Privacy and cookie settings

Essential cookies support sign-in, security and quiz progress. Optional advertising and analytics require your permission. You can use Fact Central without accepting them.

Optional advertising and tracking are off until a valid consent choice is available.

Useful when testing the site. This preference applies even when you are signed out and stays until you change it or clear browser data.

Read our privacy policy or contact us.

Fact Central

Nation · England

England

Explore England through the Lake District, the Cornish coast and the prehistoric connections revealed by Stonehenge.

Quick facts

Type of place
Nation
Nation
England
Official identifier
gss:E92000001

ONS countries December 2024

Office for National Statistics · ons-countries-2024 · Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0 Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2024.

Overview

England is one of the nations of the United Kingdom. Its landscapes range from the Lake District to the Cornish coast, with towns, cities, countryside and islands offering different ways to explore. Stonehenge provides a glimpse of a much earlier world, including connections with what is now Wales.

Geography and administration

England is one of the four nations of the United Kingdom.

Population and demographics

Land area
130,310.45 km²

Figures for . ONS EW MYE25 workbook geography: Notes April 2024; landing edition 2023 boundaries.

Office for National Statistics · ons-mid-2025 · MYE5!D10 (binary spreadsheet decimal rounded to 6 dp). Released 29 July 2026.

Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0

Population
58,834,812 people

Figures for . ONS EW MYE25 workbook geography: Notes April 2024; landing edition 2023 boundaries.

Office for National Statistics · ons-mid-2025 · MYE2 - Persons!D10. Released 29 July 2026.

Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0

Population density: 451.5 people per km²

Calculated from the population and land area for 30 June 2025, using figures from the same release and covering the same boundaries.

Coasts, countryside and islands

The Lake District and the Cornish coast are two examples of England’s contrasting landscapes. VisitBritain’s guide also highlights destinations such as the Isle of Wight and Somerset, alongside towns and cities. These offer starting points for exploring England beyond a single city or region.

Stonehenge and its Welsh connections

The stone circle at Stonehenge dates from about 2500 BC, during the late Neolithic period. Some of its stones, known as bluestones, came from the Preseli Hills in south-west Wales. The exact method used to transport them remains unknown. Stonehenge and Avebury became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. The Welsh origin of the bluestones reveals connections across places that now belong to different UK nations, long before those modern national boundaries existed.

Sources

  1. UK holiday destinations — VisitBritain. England includes contrasting landscapes such as the Lake District and the Cornish coast. (Nations: England; Countryside). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. History and stories: Stonehenge — English Heritage. Stonehenge's stone circle dates from about 2500 BC, in the late Neolithic period. (Stone circle, bluestones and World Heritage). Accessed 2026-09-28.