======England======
=====Location Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Culture & General Knowledge|Country]]
  * **Location:** Island of [[Great Britain]], [[Europe]]
  * **Owner/Residents:** [[Muggles]], [[Wizards]], [[Witches]]; Notable residents include the [[Weasley family]], the [[Black family]], the [[Malfoy family]], [[Harry Potter]], and [[Hermione Granger]].
  * **Key Features:** Seat of the British [[Ministry of Magic]], major magical commercial hub ([[Diagon Alley]]), numerous hidden magical communities, coexists with a large [[Muggle]] population under the [[International Statute of Secrecy]].
=====Description and History=====
England is a country within the [[United Kingdom]] and serves as the primary setting for much of the //Harry Potter// series, outside of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] (which is located in [[Scotland]]). It is home to a thriving, albeit hidden, wizarding population that coexists with the non-magical [[Muggle]] community. The two societies are kept separate by the [[International Statute of Secrecy]], which is enforced by the [[Ministry of Magic]].
The capital city, [[London]], is the epicentre of magical governance and commerce in [[Britain]]. The British [[Ministry of Magic]] is headquartered deep beneath [[Whitehall]], and its existence is known to the incumbent [[Muggle]] [[Prime Minister]]. This arrangement facilitates occasional and necessary communication between the two worlds, particularly during times of crisis.
England was a central theatre for both the [[First Wizarding War]] and the [[Second Wizarding War]]. The rise of [[Lord Voldemort]] brought terror to both the magical and [[Muggle]] populations, with unexplained disasters and deaths often reported in the [[Muggle]] news, such as the collapse of the [[Brockdale Bridge]] and the mysterious hurricane in the [[West Country]]. The country is dotted with significant historical wizarding locations, from small villages with mixed populations like [[Godric's Hollow]] to entirely magical residences like [[The Burrow]] and [[Malfoy Manor]].
=====Role in the Story=====
England's role is foundational to the entire narrative. [[Harry Potter]]'s story begins in [[Surrey]], England, where he spends his childhood with the [[Dursley family]] in [[Little Whinging]]. [[London]] is his gateway into the wizarding world via the [[Leaky Cauldron]] and [[Diagon Alley]], and it is the departure point for the [[Hogwarts Express]] from [[King's Cross Station]].
The country is the base of operations for the main characters and organizations. [[Number 12, Grimmauld Place]] in [[London]] serves as the headquarters for the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. The [[Ministry of Magic]] is the setting for several key events, including [[Harry Potter|Harry's]] disciplinary hearing, the battle in the [[Department of Mysteries]], and its eventual fall to [[Lord Voldemort|Voldemort's]] control.
During their hunt for [[Horcruxes]], [[Harry Potter|Harry]], [[Ron Weasley|Ron]], and [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]] travel across various parts of the English countryside. They visit [[Godric's Hollow]] in the [[West Country]], seek refuge in the [[Forest of Dean]] (on the border of England and Wales), and are captured and taken to [[Malfoy Manor]] in [[Wiltshire]]. The story of [[Lord Voldemort|Voldemort's]] past is also rooted in England, specifically in the village of [[Little Hangleton]], where he was resurrected.
=====Known Areas Within=====
England contains numerous magical and significant non-magical locations.
  * **London**
    * [[Diagon Alley]]: The main commercial street for wizards in [[Britain]].
    * [[Knockturn Alley]]: An alley dedicated to the [[Dark Arts]], adjoining [[Diagon Alley]].
    * [[King's Cross Station]]: The [[Muggle]] station that houses the secret entrance to [[Platform Nine and Three-Quarters]].
    * [[Leaky Cauldron]]: The pub and inn that serves as the entrance to [[Diagon Alley]] from the [[Muggle]] world.
    * [[Ministry of Magic]]: The headquarters of the magical government of [[Britain]].
    * [[Number 12, Grimmauld Place]]: The ancestral home of the [[Black family]] and headquarters of the [[Order of the Phoenix]].
    * [[St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]]: The primary hospital for wizards and witches in [[Britain]].
  * **West Country**
    * [[Godric's Hollow]]: A historic, mixed-community village, the birthplace of [[Godric Gryffindor]] and [[Harry Potter]], and the site of the [[Potter family|Potters']] murder.
    * [[Ottery St. Catchpole]]: A village in [[Devon]] near which [[The Burrow]], the [[Lovegood family|Lovegood]] house, and the [[Fawcett family|Fawcett]] house are located.
    * [[The Burrow]]: The family home of the [[Weasley family]].
    * [[Tinworth]], [[Cornwall]]: The location of [[Shell Cottage]], the home of [[Bill Weasley]] and [[Fleur Delacour]].
    * [[Stoatshead Hill]]: The location of the [[Portkey]] that transported attendees to the 1994 [[Quidditch World Cup]].
  * **Home Counties**
    * [[Little Whinging]], [[Surrey]]: The [[Muggle]] town where [[Harry Potter]] was raised by the [[Dursley family]].
    * [[Number 4, Privet Drive]]: The residence of the [[Dursley family]].
  * **Other Locations**
    * [[Forest of Dean]]: An ancient forest on the border of England and Wales where the trio hid and where Harry found the [[Sword of Gryffindor]].
    * [[Little Hangleton]]: A [[Muggle]] village that was home to the [[Gaunt family|Gaunts]] and the [[Riddle family|Riddles]], and the site of [[Lord Voldemort|Voldemort's]] rebirth.
    * [[Malfoy Manor]], [[Wiltshire]]: The grand country estate of the [[Malfoy family]], which served as a headquarters for [[Death Eaters]] during the [[Second Wizarding War]].
    * [[Spinner's End]]: A street in a rundown [[Muggle]] industrial town where [[Severus Snape]] lived.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * J.K. Rowling's English heritage is a defining influence on the series, shaping its cultural context, humour, and social structures.
  * The films utilized many real-life English locations. [[Leadenhall Market]] in London was used for the exterior of [[Diagon Alley]], and the interior of Australia House was used for [[Gringotts Wizarding Bank]]. The real [[King's Cross Station]] in London features prominently, with a permanent luggage trolley "disappearing" into a wall to commemorate [[Platform Nine and Three-Quarters]]. (film)
  * Claremont Square in Islington, London, was used for the exterior shots of [[Number 12, Grimmauld Place]]. (film)
  * According to Pottermore, the British [[Ministry of Magic]] was formally established in 1707 following the signing of the [[International Statute of Secrecy]], centralizing the magical governance that had previously been handled by the more informal [[Wizards' Council]]. (Pottermore)