England
For most of us, England is a land of endless fascination. As children, many of us were read English nursery rhymes and fairy tales, told the stirring stories of King Arthur and Camelot and later read and discussed the works of Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, the Brontes and more. Little wonder, then, that it has captured our imaginations and makes us want to see the places we’ve read and learned about.
As a Peninsula College faculty member, you have the opportunity to develop your own program of study for students as Dr. Fred Thompson has done several times in the past. He is planning another study tour for summer 2010, this time to southern England.
Fred says: “I was trained to view the literary text as everything—complete and sufficient. Details about the author or the historical background were only casually interesting. It was during my year long sabbatical in London that I first came eye to eye with the notion that being there, actually seeing where the action of a novel takes place or seeing the countryside described in a poem, brings the work to life in a profound way. Leading students on study abroad programs like next summer's study tour to southern England gives me a chance participate in this exciting process of discovery.”
Location
England is situated in northwest Europe in the southern part of Great Britain. It is only 35 km from France and is linked by a tunnel under the English Channel. The English Channel runs along England's southern border, while the North Sea forms England's eastern border. Wales and the Irish Sea border England to the West, and Scotland runs along England's northwestern borders. With a coastline of 3,200 km, no place in England is more than 120 km (75 miles) from the sea.
Language
English
Population
England is the largest country in Great Britain and the United Kingdom (UK). In 2007, England had a population of 5.1 million, accounting for 84% of the entire population of the UK, which also includes Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Capital
London is the capital of both England and the UK and is the largest city in the United Kingdom.
Currency
The pound sterling, or GBP (Great British Pound), often simply called the pound. A few of the larger shops will accept the Euro, but it is not commonly used across Britain.