London

For the city in Canada, see London, Ontario.

London
The Palace of Westminster on the River Thames
London shown in the UK
Coordinates: 51°30′28″N 00°07′41″W
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	Greater London
Districts	City & 32 London boroughs
Settled by Romans	as Londinium ca. AD 50
Government
• Regional authority	Greater London Authority
• Regional assembly	London Assembly
• Mayor	Boris Johnson
• HQ	City Hall
• UK Parliament  - London Assembly  - European Parliament	74 constituencies 14 constituencies London constituency
Area
• City	1.00 sq mi (2.6 km2)
• Greater London	609 sq mi (1,580 km2)
Elevation	79 ft (24 m)
Population (mid-2006 est)
• Urban	8.5 million (Greater London Urban Area)
• Metro	12–14 million
• City of London	9,200
• City of London Density	8,215/sq mi (3,172/km2)
• Greater London	7,512,400
• Greater London Density	12,331/sq mi (4,761/km2)
Time zone	GMT (UTC0)
• Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)

London is by far the largest city in England and the United Kingdom. 8.6 million people live in London, which is on the River Thames. It is the capital of the United Kingdom.

London is the biggest city in middle Europe, and the world's largest financial centre.

London was founded by the Romans in AD 43 and called Londinium. London is also known as Lunnainn in Scottish Gaelic, Llundain in Welsh and Londain in Irish.

For a long time, London was a small city. All its people lived inside the walls that were built by the Romans. This area is still called the City of London. There were many villages around the city. Gradually, more and more people came to live there. Then, step by step, the villages joined together into one huge city.

The city has a huge network of transport systems. The Victorians built a number of railway systems in the mid-19th century. Their main stations are in London, and the lines go to every corner of Great Britain. There were originally five major companies, which were merged into a national rail network in modern times.

There is also the world's first underground railway system, London Underground, which is the main way commuters get into London. There are five airports, though only one is actually in London (the City Airport). There is the London end of the London–Birmingham canal, which was important to the industrial 19th century.

Most people in London are British. However, London also has many immigrants. These people come from many different countries. They speak many different languages and have different religions and cultures. There are also many people from different countries who stay in London on business. Many people visit London as tourists. They may see the famous "Sights of London". These sights include palaces, churches and museums.

London is one of the world's most important cities for business, finance, and politics. It is also important for culture: media, entertainment, fashion, and art.

History

The Romans built a city called Londinium on the River Thames in AD 43. The name Londinium (and then 'London') came from the Celtic language of the Ancient Britons. In the year AD 61, Queen Boudica (a British Celtic queen) and her army destroyed the city. Boudica killed herself when Romans trapped her. Then the Romans rebuilt London. London became an important trading city. After the Romans left Britain, few people lived in the city for a long time. This is because the Anglo-Saxons liked living in the countryside. In the 9th century, more people started living there again. It became the largest city in England. However, it did not become the capital city of England until the 12th century.

After the railways were built, London grew very big. Greater London has 33 London Boroughs and a mayor. The old City of London is only a square mile in size but has its own Lord Mayor.

Another famous old part of Greater London is Westminster, which was always a different city from the City of London. In Westminster is Westminster Abbey (a cathedral), The Palace of Westminster (the Houses of Parliament, with Big Ben), and 10 Downing Street (where the Prime Minister lives).

Events

• AD 43 - Londinium is founded by the Romans
• 61 - Londinium is sacked by Queen Boudica and the Iceni
• 100 - Londinium becomes the capital of Roman Britain
• 200 - The population is about 6,000
• 8th century - London is captured by Vikings
• 885 - King Alfred the Great recaptures the city and makes peace with the Viking leader Guthrum.
• 1045-50 - Westminster Abbey is rebuilt by Edward the Confessor who is buried there in January 1066.
• 1066 - William the Conqueror is crowned in Westminster Abbey.
• 1100 - The population is about 16,000.
• 1300 - The population of London has risen to 100,000.
• 1381 - The Peasants' Revolt - the first poll tax riots
• 1605 - The Gunpowder Plot is stopped
• 1665 - The Great Plague of London
• 1666 - The Great Fire of London
• 1780 - The Gordon riots
• 1851 - The Great Exhibition held at the Crystal Palace
• 1908 - The Olympic Games take place in London.
• 1940-1941 - London was bombed by Germany during World War II. This is known as The Blitz.
• 1948 - The Olympic Games take place in London for the second time.
• 1966 - The Football World Cup final took place in London. It was won by England.
• 1990 - The Second Poll Tax Riots
• 2005 - 07/07 Bombings - 52 people die and over 700 people are injured.
• 2012 - The Summer Olympic Games take place in London for a third time.

Climate

London has an oceanic, or temperate climate. It is not usually very hot or cold. It is often cloudy.

Climate data for Heathrow Airport
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	8.1 (46.6)	8.4 (47.1)	11.3 (52.3)	14.2 (57.6)	17.9 (64.2)	21.0 (69.8)	23.5 (74.3)	23.2 (73.8)	19.9 (67.8)	15.5 (59.9)	11.1 (52)	8.3 (46.9)	15.2 (59.4)
Average low °C (°F)	2.3 (36.1)	2.1 (35.8)	3.9 (39)	5.5 (41.9)	8.7 (47.7)	11.7 (53.1)	13.9 (57)	13.7 (56.7)	11.4 (52.5)	8.4 (47.1)	4.9 (40.8)	2.7 (36.9)	7.5 (45.5)
Rainfall mm (inches)	55.2 (2.173)	40.9 (1.61)	41.6 (1.638)	43.7 (1.72)	49.4 (1.945)	45.1 (1.776)	44.5 (1.752)	49.5 (1.949)	49.1 (1.933)	68.5 (2.697)	59.0 (2.323)	55.2 (2.173)	601.7 (23.689)
Source: Met Office

Landmarks

The Millennium Dome, seen from the River Thames.

• Big Ben
• Buckingham Palace
• Millennium Dome
• London Eye
• Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square
• Tower Bridge
• London Underground
• Natural History Museum

A panorama of modern London, taken from the Golden Gallery of Saint Paul’s Cathedral

Twinnings

The Tower Bridge in London

London has twin and sister city agreements with these cities:

• Sister cities:
  • Berlin, Germany (since 2000)
  • New York City, USA (since 2001)
  • Moscow, Russia
  • Beijing, China (since 2006)

• Partner cities:
  • Paris, France (since 2001)
  • Rome, Italy

London also has a "partnership" agreement with Tokyo, Japan.

Related pages

• London Underground

Other websites

• London City Government
• WorldFlicks in London: Photos and interesting places on Google Maps

Greater London • London • City of London

London Boroughs: Barking and Dagenham • Barnet • Bexley • Brent • Bromley • Camden • Croydon • Ealing • Enfield • Greenwich • Hackney • Hammersmith and Fulham • Haringey • Harrow • Havering • Hillingdon • Hounslow • Islington • Kensington and Chelsea • Kingston • Lambeth • Lewisham • Merton • Newham • Redbridge • Richmond • Southwark • Sutton • Tower Hamlets • Waltham Forest • Wandsworth • Westminster Sui generis: City of London (Exclaves: Inner Temple • Middle Temple) See also: Greater London Authority • London Assembly • Mayor of London