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London, London_(European_Parliament_constituency, London,_Ontario, Greater_London, Airports_of_the_London_region, London_GAA, West_End_theatre, London_Records, Bishop_of_London, Charles_E._London_Secondary_School,

lt;/ref> | image_map London (European Parliament constituency).svg | image_blank_emblem | blank_emblem_size 400px | mapsize 180px | map_caption Greater London in the United Kingdom | coordinates_display inline,title | coordinates_region GB | subdivision_type List of sovereign states | subdivision_name United Kingdom | subdivision_type1 Countries of the United Kingdom | subdivision_name1 England | subdivision_type2 Regions of England | subdivision_name2 Greater London | subdivision_type3 Ceremonial counties of England | subdivision_name3 City of London and Greater London | subdivision_type4 Districts of England | subdivision_name4 City of London and London borough | seat_type Headquarters | seat City Hall (London) | parts_type | parts_style | parts1 | leader_title Regional authority | leader_name Greater London Authority | leader_title1 Regional Assemblies in England | leader_name1 London Assembly | leader_title2 Mayor of London | leader_name2 Boris Johnson | leader_title3 Parliament of the United Kingdom lt;br /> - London Assembly
 - European Parliament | leader_name3 List of Parliamentary constituencies in Greater London lt;br /> London Assembly constituencies lt;br /> London (European Parliament constituency) | established_title Settled by Roman Empire | established_date as Roman London circa Anno Domini 43 | area_magnitude 1 E9 | area_total_sq_mi 659 | population_as_of July 2007 est. | population_footnotes | total_type London | population_total 7,556,900 | population_density_km2 4,761 | population_density_sq_mi 12,331 | population_metro 12,300,000 to 13,945,000 | population_urban 8,278,251 | population_blank1_title Demonym | population_blank1 Londoner | population_blank2_title Ethnicity
(June 2007 estimates) | population_blank2 | timezone Greenwich Mean Time | utc_offset 0 | timezone_DST British Summer Time | utc_offset_DST +1 | latd 51 | latm 30 | lats 26 | latNS N | longd 0 | longm 7 | longs 39 | longEW W | elevation_footnotes lt;/ref> | elevation_m 24 | postal_code_type Postcodes in the United Kingdom | postal_code London postal district | area_code 020 and others | website http://www.london.gov.uk/ | footnotes }} London ( is the capital (political) and largest city of England and the United Kingdom (UK). It is Britains most populous and Europe s second most populous metropolitan area A major settlement for two millennia, history of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire who called it Roman London lt;/ref> Londons core, the ancient City of London or the square mile financial district, largely retains its mediaeval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core.lt;/ref> In modern times, the bulk of this conurbation forms the London Regions of England lt;ref name"region">lt;/ref> and the Greater London administrative area,lt;/ref>See also: Independent city#National capitals with its own elected Mayor of London and London Assembly lt;/ref> London is a leading global city the worlds largest financial centre alongside New York City lt;/ref>http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/15/economic-growth-gdp-biz-cx_jz_0715powercities.html "Worlds Most Economically Powerful Cities". Forbes.com]lt;/ref> and has the List of cities by GDP in Europe.lt;/ref> Central London is home to the headquarters of most of the UKs top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100 Index and more than 100 of Europes 500 largest. Londons influence and strengths in the arts education entertainment fashion finance healthcare Mass media politics professional services sports tourism transport and culture in general all contribute to its global position. It is the most visited city in the world.lt;/ref> London hosted the 1908 Summer Olympics and 1948 Summer Olympics and will host the 2012 Summer Olympics lt;/ref> London contains four World Heritage Site : the Tower of London the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew the site comprising the Palace of Westminster Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's, Westminster and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory, Greenwich marks the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and GMT .lt;/ref> London has a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions, and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries.lt;/ref> In July 2007 it had an official population of 7,556,900 within the boundaries of Greater London lt;/ref> making it the Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits in the European Union lt;/ref> The Greater London Urban Area (the second largest in the EU) has a population of 8,278,251.lt;/ref> while the metropolitan area (the largest in the EU) has an estimated total population of between 12 millionlt;/ref> and 14 million.lt;/ref> The London Underground network, administered by Transport for London is the oldest Rapid transit in the world and the most extensive after the Shanghai Metro lt;/ref> London Heathrow Airport is the World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic lt;ref namelondon_007>lt;/ref> and the airspace is the busiest of any urban centre in the world.lt;/ref>

History

Toponomy

File:Thames Panorama, London - June 2009.jpg |altWide river flanked by tall buildings on either side. There are a number of small boats and one large battleship in the centre of the river. The rooftop dome of St Paul's Cathedral is visible in the skyline to the right]] The etymology of London is uncertain.lt;/ref> It is an ancient name and can be found in sources from the 2nd century. It is recorded c. 121 as [[Londinium]] which points to Romano-British origin. The earliest attempted explanation, now disregarded, is attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in [[Historia Regum Britanniae]] This had it that the name as originated from a supposed Lud son of Heli who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerludlt;/ref> From 1899 it was commonly accepted that the name was of Celts origin and meant place belonging to a man called *Londinos this explanation has since been rejected. Richard Coates put forward an explanation in 1998 that it is derived from the pre-Celtic Old European hydronymy *(p)lowonida meaning river too wide to ford, and suggested that this was a name given to the part of the River Thames which flows through London; from this, the settlement gained the Celtic form of its name, *Lowonidonjonlt;/ref> Until 1889 the name officially only applied to the City of London but since then it has also referred to the County of London and now Greater London

Prehistory and antiquity

File:London 1300 Historical Atlas William R Shepherd (died 1934).PNG was still confined within the London Wall ]] Although there is evidence of scattered Britons (historic) settlements in the area, the first major settlement was founded by the Roman Empire in 43 AD.lt;/ref> This lasted for just seventeen years and around 61, the Iceni tribe led by Boudica stormed it, burning it to the ground.lt;/ref> The next, heavily planned incarnation of the city prospered and superseded Colchester as the capital of the Roman Britain of Britannia in 100. At its height during the 2nd century, Roman London had a population of around 60,000. By the 7th century, the Anglo-Saxons had created a new settlement called Anglo-Saxon London over a mile (2 km) upstream from the old Roman city, around what is now Royal Opera House lt;/ref> It is likely that there was a harbour at the mouth of the River Fleet for fishing and trading, and this trading grew, until the city was overcome by the Viking and forced to move east, back to the location of the Roman Londinium in order to use its walls for protection.lt;/ref> Viking attacks continued to increase, until 886 when Alfred the Great recaptured London and made peace with the Danish leader, Guthrum lt;/ref> The original Saxon city of Lundenwic became Ealdwic("old city"), a name surviving to the present day as Aldwych which is in the modern City of Westminster lt;/ref>

