in democracies throughout the world. These concepts include a reliance on common law to supplement formal statutes. This means that in addition to legislation passed by the government, English law is shaped by judicial precedents established by past court decisions in similar cases. Other important concepts springing from the English judicial system include the independence of the judiciary from other branches of government, and the presumption that an accused person is innocent until proven guilty.

English culture encompasses a range of activities and traditions. There are cultural images that are recognized the world over as distinctively Englishwell-dressed people engaged in polite conversation over afternoon tea, or a game of cricket being played at a sedate pace in immaculate white sweaters on an equally immaculate green lawn. There are also contrasting images that are just as consummately Englisha group of friends engaged in a game of darts over a pint of beer in a pub, or rowdy football (soccer) fans singing and yelling at the top of their lungs. As immigration and modern communication technologies have made the world a smaller place, more diverse elements have been blended into the English way of life. As a result, English culture is both extremely rooted in tradition and at the same time dynamic and evolving.