Geography of England land area, grasses and rough grazing 36%, other agricultural land 5%, forest and woodland 8%, and urban development 21%. England has two land borders: a border with Scotland that follows the Cheviot Hills and a border with Wales that loosely follows the route of Offa's Dyke. To the west, the Irish Sea separates England from Ireland and the Isle of Man; to the east, the North Sea separates England from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium and to the south, the English Channel separates England from France and the Channel Islands. England boasts one of the largest economies in Europe
North–South divide (England) UK miners' strike (1984–85) polarised public opinion and led to an increase in the divide. The Economist proposed in a 2017 article that the origins of the North-South divide could be traced back to the Norman Conquest, and the Harrying of the North in which William the Conqueror laid waste to many towns and estates in the North. This significantly reduced the wealth of the northern half of the country, laying the foundations for centuries of economic disadvantage. Many Midlands towns and cities appear, at least historically, to have more in common with their northern counterparts than with those in