Middle Ages

With the collapse of Roman rule in the early 5th century, London was effectively abandoned. However, from the 6th century an Anglo-Saxon settlement known as Anglo-Saxon London developed slightly to the west of the old Roman city, around what is now Covent Garden and Strand, London rising to a likely population of 10-12,000.lt;/ref> In the 9th century London was repeatedly attacked by Vikings leading to a relocation of the city back to the location of Roman Londinium in order to use its walls for protection.lt;/ref> The old site of Lundenwic became known as Ealdwic("old city"), a name surviving to the present day as Aldwych lt;/ref> Following the unification of Kingdom of England in the 10th century London, already the countrys largest city and most important trading centre, became increasingly important as a political centre, although it still faced competition from Winchester the traditional centre of the kingdom of Wessex File:Westminster Abbey by Canaletto, 1749.jpg is one of Londons oldest and most important buildings as seen in this painting (Canaletto, 1749 A.D.) and a World Heritage Site ]] In the 11th century King Edward the Confessor re-founded and rebuilt Westminster Abbey and Westminster a short distance upstream from London became a favoured royal residence. From this point onward Westminster steadily supplanted the City of London itself as a venue for the business of national government.lt;/ref> Following his victory in the Battle of Hastings William the Conqueror was crowned King of England in the newly finished Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066.lt;/ref> William constructed the Tower of London the first of the many Norman castles in England to be rebuilt in stone, in the southeastern corner of the city to intimidate the native inhabitants.lt;/ref> In 1097, William II of England began the building of Westminster Hall close by the abbey of the same name. The hall became the basis of a new Palace of Westminster lt;/ref>lt;/ref> During the 12th century the institutions of central government, which had hitherto accompanied the royal court as it moved around the country, grew in size and sophistication and became increasingly fixed in one place. In most cases this was Westminster, although the royal treasury, having been moved from Winchester, came to rest in the Tower. While the City of Westminster developed into a true capital in governmental terms, its distinct neighbour, the City of London, remained Englands largest city and principal commercial centre and flourished under its own unique administration, the City of London Corporation In 1100 its population was around 18,000; by 1300 it had grown to nearly 100,000.lt;/ref> Disaster struck during the Black Death in the mid-14th century, when London lost nearly a third of its population.HistoryBlack Death |publisherbbc.co.uk |date |accessdate2008-11-03}} Apart from the invasion during the Peasants' Revolt in 1381,lt;/ref> London remained relatively untouched by the various civil wars during the Middle Ages.

Early modern

File:Great Fire London.jpg destroyed many parts of the city in 1666.]] During the Tudor period the English Reformation produced a gradual shift to Protestantism with much of London passing from church to private ownership.Nikolaus Pevsner London I: The Cities of London and Westminsterrev. edition,1962, Introduction p 48. Mercantilism grew and monopoly trading companies such as the British East India Company were established, with trade expanding to the New World London became the principal North Sea port, with migrants arriving from England and abroad. The population rose from an estimated 50,000 in 1530 to about 225,000 in 1605. In the 16th century William Shakespeare and his contemporaries lived in London at a time of hostility to the development of the Elizabethan theatre By the end of the Tudor period in 1603, London was still very compact. There was an assassination attempt on James I of England in Westminster, through the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November 1605.lt;/ref> London was Bubonic plague by disease in the early 17th century,lt;/ref> culminating in the Great Plague of London of 1665–1666, which killed up to 100,000 people, or a fifth of the population.http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/plague/story.html Story of the plague]. Channel 4. The Great Fire of London broke out in 1666 in Pudding Lane in the city and quickly swept through the wooden buildings.lt;/ref> Rebuilding took over ten years and was supervised by Robert Hooke lt;ref namelondon_026>lt;/ref>lt;/ref>lt;/ref> as Surveyor of London.The curious life of Robert Hooke, the man who measured London by Lisa Jardine In 1708 Christopher Wren s masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral was completed. During the Georgian era new districts such as Mayfair were formed in the west; and new bridges over the Thames encouraged development in South London In the east, the Port of London expanded downstream. In 1762 George III of Great Britain acquired Buckingham Palace and it was enlarged over the next 75 years. During the 18th century, London was dogged by crime and the Bow Street Runners were established in 1750 as a professional police force."http://www.pbs.org/kqed/demonbarber/madding/thieftaker.html Thief Taker, Constable, Police]". Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). In total, more than 200 offenses were punishable by death,"http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8181192.stm Rough justice – Victorian style]". BBC News. August 3, 2009. and women and children were hanged for petty theft.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,894775,00.html National Affairs: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: A FADING PRACTICE]. TIME March 21, 1960. Over 74% of children born in London died before they were five.http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/foundling_01.shtml BBC – History – The Foundling Hospital]. Published: 2001-05-01. The coffee house became a popular place to debate ideas, with growing literacy and the development of the printing press making news widely available; and Fleet Street became the centre of the British press.

lt;/ref>}}

Late modern and contemporary

File:LondonBombedWWII full.jpg of World War II.]] London was the worlds largest city from about 1831 to 1925.lt;/ref> Londons overcrowded conditions led to cholera epidemics,"http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/themes/publichealth/cholera.aspx Hidden extras: cholera comes to Victorian London]". Science Museum. claiming 14,000 lives in 1848, and 6,000 in 1866."http://www.uncp.edu/home/rwb/london_19c.html London in the Nineteenth Century]". The University of North Carolina and Pembroke. Rising traffic congestion led to the creation of the worlds first local urban rail network. The Metropolitan Board of Works oversaw infrastructure expansion. It was replaced in 1889 by the London County Council Londons first elected city-wide administration. The Blitz and other bombing by the German [[Luftwaffe]]during World War II killed over 30,000 Londoners and destroyed large tracts of housing and other buildings across London. Immediately after the war, the 1948 Summer Olympics were held at the original Wembley Stadium (1923) at a time when the city had barely recovered from the war. In 1951 the Festival of Britain was held on the South Bank The Great Smog of 1952 led to the Clean Air Act 1956 which ended the "pea soup fog fogs for which London had been notorious. From the 1950s onwards, London became home to a large number of immigrants, largely from Commonwealth of Nations countries such as Jamaica India, Bangladesh and Pakistan making London one of the most diverse cities in Europe. Starting in the mid-1960s, London became a centre for the worldwide youth culture exemplified by the Swinging London subculture associated with Carnaby Street The role of trendsetter was revived during the punk rock era. In 1965 Londons political boundaries were expanded to take into account the growth of the urban area and a new Greater London Council was created. During The Troubles in Northern Ireland London was subjected to terrorism attacks by the Provisional IRA Racial inequality was highlighted by the 1981 Brixton riot Greater Londons population declined steadily in the decades after World War II from an estimated peak of 8.6 million in 1939 to around 6.8 million in the 1980s. The principal ports for London moved downstream to Port of Felixstowe and Port of Tilbury with the London Docklands area becoming a focus for regeneration. The Thames Barrier was completed in the 1980s to protect London against tidal surges from the North Sea The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986, which left London as the only large metropolis in the world without a central administration. In 2000, London-wide government was restored, with the creation of the Greater London Authority To celebrate the start of the 21st century, the Millennium Dome London Eye and Millennium Bridge (London) were constructed. On 7 July 2005, several London Underground trains and a bus were bombed in a 7 July 2005 London bombings lt;/ref>

Governance

Local government

File:CityHallLondon2007.JPG is based in City Hall (London) Southwark|alt]] File:London plan sub regions 2008 copy.png The administration of London is formed of two tiers—a city-wide, strategic tier and a local tier. City-wide administration is coordinated by the Greater London Authority (GLA), while local administration is carried out by 33 smaller authorities.lt;/ref> The GLA consists of two elected components; the Mayor of London who has executive powers, and the London Assembly who scrutinise the mayors decisions and can accept or reject his budget proposals each year. The headquarters of the GLA is City Hall (London) Southwark the current mayor is Boris Johnson The mayors statutory planning strategy is published as the London Plan which as of mid-2009 is being revised, for final publication in 2011. The local authorities are the councils of the 32 London borough and the City of London Corporation lt;/ref> They are responsible for most local services, such as local planning, schools, social work local roads and refuse collection. Certain functions, such as Waste disposal authorities in London are provided through joint arrangements. Police in Greater London, with the exception of the City of London is provided by the Metropolitan Police Service overseen by the Metropolitan Police Authority The City of London has its own police force – the City of London Police lt;/ref> The British Transport Police are responsible for police services on National Rail and London Underground services in the capital.lt;/ref> The London Fire Brigade is the statute Fire service in the UK for Greater London. It is run by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and is the third-largest fire service in the world.lt;/ref> National Health Service Emergency medical services are provided by the London Ambulance Service the largest free at the point of use emergency ambulance service in the world.lt;/ref> Her Majesty's Coastguard and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution operate on the River Thames lt;/ref>lt;/ref>

National government

London is an important city because the Government of the United Kingdom is located around the Palace of Westminster Many government departments are located close to Parliament, particularly along Whitehall including the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom residence at 10 Downing Street lt;/ref> The British Parliament is often referred to as the "Mother of Parliaments" (although this [[sobriquet]]was first applied to England itself by John Bright lt;/ref> because it has been the model for most other parliamentary system , and its Acts have created many other parliaments.

