Interesting facts

1. England is the largest of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom. 2. The name 'England' is derived from the Old English name *Englaland*, which means 'land of the Angles'. 3. Winchester was the first capital of England, in 827. 4. From 1066 to 1362, French was the official language of England following the Norman Conquest. 5. Stonehenge, located in Wiltshire, is older than the Great Pyramids of Giza. 6. The London Underground, opened in 1863, is the oldest rapid transit system in the world. 7. Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. 8. 'Big Ben' is the name of the bell inside the clock tower, not the tower itself (which is the Elizabeth Tower). 9. Modern football, rugby, and cricket were all formulated and codified in England. 10. The concept of the World Wide Web was invented by English computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee. 11. Champagne's traditional method was documented by Englishman Christopher Merret years before Dom Perignon. 12. Windermere is the largest natural lake in England. 13. Scafell Pike, located in the Lake District, is England's highest mountain at 978 meters (3,209 ft). 14. The River Thames is the longest river entirely within England (215 miles). 15. Yorkshire is the largest historic county in England. 16. There is a town in England called 'Westward Ho!', the only British place name containing an exclamation mark. 17. England has fought in the shortest war in history (Anglo-Zanzibar War, 1896), which lasted about 38 minutes. 18. Oxford University is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. 19. English people consume more tea per capita than almost any other nation. 20. The Tudor rose (a combination of a red and a white rose) is the national floral emblem.