Interesting, fast facts about England!

Background facts and figures are always useful to get a feeling for a place, here are a few eclectic odds and ends about England and the rest of the UK:

The United Kingdom (UK) is an island nation in north-western Europe, composed of the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (also known as Ulster). To the south it's bordered by the English Channel; to the east by the North Sea; to the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

• Full Name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Geographic Coordinates: 54 00 N, 2 00 W
• Flag: The Union Flag (Union Jack)
• Type of Government: Constitutional monarchy
• Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
• Capital City: London (population: 8,615,000) is the capital of the UK and of England. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. Cardiff is the capital of Wales.
• Main Cities: London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff
• Highest mountain: Ben Nevis in Scotland, at 1,343m (4,406 ft)
• Longest river: The Severn, 322 km long, which rises in central Wales and flows through Shrewsbury, Worcester and Gloucester in England to the Bristol Channel.
• Largest lake:Lough Neagh 396sq.km (153 sq miles)
• Deepest Lake:Loch Morar in the Highlands of Scotland, 310 m (1,017 ft) deep
• Highest waterfall: Eas a'Chual Aluinn, from Glas Bheinn, also in the Highlands of Scotland, with a drop of 200 m (660 ft)
• Deepest cave: Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, Powys, Wales, 308 m (1,010 ft) deep
• Most northerly point on the British mainland: Dunnet Head, north-east Scotland
• Most southerly point on the British mainland: Lizard Point, Cornwall
• Most easterly town in England: Lowestoft, Suffolk

Climate:

Temperate, normally not going much below zero even in the depths of winter, and never much above 25 degrees centigrade in summer. Most of the time it is between 10 and 20 degrees centigrade during the day.
Annual mean temperature: London 9.7C
Annual mean rainfall: London 753mm

Land

• Total land area (sq.km) 244,110 sq km (94,251 sq miles) Just under half the size of France
• Coast Line: 12,429 km
• Length: Just under 1,000 km (600 miles) from North to South
• Width: About 480 Km from east to west
• Agricultural land: 76% (farming)
• Forests: 11%
• Other land use: 13%
• Natural Resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land.

People

• Nationality: Briton(s), British.
• Major languages: English, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic.
• Main Religion: Church of England, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh
• Major ethnic groups: Anglo-Saxons, Scots, Welsh, Irish, West Indians, Pakistanis, Indians
• Total population 61,792,000 (2009) 62,698,362 (July 2011 est.)
• Annual population growth rate: 0.557% (2011 est.)
• Average age: 39.5 years (2009)
• Population density per sq.km 252.1 (2008)
• Population by region:
  - Scotland 5,119,000
  - England 49,753,000
  - Wales 2,937,000
  - N. Ireland 1,692,000
• Top 5 populous cities:
  - London 8,615,000
  - Birmingham 2,296,000
  - Manchester 2,247,000
  - Glasgow 1,166,000
  - Leeds 1,499,465
  - Newcastle 879,996

 

Everyday Life

• Average area of home (sq. m): 97.6
• Percentage of homes owned: 68%
• Life expectancy: men 76.9, women 81.3
• Passenger cars: 24 million
• Consumer durables owned (% of households, 2006)
  - Mobile Phones 80%
  - Satellite/cable TV 71%
  - Video Recorder 82%
  - DVD players 83%
  - Home computers 67%
  - Internet Connection 59%
  - Cars 76%
  - Central Heating 95%
  - Washing Machine 96%
  - Microwave 91%
• Average household weekly income: £642
• Household expenditure (% of weekly household budget, 2006: £455.90)
  - Transport 13.6%
  - Recreation and Culture 12.8%
  - Housing, fuel and power 10.4%
  - Food and non-alcoholic drinks 10.3%
  - Restaurants and hotels 8.3%
  - Miscellaneous goods and services 7.9%
  - Household goods and services 6.6%
  - Clothing and footwear 5.1%
  - Communication 2.6%
  - Alcoholic drinks, tobacco and narcotics 2.4%
  - Education 1.6%
  - Health 1.3%

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Our other England and Wales pages:

Travel to England - it's much more than a pub-crawl!

When to travel to England and Wales for your UK tour

Tour Routes in England and Wales

Events, calendar, holidays and useful facts for your tour of England and Wales

Food in England and Wales: look out for these traditional specialities!

Traditional English Food Specialities: British favourites

English Breakfasts and Afternoon Teas: the quintessential British gastronomic experience!

Daily Newspapers in England (Great Britain)

Brief History Timelines of England and the UK

English Weights and Measures and their equivalents

Clothing and Shoe Size equivalents

Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in the UK online

Book your hotel in the UK online

Hire a Limousine in London, England

Residential telephone directory England, Business too!

TRAVEL TO ENGLAND WITH US: PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS