Geographical Background and Governmental System of England

1. Geographical Background
 England is a part of Europe's United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern
Ireland), and it is located on the island of Great Britain. England is bounded on the north by
Scotland; on the west by the Irish Sea, Wales, and the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by the
English Channel; and on the east by the North Sea. It is closer to continental Europe than any
other part of mainland Britain, divided from France only by a 33 km (21 mi) sea gap, the
English Channel. The 50 km (31 mi) Channel Tunnel, near Folkestone, directly links England
to mainland Europe. The English/French border is halfway along the tunnel.

England’s topography is low in elevation but, except in the east, rarely flat. Much of it consists
of rolling hillsides, with the highest elevations found in the north, northwest, and southwest. This
landscape is based on complex underlying structures that form intricate patterns on England’s
geologic map. The oldest sedimentary rocks and some igneous rocks (in isolated hills of granite)
are in Cornwall and Devon on the southwestern peninsula, ancient volcanic rocks underlie parts
of the Cumbrian Mountains, and the most recent alluvial soils cover the Fens of Cambridgeshire,
Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. Geologic forces lifted and folded some of these rocks to form the
spine of northern England—the Pennines, which rise to 2,930 feet (893 metres) at Cross Fell.
The Cumbrian Mountains, which include the famous Lake District, reach 3,210 feet (978 metres)
at Scafell Pike, the highest point in England.

England has a temperate climate, with plentiful rainfall all year round, it has a more mild
climate than places at similar latitudes, for example Newfoundland in Canada, or Sakhalin in
Russia. The seasons are quite variable in temperature, however temperatures rarely fall below
−5 °C (23 °F) or rise above 30 °C (86 °F). The prevailing wind is from the south-west, bringing
mild and wet weather to England regularly from the Atlantic Ocean. It is driest in the east and
warmest in the south, which is closest to the European mainland. Snowfall can occur in winter
and early spring, although it is not very common away from high ground. England has warmer
maximum and minimum temperatures throughout the year than the other countries of the UK.

2. Governmental System

England itself does not have a formal government or constitution, and a specifically English
role in contemporary government and politics is hard to identify in any formal sense, for these
operate on a nationwide British basis. Historically, the English may be credited with the
evolution of Parliament, which, in its medieval form, was related to the Anglo-Saxon practice of
regular gatherings of notables. The English may also be credited with the glory of the Revolution
of 1688, which affirmed the rule of law, parliamentary control of taxation and of the army,
freedom of speech, and religious toleration. Freedom of speech and opinion with proper
opportunities for reasonable debate form part of the English tradition, but the development of
party and parliamentary government in its modern forms took place after the Act of Union of
1707, when, in politics, the history of England became the history of Britain. Unlike Scotland,
Wales, and Northern Ireland, each of which has its own assembly or parliament, regional
government does not exist in England.

England doesn’t have a governmental system but it does have local government. Local
government in England broadly consists of three layers: regional authorities, local authorities and
parish councils. Legislation concerning English local government is passed by Parliament,
as England does not have a devolved parliament.