The Early Settlement History of England
England on Dipity.
England's Natural Resources
(Schwartz, 1999)
England's vast supply of natural resources such as coal, iron, copper, and tin lead to its colonization. Conquering nations such as the Celts, Romans, Saxons, Angles, and Vikings fought for the right to mine these resources and dominate surrounding civilizations.
England was first settled in the Bronze Age around 2500 BC by the Beaker people who arrived from Europe. They were skilled at heating metals to make bronze and iron. At about 1500 BC the Celts moved to England in search of tin and other natural resources. They brought iron-smelting techniques with them and used iron to make better weapons and stronger plows, which enabled them to farm more land and grow more food. In 43 AD the Romans gained control of England and brought law and order, better roads and sewage systems, and new crops to grow. The Dark Ages (410-1066 AD) brought more conquerors - the Saxons, Angles, and Vikings. The Middle Ages in England started with William the Conqueror invading in 1066 and continued with a succession of Norman kings on the throne. The quality of life in England improved due to increased trade, the Magna Carta being signed in 1215, and universities such as Oxford being established. The population of England plummeted with the arrival of The Black Death in the summer of 1348. It killed 30% to 50% of the population. More kings and queens followed. Another advance in the quality of life of England's people came with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution started in the 1760s and lured farm and country residents to the large cities in search of better paying jobs. This was also the Factory Age where large cities were full of factories, such as cotton mills, which needed scores of workers. There were many inventions during this time including steam engines and railroads - a fantastic new way to transport people and goods. England continued to grow in both population and world power. In the Victorian Period (1837-1901), under the rule of Queen Victoria, England was the most powerful nation on Earth in military might and economic wealth. It continues to be a powerful and prominent nation today.
Population Data and Analysis from 1911 to 2011
More information on the settlement of England
http://www.historyofengland.net/content/category/1/1/41/
http://www.england.org.za/history.php
(Click on the History tab at the top of the page for a complete history of England.)
http://www.england.org.za/history.php
(Click on the History tab at the top of the page for a complete history of England.)
Population Pyramids
These two population pyramids show a change over time in the ages and amounts of people living in the United Kingdom. In 1950 we can see the post-WW2 baby boom. There were more children under 1 years old at this time than any other age group. We also see a sharp decrease for the 30-34 age group, with a slightly greater decrease on the male side. This is most likely attributed to deaths during WW2. When we fast forward 50 years we can see that our "baby-boomers" are now around 50 years old. We can also see that people are living longer, many into their 80s. There has also been a decline in the amount of children being born over the last 20 years.