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Southern England

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Southern England is the bottom part of England. It covers four main regions: London, the South East, the South West, and the East.

Map of Southern England with settlements and traditional counties
Map of Southern England with settlements and traditional counties

To the north, it meets the Midlands. It also shares a border with Wales in the far north-west. The South has a sea border with France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Most of the land is low-lying. You can find hill ranges like the Cotswolds and the Chilterns. The highest point is High Willhays in Devon, which is inside Dartmoor National Park.

Many people live in this part of the country. Nearly 28 million people call the South home. London is the largest city and the capital of the United Kingdom. The London Metropolitan Area has 14.2 million people. This makes it the largest metropolitan area in Europe.

Map of Southern England with settlements and traditional counties
Map of Southern England with settlements and traditional counties

Other large urban areas include South Hampshire, Bristol, and Brighton and Hove. Bristol is the largest city if you do not count London. Hampshire, Kent, and Essex are also very crowded areas.

Different parts of the South have different ways of living. Some areas are known for being very wealthy. For example, the South East has many high-wealth families. Areas like Surrey and Sussex are often seen as very rich. Some places, like the Home Counties, are even called "posh." They are known for beautiful villages and special schools. However, not every place is wealthy. Cornwall is one of the poorest counties. The town of Jaywick in Essex is also a very deprived area.

EWHealthMap
EWHealthMap

The way people speak can tell you where they are from. Most people speak English. In London, many people speak Estuary English. In the South West, people often use West Country English. This is the only rhotic dialect in the South.

EWHealthMap
EWHealthMap

In Cornwall, people use a revived language called Cornish. This language is a big part of their culture. The South is also famous for its old universities. Oxford and Cambridge are very well-known places for learning.

People in the South often feel a strong link to their specific home. A person from Essex might not feel much connection to someone from Oxfordshire. There are also big differences in health. People in the South generally live longer than people in the North.

EWHealthMap
EWHealthMap

This is called life expectancy. However, the gap between the North and South is getting smaller. People also love sports in the South. They enjoy football and rugby. You might hear about a "South Coast derby" between football teams like Portsmouth and Southampton.

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File:Map of Southern England with settlements and traditional counties.png
Map of Southern England with settlements...
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EWHealthMap.svg
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