The People



POPULATION
England is the largest political and geographic division of the United Kingdom which also includes Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. About four-fifths of the UK's population lives in England. Since the end of World War II, there has been large-scale immigration, with people arriving from the UK's former territories in the West Indies, Africa, India, Pakistan, and other parts of Asia. These people now account for nearly 3 per cent of the population. England has been fairly successful in assimilating its ethnic communities, but racial tensions remain a problem in some areas, particularly in inner-city districts with a relatively high proportion of immigrants.




LANGUAGE
English is the official language of the UK. There are considerable variations in regional accents throughout England. The influx of immigrants has also meant that many other languages are spoken among these communities.




RELIGION
In 1533, during the reign of Henry VIII, England broke from the Roman Catholic Church to form the Anglican Church, which became the established church of the country, of which the monarch is head. The Church of England no longer has any political power, although its archbishops and some bishops still sit in the House of Lords. There are about 27 million Anglicans in the UK, although relatively few attend church. Roman Catholics number more than 5 million, Presbyterians about 2 million, Methodists about 700,000, and Jews about 400,000. Numerous other religions are practised in England, and in many cities there are significant Muslim and Hindu communities. Society is secular, and religious education in schools now embraces a wide range of religions, not only Christianity.




GREETINGS AND GESTURES
Many English people will simply say “Hello”, but a handshake is the formal way of greeting and parting. On first meeting, “How do you do?” or a less formal phrase is used. Among friends, women are often kissed (by men and women) lightly o