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element of the English culture. Tales of centuries ago continue to delight
young and old, some even carrying their own annual festivals with them.
Toponymy. Etymologically England’s name originally comes from
the term “Land of the Angles”, which was translated to Engla Land in Old

English. The Angles were an ancient Germanic (or Saxon) tribe, one of the
few that occupied the region now known as England during the Early Middle
Ages (a period that stretched from about 400 to 1000 of our Common Era, or

CE). This tribe hailed from an area in the Bay of Kiel known as the Angeln
Peninsula. This is situated in the Baltic Sea.
The first time any mention of the name for modern-day England was
used was in the first century of our Common Era. In this instance, Tacitus

/’tæs t s/ (c. AD 56 – after 117 – a senator and a historian of the Roman
Empire) used the Latin word, Anglii. The first time the word “England” was
used in reference to the bottom part of the Great Britain area was in 897 CE.

The first time it was spelt as it is today was in 1538. When used in
conjunction with another term (such as Saxon, representing the ancient
Germanic tribes), this word becomes Anglo- (that is, Anglo-Saxon).

Another name for England is “Albion”, which was originally used to
refer to the entire area of Great Britain. The origin of this term is not clear. It
could be from the Latin word meaning ‘white’ (albus), which would refer to

the iconic White Cliffs of Dover. These are the first sight to greet many
ocean-bound travellers arriving in England for the first time. Alternatively,
there could have been an island called Albiones, since one was mentioned in
Massaliote Periplus, which was a merchant’s handbook in ancient times.

Today, the term Albion is still sometimes used in reference to England in
poems and classic literary works.
Loegria is another name for the country of England. This name is

usually used in a romantic context and refers to the Welsh word “Lloegr”
(pronounced [ i r]) means 'England'), which hails from the legend of
King Arthur.
England’s history is a complex one. Peering into the many names it has

been given and their origins reveal elements of this rich heritage, peeling
away the layers to uncover a land of extraordinary origins.
England’s flag is represented by a red cross set on a white background.

This cross is known as the St George’s Cross and has represented England is
various forms from as far back as the Middle Ages and the Crusades
[kru:’se d] (хрестоносці – a religiously sanctioned series of military

campaigns, which were waged by a large proportion of Western Europe in
their efforts to restore Christianity and reclaim Christian ownership of

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