The English are an ethnic group originating in the lowlands of Great Britain and are descendent primarily from the Anglo-Saxons, the Celts with minor influences from the Scandanavians and other groups. This article or section should be merged with ethnicity An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... Great Britain - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... A map showing the general locations of the major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms The Anglo-Saxons were a group of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid- 5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. ... This article is about the European people. ... Scandinavia is the cultural and historic region of the Scandinavian Peninsula. ...

History

Most English trace their heritage back to the Anglo-Saxons who between the 5th and 7th centuries, after the withdrawal of the Roman Empire, conquered most of Britain (although lack of documentation from the Dark Ages makes it impossible for any individual to prove such descent). The name of the area known as England derives from this incursion. At one time it was widely believed that the Anglo-Saxons supplanted the Celtic populations. Recent genetic studies disagree, suggesting the Anglo-Saxons established political and cultural dominance over the Celts and intermarried with them. A map showing the general locations of the major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms The Anglo-Saxons were a group of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid- 5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. ... The Roman Empire is not the Holy Roman Empire (843-1806). ... The word Britain is used to refer to the United Kingdom (UK) the island of Great Britain, which consists of the countries of England, Scotland, and Wales sometimes the Roman province called Britain or Britannia The word British generally means belonging to or associated with Britain in one of the... The Dark Ages (or Dark Age) is a metaphor with multiple meanings and connotations. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... This article is about the European people. ...

Others, notably the Cornish and the Cumbrians have noticeable connections to the Celtic Britons; attributed to this, some Cornish claim not to be English but Cornish. A further group of English have been influenced by Scandinavian culture, particularly in the north of England. This is most pronounced in York, formerly the Danish settlement of Jorvik. These groups had a noticeable impact on the English language, for example the modern meaning of the word dream is of Scandinavian origin. Additionally place names that include thwaite and borough are Scandinavian in origin. Cornwall ( Cornish: Kernow or occasionally Curnow) is the part of Great Britains south-west peninsula that is west of the River Tamar, often known as the Cornish peninsula or plateau. ... Cumbria is a administrative county located in the northwest area of England. ... The word Celtic can refer to: the European Celtic people, ancient or modern the Celtic languages, spoken by these people and their modern descendents the Celtic (Lusitania), Celts from the Alentejo. ... The term Briton may have the following meanings: in a historical context: an inhabitant of Great Britain in pre-Roman times a descendant of Britons during a later period (e. ... Cornish nationalism is a movement which seeks greater autonomy for the area of Cornwall which advocates assert is not a county of England as is generally regarded, but a separate nation which has never been formally incorporated into England. ... Scandinavian can mean: A resident of, or relating to Scandinavia A North Germanic language A music genre, Scandinavian metal This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about the English city. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

The Anglo-Saxons established conquest kingdoms, commonly referred to as the Heptarchy. These were united in the early 9th century under the overlordship of Wessex, forming what would eventually become the modern nation state of England. The Norman Conquest of 1066 brought Anglo-Saxon rule to an end. Heptarchy (from Greek: ἑπτά seven + ἀρχία sovereignty) is the name applied by historians to the period in the English history after the Anglo-Saxon conquest of the southern portion of the island of Great Britain, named Angleland (England) by them, up to the time when the Vikings started their predations... -1... Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest was the conquest of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. ... Events January 6 - Harold II is crowned King of England the day after Edward the Confessor dies. ...

The modern English nation has a mixed cultural heritage combining Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Norman, and Scandinavian elements. During Britain's years as a major colonial power, people have moved from all over Britain's sphere of influence to England, leaving a small, but noticeable mark on English culture. Also, for most of its history as a recognisable entity England has had a significant Jewish population. The word Celtic can refer to: the European Celtic people, ancient or modern the Celtic languages, spoken by these people and their modern descendents the Celtic (Lusitania), Celts from the Alentejo. ... The Anglo-Saxons refers collectively to the groups of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid-5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. ... This article talks about the Norman people. ... Scandinavian can mean: A resident of, or relating to Scandinavia A North Germanic language A music genre, Scandinavian metal This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... In general, the word colonial means of or relating to a colony. In United States history, the term Colonial is used to refer to the period before US independence. ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Culture refers to the customs, arts, attitudes, institutions, and other traits that characterize a particular society or nation. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ...

