ENGLAND OVERVIEW

Blenheim Palace

England’s eventful history and scenic diversity render it one of the world’s most popular visitor destinations. United as a single nation over 1000 years ago, its origins go back to the dawn of civilization, and the variety of interest it offers reflects this.

From prehistoric Stonehenge to 21st-century attractions like the London Eye, its inhabitants have contributed much to the appeal of the UK’s largest constituent country. This is not restricted to a material legacy either – England’s cultural mix is rich, thanks to the many invaders, settlers and immigrants who have arrived on its shores through the millennia. Countless others around the globe share aspects of customs, language and history with the English themselves.

England’s heritage, and therefore its appeal as a destination, is many-faceted and deeply rooted, ranging from the literary genius of Shakespeare to ‘everyday’ pageantry in the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

The variety and contrast in the nation’s countryside is enormous too, and is often a source of surprise to many visitors venturing beyond the cities for the first time – as is the vast range of visitor attractions, resorts and sights to see and enjoy. England is a country of patchwork landscapes: from the rugged coastlines and golden beaches of Devon and Cornwall, to the craggy mountains of the Peak District, the ancient forests riddled with folklore, to the picturesque Lake District, to great cities and to centuries-old villages. Woven into its fabric lies a rich-veined ‘Englishness’, earthed in a heritage of stone circles, Arthurian legend, Shakespeare, the triumphalist ego of a crumbling aristocracy, and the cocky independence of an island nation.

England today is welcoming, friendly, fascinating and fun, where pomp and circumstance balance the often bizarre idiosyncrasies of its people, and a sense of humor is the passport to certain acceptance.

Geography
Much of the countryside is relatively flat, consisting of fertile plains and gentle hills. Mountains, moors and steeper hills are found mainly in the north and the west; the Lake District (Cumbria) and the northwest are divided from the Yorkshire Dales, and the northeast, by the (relatively) high-rising Pennines, ‘the backbone of England’. The eastern part of the country, particularly East Anglia, is the lowest lying. The coastline is varied, and ranges from long stretches of sandy beaches to steep cliffs and isolated rocky coves.