Geography

Scope

File:Central London Andh.svg Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London. The small, ancient City of London at its core once contained the whole settlement, but as the urban area grew the Corporation of the City of London resisted attempts to amalgamate it with its suburbs, causing "London" to be defined in a number ways for different purposes; and the situation was once open to legal debate.lt;/ref> Forty percent of Greater London is covered by the London postal district post town, within which LONDON forms part of postal addresses.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> The London telephone area code (020) covers a larger area, similar in size to Greater London, although some outer districts are omitted and some places just outside are included. The area within the orbital M25 motorway is normally what is referred to as London.lt;/ref> and the Greater London boundary has been List of Greater London boundary changes in places.lt;/ref> Outward urban expansion is now prevented by a Green belt (UK) lt;/ref> although the built-up area extends beyond the boundary in places, resulting in a separately defined Greater London Urban Area Beyond this is the vast London commuter belt lt;/ref> Greater London is split for some purposes into Inner London and Outer London lt;/ref> The city is split by the River Thames into North London and South London with an informal Central London area in its interior. The coordinates of the nominal centre of London, traditionally considered to be the original Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross near the junction of Trafalgar Square and Whitehall are approximately lt;/ref>

Status

Within London, both the City of London and the City of Westminster have City status in the United Kingdom and both the City of London and the remainder of Greater London are the Ceremonial counties of England lt;/ref> The current area of Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England#Greater London has incorporated areas that historic counties of England the counties of Middlesex Kent Surrey Essex and Hertfordshire lt;/ref> Londons status as the capital of England, and later the United Kingdom, has never been granted or confirmed officially—by statute or in written form. Its position was formed through constitutional convention (political custom) making its status as [[de facto]]capital a part of the Constitution of the United Kingdom The capital of England was moved to London from Winchester as the Palace of Westminster developed in the 12th and 13th centuries to become the permanent location of the Noble court and thus the political capital of the nation.lt;/ref> More recently, Greater London has been defined as a Regions of England and in this context known as London

Topography

File:London SPOT 1005.jpg alt]] Greater London covers an area of an area which had a population of 7,172,036 in 2001 and a population density of 4,542 people per square kilometre. A larger area, referred to as the London Metropolitan Region or the London Metropolitan Agglomeration covers an area of has a population of 12,653,500 and a population density of 1,510 people per square kilometre.lt;/ref> Modern London stands athwart the River Thames its primary geographical feature, a navigable river which crosses the city from the south-west to the east. The Thames Valley is a floodplain surrounded by gently rolling hills including Parliament Hill, London Addington Hills and Primrose Hill The Thames was once a much broader, shallower river with extensive marshland ; at high tide, its shores reached five times their present width.lt;/ref> Since the Victorian era the Thames has been extensively Thames Embankment and many of its London tributary now flow Subterranean rivers of London The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding.lt;/ref> The threat has increased over time due to a slow but continuous rise in Tide level by the slow tilting of Britain (up in the north and down in the south) caused by post-glacier isostatic rebound lt;/ref> In 1974, a decade of work began on the construction of the Thames Barrier across the Thames at Woolwich to deal with this threat. While the barrier is expected to function as designed until roughly 2070, concepts for its future enlargement or redesign are already being discussed.lt;/ref>

Climate

London has a temperate Oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb, like much of the British Isles, so the city rarely sees extremely high or low temperatures. Summers are warm with a July high of and low of But temperatures can exceed on many days, and in almost every year they exceed on some days. The highest temperature ever recorded was lt;/ref> on 10 August 2003 during the 2003 European heat wave Winters in London are chilly, but rarely below freezing (although in recent years this has been questionable) with daytime highs around amp;nbsp;– while spring has mild days and cool evenings. The lowest ever recorded temperature was in January 1795. Autumn is usually mild but often unsettled as colder air from the arctic and warmer air from the tropics meet. London is a relatively dry city with regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year, with an average of every year. This is lower than many cities such as New York City Paris Sydney and around the same as San Francisco and even Jerusalem London receives an average of only 1461 hours of sunshine every year. Snow is relatively uncommon, particularly because urban heat island can make London up to 5 °C (9 °F) warmer than the surrounding areas in winter. Some snowfall, however, is usually seen up to a few times a year. The February 2009 Great Britain and Ireland snowfall was the heaviest London had seen for 18 years. London is in United States Department of Agriculture Hardiness zone 9, and Hardiness zone Dead link|dateJuly 2009}} Although extreme weather does not happen very often, deep depressions have been known to pass through like the Great Storm of 1987 Tornado are rare, but the Kensal Green area of the city was hit by the 2006 London tornado causing £10 million of damage and injuring 6 people. In the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, London was noted for its dense fogs and smogs. Following the deadly Great Smog of 1952 the Clean Air Act 1956 was passed, leading to the decline of such severe pollution in the capital.lt;/ref> In 2010, the City of London was ranked as one of the most polluted places in Europe.lt;/ref>

Districts

| class"toccolours" style"float:right; font-size:80%; margin-left:10px;" |+ The City of London and the 32 London boroughs lt;/big> | style"padding-right:1em;" |

1. City of London lt;/li>
2. City of Westminster lt;/li>
3. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea lt;/li>
4. London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham lt;/li>
5. London Borough of Wandsworth lt;/li>
6. London Borough of Lambeth lt;/li>
7. London Borough of Southwark lt;/li>
8. London Borough of Tower Hamlets lt;/li>
9. London Borough of Hackney lt;/li>
10. London Borough of Islington lt;/li>
11. London Borough of Camden lt;/li>
12. London Borough of Brent lt;/li>
13. London Borough of Ealing lt;/li>
14. London Borough of Hounslow lt;/li>
15. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames lt;/li>
16. Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames lt;/li>
17. London Borough of Merton lt;/li>

| style"background:white; padding:0 1em;" class"toccolours"| |

1. London Borough of Sutton lt;/li>
2. London Borough of Croydon lt;/li>
3. London Borough of Bromley lt;/li>
4. London Borough of Lewisham lt;/li>
5. London Borough of Greenwich lt;/li>
6. London Borough of Bexley lt;/li>
7. London Borough of Havering lt;/li>
8. London Borough of Barking and Dagenham lt;/li>
9. London Borough of Redbridge lt;/li>
10. London Borough of Newham lt;/li>
11. London Borough of Waltham Forest lt;/li>
12. London Borough of Haringey lt;/li>
13. London Borough of Enfield lt;/li>
14. London Borough of Barnet lt;/li>
15. London Borough of Harrow lt;/li>
16. London Borough of Hillingdon lt;/li>

|} Londons vast urban area is often described using a set of district names, such as Bloomsbury Mayfair Wembley and Whitechapel These are either informal designations, reflect the names of villages that have been absorbed by sprawl, or are superseded administrative units such as parishes or Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London Such names have remained in use through tradition, each referring to a local area with its own distinctive character, but without current official boundaries. Since 1965 Greater London has been divided into 32 London borough in addition to the ancient City of London.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> The City of London is the main financial districtlt;/ref> and Canary Wharf has recently developed into a new financial and commercial hub, in the London Docklands to the east. The West End of London is Londons main entertainment and shopping district, attracting tourists.lt;/ref> West (London sub region) includes expensive residential areas where properties can sell for tens of millions of pounds.lt;/ref> The average price for properties in Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is £894,000 with similar average outlay in most of Central London lt;/ref> The East End of London is the area closest to the original Port of London known for its high immigrant population, as well as for being one of the poorest areas in London.lt;/ref> The surrounding North East (London sub region) area saw much of Londons early industrial development; now, brownfield land sites throughout the area are being redeveloped as part of the Thames Gateway including the London Riverside and Lower Lea Valley which is being developed into the Olympic Park, London for the London 2012 Olympic bid