Culture

Contribution to humanity

The English have played a prominent role in the development of the arts and sciences. Prominent individuals have included the scientists Isaac Newton, Joseph John Thomson, Francis Crick, Charles Darwin and Howard Carter; the poet William Shakespeare, the composer Henry Purcell and the explorer James Cook. For a more complete list of famous English people see List of English people. The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... For the scientific journal named Science, see Science (journal). ... Sir Isaac Newton in Knellers 1689 portrait Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1727 by the Julian calendar in use in England at the time; or 4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727 by the Gregorian calendar) was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and alchemist who wrote... Sir Joseph John Thomson Sir Joseph John Thomson (18 December 1856 – 30 August 1940), often known as J. J. Thomson, was an English physicist, the discoverer of the electron. ... Francis Harry Compton Crick, OM (June 8, 1916 – July 28, 2004) was one of the discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule. ... Charles Darwin, about the same time as the publication of The Origin of Species. ... Howard Carter (May 9, 1874 – March 2, 1939) was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist famous as the discoverer of KV62 the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Henry Purcell (September 10 (?), 1659 (?)–November 21, 1695), a Baroque composer, is generally considered to be one of Englands greatest composers — indeed, he has often been called Englands finest native composer. ... British explorer James Cook, portrait by Nathaniel Dance, c. ... This is a partial list of English people and of some notable individuals born there, alphabetically within categories: Actors/Actresses Tom Baker, (1933-) Dame Judi Dench (1934-) George Formby, (1904-1961) Sir Michael Gambon, (1940-) Sir John Gielgud, (1904-2000) John Gregson, (1919-1975) Sir Alec Guinness, (1914-2000) Will...

The English language is now the world's unofficial lingua franca, and the jury system (used now in most countries in the world) is an English innovation. English Common Law is also the foundation of legal systems throughout the English speaking countries of the world. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The World in Plate Carrée Projection In English, world is rooted in a compound of the obsolete words were, man, and eld, age; thus, its oldest meaning is Age of Man. ... Lingua franca, literally Frankish language in Italian, was originally a mixed language consisting largely of Italian plus a vocabulary drawn from Turkish, Persian, French, Greek and Arabic and used for communication throughout the Middle East. ... This article is confusing for some readers, and needs to be edited for clarity. ... This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ...

Language

All English people traditionally speak the English language, a member of the West Germanic language family. The only other language traditionally spoken is Cornish, a Celtic language originating in Cornwall spoken by about 3500 people. More recently immigrants from all over the British Commonwealth have brought other languages to England which are used privately as a home language. Such languages include Bengali, Hindu, Hebrew, Arabic and Chinese. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... West Germanic is the largest branch of the Germanic family of languages, including such languages as English, Dutch, and German. ... The Cornish language (in Cornish: Kernowek, Kernewek, Curnoack) is one of the Brythonic group of Celtic languages that includes Welsh, Breton and, originally, Cumbrian. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies Celtic languages are a branch of the Indo-European languages. ... Cornwall ( Cornish: Kernow or occasionally Curnow) is the part of Great Britains south-west peninsula that is west of the River Tamar, often known as the Cornish peninsula or plateau. ... Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, most of which were once governed by the United Kingdom and are its former colonies. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... This article is about the Bengali language. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... The Modern Hebrew language is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. ... Arabic is a Semitic language, closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Chinese (written) language (pinyin: zhōngw n) written in Chinese characters The Chinese language (汉语/漢語, 华语/華語, or 中文; Pinyin: H nyǔ, Hu yǔ, or Zhōngw n) is a member of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. ...

Religion

Most English people of faith are affiliated to the Church of England or other Christian denominations such as Roman Catholicism and Methodism. Other religions which English people may be affiliated to are Judaism, and due to immigration from the Commonwealth, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... This article is about the religious people known as Christians. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Major world religions have been distinguished from minor religions using a variety of methods, though any such division naturally reflects a particular bias, since many adherent of a religion are likely to consider their own faith major. Two methods are mentioned in this article, number of adherents and the definitions... For a discussion of Jews as an ethnicity or ethnic group see the article on Jew. ... The English noun Commonwealth dates originally from the fifteenth century and in different contexts indicates one of: a nation, state or political unit a state founded on law by agreement of the people for the common good a republic a federated union of constituent states. ... Islam (Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... This article is about the Hindu religion OM, the most sacred syllable and quintessential symbol of Hinduism, represents the first manifestation of the unmanifest Brahman. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... The Golden Temple is the most important sacred shrine for Sikhs Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which means a strong and able disciple. ...

