The United Kingdom, a country in Europe, is made up of four nations. One of them is England; the other three are Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England shares the territory of Great Britain with Scotland and Wales and occupies the central and southern part of the island. Do you want to know interesting facts about england?
For 35,000 years, the territory of what is now England was occupied by various cultures, but the name comes from the «Anglos» who were Germanic peoples who settled there between the 5th and 6th centuries. Currently, just over 53 million people live in England and its capital, like that of the entire United Kingdom, is London. We hope you like these interesting facts about england!
50 Curious Facts about England
1. It is not correct to talk about england countries. The country is the United Kingdom and England is one of the nations that make it up.
2. 84% of the UK population lives in England. If it were an independent nation, it would be ranked number 25 among the most populous countries in the world.
3. Another of the interesting facts about england is that since 1707 it has not had a political entity separate from Great Britain and unlike Scotland or Wales it does not have its own parliament.
4. In the post curiosities about Scotland we mention the Unicorn as its national animal. According to legend they chose him because national animal of england is the lion and the Unicorn is, according to Scottish mythology, its natural enemy.
5. England’s climate is temperate and humid oceanic. Temperatures from winter to summer range between -5 ºC. at 32 ºC. The highest temperature ever recorded was in Brogdale, Kent, on August 10, 2003. It reached 38.5ºC.
6. The language of england It is English, but it was not always like that. For almost 300 years, from 1066 to 1362, French was the official language.
7. During the Neolithic, two of the most famous and largest circle-shaped monuments were built in the territory of what is now England: Stonehenge and Avebury.
8. In Essex is the oldest city in England for which there are records: Colchester. It was the Roman capital of Great Britain under the name of Camulodunum, but in the 5th century BC it already existed.
9. England is home to three of the most famous and prestigious universities in the world: the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and the University of London.
10. London is the England’s capital and also from the United Kingdom. Before being called London it was called Londonium, Ludenwic and Ludenburg.
Discover more about this city in: 50 Curiosities of London to enjoy your trip more.
11. The popular lullaby «London Bridge is Falling Down» It is possible that it is more than 1,000 years old. London Bridge has burned and collapsed many times throughout the history of the city. England’s capital.
12. The long-standing custom of afternoon tea was invented in England in 1840 by Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford. This noblewoman was Queen Victoria’s Lady of the Bedchamber and while visiting Belvoir Castle she instituted the custom of afternoon tea when she noticed that the dinner time was getting later and later and there was a need to consume some type of food in the middle. late. The first «tea room» was opened in London in 1864.
13. The England flag It is the Cross of Saint George, a red cross on a white background. The motto of England is in French «Dieu et mon droit.»
14. One of the curiosities of the food from england are their names. One of the typical dishes is «toad in the hole» which translated means «toad in the hole.» It has nothing to do with anurans. It consists of sausages coated in Yorkshire pudding with some accompaniment.
15. It is also typical in food from england a dessert called Bletted Medlars. They are loquats that are allowed to mature until they practically reach rot. Apparently they are delicious.
16. Work in England, especially in London, is something that many young people do during a stage of their life. The goal is usually to improve English, but they are also motivated by the lack of employment in other European countries. The rental prices and the type of unskilled work mean that the adventure generally does not last for a long time.
17. One of the resources for work in england is to go to an «employment agency.» These are highly regulated and to renew the license they have to demonstrate and justify that they have helped a certain number of people find employment.
18. Among the curious facts about England, its traditions. We have seen one of them in numerous films and television series: the «Royal Christmas Day Message» that the monarch, in this case Queen Elizabeth II, addresses to the nation. Although it may seem like a very old tradition, it was inaugurated by King George V in 1932, reading a speech that Rudyard Kipling had written.
19. Witches, fairies, elves, ghosts and legends of all kinds are part of the traditions of england. The oldest recorded tourist attraction in England has been in operation since 1630 and is the «Mother Shipton» cave near Knaresborough in North Yorkshire, whose prophecies we already told you about in .
20. However, one of the traditions of england Most picturesque is the Rolling Cheese Festival in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. In May, many people chase Double Gloucester cheese down the steep Cooper’s Hill.
