England is the largest of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom, located on the island of Great Britain in northwestern Europe. When people picture London's Big Ben, the white cliffs of Dover, or the green countryside of the Cotswolds, they're thinking of England.

England has played an outsized role in world history. For centuries, it was a major naval and commercial power, and the English language spread around the globe through trade, colonization, and cultural influence. Many of the stories, sports, and institutions familiar to Americans today have English origins: Shakespeare's plays, soccer (which the English call football), parliamentary democracy, and even the common law system used in American courts.

The capital city, London, sits on the River Thames and has been a center of commerce, culture, and politics for nearly two thousand years. England is known for its historic universities like Oxford and Cambridge, its literature (from Alice in Wonderland to The Chronicles of Narnia), and traditions like afternoon tea.

It's important to distinguish England from Britain or the United Kingdom. England is just one part of the UK, which also includes Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Calling a Scottish person English would be like calling a Canadian person American: incorrect and potentially rude.