England

England is the largest country within the United Kingdom.

During the Roman Empire the area now known as England formed the major part of the Province of Britain. After the Romans left it was settled by Anglo-Saxon tribes, which formed a number of kingdoms. England is considered to have been united as a single Kingdom in 927 by King Æthelstan of Wessex. The Kings of England became Lords of Ireland during the 12th century, and conquered Wales during the 13th Century. The Crown of England was united with that of Scotland on the accession of King James I in 1603.

For many legal purposes England and Wales are treated as a single unit. Since the devolution in the other parts of the United Kingdom, some UK Acts of Parliament now apply to England only.

Homesexuality was punished by law in England from the Buggery Act 1533 and was decriminalised in stages starting with the Sexual Offences Act 1967.