Southern England

Southern England, also known as the South of England or the South, is the southern part of England. It covers the statistical regions of London, the South East, the South West, and the East. It is bordered by the Midlands to the north and shares a border with Wales to its far north-west. This area is home to nearly 28 million people and spans 23,955 square miles (62,042 km²).

Southern England has cultural, economic, and political differences from the Midlands and the North of England. The South is generally considered wealthier and more politically influential. Within Southern England, there are many influences that shape geographic and political divisions. These are defined by closeness to the capital, Greater London. The surrounding Home Counties, East Anglia, and the West Country are also part of this region.

Greater London is the most populous county in Southern England, followed by Hampshire, Kent, and Essex. Bristol is the largest city in the South excluding London.

Definitions

The UK government does not consider Southern England as one group, but the Office for National Statistics splits the UK into twelve regions. In England, the North includes places like the North West, North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber. The Midlands include the West Midlands, East Midlands, and Wales. The rest of England is considered the South.

Most people think the South includes the South East, Greater London, and the South West. Some also think the East of England is part of the South, but not everyone agrees. People living in the North are more likely to include the East of England in the South than people living in the South or Midlands. The Home Counties share some culture with London but feel separate from it.

Geography

Further information: Geography of England

The South of England covers about a quarter of the United Kingdom's land. It has different landscapes: the north-east has fenlands, the south has downlands and a coastal plain, and the west follows the River Thames to the Bristol Channel and a peninsula.

This area borders Wales and the English Midlands on land, and it has sea borders with France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The South is mostly flat with some hilly areas like the Cotswolds and the Chilterns. The highest point is High Willhays, which stands at 2,037 feet (621 meters) in Devon, inside Dartmoor National Park.

Largest cities and settlements

London is the biggest city in the South of England and also the capital of the United Kingdom. The area around London has about 14.2 million people, making it the largest city area in Europe.

The table below shows the urban areas in the region with a population of at least 250,000.

Demographics

Wealth and class

See also: North–South divide in England

Southern England is generally wealthier than areas to the north. The South East has many families with high incomes, and London is also very wealthy. Places like Surrey and Sussex are known for being rich, with valuable homes and beautiful villages. The richest area in all of Britain is a part of London called the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

But Southern England also has some poorer areas. For example, Cornwall in the far south-west is one of the poorest parts of England. Some towns, like Jaywick in Essex, are among the least well-off places in the country. Even in wealthy London, there are areas where people don’t have much money.

Language

English

Further information: British English in Southern England

Most people in Southern England speak English. The way people speak can differ depending on where they live. The standard British way of speaking comes from the South. In places like London, Kent, and Essex, many people speak a version called Estuary English. In the south-west, people often speak West Country English, which is different from other areas.

Cornish

Cornish is a special language spoken in Cornwall by some people there. It is important to the history and culture of the Cornish people.

People

People in Southern England often feel more connected to their own county or city than to the idea of “the South” as a whole. For example, someone from Essex might not feel much in common with someone from Oxfordshire. There are also big differences between people living in the south-west and those in the south-east.

Health

The health of people in Southern England is generally better than in Northern England. People in the South tend to live longer. However, health differences between the North and South are getting smaller over time. Some richer towns in the North now have longer average lifespans than some poorer areas in the South.

Education

The South of England is home to some very famous universities. Two of the oldest are Oxford and Cambridge. There are also many important universities like Imperial College London, University of Exeter, and the London School of Economics.

Sport

Football

The South Coast Derby describes football matches mainly between Portsmouth Football Club and Southampton Football Club. When Portsmouth is not in top-level football, AFC Bournemouth and Brighton and Hove Albion join the Premier League, and some media call their games a South Coast derby too.

Other big rival matches in Southern England include West Country derbies and London derbies.

Rugby

See also: History of rugby union

Rugby union is the main type of rugby played in the south, with a smaller presence of rugby league. One of the biggest rival matches is the West Country derby between Bath and Gloucester.

Divisions

Southern England is made up of four main regions and 22 counties. These regions are the East of England, London, South East, and South West.

There are also special groups that help manage different areas. Some places work together, like Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and West of England. Others have their own ways of doing things, such as London and Oxfordshire. There are also names for certain parts of Southern England, like the Home Counties, which are the areas close to London.