Some will offer , while others will suggest So why do historians suggest these dates, and what is the right answer? Is there a right answer? One thing that is certain is that the presence in Britain of the English people and the English language far predates the existence of England. In , the Roman Empire withdrew from the province of Britannia, roughly equivalent to modern England and Wales, and in their place the Britons — who lived a Celtic-Roman hybrid existence — were left to fend for themselves.
The people they had to fend for themselves against came from what we would know as northern Germany and Denmark, tribes with names like the Saxons, the Jutes and the Angles. This language bears very little resemblance to modern English, but is nonetheless the basis of the language spoken by billions of people all over the world as a first or second language. These tribes, though, instead of forming one country when they arrived in Britain, formed many small kingdoms that fought each other just as often as they fought the Britons.
By , the number of kingdoms had been reduced to seven: Northumbria ruled all of the north, from southern Scotland to the river Humber; Mercia dominated the midlands; East Anglia was precisely where modern East Anglia is; Wessex sprawled across the south; and Kent, Essex and Sussex were small kingdoms clinging onto existence as the larger kingdoms of Mercia, Wessex and East Anglia forever threatened their existence.
In the Vikings sailed north, arriving in Northumbria and swiftly conquering the first English kingdom. The next year, the Vikings invaded Mercia, which they rapidly took over.
In they invaded East Anglia, killing King Edmund apparently by filling him with arrows. Essex, Sussex and Kent also fell, leaving only Wessex to withstand the Viking invasion. Wessex did withstand. Close though they came several times, the Vikings could never complete the conquest of the final Saxon kingdom, and after the battle of Edington in , they would never again get the chance.
Wessex survived, in no small part, due to its king, a chronically ill, physically weak and incredibly clever man named Alfred. The battle of Edington is the first date that several historians take to be the date of the foundation of England.
With hindsight, it is plain to see that after this point there is never again any question that Saxon culture and the English language will survive, and it is after Edington that Alfred began in earnest to work toward his ambition of a single, united English-speaking kingdom. About 5, years ago, the center of the United Kingdom was covered with thick forests.
Thousands of years ago, these woodlands were cleared by ancient farmers, and today only about 10 percent of the land is forest. The United Kingdom's complex geology gives rise to a wide variety of landscapes and a range of habitats for its animal and plant life. But it is a very crowded country, and there are not many truly wild places left. The most successful wildlife species are those that can live alongside people. Great Britain's rugged mountains, like the Scottish Highlands, offer habitat that is relatively untouched by humans.
The country's 7, miles 12, kilometers of shoreline, ranging from tall cliffs to beaches to marshes, also provide homes for wildlife such as seabirds and seals. Britain's system of government has developed over many centuries. Kings once ruled with advice from a council of religious leaders and nobles. This council eventually expanded into the Parliament, which now passes all the country's laws. Today, the monarch which can be a king or queen has no real power.
The United Kingdom has been a leading trading nation for more than years. In the 19th century, British industry helped make the country the most powerful nation in the world.
It is still one of the strongest economies on Earth. The first Britons people who live in the United Kingdom were the Picts, who arrived about 10, years ago.
In the eighth century B. They built roads, bathhouses, sewers, and large villas. By the sixth century A. Ask Smithsonian Unless you are living under a rock, you likely woke up today to plenty of news and commentary on the decision of U. But what is the United Kingdom, anyway? Part of the confusion could come from the fact that much of the United Kingdom is located on a single island that is itself a part of a larger set of islands.
Great Britain is part of the British Isles, a collection of more than 6, islands including Ireland in the west and smaller islands like Anglesey and Skye. The U. Within the U.
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