14 Surprising Facts About England You Probably Haven’t Heard Before

England is one of the most important countries in history. This ancient civilization has been one of the leading actors of world politics for hundreds of years. The “imperial empire on which the sun never sets” continues to set the agenda in many fields, from popular culture to economy, from science to technology.

This small island country is followed with interest by millions of people with its deep-rooted traditions and strong royal family. On the other hand, many interesting structures and even laws still exist in today’s England. Here are 14 surprising facts about the UK that you probably haven’t heard before…

1. England, part of the United Kingdom

Hundreds of years ago, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland came together to form a strong alliance, and on May 1, 1707, the United Kingdom was established. The kingdom took its final form on 1 January 1801 with the accession of Ireland and Wales.

2. Europe’s 16th largest country in terms of surface area

England is one of more than 6,000 islands in the British Isles. The area of ​​the country is 130,395 square kilometers. In other words, England is the 16th largest country in Europe in terms of land area. However, when the total area of ​​the United Kingdom is taken into account, the kingdom is the 12th country with the largest piece of land in Europe.

3. Some interesting sports with a long history are very popular in England even today.

The most notable of these is “cheese rolling.” Moreover, this sport, in which people gather on a hill and roll down cheese, is quite popular. Even tourists from all over the world go to England to participate or watch this sport. This interesting sport is thought to have emerged in the 15th century and is associated with pagan belief.

4. The country is home to more than 1,500 castles

However, there are some completely intact, even livable castles among them, and some that are in ruins. On the other hand, the country that hosts the most castles in the world is Wales, the other member of the United Kingdom.

5. The national flag of England is called the “Cross of St. George”

The official flag of England is a flag with a red cross on a white background. The blue-white and red cross-patterned flag, also known as the Union Jack and often confused with the official flag of England, is the flag of the United Kingdom.

6. Stonehenge, one of the most important historical buildings in England, is older than Machu Picchu

7. The world’s largest library is in England

The British Library, built in 1973 in the capital, London, consists of a total of 15 floors. The library contains more than 160 million books, including manuscripts. In addition, the British Library is home to more than 4 million maps and more than 260 thousand journals. Finally, some of the works registered in the library’s inventory are more than 3,000 years old.

8. England has a botanical garden where only deadly poisonous plants are grown!

Located on the grounds of Alnwick Castle, the garden called Poison Garden grows 100 different types of lethal plants.

9. Every place in the country is very close to the sea

Because England is a very small island country. In the country, the farthest place from the sea is the village of Coton in Derbyshire. However, the distance of this place from any coastline is only 112 kilometers.

10. There are many witches living in England today

Witchcraft was among the most interesting and controversial concepts in the Middle Ages. However, England is also a country where witches live in modern times! Members of the religion called “Wicca”, which emerged in England at the beginning of the 20th century and became considerably popular, describe themselves as witches.

11. Eels are among Britain’s favorite delicacies

It may sound interesting, but it’s the truth! One of the most important reasons for this situation is that the Thames River in the capital London is home to a large number of eels.

12. The capital city of England, London II. It was bombed by the Nazis for 47 days during World War II.

13. England’s highest point, Scafell Pike is only 978 meters high

14. England and France are only 34 kilometers apart

Although the two countries are not culturally close, they are physically very close.