Facts About England

The largest and most populated country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is England. By world standards, however, it is not large nor is it particularly rich in natural resources; yet its political and economic power in the past was virtually unrivaled. Today England's influence on the international scene is not as great, but it still remains a cultural force in the English-speaking world.

England is mainly a lowland country. Only in the northwest, in the area known as the Lake District, are there mountains of any height. Here the highest summit is Scafell Pike with a height of 3,210 feet (978 meters). These mountains are of the same geologic age as the mountains of Scotland and northern Wales and were worn down during the Ice Age by the movement of glaciers, which formed valleys now filled by lakes.

England itself is made up of four quite distinctive areas - The South of England, Heart of England, East of England, and England's North Country Each area offers something unique and exciting: majestic moorland and craggy peaks, lush green fields and fens, wide sandy beaches and quaint fishing villages. But England is not just countryside–there are elegant, refined and historic cities with Roman, Georgian, Tudor and Victorian influences; architectural splendors; university cities; cathedral cities and other vibrant, exciting cities with museums, art galleries, modern trendy restaurants, nightlife and some amazing theater. Whatever quintessentially English characteristic you crave - afternoon tea, cricket on the village green, a walk along the promenade or great theater and shopping - England has something for everyone.

• Stonehenge : Five-thousand-year-old Stonehenge is the most famous prehistoric site in Europe, but it remains both a tantalising mystery and a hackneyed tourist experience.
• The Cotswolds : This limestone escarpment, 18 miles north-east of Bristol, overlooking the Severn Vale, is an upland region of stunningly pretty, gilded stone villages and remarkable views.
• Oxford : Arguably the world's most famous university town, Oxford is graced by superb college architecture and oozes questing youthfulness, scholarship and bizarre high jinks.
• York : This proud city attracts millions of visitors, but it's too old, too impressive and too convinced of its own importance to be overwhelmed by mere tourists.
• Heart of England: Discover the Heart of England, and over 2,000 years of civilization in a land famed for its natural beauty and heritage. Shropshire, in the west of the region, is where England meets Wales. Home of Brother Cadfael and Ironbridge you will also find beautiful medieval towns with distinctive "black and white" Tudor architecture that continues into Herefordshire. The cathedral city of Worcester lies in the midst of unspoiled rolling countryside and the Malvern Hills. Cheltenham, a Regency Spa town, marks the start of the "Romantic Road" that leads you through the Gloucestershire Cotswold villages, with their honey-colored picturesque stone cottages. Shakespeare Country is Stratford-upon-Avon, where you'll find the Bard's birthplace, former home and final resting place, and of course Shakespeare Theater, Historic Warwick, with its famous medieval castle, Kenilworth and Royal Leamington Spa. Birmingham offers a great gateway to the region with its international airport, but don't miss out on a great city bursting with art, culture, music, nightlife and shopping. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Royal Ballet are world class, and the Jewelry Quarter is a shopper's hidden gem. The Black Country highlights Britain's industrial heritage, and The Potteries, in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, is the birthplace of English ceramics: Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Spode, Minton, Portmeirion, Moorcroft or Ansley, and more. Derbyshire and the surrounding hills of the Peak District offer a walker's paradise, stately homes and Bakewell Puddings. Lincolnshire borders the east coast, with its cathedral city, Lincoln, the bustling market town of Boston--associated with the pilgrim fathers--and the annual spectacular flower and bulb festival in Spalding. Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest, in Nottinghamshire, where the English Civil War began and ended, although Nottingham is just as famous for its beautiful handmade lace. Leicestershire is renowned for Stilton cheese, Pork Pies and where Richard III met his untimely end, while Althorp in Northamptonshire was the family home of Diana, Princess of Wales, surrounded by more rolling countryside and wide, unspoiled open spaces--all just waiting to be explored.

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