Architecture

File:Shard London Bridge Complete.jpg File:30 St Mary Axe - The Gherkin from Leadenhall St - Nov 2006.jpg Londons buildings are too diverse to be characterised by any particular architectural style, having been built over a long period of time. Notable recent buildings are the 1980s skyscraper Tower 42 the Lloyd's building with services running along the outside of the structure, and the 2004 30 St Mary Axe known as "the Gherkin" Londons generally low-rise nature makes these skyscrapers and others such as One Canada Square and its neighbours at Canary Wharf and the BT Tower in Fitzrovia very noticeable from a distance. High-rise development is restricted at certain sites if it would obstruct protected views of St. Paul's Cathedral Nevertheless, there are plans for more skyscrapers in Central London (see [[Tall buildings in London]]) including the 72-storey Shard London Bridge which will be one of the tallest buildings in Europe. Development temporarily stalled as a result of the recent financial crisis, but is reported to be recovering.lt;/ref> Older buildings are mainly brick built, most commonly the yellow London stock brick or a warm orange-red variety, often decorated with carvings and white plaster molding (decorative) lt;/ref> Many grand houses and public buildings, such as the National Gallery, London are constructed from Portland stone Some areas of the city, particularly those just west of the centre, are characterised by white stucco or whitewashed buildings. Few structures pre-date the Great Fire of London of 1666, except for a few trace Ancient Rome remains, the Tower of London and a few scattered Tudor style architecture survivors in the City. Christopher Wren s late 17th century churches and the financial institutions of the 18th and 19th centuries such as the Royal Exchange (London) and the Bank of England to the early 20th century Old Bailey and the 1960s Barbican Estate form part of the varied architectural heritage. File:Buckingham Palace and Victoria Monument - September 2006.jpg is the official residence of the British monarch|alt]] The disused, but soon to be rejuvenated, 1939 Battersea Power Station by the river in the southwest is a local landmark, while some railway termini are excellent examples of Victorian architecture most notably St Pancras railway station and Paddington railway station lt;/ref> The density of London varies, with high employment density in the Central London high residential densities in inner London and lower densities in the Outer London In the dense areas, most of the concentration is achieved with medium- and high-rise buildings. Londons skyscraper such as 30 St Mary Axe Tower 42 the Broadgate Tower and One Canada Square are usually found in the two financial districts, the City of London and Canary Wharf Other notable modern buildings include City Hall (London) in Southwark with its distinctive oval shape,lt;/ref> and the British Library in Somers Town, London Kings Cross, London What was formerly the Millennium Dome located by the Thames to the east of Canary Wharf, is now used as an entertainment venue known as The O2 (London) The Monument in the City of London provides views of the surrounding area while commemorating the Great Fire of London which originated nearby. Marble Arch and Wellington Arch at the north and south ends of Park Lane (road) respectively, have royal connections, as do the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall in Kensington Nelson's Column is a nationally recognised monument in Trafalgar Square one of the focal points of the centre.

Parks and gardens

The largest parks in the central area of London are the Royal Parks of London of Hyde Park, London its neighbour Kensington Gardens at the western edge of Central London and Regent's Park on the northern edge.lt;/ref> Regents Park contains London Zoo the worlds oldest scientific zoo, and is located near the tourist attraction of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> File:St James's Park Panorama - Sept 2006.jpg alt]] Closer to central London are the smaller Royal Parks of Green Park and St. James's Park lt;/ref> Hyde Park in particular is popular for London#Sports and sometimes hosts open-air concerts. A number of large parks lie outside the city centre, including the remaining Royal Parks of Greenwich Park to the south-eastlt;/ref> and Bushy Park and Richmond Park to the south-west,lt;/ref>lt;/ref> as well as Victoria Park, East London to the east. Primrose Hill to the north of Regents Park is a popular spot to view the city skyline. Some more informal, semi-natural open spaces also exist, including the Hampstead Heath of North London lt;/ref> This incorporates Kenwood House the former stately home and a popular location in the summer months where classical musical concerts are held by the lake, attracting thousands of people every weekend to enjoy the music, scenery and fireworks.lt;/ref>

Demography

lt;!--- Ref namePop2001 ---> With increasing industrialisation, Londons population grew rapidly throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was for some time in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the most populous city in the world until overtaken by New York in 1925. Its population peaked at 8,615,245 in 1939 immediately before the outbreak of the Second World War There were an estimated 7,556,900 official residents in Greater London as of mid-2007. However, Londons continuous urban area extends beyond the borders of Greater London and was home to 8,278,251 people in 2001, while its wider London metropolitan area has a population of between 12 and 14 million depending on the definition used.lt;/ref> According to Eurostat London is the Largest cities and metropolitan areas in the European Union (Eurostat) and the second Largest European cities and metropolitan areas in Europe (or third if Istanbul is included). During the period 1991–2001 a net 726,000 immigrants arrived in London.lt;/ref> The region covers an area of The population density is lt;/ref> more than ten times that of any other NUTS:UK lt;/ref> In terms of population, London is the 25th List of cities by population and the 18th List of metropolitan areas by population region in the world. It is also ranked 4th in the world in number of billionaires (United States Dollars) residing in the city.lt;/ref> London ranks as one of the most expensive cities in the world, alongside Tokyo and Moscow.lt;/ref>

Ethnic groups

According to the Office for National Statistics based on 2007 estimates, 69.0 per cent of the 7.5 million inhabitants of London were White people with 57.7 per cent White British 2.4 per cent Irish migration to Great Britain and 8.9 per cent classified as Other White (United Kingdom ethnicity category) Some 13.3 per cent are of British Asian descent, with British Indian making up 6.6 per cent of Londons population, followed by British Pakistanis and British Bangladeshi at 2.4 per cent and 2.3 per cent respectively. 2.0 per cent are categorised as "Other Asian". 10.6 per cent of Londons population are Black British with around 5.5 per cent being Black British 4.3 per cent as British African-Caribbean community and 0.8 per cent as "Other Black". 3.5 per cent of Londoners are of Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category) 1.5 per cent are British Chinese and 2.0 per cent belong to Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom lt;/ref> As of 2008, 40% of Londons total population was from an ethnic minority group.http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/media/pressreleases/2008Jantodate/PressReleaseLondonsblackandminoritycommunitieshelpedtohaveagreatervoicebyLondonCou.htm London’s black and minority communities helped to have a greater voice]. londoncouncils.gov.uk Across London, Black British and British Asian children outnumber White British children by about six to four in state schools.lt;/ref> In January 2005, a survey of Londons ethnic and religious diversity claimed that there were more than 300 languages spoken and more than 50 non-indigenous communities which have a population of more than 10,000 in London.lt;/ref> Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that, as of 2006, Londons foreign-born population is 2,288,000 (31%), up from 1,630,000 in 1997.lt;/ref> The 2001 census showed that 27.1% of Greater London s population were born outside the UK, and a slightly higher proportion were classed as non-white.lt;/ref> The table to the right shows the Country of Birth of London residents in 2001, the date of the last UK Census (Top 21). A portion of the German-born population are likely to be British nationals born to parents serving in the British Armed Forces in Germany.lt;/ref>

