Location

England is found on the southern and western part of the island of Great Britain. How far is England from your place? England's area is about 50,352 square miles or 130,410 square kilometers. The greatest distance from north to south is about 360 miles or 579 kilometers, and east to west is about 270 miles or 435 kilometers; the coastline is roughly 1851 kilometers long. The Atlantic Ocean surrounds England. In England there are rivers and lakes, streams and swamps, and giant canals. The longest river in England is the Thames River. At one time, England was completely covered with woodland. Tree cover now is the second lowest in Europe with Ireland being the first. Most of England is flat and low lying land. In the west country, there are great dairy farms and a ragged coastline. The rest is English lowlands. South of the Pennies, big line stone hills, are heavily populated midlands.

Climate

The climate in England is mild and damp; the winds are light and the seas are warm. The winter temperatures do not go much below freezing towards the inland in December to February. Summer temperatures from June to August doesn't usually go over 30 degrees Celsius. The north of England is the coldest area; London in the southeast and the west country are the warmest. The greatest amount of rain falls in the west country. In England you can usually expect a light drizzle at any time or place.

People

There are 50 million people living in England; the people are Anglo-Saxons, Scots, Welsh, Irish, West Indian, Pakistani, and Indian. England is one of the most densely populated regions in Europe. About 5% of the English people live in rural areas; they live in isolated villages and towns in the country. Big cities with small apartments are usually where most of the people live. The English like roasted and grilled meats. The midday dinner meal on Sunday is mainly a roast of pork, beef, or lamb. A favorite bed and breakfast meal is eggs and bacon, sausages and mashed potatoes. England is known for its fine cuisine.

Travel

For transportation, buses or coaches in England are slow, in fact, the slowest way to get around, but they are the cheapest means of travel. Buses are also the least scenic way to travel on long journeys. Railways travel through England's picturesque countryside. The SeaCat is a catamaran that takes about 35 minutes to travel from Dover to Folkstone.

Life

In the past thousand years the English language has changed greatly. The real English sounds foreign to the way Canadians speak. The Prime Minister of England is Tony Blair who heads a parliamentary democracy type of government. The head of the state is Queen Elizabeth ll.

Religion

There are several religions in England; they include the Church of England or Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh. Most of the English people attend either the Church of England or the Catholic Church. The most popular sport is cricket; other sports that are quite popular are hikin, swimming, and horseback riding. Much like Islanders like us, they also enjoy walks along the beaches.

By Alex Moore