The Big Ben, the Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and Windsor Castle are all sights to see in England. England is the mother country of the United States. It is the largest of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom. There are 5.3 million people living in the country of England. This is roughly 84% of the entire population of the United Kingdom.
Many people think that the United Kingdom and England are the same thing. This is not true. The United Kingdom is made of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. These countries made an alliance and became a sovereign state.
However, the countries making up the United Kingdom act as their own. Each have their own rights, governments, political parties, and economies. They are allies, not the same country. England, just like any other country, has many geological features.
This country can be split into three major regions: Southern England, Midlands, and North East England. Southern England is made of London, South East England, and the West Country. London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is the global capital of finance, fashion, and culture. South East England is a region that is broadly speaking and is located South of London.
This part borders the English Channel, England’s link to Europe. The West Country is a rugged peninsula that extends southwest into the Atlantic Ocean. The Midlands of England are east of Wales and across the North Sea. East Midlands are the center of England and reach to the North Sea. The Midlands have many hills and mountains.
One of the more popular hill section is known as North York Moors. North East England is made of Yorkshire and North West England. Yorkshire is known as the most scenic, varied, and interesting of the traditional counties. North West England is a largely rural country and borders Scotland and the ocean.
England’s weather is stereotyped as windy, cold, and rainy. Although that may be true most of the time, there isn’t as much rainfall as people think, and the weather rarely gets very cold. It is a bipolar weather, meaning the temperatures fluctuate from day to day. However, the parts of Southern England are warm and even have water restrictions in the summertime. Each region of England has its own weather patterns, just like the United States.
The government of England is different than United States democracy. England has a constitutional monarchy. This means that a queen or king are the head of the state, but Parliament is the legislative body of England. The Queen of England doesn’t have much power or influence, but is still recognized as the head of state. The leader of the country is the prime minister. England is a democracy in practice, meaning the people elect the prime minister. The election process is different than America’s.
Unlike America whose people vote for the delegate of the party, England’s people vote for the entire political party. Each political party makes a list of delegates to fill Parliament. The person they want to be prime minister is listed first.
The voters then vote for each list. The party that has the most votes is the one who has the prime minister. England has different social etiquette than seen in the United States.
People are expected to be polite and use the words please, thank you, ma’am, and sir when speaking to others. In public, citizens aren’t meant to draw attention to themselves by being obnoxious and loud. It is considered rude and impolite. As for meetings, each person is supposed to be punctual: arriving on time, never late. England has many traditions. Eating foods certain ways and on certain days make up a big portion of their traditions. Such as, on Fridays they eat fish and chips and on Sundays a meal of traditional roast is prepared.
Not to mention, dunking their biscuits in the daily tea. They also use slang as anyone else. Instead of the word friends, English people use the word mates. The word narky is used in place of moody or rude.
One holiday the English celebrate is Poppy Day. Poppy Day is remembrance for all the soldiers who died in World War I and World War II. It is held in November where people wear red poppies with their outfits.
One major custom in the English culture is introducing people. Normally in the United States, it does matter as much whom is introduced to whom. This is not the case in England. Traditionally, a man is introduced to a woman. In the business world, the person of a higher rank is introduced to everyone else in order of their rank. If the two being introduced are of the same rank, you introduce the one you know less to the one you know more. Obviously, the food in England is much different than other countries. Their cuisine is made up from foods coming from ancient origins.
Different foods include bread and cheese, roasted and stewed meats, meat and game pies, boiled vegetables, broths, and fish. Their cooking has been influenced by foreign countries, such as India. Curry was adopted by the English who changed the taste to fit their palet.
Most English people live in urban areas. Most of the country’s people own their own house, and many houses are located in farmland. Those who rent from a landlord live in a flat, which can be compared to an apartment. Normally, houses are made of stone and brick with colors varying.
In town, houses are joined together in long rows. These are called terraced houses. England is its own unique country. England makes up the history of many countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. It has been a power in the world since 1707. It has a powerful navy and is a center of fashion and culture.