Religion

File:St Pauls aerial.jpg ] }} The majority of Londoners – 58.2% – identify themselves as Christian (word) lt;/ref> This is followed by those of Irreligion (15.8%), Islam (8.5%), Hinduism (4.1%), Judaism (2.1%), Sikhism (1.5%), Buddhism (0.8%), Pagans/Wiccans (0.3%) and other (0.2%), though 8.7% of people did not answer this question in the 2001 Census. London has traditionally been Christian, and has a List of churches in London particularly in the City of London. The well-known St Paul's Cathedral in the City and Southwark Cathedral south of the river are Anglicanism administrative centres,Dead link|dateJuly 2009}} while the Archbishop of Canterbury principal bishop of the Church of England and worldwide Anglican Communion has his main residence at Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth lt;/ref> Important national and royal ceremonies are shared between St Pauls and Westminster Abbey.lt;/ref> The Abbey is not to be confused with nearby Westminster Cathedral which is the largest Roman Catholic cathedral in England and Wales lt;/ref> Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, observance is very low within the Anglican denomination. Church attendance continues on a long, slow, steady decline, according to Church of England statistics.lt;/ref> File:Baitul Futuh.jpg in London, the largest mosque in Northern Europe lt;ref>lt;/ref>]] London is also home to sizeable Muslim Hindu Sikh and Jewish communities. Many Muslims live in London Borough of Tower Hamlets and London Borough of Newham the most important Muslim edifice is London Central Mosque on the edge of Regent's Park lt;/ref> Following the oil boom, increasing numbers of wealthy Middle-East rn Muslims have based themselves around Mayfair and Knightsbridge in west London.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> London is home to the largest mosque in western Europe, the Baitul Futuh Mosque, of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Londons large Hindu community is found in the north-western boroughs of London Borough of Harrow and London Borough of Brent the latter of which is home to one of Europes largest Hindu temple , Neasden Temple lt;/ref> Sikh communities are located in East and West London, which is also home to the largest Sikh temple in the world outside India.lt;/ref> The majority of British Jews live in London, with significant Jewish communities in Stamford Hill Stanmore Golders Green Hampstead Hendon and Edgware in North London Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue has the largest membership of any single Orthodox synagogue in the whole of Europe, overtaking Ilford synagogue (also in London) in 1998.lt;/ref> The community set up the London Jewish Forum in 2007 in response to the growing significance of devolved London Government.lt;/ref>

Economy

File:Londres 353..jpg is the worlds largest financial centre alongside New York City.]] London generates approximately 20% of Economy of the United Kingdom lt;ref name"Londons place in economy">lt;/ref> (or $446 billion in 2005); while the economy of the London metropolitan area List of cities by GDP#Europe, Western generates approximately 30% of the UKs GDP (or an estimated $669 billion in 2005).Dead link|dateJuly 2009}} London is one of the pre-eminent financial centres of the world and vies with New York City as the most important location for international finance.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> Londons largest industry is finance and its financial export make it a large contributor to the UKs balance of payments Around 325,000 people were employed in financial services in London until mid-2007. London has over 480 overseas banks, more than any other city in the world. Due to its prominent global role, Londons economy has been affected by the global financial crisis of 2008–2009 The City of London estimates that 70,000 jobs in finance will be cut within a year.lt;/ref> File:Cabot Square, Canary Wharf - June 2008.jpg is the home to some of the United Kingdoms tallest buildings|alt]] More than half of the UKs top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100 and over 100 of Europes 500 largest companies are headquartered in Central London. Over 70% of the FTSE 100 are located within Londons metropolitan area, and 75% of Fortune 500 companies have offices in London.lt;/ref> The City of London is home to the Bank of England London Stock Exchange and Lloyds of London insurance market. Along with professional services media companies are Media in London and the media distribution industry is Londons second most competitive sector.lt;/ref> The British Broadcasting Corporation is a significant employer, while other broadcasters also have headquarters around the City. Many List of newspapers in the United Kingdom are edited in London. Tourism in London s prime industries and employs the equivalent of 350,000 full-time workers in London in 2003,lt;/ref> while annual expenditure by tourists is around £15 billion.", Visit London. Retrieved on 3 June 2006. London attracts almost 15 million international visitors per year, making it the worlds second most visited citylt;/ref> after Paris.lt;/ref> London attracts 27 million overnight-stay visitors every year."1.15 Mebibyte lt;!-- application/pdf, 1207545 bytes -->}}", Visit London. Retrieved on 3 June 2006. The Port of London is the second-largest in the United Kingdom, handling 53 million tonne of cargo each year.lt;/ref>

Transport

File:Central line - Bethnal Green.ogg oldest and largest metro system in the world,Wolmar 2004, p. 18. known as The Tube, because of the shape of the tunnels|altRed train emerges from a circular brick tunnel opening. The tunnel appears only a little larger that the train and is shaped like a tube|alt]] Transport is one of the four main areas of policy administered by the Mayor of London,lt;/ref> however the mayors financial control does not extend to the longer distance rail network that enters London. In 2007 he assumed responsibility for some local lines, which now form the London Overground network, adding to the existing responsibility for the London Underground, trams and buses. The public transport network is administered by Transport for London (TfL) and is one of the most extensive in the world. Cycling in London is an increasingly popular way to get around London. The London Cycling Campaign lobbies for better provision.lt;/ref> The lines that formed the London Underground, as well as trams and buses, became part of an integrated transport system in 1933 when the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) or [[London Transport (brand)|London Transport]]was created. Transport for London (TfL), is now the statutory corporation responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London, and is run by a board and a commissioner appointed by the Mayor of London lt;/ref>

Railways

File:Eurostar at St Pancras Jan 2008.jpg is served by direct high speed train to European destinations such as Paris and Brussels|altGlass atrium entrance extends from a station building which extends out of sight to the left and right. The atrium is decorated with the words "St Pancras" on two visible sides near to the roof, which overhangs the building|alt]] The London Underground amp;nbsp;— all of which is now commonly referred to as the Tube, though originally this designation referred only to the deep-level lines, as distinct from the sub-surface lines — is the oldest,lt;/ref> and second longest rapid transit system in the world, dating from 1863. The system serves 270 metro station lt;ref name"facts">lt;/ref> and was formed from several private companies, including the worlds first underground electric line, the City and South London Railway lt;/ref> Over three million journeys a day are made on the Underground network, over 1 billion journeys each year.lt;/ref>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/7103.aspx] Tube breaks record for passenger numbers An investment programme is attempting to address congestion and reliability problems, including £7 billion (€10 billion) of improvements planned for the 2012 Summer Olympics lt;/ref> London has been commended as the city with the best public transport.lt;/ref> The Docklands Light Railway which opened in 1987, is a second, more local metro system using smaller and lighter tram-type vehicles serving London Docklands and Greenwich There is an extensive above-ground suburban railway network, particularly in South London, which has fewer Underground lines. London houses Britains busiest station – Waterloo station with over 184 millon people using the interchange station complex (which includes London Waterloo East railway station station) each year. The stations have services to South East & South West London, and also parts of South East England and South West England lt;/ref>lt;/ref> Most rail lines terminate around the centre of London, running into London railway station with the exception of the Thameslink trains connecting Bedford in the north and Brighton in the south via Luton Airport and London Gatwick Airport Airports.lt;/ref> Since 2007 High-speed Eurostar trains link St Pancras railway station with Lille Paris, and Brussels Journey times to Paris and Brussels of 2h 15 and 1h 51 respectively make London closer to continental Europe than the rest of Britain by virtue of the High Speed 1 rail link to the Channel Tunnel lt;ref namelondon_128>lt;/ref> while the first Southeastern (train operating company) trains started in June 2009 linking Kent to London.lt;/ref>

