England

England

**General facts** //Capital:// London //Population:// 51 446 000 (2008) //Official language:// English //Ethnic groups:// 87.5% White, 6% South Asian, 2.9% Black, 1.9% mixed race, 0.8% Chinese and 0.8% other.

England is today the most populated country in Britain, and the largest one. There is no government just for England, it is a UK government and it is known as a Parliamentary Democracy. A Parliamentary Democracy is when people choose representatives at regular elections. The currency of England is called pounds. England is only 35km from France and is linked by a tunnel under the English Channel.

England has the largest income of money in the UK. This is because England is a highly industrialised country. Aircraft, trains and textiles are among the important industrial products. London has a very important role as well, as a financial centre.

**The Golden Age** The Golden Age started in Britain when Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII, entered the throne in 1558 and till the day she died in 1603. In this period of time Britain established itself as a major naval power. Not only were the English navy to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588, but in this period England enlarged its borders by sending people overseas to explore the new land America. This made the economy blossom. You can still see signs of their invasion today. The American state Virginia is named after Elizabeth – //the Virgin Queen//. This comes from the fact that Elizabeth never got married. Another thing that it worth knowing about the Golden Age is that under Elizabeth's government Catholicism were entertained.

**The Victorian Age** The 18 year old queen Victoria entered the throne in 1837 and ruled to 1901. Victoria stands for another great period in the English history – the Victorian Age. It was under Victoria's govern British power reached its peak, contemporaneously as wealth and the influence of the British culture and ruling spread all over the world. As a result of the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s Britain had had a massive industrial development. This had a positive effect on several different areas. Britain controlled one quarter of the world, it was the richest country in the world, Britain was respected by the rest of the world, and London got a new nickname, The capital city of the world

Victoria became a queen loved by her country. People loved her and they had no hard time following and live up to the so-called Victorian values:
 * Hard work
 * Faith in God
 * Devotion to the family
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">Moral behaviour

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">Victoria is historically regarded as one of the greatest monarchs of all times, and she is the longest-serving monarch in British history.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">**The leading role is falling apart** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">After two world wars the British superpower started to fall. The two two wars were very expensive and Britain had to sell some investments in the colonies. In world war I 750 000 British soliders died and many British ships were sunk. In world war II cost 360 000 British lives, many cities were totally bombed out and along with London the British economy were shattered. The damaged were so sever that it ruined Brains position in the world.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">Later in the 1900s, other countries increased their competition when it came to be industrialised. Countries like France, Germany and USA started making and selling products and recources to countries Britain used to have control over. These other countries started making up new ways if transportation, like trains, cars and planes. Britain was great at sea when in came to transportation, but they had to face that fact that sea was not as much of an advantage as it once was.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">Britain also lost their colonies after a while. Especially after world war II many of the colonies started demanding their independence. Britain was in no position of controlling its colonies so it did not take a lot of time before the first colony got its independence. The first releasing had a domino effect on the other colonies, so after some time Britain no longer has any colonies left. The decolonisation was a peaceful process, and Britain let them go without a fight. The Commonwealth were later introduced as a union consisting of Britain and its former colonies.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">**Britain today** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">Britain has so much to be proud of today, such as BBC (TV channel) and NHS (national health service. National Health Service was introduced after the Second World War. This was a way to take care and step up to the responsibility of people's health. They introduced free dental care and free spectacles, free health care and free secondary education. Other countries has later followed this way to take care of people, with Britain as an example.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14pt;">Britain joined EU in 1973. If you look at the economical side of it, Europe and EU is the best for Britain. Still, Britain cannot seem to commit totally to all of the changes that a membership includes, and therefore the nation has kept some of their old features such as the pound currency. There is a reason why Britain has not committed properly, and that it the US. Britain has had a lot to do with the US historically, and has help out with troops in the was in Afghanistan and Iraq to support the co-called War on Terror led by the US. Many people is drawn to the American side instead of the European one, but still Britain is not sure witch connection is the right one.

Sources: http://www.picturesofengland.com/EnglandFacts/

Image sources: http://www.eatinghabits.org/geographical-eating-habits/england-eating-habits.html http://englishhistory.net/tudor/beeslychapterone.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Queen_Victoria_by_Bassano.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NHS-Logo.svg