Talk:England
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I previously deleted the sentence about England not being a country on the grounds that it was untrue. It has been put back.
One of the definitions of "country" is "territory possessing its own language, people, culture, etc" (Concise Oxford Dictionary). The English are a different people from the Welsh and Scots. They have their own culture. And their language (although it has spread to other countries, as many other national languages have) is English. The English legal system is separate from the Scottish. English common law does not apply in Scotland. Wales has its own national language (which exists alongside English).
From the geographical appendix to Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (9th): "England, country [in] S Great Britain".
- From the English language Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England "England is the largest, the most populous, and the most densely populated nation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."
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- English language Wikipedia also says: "Sometimes, parts of states with a distinct history or culture are called 'lands' or 'countries': England, Scotland and Wales – the three nations on the island of Great Britain – are sometimes called countries, even though they are administrative components of the State of the United Kingdom. The terms country, nation, state and land are often used as synonyms, but in a more strict usage they are distinguished:
- * country is the geographical area
- * nation designates a people, however national and international both confusingly refer as well to matters pertaining to what are strictly states, as in national capital, international law
- * state is about government, and an entity in international law" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/country )
- Note: Wikipedia's distinctions of "strict" usage clearly imply that "country" is the most accurate name for England. England isn't a people, nor is it a government. But it is the geographical area in which the English live.
It's important to note that England does not have a national anthem, and that Britain is a single country and nation. (I am English.)WikiUser 19:27, 29 Jan 2005 (UTC)
Note on population figure: The population of the UK is approx. 60 million, but the population of England is nearer 50 million.