London Summary

Updated: 09.06.2021

London Summary

River: Thames
Population: 8,9 million
Founded: by Romans after 43AD
Parts: City of London, City of Westminster
UNESCO: the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey, the Greenwich site with the Royal Observatory
Sights: Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Downing Street 10, British Museum, Piccadilly Circus, London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Parks: Hyde Park with the Speakers Corner, Kensington Gardens with the Albert Memorial, Regent's Park with the London Zoo
Facts: the Underground is the oldest in the world, since 1863
           in 1666, the Great Fire of London destroyed most of the city, Sir Christopher Wren was the architect who created modern London
Not in the city: yellow taxis (London has black cabs, the drivers are called cabbies)

London is the capital city of the Unuted Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is situated in the south-eastern England, on the river Thames. The population is 8,9 million people, the metropolitan area has a population of 14,2 million, which makes it the most populous city in the UK. The city is two thousand years old and was founded by the Romans. The Cockney dialect is spoken by Londoners, usually working-class, in the East End, within the earshot of the bells of St Many-le-Bow.

          The City of London is the oldest part of the city, within the Roman walls. Today it is a primary business district and a major financial centre. The Bank of England is located there. The City of Westminster is west to the City and contains many parks and historical landmarks. It is an ancient political district and in contains famous shopping areas, such as Oxford Street and Regent Street. The West End is a district of Central London with many major tourist attractions, shops and entertainment venues. The East End is the historic core of wider London and historically, it was known for deep powerty, social problems, docks and the Jack the Ripper murders of 1888.
          London is a historical city and there are many famous sights. Built in the late 19th century in Neo-Gothic style, Tower Bridge can open to allow the ships to pass. Next to it, the Tower of London is a Norman castle from the 11th century. It is guarded by the Yeomen Warders, popularly known as Beefeaters, who are ceremonial guardians and tourist guards. At least six ravens are kept at the Tower at all times, because it is believed that if they are absent, the kingdom will fall. The Crown Jewels also located in the Tower, they consist of 140 objects, including the largest diamond in the world. 

          The Palace of Westminster is the residence of the Parliament. In the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, the failed assassination plan was to blow up the House of Lords and kill King James I, and today, 5th November is celebrated as Guy Fawkes Night. Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the striking clock at the north end of the palace, in the Elizabeth Tower. Next to it, Westminster Abbey is a Gothic abbey church where kings are married, crowned and even buried. All coronotions since 1066 took place there and there have been 16 royal weddings. More than 3 thousand people are buried there, including Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking. The Queen lives in Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the reigning monarch since 1837. The Palace is guarded by the Queen's Guard, fully operational soldiers responsible for guarding the Sovereign's palaces, famous for their Changing of the Guard ceremony. Whitehall is a famous road recognized as the centre of the Government, lined with many departments and ministries. The official residence of the Prime Minister is at Downing Street 10.

          Trafalgar Square commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, a British naval victory against France and Spain. Nelson's Column is a monument to Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died in the battle. The National Gallery is also located there and like most museums and galleries in the UK, it is for free. Piccadilly Circus is a very budy road junction connecting Regents Street and Piccadilly. The Memorial Fountain stands at the south-eastern side, with the statue of the Greek God Anteros, the brother of Eros.

          The city is a great cultural metropolis, with many museums, galleries and theatres and also famous shopping areas. The British Museum is the first public national museum in the world and it houses one of the largest collections. Madame Tussauds is another famous museum, showing wax figurines of famous people. Shakespeare's Globe is a recreation of the old Renaissance playhouse and Tate Britain is a gallery of British art. London Eye, also called the Millennium Wheel, is a famous Ferris wheel, the tallest in Europe. The most famous park in London is Hyde Park with the Speaker's Corner. Regent's Park contains the London Zoo, the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in 1828 and the animals from the Tower menagerie were transferred there.

           The Great Fire in 1666 destroyed most of the City of London and it took a decade to rebuilt. The Monument to the Great Fire can be found near London Bridge. St Paul's Cathedral is an English Baroque cathedral constructed after the Fire by architect Sir Christopher Wren. The dome is among the highest in the world and it contains the Whispering Gallery. Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married there and several famous people are buried in the cathedral, such as Horatio Nelson and Alexander Fleming. 

          There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in London, the Tower of London, Westminster Palace and Abbey, Kew Gardens and the Greenwich settlement. Kew Gardens, founded in 1840, house the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. The Royal Observatory in Greenwich played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation and the Prime Meridian passes through it.

          There are three typical means of transport in London. The London Underground, called the Tube, is the oldest in the world. Taxis are called cabs in London and they are black. A red double-decker is a bus with two storeys and can be seen in London. Heathrow Airport is a major international airport, the busiest in the world by passenger traffic. Since the Middle Ages, and later the Industrial Revolution, London was famous for its pollution. In 1952, the Great Smog lasted for five days and killed thousands of people. The situation got better after the 1950s and 1960s, when new environmental laws were introduced.