Capital
London
Area
130,422 sq km or 50,356 sq miles.
Population
of England
49,997,100 (last official estimate 2000).
Population
of London
7,375,100 (Greater London; last official estimate 2000).
Population Density
383.3 per sq km.
Geography
Much of the countryside is flat, consisting of fertile plains and
gentle hills. Mountains, steeper hills and moors are found mainly
in the north and the west; the Lake District (Cumbria) and the northwest
are divided by the Yorkshire Dales, and the northeast, by the high-rising
Pennines, 'the backbone of England'. The eastern area of the country,
particularly East Anglia, is the lowest lying. The coastline ranges
from long stretches of sandy beaches to steep cliffs and rocky coves.
Government
Constitutional monarchy
Head of State: HM
Queen Elizabeth II since 1953.
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Tony Blair since 1997.
Language
English. The varied local dialects throughout the country, overlaid
with class, and town and country accents makes English a language
of astonishing diversity - words and forms of syntax which are obsolete
in the southeast often may be found elsewhere. In the larger cities,
mainly London, there are many communities who do not speak English
as a first language - which adds yet more variety to the English
language.
Religion
Mostly Protestant (Church of England), but there are many other
Christian denominations: Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland, Baptist,
Methodist and other free churches. There are sizeable representation
of Hindu, Jewish and Muslim minorities.
Time
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT + 1 hour from last Sunday in March to Saturday
before last Sunday in October).
Electricity
240 volts AC, 50Hz. Square three-pin plugs are standard. |