Buses and trams

File:Routemaster bus alongside new bus.jpg is an iconic symbol of London]] Londons London buses is one of the largest in the world, running 24 hours a day, with 8,000 buses, 700 bus routes, and over 6 million passenger journeys made every weekday. In 2003, the networks ridership was estimated at over 1.5 billion passenger trips per annum, more than the Underground.lt;/ref> Around £850 million is taken in revenue each year. London has the largest wheelchair accessible network in the worldlt;/ref> and, from the 3rd quarter of 2007, became more accessible to hearing and visually impaired passengers as audio-visual announcements were introduced. The distinctive red double-decker buses are internationally recognised, and are a trademark of London transport along with Hackney carriage and the Tube.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> London has a modern tram network, known as Tramlink based in Croydon in South London The network has 39 stops, three routes and carried 26.5 million people in 2008. Since June 2008 Transport for London has completely owned Tramlink and plans to spend £54m by 2015 on maintenance, renewals, upgrades and capacity enhancements. Since April 2009 all trams have been refurbished.lt;/ref>

Air

File:Heathrow Terminal 5 - Passenger area.jpg is the World's busiest airport for international traffic lt;/ref>|alt]] London is a major international air transport hub with the largest city airspace in the world. Eight airports use the word Londonin their name, but most traffic passes through only five. London Heathrow Airport in London Borough of Hillingdon West London, is the World's busiest airport for international traffic, and is the major hub of the nations flag carrier, British Airways In March 2008 its fifth terminal was opened,lt;/ref> and plans are already being considered for a sixth terminal.lt;/ref> Similar traffic, with the addition of some Low-cost carrier short-haul flights, is also handled at London Gatwick Airport located south of London in West Sussex lt;/ref> London Stansted Airport situated north east of London in Essex is the main UK hub for Ryanair and London Luton Airport to the north of London in Bedfordshire caters mostly for low-cost short-haul flights.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> London City Airport the smallest and most central airport, is focused on business travellers, with a mixture of full service short-haul scheduled flights and considerable business jet traffic.lt;/ref>

Roads

File:Buses at Piccadilly Circus.jpg Although the majority of journeys involving Central London are made by public transport car travel is common in the suburbs. The London Inner Ring Road (around the city centre), the A406 road and A205 road roads (in the suburbs), and the outer orbital motorway (the M25 motorway outside the built-up area) encircle the city and are intersected by a number of busy radial routes—but very few motorways penetrate into inner London The M25 is the longest ring-road motorway in the world at long.lt;/ref> A plan for a comprehensive network of motorways throughout the city (the London Ringways was prepared in the 1960s but was mostly cancelled in the early 1970s. In 2003, a London congestion charge was introduced to reduce traffic volumes in the city centre. With a few exceptions, motorists are required to pay £8 per day to drive within a defined zone encompassing much of congested Central London.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> Motorists who are residents of the defined zone can buy a vastly reduced season pass which is renewed monthly and is cheaper than a corresponding bus fare.lt;/ref> London is notorious for its traffic congestion, with the M25 motorway the busiest stretch in the country. The average speed of a car in the rush hour is 10.6 mph.lt;/ref>

Education

File:UCL Portico Building.jpg is part of the University of London alt]] File:Strand102.jpg is a famous London university|alt]] London is a major centre of higher education teaching and research and its 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe lt;/ref> In 2008/09 it had a higher education student population of around 412,000 (approximately 17% of the UK total), of whom around 287,000 were registered for undergraduate degrees and 118,000 were studying at postgraduate level.lt;/ref> In 2008/09 there were around 97,150 international students in London, approximately 25% of all international students in the UK. A number of world-leading education institutions are based in London. In the 2009 [[Times Higher Education]]world university rankings, University College London was ranked 4th, Imperial College London 5th and King's College London 23rd in the world.lt;!-- reconfirmed on 2009-11-30, former accessdate2008-09-10 --> The London School of Economics has been described as the worlds leading social science institution for both teaching and research.lt;/ref> The London Business School is considered one of the worlds leading business schools and in 2010 its MBA programme was ranked best in the world by the [[Financial Times]]lt;/ref> With 125,000 students, the federal University of London is the largest contact teaching university in the United Kingdom and Europe.lt;/ref> It includes four large multi-faculty universities - King's College London Queen Mary, University of London Royal Holloway lt;/ref> and University College London - and a number of smaller and more specialised institutions including Birkbeck College the Courtauld Institute of Art Goldsmiths, University of London Guildhall School of Music and Drama the Institute of Education lt;/ref> the London Business School the London School of Economics lt;/ref> the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine the Royal Academy of Music lt;/ref> the Royal Veterinary College London School of Pharmacy lt;ref namelondon_224>lt;/ref> and School of Oriental and African Studies lt;/ref> Members of the University of London have their own University and college admissions procedures, and some award their own degrees. There are a number of universities in London which are outside of the University of London system, including Brunel University City University London Imperial College London Kingston University London Metropolitan University (with over 34,000 students, the largest unitary university in London),http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/library/o90402_3.pdf About London Met] London Metropolitan University, August 2008 London South Bank University Middlesex University Thames Valley University University of the Arts London (the largest university of art, design, fashion, communication and the performing arts in Europe),lt;/ref> University of East London and University of Westminster In addition there are three international universities in London - Regent's College Richmond University and Schiller International University London is home to United Hospitals - Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry (part of Queen Mary, University of London , King's College London School of Medicine and Dentistry Imperial College School of Medicine UCL Medical School and St George's, University of London - and has a large number of affiliated teaching hospitals. There are a number of business schools in London, including Cass Business School (part of City University London , ESCP Europe European Business School London Imperial College Business School and the London Business School London is also home to many specialist arts education institutions, including the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts the London Contemporary Dance School Royal Academy of Dramatic Art the Royal College of Art the Royal College of Music and Trinity Laban The majority of primary and secondary schools in London are state schools and are controlled by the London Boroughs although there are also a number of private schools in London, including old and famous schools such as the City of London School Harrow School St Paul's School (London) University College School and Westminster School

Culture

Accent

The London accent long ago acquired the Cockney label, and was similar to many accents of the South East of England of which Cockney rhyming slang is a part. The accent of a 21st century Londoner varies widely; what is becoming more and more common amongst the under 30s however is some fusion of Cockney, Received Pronunciation and a whole array of ethnic accents, in particular Caribbean, which form an accent labelled Jafaican (MLE).lt;/ref>

