Southern England
Southern England, also known as the South of England or the South, is a sub-national part of England with cultural, economic and political differences from both the Midlands and the North. The Midlands form a dialect chain in a notable north–south divide of England. The sub-national area's official population is nearly 28 million and an area of 62,042 square kilometres (23,955 sq mi): roughly 40% of United Kingdom's population and approximately a quarter of its area.
Southern England
South of England
The South
The South
62,042 km2 (23,955 sq mi)
27,945,000
450/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
22,806,000
5,139,000
Southerner
Influential, geographic and political divisions have created multiple internal identities to the sub-national area of England. The influential division is defined by closeness to the capital; the Greater London itself, the Home Counties and outer areas. The Home Counties identify in a similar way to the neighbouring English Midlands, in this case sharing culture with London and the outer areas yet identifying as separate from each. The geographic split is north-east (fenlands), south (downlands and a coastal plain) and west (following the River Thames to the Bristol channel and a peninsula). The north-east fenlands for example have been affected by the London's expansion; the traditional Cockney dialect's population of London's East End has moved out to the north and east Home Counties with a knock on effect to East Anglia's population. The political divide is the International Territorial Level; the regional level defines the south as London, the South East, the South West and the East[1]
Definitions[edit]
For official purposes, the UK government does not refer to Southern England as a single entity, but the Office for National Statistics divides UK into twelve regions. In England, the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber make up the North ("centre-north"); the West Midlands and East Midlands (as well as Wales) make up the Midlands ("centre-south") and the rest of England make up the South.[1]
Culturally speaking, the majority of people think that the South consists of the South East (92%), Greater London (88%), South West (87%), and to lesser extent the East of England (57%).[2] However, 35% of people surveyed placed the East of England as part of the Midlands. Generally people in the North tend to put the East of England in the South more than people in the South or Midlands.
Education[edit]
The South of England has a number of world-renowned universities, such as the ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and many Russell Group universities, such as Imperial College London, University of Exeter and the London School of Economics.
Sport[edit]
Football[edit]
The South Coast Derby is used to describe football matches played mainly between Portsmouth Football Club and Southampton Football Club.
However, in Portsmouth's absence from top flight football, AFC Bournemouth and Brighton and Hove Albion – based about 30 miles (48 km) and 60 miles (97 km) from Southampton respectively – gained promotion to the Premier League, with some media outlets marketing fixtures against them as a South Coast derby;[10][11][12]
Other major derbies in Southern England are West Country derbies and London derbies.[13][14]
Divisions[edit]
Regions and ceremonial counties[edit]
Southern England consists of four regions and 22 counties: the East of England, London, South East and South West. Ceremonial counties are: