England is a country to the northwest of Continental Europe and is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Its inhabitants account for more than 85% of the total population of the United Kingdom,whilst the mainland territory of England occupies most of the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west.Elsewhere,it is bordered by the North Sea,Irish Sea,Atlantic Ocean,and English Channel.
England became a unified state during the 10th century and takes its name from the Angles — one of a number of Germanic tribes who settled in the territory during the 5th and 6th centuries.The capital city of England is London,which is the largest city in the British Isles and largest city in the European Union.London is the capital of the United Kingdom and is one of the three most major cities in the world alongside New York City and Tokyo and is a Global City.
England ranks as one of the most influential and far-reaching centres of cultural development in the world.It is the place of origin of both the English language and the Church of England,and was the historic centre of the British Empire.It was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and was the first country in the world to become industrialised.England is home to the Royal Society,which laid the foundations of modern experimental science.England was the world's first parliamentary democracy and consequently many constitutional,governmental and legal innovations that had their origin in England have been widely adopted by other nations.
The Kingdom of England was a separate state until 1 May 1707,when the Acts of Union resulted in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain.