England is a country that is part of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. (Always confused about Great Britain, United Kindom and how all the countries fit in? Check out the helpful infopraphic in my Scotland blog!)
England has generated so, so many great writers, that picking a book to read for my journey there, was quite hard. Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, Blake, Keats, Shelly, the Brontë sisters, Carroll, the list goes on and on. Luckily, I had recently bought a nice Rainbow edition of Austen’s Persuasion, so I decided based on what I already had on my shelve.
Geological facts
Name: England
Capital: London
Government: Part of a constitutional monarchy, direct government exercised by the government of the United Kingdom
Language: English
Area: 130,279 km2 (50,301 sq mi)
Population: 56,286,961 (2019)
Currency: Pound sterling (GBP; £)
The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Paleolithic period, but takes its name from the Angles, a Germanic tribe deriving its name from the Anglia peninsula, who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in the 10th century and has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century. The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation.
The Kingdom of England – which after 1535 included Wales – ceased being a separate sovereign state on 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union put into effect the terms agreed in the Treaty of Union the previous year, resulting in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1801, Great Britain was united with the Kingdom of Ireland to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922 the Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom, leading to the latter being renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Source: Wikipedia
Fun facts about England
1. There are more chickens than people in England.
2. It Is a criminal offense to stick a postage stamp to an envelope upside down.
3. French was the official language of England for about 300 years, from 1066 till 1362.
4. It is illegal to die in the House of Commons.
5. English people consume more tea per capita than anybody else in the world.
6. York was the first English city to become settled permanently by the Danish Vikings (in 867) and the last to remain under Viking rule (until 954).
7. England’s most popular dishes include Spotted Dick, Bangers and Mash, and Toad in the Hole.
8. The highest temperature ever recorded in England was 38.5°C (101.3°F ) in Brogdale, Kent.
9. Beer has been brewed here for hundreds of years.
10. David (male) and Susan (female) are the most common given names.
Source: Swedish Nomad
The book I read
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Translator (English to Dutch): Elke Meiborg
Synopsis: At twenty-seven, Anne Elliot is no longer young and has few romantic prospects. Eight years earlier, she had been persuaded by her friend Lady Russell to break off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, a handsome naval captain with neither fortune nor rank. What happens when they encounter each other again is movingly told in Jane Austen's last completed novel. Set in the fashionable societies of Lyme Regis and Bath, Persuasion is a brilliant satire of vanity and pretension, but, above all, it is a love story tinged with the heartache of missed opportunities.
About the author
Jane Austen (1775 – 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her use of biting irony, along with her realism and social commentary, have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars.
Source: Wikipedia
Other book recommendations for England
On this website, we add new books from countries all over the world every week. Check out which (other) books are featured for England here.
Souvenir
To stay with Jane Austen a little bit longer, I selected this beautiful mug. Because who does not like a nice warm cup of tea or coffee while reading the classics?!
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