England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south
Number 10. An obsession with Tea
There is no doubt that tea is the most popular drink among the English. 165 million cups of tea are consumed every day in England – more than any other nation on earth (by contrast, tea consumption in the US is 20 times lower).
Number 9. London: England’s historic capital
In addition to being more than 2,000 years old, London has also had many names throughout its history. It was called Londonium when it was founded by the Romans in 43AD, then Ludenwic in Saxon times, and Lunenburg during the kingdom of Alfred the Great.
Number 8. England is mostly flat
Most of England’s land is flat, especially in the southern part of the country. The north has mountains, but they are all less than 1000 meters high. At 978 metres above sea level, Scafell Pike is the highest point in England.
Number 7. The Monarch is not allowed to enter the House of Commons
A bizarre ancient rule in English Law prohibits the reigning monarch from entering England’s House of Commons. The law first passed in 1642 when King Charles I interrupted English Parliament to forcibly arrest five MPs. It has been customary since then for only a representative of the monarch, who carries a black rod, to enter the House of Commons. Although nobody is quite sure what the punishment would be if she broke that law, Queen Elizabeth II has never entered the House of Commons.
Number 6. Home to one of the oldest man-made structures on Earth
Stonehenge is one of the oldest and most mysterious man-made structures on earth. It is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and is located near Salisbury, Somerset, south England.
Number 5. England fought the shortest war in history
History’s shortest war is the Anglo-Zanzibar War. Zanzibar’s Royal Palace was attacked by five Royal Navy ships at 9 am on 27th August 1896. It took between 38 and 45 minutes for the white flag to be raised signalling the end of the conflict. This short war resulted in the death of 500 Zanzibaris and the injury of one British Marine.
Number 4. England is home to one of the weirdest sports
In Gloucestershire, in the west of England, during the spring, cheese rolling is one of the strangest sports. An 8-pound round of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled down cooper hill and participants chase after it. The cheese is supposed to be caught, but it’s difficult, so the first one to cross the finish line wins.
Number 3. In England, it’s illegal to get drunk in a pub
As crazy as it seems, there’s a law in England that actually prohibits drunkenness in pubs – where you should be drunk, right? Basically, this means you can’t be drunk in any public place in the country except on private property.
Number 2. Jumping a queue can be illegal
In British culture, queueing is very important and it is uncommon for someone to jump a queue. Queue jumping is rude, but it is actually illegal in one place in England: the London Transport ticket machines. You can be fined up to £1000 if you jump the queue to buy your ticket.
Number 1. Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, died at age 96, after reigning for 70 years.
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history and a symbol of stability during a period of sweeping social and political change, died at the age of 96. She passed away peacefully at Balmoral castle, where she had spent much of the summer. She reigned for 70 years, making her the longest-serving monarch in the UK. King Charles III acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022 upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II
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