England
is a country of great contrast and diversity with incredibly diverse
countryside, arresting cities and picturesque towns and villages. It is the
largest and most peopled country of the United Kingdom. Housing an
unrivalled legacy in the fields of theatre, literature and architecture,
England has one of the richest traditions of theatre and literature in the
world.
Stately homes and fine churches and cathedrals dot the country. Because of
its colonial past, England is a veritable treasure trove of masterpieces
from every age and every continent.
The city is characterised by happening city life, old-fashioned customs and
progressive culture, mediterranean beaches and great mountains. England's
largest city, London, is also the capital of the United Kingdom is also the
political, cultural and economic capital of the city. London is an exciting
capital city, famed for first class culture, fascinating history and
pageantry, its world-class restaurants and theatre.
Fact File
Official name : England
Government : Constitutional Monarchy
Nationality : Briton
Capital city : London
Ethnic groups : Anglo-Saxons, Scots, Welsh, Irish, West Indians,
Pakistanis, Indians
Location : Britain is in north-west Europe and is an island country.
It is made up of three countries namely England, Wales and Scotland.
Continent : Europe
Currency
: British Pound (GBP); 1 GBP = 1.75128 US $ = 1.47467 Euro = 76.3407 INR
(subject to change).
Population : 51 million
Languages : English, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic.
Religion : Church of England, Catholic, Methodist, Muslim, Jewish,
Sikh and Hindu.
Area : 129,720 sq km
Famous for : Royal Family, long history, Castles and Historic
houses, some of the most famous universities of the world like Oxford,
Cambridge and London universities. England is also the birthplace of Newton,
Darwin, Shakespeare and the Beatles.
Major cities : London, Bristol,Buckingham, Liverpool, Lodon,
Nottingham, Manchester.
Clothing :Summers : Light cottons to light woolens
Winters
: heavy woolens
Major events : Oxford/Cambridge University Boat Race in late
March/early April; Grand National steeplechase on first Saturday in April;
the FA Cup (May); the Lawn Tennis Championships, take place at Wimbledon in
late June; Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-on-Thames; and the Cowes Week
yachting late July/early August, Chelsea Flower Show at London's Royal
Hospital in May; the Trooping of the Colour pageantry on the Queen's
birthday in London in mid-June; the bacchanalian Glastonbury Festival in
June; and the riotous Caribbean carnival in late August.
Things to Buy : One can buy anything from tie to clothes to perfumes
to electronic goods.
Things to do : Shopping, sightseeing
Cuisine : The staple foods of England : meat, fish, potatoes, flour,
butter and eggs. Many of our dishes are based on these foods. Besides these
beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish generally served with potatoes and one
other vegetable, the sandwich, chips, pies like the cornish pasty, trifle
and roasts dinners. Main dishes are Bubble & Squeak, Spotted Dick and
Toad-in-the-Hole. Desserts : Yorkshire Pudding and Black Pudding.
Visa Permit
Citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa do not
need a visa for stays in the UK up to 6 months, but they are prohibited from
working. Citizens of the European Union (EU) don't need a visa to enter the
country and may live and work here freely. Rest all other foreign nationals
need entry visa to enter England.
Culture
England
has made great contributions in the fields of theatre, literature and
architecture and is a treasure house of art and sculpture from every age and
continent.
Perhaps England's greatest cultural export has been the English language,
the current lingua franca of the international community.
The majority of English who profess religious beliefs belong to the Church
of England, which became independent of Rome in the 16th century. Other
significant protestant churches include Methodist, Baptist and Salvation
Army. One in 10 Britons consider themselves Catholic, and there are now over
a million Muslims and sizeable Hindu, Jewish and Sikh populations.
When to go
April to September are the best months, and this is the time when most
sights are open, and when most people visit. However, July and August are
the busiest months, and best avoided if at all possible.
Climate
Temperate, where the lowest tempratures in winters is 0 C and the maximum
temperature in summers is 25 C. Most of the time it is between 10 and 20
degrees centigrade during the day.
Annual mean temperature: London 9.7 C
Annual mean rainfall: London 753mm
Getting there
By Air : London's two main airports for international flights are -
Heathrow and Gatwick, although some do go direct to Manchester and
Birmingham.
London's Heathrow and Gatwick are also the two main airports for
transcontinental flights. All the major, and many minor, English airports
are served by sveral continental European and Irish flights. One can also
take a coach and/or ferry from mainland Europe, or a very swift train
through the Channel Tunnel.
Heathrow airport is accessible by bus, London Underground (Piccadilly line)
and the Heathrow Express.
By
Sea : One can get to England from mainland Europe via bus and ferry. The
boat trip on the shortest routes (from Dover or Folkestone to Calais or
Boulogne) takes about 90 minutes; the Seacat takes about 35 minutes. Ferries
go to France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia from a
number of southern and eastern British ports; to Spain from Portsmouth; and
to Ireland from a handful of western English ports
By Road : Buses are slower and less comfortable than trains.
(Long-distance buses are usually called coaches in England.)
Getting around
By Air : Airlines fly domestically and provide a very comfortable
but an expensive way to get around in the city.
By Road : Coaches and buses operate throughout the country. Coaches
are more expensive and a little faster. Black cabs are a luxurious option -
minicabs are cheaper.
By Train : Trains are the most comfortable way to get around. There
are several beautiful lines running through thinly populated country, and on
the main routes fast trains travel at speeds of up to 125mph.
Major attractions
London (capital city) : It is the place where the glorious past and
the vibrant present blend with each other. A union of history,
ground-breaking architecture and culture has created an amazing and
constantly evolving city. London, the capital city of the United Kingdom is
among the four most important global cities including Paris, New York and
Tokyo.
This city of the Big Ben, double-decker buses, and the Tube is one of the
greatest city on earth and offers some of the finest places of tourist
attraction. It owns world's finest museums, historic buildings, such as the
Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London, magnificent palaces, the most
famous ones being Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace. London produces
17% of the UK's GDP and the City of London is one of the world's major
financial centres. A truly international city, London is pre-eminent in
culture, communications, politics, finance, and the arts.
Canterbury Cathedral : It is the seat of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Primate of All England. Like most cathedrals, it evolved in
stages and exhibits a number of architectural styles, but the final result
is one of the world's great buildings. After the martyrdom of Archbishop
Thomas à Becket in 1170, the cathedral became the centre of medieval
pilgrimage in Europe that was immortalised by Geoffrey Chaucer in the
Canterbury Tales. Canterbury which was painfully destroyed by bombing in
WWII has been rebuilt, but it still beckons many travellers because of its
enduring charm.
Durham : Durham, the most splendid cathedral in the city is
surrounded on three sides by the River Wear and is dominated by the massive
Norman cathedral which is built on a wooded promontory. The cathedral shares
the dramatic top of the bluff with a Norman castle and the University
College.
Lake District : The area is a mixture of luxuriant green dales,
mighty mountains and umpteen lakes. One cango for hiking on the hills or
cover the area on foot to enjoy the marvel of nature in the surroundings.
