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( Northern England)
Northern England, the North, the North of England, or (less commonly) the North Country refers to the parts of England north of an ill-defined line. The North is considered by many to be a cultural region with an identity separate from that of the rest of England. The special cultural, political and economic characteristics of "the North" are, however, not universally agreed upon, nor are its geographical limits and stereotypes of the North mask the cultural, physical and historical differences within England's most varied region. Concepts of the North take account of perceived 'Northern' regional accents. Experts on historical dialects categorise as Northern the area north of a line that begins at the Humber estuary, runs up the river Wharfe and across to the River Lume in north Lancashire[1]; however, the linguistic elements that traditionally defined this area, such as use of doon instead of down or substitution of an -ang noise in words that end -ong (e.g. lang instead of long), are now only prevelant in the more northern parts of the region. As speech has changed, there is little consensus on what defines a "Northern" accent or dialect. The areas defined were formerly dominated by heavy industry and mineral extraction and processing; and the characteristically wild, hilly landscape. Historically perceptions of the extent of the North have also been shaped by the region which historically was governed by the medieval Council of the North or that which falls into the ecclesiastical Province of York; or that part of England where has in recent time suffered from the post-industrial effects of low wages and human development indicators. In geographic definitions, the north of England is the area surrounding the Pennines, an upland chain often referred to as "the backbone of England". This region stretches from the Cheviot Hills on the border with Scotland, to the Peak District, and extends to the coast on either side. Although sometimes referred to as mountains, the Pennines are relatively small and are hence often referred to as hills or fells.
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Northern England Subcategories
Northern England Articles
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