Leisure and entertainment

File:Queen's Theatre by Day.jpg district|alt]] Within the City of Westminster the entertainment district of the West End of London has its focus around Leicester Square where London and world film premieres are held, and Piccadilly Circus with its giant electronic advertisements.lt;/ref> Londons Theatreland district is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the citys Chinatown, London district (in Soho , and just to the east is Royal Opera House an area housing specialty shop The United Kingdoms Royal Ballet English National Ballet Royal Opera, London and English National Opera are based in London and perform at the Royal Opera House the London Coliseum Sadler's Wells Theatre and the Royal Albert Hall as well as touring the country.lt;/ref> Islington s long Upper Street, extending northwards from Angel, Islington has more bars and restaurants than any other street in the UK.lt;/ref> Europes busiest shopping area is Oxford Street a shopping street nearly long—which makes it the longest shopping street in the UK and home to many shops and department store including Selfridges Dead link|dateJuly 2009}} Knightsbridge home to the Harrods department store lies just to the southwest. London is home to designers Vivienne Westwood John Galliano Stella McCartney Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo among others; its renowned art and fashion schools make it an international centre of fashion alongside Paris, Milan and New York. London offers a great variety of cuisine as a result of its ethnically diverse population. Gastronomic centres include the Bangladesh restaurants of Brick Lane and the Chinese food restaurants of Chinatown lt;/ref> There are a variety of regular List of annual events in London in the city. The beginning of the year is celebrated with the relatively new New Year's Day Parade fireworks display at the London Eye and the worlds second largest street party the Notting Hill Carnival is held during the late August Bank holiday each year. Traditional parades include Novembers Lord Mayor's Show a centuries-old event celebrating the annual appointment of a new Lord Mayor of the City of London with a procession along the streets of the City, and Junes Trooping the Colour a formal military pageant performed by regiments of the Commonwealth of Nations and British Army armies to celebrate the Queen's Official Birthday lt;/ref>

Literature, film and television

File:Dickens by Watkins detail.jpg (1812–1870)]] London has been the setting for many works of literature. The literary centres of London have traditionally been hilly Hampstead and (since the early 20th century) Bloomsbury Writers closely associated with the city are the diarist Samuel Pepys noted for his eyewitness account of the Great Fire of London Charles Dickens whose representation of a foggy, snowy, grimy London of street sweepers and pickpockets has been a major influence on peoples vision of early Victorian era London, and Virginia Woolf regarded as one of the foremost modernist literature literary figures of the 20th century.lt;/ref> William Shakespeare spent a large part of his life living and working in London; his contemporary Ben Jonson was also based there, and some of his work—most notably his play The Alchemist (play) was set in the city. [[A Journal of the Plague Year]](1722) by Daniel Defoe is a fictionalisation of the events of the 1665 Great Plague of London Later important depictions of London from the 19th and early 20th centuries are Dickens novels, and Arthur Conan Doyle s Sherlock Holmes stories. Modern writers pervasively influenced by the city include Peter Ackroyd author of a "biography" of London, and Iain Sinclair who writes in the genre of psychogeography London was the setting for the films [[Oliver Twist (1948 film)|Oliver Twist]](1948), [[Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan]](1953), [[The Ladykillers]](1955), [[101 Dalmatians (1996 film)|The 101 Dalmatians]](1961), [[Mary Poppins (film)|Mary Poppins]](1964), [[Blowup]](1966), [[The Long Good Friday]](1980), [[Secrets & Lies (film)|Secrets & Lies]](1996), [[Notting Hill (film)|Notting Hill]](1999), [[Match Point]](2005), [[V For Vendetta (film)|V For Vendetta]](2005) and [[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street]](2008). The television soap opera [[EastEnders]] first broadcast in 1985, is also set in the city. London has played a significant role in the film industry, and has major studios at Ealing Studios and a special effect and post-production community centred in Soho Working Title Films has its headquarters in London.lt;/ref>

Museums and art galleries

File:Natural History Museum London Jan 2006.jpg ]] London is List of museums in London galleries, and other institutions, many of which are free of admission charges and are major tourist attraction as well as playing a research role. The first of these to be established was the British Museum in Bloomsbury in 1753. Originally containing antiquities, natural history specimens and the national library, the museum now has 7 million artefacts from around the globe. In 1824 the National Gallery was founded to house the British national collection of Western paintings; this now occupies a prominent position in Trafalgar Square In the latter half of the nineteenth century the locale of South Kensington was developed as "Albertopolis , a cultural and scientific quarter. Three major national museums are located there: the Victoria and Albert Museum (for the applied arts , the Natural History Museum and the London Science Museum The national gallery of British art is at Tate Britain originally established as an annexe of the National Gallery in 1897. The Tate Gallery, as it was formerly known, also became a major centre for modern art; in 2000 this collection moved to Tate Modern a new gallery housed in the former Bankside Power Station

Music

London is one of the major Classical music and popular music capitals of the world and is home to major music corporations, such as EMI as well as countless bands, musicians and industry professionals. London is home to many orchestras and concert halls such as the Barbican Arts Centre (principal base of the London Symphony Orchestra , Cadogan Hall (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Albert Hall (BBC Promenade Concerts . Londons two main opera houses are the Royal Opera House and the Coliseum Theatre London is home to the UKs largest pipe organ at the Royal Albert Hall Other significant instruments are found at the cathedrals and major churches. Several conservatoire are located within the city: Royal Academy of Music Royal College of Music Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Trinity College of Music File:BBC Proms 31.jpg hosts concerts and musical events|alt]] London has numerous venues for rock and pop concerts, including large arenas such as Earls Court Exhibition Centre Wembley Arena and the The O2 arena (London) as well as numerous mid-size venues, such as Brixton Academy Hammersmith Apollo and the Shepherd's Bush Empire London also hosts many music festivals including the O2 Wireless Festival London is home to the first and original Hard Rock Cafe and the Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles recorded many of their hits. In the 1970s and 1980s, musicians like David Bowie Elvis Costello Cat Stevens Ian Dury the Kinks the Rolling Stones the Who Madness (band) the Jam the Small Faces Led Zeppelin Iron Maiden Fleetwood Mac the Police the Cure Squeeze (band) and Sade (band) took the world by storm, deriving their sound from the streets and rhythms vibrating through London.lt;/ref> London was instrumental in the development of punk music lt;/ref> with figures such as the Sex Pistols the Clash and Vivienne Westwood all based in the city. More recent artists to emerge from the London music scene include Bananarama Bush (band) East 17 Siouxie and the Banshees the Spice Girls Jamiroquai the Libertines Babyshambles Bloc Party Coldplay and Amy Winehouse lt;/ref> London is also a centre for urban music. In particular the genres UK garage drum and bass dubstep and grime (music) evolved in the city from the foreign genres of hip hop and reggae alongside local drum and bass Black music station BBC 1Xtra was set up to support the rise of homegrown urban music both in London and the rest of the UK. In the 80s London was the main city in the new wave of British Heavy metal music era which made bands like Iron Maiden and Motörhead famous all around the world.

