England has seen consistent conflict, reliably winning its battles often, its kings and queens extending and retracting their power at their will. Writers such as William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and J.R.R. Tolkien have created their own canons, but England's evolution also makes it the birthplace of punk - a subculture symbolic of its fierce independent streak.

Capital city London's landmarks like the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace are emblems of its position as an international powerhouse. Its fortunate citizens are treated daily to concerts, performances and exhibitions by the world's most influential artists and thinkers. Birthplace of the Beatles, Liverpool's docks are the city's epicentre. Football fans energize Manchester, the earliest industrialized city, and busy Birmingham was once known as "the workshop of the world". Melting glaciers carved out the remarkable Lake District, comprised of 12 national parks, and Devon's balmy beaches are shaded by palms. From roman towns to the London Eye, druid ruins to the Underground, England preserves its history while edging it with everything hip, cool and ultra-modern.