East of England

The East of England is a beautiful part of England. It includes six counties: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. This area is special for planning and counting people.

About 6.6 million people live in the East of England. Big towns and cities here include Bedford, Luton, Basildon, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea, Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford, and Cambridge. Peterborough is the largest city.

The northern part, called East Anglia, has its own special culture. The southern part is close to London, and many people travel there for work.

The East of England has some of the lowest land in the United Kingdom. About twenty percent of the area is below sea level. Places like North Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and the Essex Coast are examples. The Fens, a big area of reclaimed marshland, are mostly in North Cambridgeshire.

The East of England has many important businesses and industries. Power for the area is managed by UK Power Networks. There are many big companies in places like Hatfield, Melbourn, and Histon.

The most famous university in the region is the University of Cambridge. There are eight universities in the region, including the University of Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin University, the University of East Anglia, and the University of Essex.

Today, the main football teams from the East of England are Ipswich Town, Norwich City, Watford, and Luton Town. These teams have played in the top league at different times. Other teams include Peterborough United and Cambridge United.

Children's author Dodie Smith lived near the town of Sudbury in Suffolk. Part of her famous book The Hundred and One Dalmatians, which inspired a Disney animated film, happens in the town at St Peter's Church.

Many places in the East of England watch BBC East and ITV Anglia television. These stations are based in Norwich. Some areas close to London, like Luton and southern Essex, get their TV from BBC London and ITV London.

The region has several BBC Local Radio stations, including ones for Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Three Counties Radio which covers Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.