Interesting facts about England

1. Jumping a queue can be illegal

Queuing is very important in British culture and it is rare to see someone

jumping a queue. We all know queue jumping is rude, but it is actually illegal in
one place in England: the London’s Transport ticket machines. If you jump the
queue to buy your ticket you can be fined up to £1000.

2. England fought the shortest war in history

The Anglo-Zanzibar War is the shortest war in history. This war began at 9
am on the 27 of August in 1896 when the five ships of the Royal Navy attacked
Zanzibar’s Royal Palace. The conflict lasted between 38 and 45 minutes until
the white flag to surrender was raised. In this short war 500 people of Zanzibar
died while only one British Marine was injured.

3. England is home to one of the weirdest sports

Cheese rolling is one of the strangest sports taking place every year in
Gloucestershire, in the west of England, during the spring. In this competition,
an 8 pound round of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled from the top of the
cooper hill and participants chase after it down to the bottom. They are
supposed to catch the cheese, but it is kind of impossible so who crosses the
finish line first wins the cheese.

4. England is mostly flat

Much of the land in England is flat, especially in the southern area. There
are mountains in the north, but all mountains rise under 1000 meters in
elevation. The highest point in England is Scafell Pike in Lake District National
Park at an altitude of 978 metres above sea level.

5. England is the birthplace of many famous scientists

England is home to some of the best universities in the world such as Oxford
and Cambridge. Many famous politicians, scientists and novelists in the world
have graduated from universities in this country. Apart from that, England is
the birthplace of many scientists who had a huge impact on the globe. Just to
name a few:

Isaac Newton who discovered the law of gravitation and invented calculus.
Charles Darwin: the geologist and biologist known for his contributions to the
science of evolution.

And last but not least: Stephen Hawking, one of the greatest scientists of the
20th century.

6. The National dish is an Indian food

Even though there are different traditional dishes in England such as

Yorkshire Pudding, Fish and Chips and Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Tikka Masala is
widely considered the country's national dish, even though the origin of this
dish is India.

7. No plug sockets in the bathrooms

You can not find any bathroom in England or in the UK with plug sockets.
Because of health and safety rules, sockets are not allowed in bathrooms or
shower rooms, unless they can be fitted at least three metres away from the
sink, bath or shower.

8. The Queen is not allowed in the House of Commons

No British monarch is allowed to set foot in the House of Commons,

which is the UK parliament. This rule dates back to 1642 when King Charles I
stormed into the House of Commons to arrest five members. The attempt
was unsuccessful and since then the monarch was banned from entering
the parliament.

9. You can’t get drunk in English pubs

British are famous for their pub culture. Pubs are the main hub of various
local communities and they are a place to socialise and have a drink. But you
are not allowed to get drunk there, it is illegal.

10.Champagne was invented in England, not France

Many people think that France invented the first Champagne in 1697,
but I am here to tell you that 30 years earlier, an English scientist discovered
“how to put the fizz into sparkling wine”. Champagne is basically sparkling
wine and it is named after an area in France.