Do you know England?
England is a country that is part of United Kingdom. London is the capital city of England and also the biggest town in the country. Others famous cities are Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle. The flag of England is white, with a red cross, which refers to the cross of Saint George, who is the patron saint of England. Others symbols from England are a red rose and three lions.
During colonization many tribes occupied which now is the England territory. The first was the Celtics, between 1,500 and 500 BCE. After that, the territory was invaded by two different tribes: the “Angles” and the “Saxons.” Anglo-Saxons lived in small kingdoms, which slowly united. For the majority of this time, England did not exist as an united country, it only became one country in 937. The territory of England was a scene for many battles, and the country also was involved in other battles around the world. In the twentieth century, England participated actively in the two great world wars. In World War II, England was the main military force to face the Nazi forces of Germany, being decisive in the resistance and later victory of the allied.
The government as known today, and the presence of the royal family has a strong influence of religion and reigns in other countries. As part of the United Kingdom, the basic political system in England is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system. The Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II, has a symbolic and diplomatic function. The executive decisions are made by the Head of Government (prime minister), Theresa May.
This country is known to have many influences in the global culture. In literature, the most famous is William Shakespeare, and among his works are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth. The poet Alexander Pope with his satirical verse became well regarded; one of the most influential philosophers and writers were John Locke and J. K. Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter books. In music there are names like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Queen, Rod Stewart, Adele, The Spice Girls, which are known worldwide.
About education this country has some of the highest-ranked universities in the world: Cambridge University, Imperial College London, Oxford University, University College London and King's College London are all ranked in the global top 20 in the 2014–2015 QS World University Rankings.
The food of England has been characterized by its simplicity of approach and a reliance on the high quality of natural produce. English cuisine is very similar to other countries in Europe. The English food has been based on beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish and is usually served with potatoes and one other vegetable. The most typical foods in England include sandwich, fish and chips, pies, trifle and roast dinners. Some of their main dishes have strange names like Bubble and Squeak, a traditional English dish made with the shallow-fried leftover vegetables, and Toad-in-the-Hole, which is a dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables.
This is an article made by the follow students: Ronaldes, Gabriela, Rayana e Roberta. Professor Lídia Alcântara was the text reviewer in Culturas Anglófonas Course.