Symbols

English flag

The English flag is a red cross on a white background, commonly called the Cross of St. George adopted after the crusades. Saint George, famed as a dragon slayer, is also the patron saint of England. The three golden lions or leopards on a red background was the banner of the kings of England derived from their status as Duke of Normandy and is now used to represent the English national football team and the English national cricket team. The red rose of Lancaster and the English Oak are also widely recognised English symbols. God Save The Queen is widely regarded as England's national anthem; however other songs are sometimes used, including Land of hope and glory (used as England's anthem in the Commonwealth Games), Jerusalem and I Vow to Thee, My Country. Large sized flag of England/St Georges Cross/State flag of Gurnsey, 1936-1985 File links The following pages link to this file: The Ashes Arsenal F.C. Cambridgeshire Charlton Athletic F.C. City of London London Borough of Croydon Cheshire Chelsea F.C. Devon England Essex Exeter England... Large sized flag of England/St Georges Cross/State flag of Gurnsey, 1936-1985 File links The following pages link to this file: The Ashes Arsenal F.C. Cambridgeshire Charlton Athletic F.C. City of London London Borough of Croydon Cheshire Chelsea F.C. Devon England Essex Exeter England... The Cross of St. ... This article is about historical Crusades . ... For alternate uses, see Saint George (disambiguation) Saint George on horseback rides alongside a wounded dragon being led by a princess, late 19th century engraving. ... The Duke of Normandy is a title held (or claimed) by various Norman, English, French and British rulers from the 10th century. ... First International Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Largest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 18 February 1882) Worst defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 11 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First... The English cricket team is a national cricket team representing England and Wales. ... Species About 100, see text References:   U. of Illinois 2002-05-29 A rose is a flowering shrub of the genus Rosa and the flower of this shrub. ... Lancaster is the name of several places around the world: Lancaster, England Lancaster, Ontario, Canada Lancaster, California, United States Lancaster, Kansas, United States Lancaster, Kentucky, United States Lancaster, Massachusetts, United States Lancaster, Minnesota, United States Lancaster, Missouri, United States Lancaster, New Hampshire, United States Lancaster, New York, United States Lancaster... This article is about oaks (Quercus desert-oak is unrelated, and instead belongs to the genus Allocasuarina. ... God Save the Queen is a patriotic song written by Henry Carey. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... The National Anthem is the name of a song by the band Radiohead. ... Land of Hope and Glory, also known as Pomp And Circumstance, is a British patriotic song. ... Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event held every four years involving the elite athletes of The Commonwealth. ... And did those feet in ancient time is a poem by William Blake from the preface to his work Milton (1804). ... I Vow to Thee, My Country is an English patriotic song and Anglican hymn. ...

Identity

With the Acts of Union in 1536, 1542, 1707 and 1800, England was joined with Scotland, Ireland, and Wales in the United Kingdom; and a new 'British' identity was conceived. The English, along with the other peoples of the British Isles found their old identities undermined somewhat in favour of a new British national identity. The 1990s saw the beginning of a gradual reclamation and reformation of English identity. For several decades nationalist movements had existed in Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Cornwall but England had no counterpart. Partly in response to devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the rise in general of nationalism in the Celtic fringe many English people have been led to question what it is to be English and its relationship with being British. Some English nationalist parties have been created, their following however remains small. Act of Union can mean: United Kingdom The Act of Union is a name given to several acts passed by the English, Scottish and British Parliaments from 1536 onwards. ... Events February 2 - Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founds Argentina. ... Events War resumes between Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V. This time Henry VIII of England is allied to the Emperor, while James V of Scotland and Sultan Suleiman I are allied to the French. ... Events March 26 - Act of Union with Scotland becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... --66. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country or nation and former independent kingdom of northwest Europe, and one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. ... A true colour image of Ireland, captured by a NASA satellite on January 4, 2003. ... For alternate meanings, see Wales (disambiguation) National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Official languages: English and Welsh Capital: Cardiff First Minister: Rhodri Morgan AM Area  - Total:  - % water: Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 km² xx% Population  - Total (2001):  - Density: Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 140/km² NUTS... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... British Isles is also an old name for the Great Britain, Great Britain Ireland The Isle of Man The Isle of Wight The Northern Isles, including Orkney, Shetland and Fair Isle The Hebrides, including the Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides and Small Isles Rockall The islands of the lower Firth of... Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... Northern Ireland is an administrative region and one of four parts of the United Kingdom. ... Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups of humans. ...

External Links

• BBC Nations (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/state/nations/) Articles on England and the English
• The British Isles (http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/britishisles/) Information on England
• Mercator's Atlas (http://www.walkingtree.com/) Map of England ("Anglia") circa 1564.
• Viking blood still flowing (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1689955.stm); BBC; 3 December, 2001.
• English and Welsh are races apart (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2076470.stm); BBC; 30 June, 2002.
• England Devolve (http://www.devolve.org/)
• English Independence Party (http://www.englishindependenceparty.com)
• England First Party (http://www.efp.org.uk)
• English Democrats (http://englandsparty.com)
• ¹ EuroAmericans.net (http://www.euroamericans.net/euroamericans.net/english%20census.htm) gives official statistics from the 2000 U.S. Census showing 24,515,138 persons with English ancestry. The greatest population in a single state was 2,521,355 in California, and the highest percentage was 29.0% in Utah.
• ² 2001 Canadian Census (http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/ETO/Table1.cfm?Lang=E&T=501&GV=1&GID=0) gives 1,479,520 respondents stating their ancestry as English only.