Eastern England stretches from the east coast to the borders of the Midlands. It is governed by 52 local councils. Major settlements include London, Cambridge, Ispwich, Norwich, Northampton and Oxford. With an estimated population of more than 5.8 million, it's the most densely populated part of the UK. Peterborough was the fastest growing settlement outside of London, according to the 2011 census.
Major transport hubs include the ferry ports at Felixstowe and Harwich, the M1 and M11 motorways and the East Coast mainline. London Gateway and Stansted Airports provide alternatives to Heathrow and Gatwick.
The wetlands of the east coast are home to 300,000 geese and waders and most of the country's bitterns. The region is dominated by the Fens, a vast, boggy area of Norfolk around the fifty-square kilometre estuary known as 'The Wash'. Famously, King John lost his treasury when crossing The Wash in 1216.