England Facts for Kids: A Local's Guide

If you want to find England facts for kids then you’ve landed exactly where you should be. This guide for children is written by a lifelong local resident, and is packed with fun and interesting facts about England.

With an incredibly long and varied history, there’s a veritable treasure trove of fascinating and fun facts about England to discover. So without further ado, let’s dive into some England culture facts and historical facts about England!

fast Fun England facts

England forms part of the United Kingdom (UK) along with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The capital of England – and the UK – is London, which is in the south of the country. England forms over half of the island that’s known as Great Britain (GB).

Though it forms the biggest chunk, England has few organisations that operate only within the country. Most are shared with Wales, or also with Scotland and Northern Ireland. The biggest institutions operating in England only are sporting ones and the Church of England.

England has a mild, maritime climate that can change quickly due to the fact that it’s surrounded by the ocean. The land is fertile, and there are many farms scattered across the length and breadth of the country.

London is one of the world’s most famous and important cities. It occupies a sizeable section of southeast England, and is Europe’s leading financial centre. The city is also renowned globally as a hub for the arts, culture and fashion.

10 fun facts about England

Just for fun, here are 10 slightly weird facts about England. Below that, you can also find 5 interesting facts about London.

When seen from the sky, England looks like a patchwork quilt due to the way farms have divided up the land.
People who come from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland aren’t too impressed when you refer to them as English. They often think of themselves as Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish. if in doubt, you can all any of these British. People from all over the UK also speak with different accents, or even use different words. As a result, sometimes Brits have difficulty understanding one another!
English people are often obsessed with football – though it’s nothing like the Aussie rules games you may be used to. England won the World Cup once in 1966, and they’ll never let you forget it…
One of the national dishes of England are is actually from the Indian subcontinent. On the whole, people in England love curry, and major cities like London, Manchester and Birmingham have entire streets lined with Indian restaurants.
The English really do often talk about the weather. Perhaps because it’s often much wetter or colder than it is in parts of Australia!
Many things were invented in England. These include the raincoat (or Mackintosh, named for its founder), the toothbrush, matches and chocolate bars. As well as more famous English inventions like the internet, the telephone and the steam engine.
The English really do drink a lot of tea. Putting the kettle on seems to be the fail-safe solution to any problem. While coffee is increasingly popular, tea is still the favourite hot drink of the nation.
English people do some strange things. Including cheese rolling, playing football (or soccer) in a river and Morris Dancing.
The English have a reputation for being unfailingly polite, and you’ll often hear them saying things like, “I’m sorry” even when it’s someone else’s fault, or “thank you” for nothing. They may also offer to do things that they never will, or turn down gifts or favours several times before accepting them.
They love Marmite. Marmite is the British answer to Vegemite, and anyone from the UK will tell you that it’s far better. British backpackers who come to Australia for a year or more will get their friends to smuggle some over in their suitcase if they come to visit. True story.

Discover a range of England football shirts here.

5 fun facts about London

From facts about Victorian London to the present day, here are some current and historical facts about London.

London Transport – which runs the tube, buses and other transport in the capital – actually has a by-law that forbids people to jump a queue. Those doing so could be arrested by the British Transport Police, though no one has ever been prosecuted for it.
Afternoon tea is a big thing in Britain, and this includes sandwiches, cakes and scones served with a pot of tea. London is packed with places to try this, from expensive five star hotels to tea buses that take you on a city tour as you eat. No tourist seems to come to London without trying it at least once!
The famous Big Ben isn’t actually the name of the clock. It instead refers to the Great Bell inside. The Elizabeth Tower is the proper name for the structure.
No list of facts about London, England would be complete without some mention of Victorian times. In fact this is when the British Empire was built, and at that time London and other British cities produced a lot of the world’s metal, textiles and coal. Artistic and scientific advances also put London on the map between 1837 and 1901.
A notorious killer called Jack the Ripper roamed the streets of London’s East End during Victorian times. He was never identified, or caught. He was also known by police and journalists as “Leather Apron” or the “Whitechapel Murderer”. Five murder victims were thought to have died at his hands.

Find a good selection of books about London here.

Factual info about england

Whether you have a school project to complete, are interested where the older generation of your family came from or you are actually going to visit, here’s some England history facts, England trivia and key facts about England you might like to know.

10 important facts about England

England is 130,278 square kilometres – or 50,301 square miles. Miles are normally used in England to measure distances, as they are in the US.
England’s population in 2011 was 53,012,456.
England is generally fairly flat, but the Cheviot Hills, the Pennines and the Cotswold Hills do divide and define the land.
Manchester is one part of the northwest that was previously known for its textile industry, and this is why many Australians call bedlinen and textiles “Manchester”.
England is famous for its literary history. Stratford-upon-Avon is famous as the birthplace of the playwright William Shakespeare, Yorkshire is known for producing the Bronte sisters, J.K. Rowling was born in Gloucestershire and Jane Austen came from Hampshire.
Many famous bands and music stars also come from England. The Beatles began in Liverpool and the Rolling Stones in the London area. Lots have since followed in their footsteps.
Top of the list of Elizabethan England facts is that the English Renaissance took place then (between 1558 and 1603, when Queen Elizabeth the First of England was the ruler). This was a peaceful and prosperous time when music, literature and poetry flourished.
As for medieval England facts, you might be surprised to learn that sheep living then were only around a third of the size they are now! This was due to malnutrition.
Tudor England facts have to focus on Henry VIII. This King has six wives, and formed the Church of England so he could get divorced. Two of the half dozen wives – Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard – were executed on his orders. They were both beheaded.
The Church of England is still the national religion of the country.

To learn more, check out some books about England here.

10 historic sites in England to see

if it’s historic places rather than unusual random facts about England you’re interested in, here are some of the top places in England people visit for their rich history.

Stonehenge. The standing stone circle is world famous. The most fascinating of all Stonehenge, England facts is that even to this day, precisely how the stones got there remains a mystery.
Alnwick Castle. Alnwick castle in Northumberland was used for filming exterior scenes druing the making of the Harry Potter movies.
Hadrian’s Wall. Also in Northumberland and stretching into Cumbria is Hadrian’s Wall, one of the best places in Britain for discovering Roman history.
The Roman Baths. In the city of Bath you still see the intact Roman Baths that date from the time of Roman occupation in Britain. You can still taste the water too – and it really isn’t very pleasant!
Stratford-upon-Avon. Stratford was the birthplace of Shakespeare. You can visit all sorts of sites where he lived and worked, and also of course see one of his plays being performed at the theatre.
York. York is a very beautiful and historic city. Don’t miss the medieval lanes of The Shambles or York Minster.
Liverpool. For anyone interested in music, Liverpool is a must. It’s where The Beatles came from, and once was one of the world’s most important ports.
The Isle of Wight. This island off the south coast is a holiday destination, but is also known for Osborne House, a home of Queen Victoria.
The Tower of London. This castle dates from medieval times and is home to the famous and priceless Crown Jewels.
Hampton Court Palace. Henry VIII – he of the six wives – lived here.

There’s more about English history in these books.

Information about england for kids

There you go. Plenty of fun facts about London, England to inspire further reading, your visit or a homework assignment.

Many of the interesting and unusual facts about England are down to the fact that it has such a long history. The first settlers who came to Australia from this part of the world didn’t arrive in Botany Bay, Sydney until 1788. Some English people live in homes that are older than that!

Buy England flags to decorate your room or project here.

Discover more of our places guides to be found on the fun facts for kids site below.

England Facts for Kids: A Local’s Guide