Sports

File:England mai 2007 040.jpg is home to English football and is the worlds most expensive stadium.lt;/ref>|alt]] London has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice, in 1908 Summer Olympics and 1948 Summer Olympics lt;/ref>lt;/ref> In July 2005 London was chosen to host the Olympic and 2012 Summer Paralympics Games in 2012 Summer Olympics which will make it the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympics three times. London was also the host of the Commonwealth Games in 1934 British Empire Games lt;/ref> Londons most popular sport is association football and it has thirteen The Football League football clubs, including five in the Premier League Arsenal F.C. Chelsea F.C. Fulham F.C. Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and West Ham United F.C. Dead link|dateJuly 2009}} London also has four rugby union teams in the English Premiership (rugby union) (London Irish Saracens F.C. London Wasps and Harlequin F.C. , although only the Harlequins play in London (all the other three now play outside Greater London, although Saracens still play within the M25).lt;/ref> The other professional rugby union team in the city is RFU Championship club London Welsh that plays home matches in the city. The city has other very traditional rugby union clubs, famously London Scottish F.C. Richmond F.C. Rosslyn Park F.C. and Blackheath F.C. There are currently two professional rugby league clubs in London – Harlequins Rugby League who play in the Super League at The Stoop and the Rugby League National Championship 1 side the London Skolars (based in Wood Green London Borough of Haringey . From 1924, the original Wembley Stadium (1923) was the home of the England national football team and served as the venue for the FA Cup FA Cup Final as well as rugby league s Challenge Cup final.lt;/ref> The new Wembley Stadium serves exactly the same purposes and has a capacity of 90,000.lt;/ref> Twickenham Stadium in south-west London is the national rugby union stadium, and has a capacity of 84,000 now that the new south stand has been completed.lt;/ref> Cricket in London is served by two Test cricket grounds Lord's Cricket Ground (home of Middlesex County Cricket Club in St John's Wood lt;ref namelondon_179>lt;/ref> and the Oval (home of Surrey County Cricket Club in Kennington lt;/ref> Lords has hosted four finals of the cricket world cups. One of Londons best-known annual sports competitions is the Wimbledon Championships held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in the south-western suburb of Wimbledon, London lt;/ref> Other key events are the annual mass-participation London Marathon which sees some 35,000 runners attempt a course around the city,lt;/ref> and the The Boat Race on the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake lt;/ref>

Twin cities

There are 46 other places on six continents named after London.Jack Malvern. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5409039.ece Richmond, in Surrey, is the most widely copied British place name worldwide], timesonline 2008-12-29. The original byline for the article in [[The Times]]of the same day was "The 55 corners of foreign fields that will be for ever ... Richmond" (page 9). Cites The Times Universal Atlas of the World As well as Londons twinning, the London borough have town twinning with parts of other cities across the world. Shown below is the list of cities that the Greater London Authority has twinning arrangements with: *Arequipa Peru *Berlin Germany *Delhi India lt;ref name"Mayor of London">lt;/ref> *Bogotá Colombia *Johannesburg South Africa lt;ref>lt;/ref> *Kuala Lumpur Malaysia *Kuwait City Kuwait *Moscow Russia *New York City United States lt;ref>lt;/ref> *Oslo Norway *Shanghai China lt;ref>lt;/ref> *Tehran Iran The following cities have a friendship agreement with London: *Algiers Algeria *Baku Azerbaijan *Beijing China lt;ref>lt;/ref> *Bucharest Romania *Buenos Aires Argentina *Delhi India lt;ref name"Mayor of London"/> *Dhaka , Bangladesh lt;ref>lt;/ref> *Istanbul Turkey *Los Angeles United States lt;ref>lt;/ref> *Mumbai India *Paris France lt;ref>lt;/ref> *Podgorica Montenegro *Rome Italy *Sofia Bulgaria *Tokyo Japan *Zagreb Croatia

Notes

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

* * * * * * Porter, Roy. History of London(1995), by a leading historian * *

External links

*http://www.london.gov.uk/ www.london.gov.uk] – Official site for the government of London by the Greater London Authority covering the Office of Mayor of London and the London Assembly *http://www.britishpathe.com/workspace.php?id2449&delete_record75105/ British Pathé] Digitalised archive containing hundreds of films of 20th century London *http://www.british-history.ac.uk/place.aspx?region1 London] in British History Online with links to numerous authoritative online sources *http://www.visitlondon.com/ VisitLondon.com] – Official London site *http://www.LondonTown.com/ LondonTown.com] – London Information site *http://www.visitbritain.co.uk/destinations/england/london/index.aspx/- Visit Britain] – Official Visit Britain website *http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/ BBC London] * *http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/44681/vintage-london-taking-in-the-smoke Vintage London: Taking in the Smoke] - slideshow by [[Life magazine]] *http://www.statistics.gov.uk/focuson/london/ Office for National Statistics: Focus on London 2007] – compendium of official statistics *http://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/ Map of Early Modern London] – Historical Map and Encyclopaedia of Shakespeares London (Scholarly) *http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ Museum of London Group Portal – Home] *http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ Transport for London] (TfL) – city transport authority * *http://www.britannia.com/history/londonhistory/ History of London] – The history of London over centuries. *http://www.poetryatlas.com/search/london.html Poems about London at Poetry Atlas] * eographic locale |list [[Geographic coordinate system|Lat. and Long.]] {{Coord|51|30|26|N|0|7|39|W|display=inline}} }} }} }} Category:London Category:Populated places established in the 1st century Category:British capitals Category:Capitals in Europe Category:Host cities of the Commonwealth Games Category:Host cities of the Summer Olympic Games Category:Port cities and towns in the United Kingdom Category:Articles including recorded pronunciations (UK English) Category:Staple ports ace:London af:Londen als:London am:ለንደን ang:Lunden ab:Лондан ar:لندن an:Londres arc:ܠܘܢܕܘܢ roa-rup:Londra frp:Londres ast:Londres az:London bn:লন্ডন zh-min-nan:London ba:Лондон be:Горад Лондан be-x-old:Лёндан bcl:Londres bi:London bar:London bo:ལོན་ཊོན། bs:London br:Londrez bg:Лондон ca:Londres cv:Лондон ceb:London cs:Londýn cbk-zam:London co:Londra cy:Llundain da:London pdc:London de:London dsb:London et:London el:Λονδίνο es:Londres eo:Londono ext:Londri eu:Londres fa:لندن hif:London fo:London fr:Londres fy:Londen ga:Londain gv:Lunnin gd:Lunnainn gl:Londres - London gan:倫敦 gu:લંડન ko:런던 haw:Lākana hy:Լոնդոն hi:लंदन hsb:London hr:London io:London ig:London id:London ia:London ie:London os:Лондон is:London it:Londra he:לונדון jv:London kl:London kn:ಲಂಡನ್ krc:Лондон ka:ლონდონი kw:Loundres sw:London kv:Лондон ht:Lonn ku:London lad:Londra lbe:Лондон la:Londinium lv:Londona lb:London lt:Londonas lij:Londra li:Londe ln:Londoni jbo:london lmo:Lundra hu:London mk:Лондон mg:London ml:ലണ്ടൻ mt:Londra mi:Rānana mr:लंडन arz:لندن ms:London mwl:Londres mn:Лондон my:လန်ဒန်မြို့ nah:Londin fj:London nl:Londen nds-nl:Londen ne:लण्डन new:लण्डन ja:ロンドン nap:Londra frr:London no:London nn:London nrm:Londres nov:London oc:Londres mhr:Лондон uz:London pnb:لندن pms:Londra tpi:Landen nds:London pl:Londyn pt:Londres crh:London ro:Londra rm:Londra qu:London ru:Лондон sah:Лондон se:London sc:Londra sco:Lunnon stq:London sq:Londra scn:Londra simple:London sk:Londýn cu:Лондонъ sl:London szl:Lůndůn so:London sr:Лондон sh:London fi:Lontoo sv:London tl:Londres ta:இலண்டன் kab:London tt:Лондон te:లండన్ tet:Londres th:ลอนดอน tg:Лондон tr:Londra tk:London uk:Лондон ur:لندن ug:London vec:Łondra vi:Luân Đôn vo:London fiu-vro:London zh-classical:倫敦 vls:Londn war:London wo:Londar wuu:伦敦 yi:לאנדאן yo:Lọndọnu zh-yue:倫敦 diq:Londra bat-smg:Luonduons zh:伦敦