21. The body of English King Henry VIII exploded in his coffin. Discover more about this macabre incident in «The explosion of Henry VIII’s corpse in his coffin and the prophecy.»
22. In England there is an old law that prohibits shaking a rug in the street.
23. It is also illegal to get drunk in a pub, according to a law from 1839 that remains in force.
24. Another curious English law, this one dating back to 1322, says that any dead whale or sturgeon that appears on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the Monarch.
25. Winchester was the first capital of England.
26. The first safari to travel by car, outside of Africa, opened in Longleat (Wilthsire, England) in 1966.
27. English police officers do not carry firearms, except in emergency situations.
28. Queen Elizabeth II has a total of 30 godsons and goddaughters!
29. England was, along with Zanzibar, one of the countries involved in the shortest war in history, which lasted between 38 and 45 minutes.
30. JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter literary saga, is English and the first person to have earned billions of dollars for writing novels.
31. The British royal family shares a distant relationship with Vlad the Impaler, who they say inspired the character of Count Dracula.
32. Another curious fact about England is that wherever you are you will never be more than 120 kilometers from the sea.
33. Although there are several haunted ones, Borley Rectory is considered the most haunted place in England. Know its history!
34. Another of the interesting facts about england is that in Grantchester, near Cambridge, on December 26, they held a traditional competition called «Barrel rolling», which consists of doing a race pushing empty beer barrels. It is much more complicated than it seems, since the surface of the barrels is not perfect and… the direction they take is unpredictable!
35. The oldest known recipe for macaroni and cheese dates back to the 14th century and was found in England.
36. Pine cones were such a coveted sign of status in the 18th century that it was possible to rent one to display at parties.
37. Cumbria, England, celebrates the annual “World’s Biggest Liar” competition (World’s Biggest Liar). Lawyers and politicians are not allowed to participate.
38. The body of the hated English king, Richard III, was found under a public car park in 2012 after being missing for 500 years.
39. The Queen of England is the owner of all swans, not marked by an owner, that swim in public waters.
40. The lowest temperature recorded in England occurred in January 1982, in Newport (Shropshire) and was -26.1ºC.
41. Although the common belief is that it always rains in England, there are also sunny places to spend the summer, such as Brighton and Eastbourne.
42. The town where it rains the most all year in England is Martinstown, in Dorset.
43. In a town called Marshwood (in Dorset), a Nettle Eating competition is held. Dozens of people from all over the world come to participate in it, even from Australia!
44. In England, specifically in Congham (Norfolk), official snail races are also held in the «World Snail Racing Competition» (The World Snail Racing Championships).
45. Also in England there are two major «worm-charming» competitions: The World Worm Charming Championships, in Cheshire, and the International Festival of Worm Charming in Devon. This activity consists of using vibrations to bring out the earthworms that believe it is raining.
46. The English consider the presence of a black cat to mean good luck.
47. Another curious fact about England and its competitions is that the «World Chicken Race» is held. This takes place at the Barley Mow Inn in Bonsall (Derbyshire). It is a traditional event that is already 100 years old.
48. There are other strange races in England, such as carrying one’s wife on one’s back, which is held in Dorking (Surrey).
49. If you’re good at making faces, you might want to check out the World Gurning Championships, a very serious competition that judges who can make the strangest grimace with their face. It is held in Egremont, Cumbria.
50. Much of the monsters and stories that appear in Harry Potter and that feed JK Rowling’s Universe belong to English folklore. Discover more in: «5 legends of England | If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll recognize them.»
Other curiosities of Europe | By countries
What did you think of the curious facts about England? Knowing so many strange traditions of this country, you may want to discover others curiosities of Europe. Then more European countries that also hide lots of oddities that will leave you perplexed!
Did you know these interesting facts about england? Did you imagine they had such an incredible amount of amazing competitions? We didn’t expect them to seriously engage in snail racing or enchanting earthworms, but there are always unexpected curiosities in every corner of the world! Do you know more shocking information about this country? If so, share it with us! We would love to read you and expand this list!