2. London
• London is the capital of England and the United
Kingdom. A major settlement for two millennia, its
history goes back to its founding by the Romans, who
called it Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of
London, the 'square mile', retains its mediaeval
boundaries. Since at least the nineteenth century, the
name "London" has also referred to the metropolis
developed around it. Today, the bulk of this
conurbation forms the London region and the Greater
London administrative area, with its own elected
mayor and assembly.
3. London
• London is a major global city and one of the world's largest financial
centres with the largest city GDP in Europe. Central London is home
to the headquarters of most of the UK's top 100 listed companies
(the FTSE 100) and more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest. London's
influence in politics, finance, education, entertainment, media,
fashion, the arts and culture in general contributes to its global
position. It is a major tourist destination for both domestic and
overseas visitors. London hosted the 1908 and 1948 Summer
Olympics and will host the 2012 Summe Olympics. London contains
four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; the historic
settlement of Greenwich; the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; and the
site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and
St. Margaret's Church.
4. London
• London has a diverse range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and more than 300
languages are spoken within its boundaries. In July 2007 it had an official population of
7,556,900 within the boundaries of Greater London, making it the most populous
municipality in the European Union. The Greater London Urban Area (the second
largest in the EU) has a population of 8,278,251. while the metropolitan area (the 2nd
largest in the EU) has an estimated total population of between 12 million and
14 million. The London Underground network, administered by Transport for London, is
the most extensive underground railway network in the world, London Heathrow
Airport is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers and the
airspace is the busiest of any urban centre in the world.
5. Architecture
• London's buildings are too diverse to be characterised by any
particular architectural style, being 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 Swiss Re building, known as the "Gherkin".
London's 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.
6. Architecture
• 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-story "Shard of Glass", which
will be one of the tallest buildings in Europe. 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 mouldings. Many grand houses and public buildings,
such as the National Gallery, are constructed from Portland stone.
7. Architecture
• 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 1666, except for a few trace
Roman remains, the Tower of London and a few scattered Tudor
survivors in the City. Wren's late 17th century churches and the
financial institutions of the 18th and 19th century such as the Royal
Exchange and the Bank of England, to the early 20th century Old
Bailey and the 1960s Barbican Estate form part of the varied
architectural heritage.
8. Parks and gardens
• The largest parks in the central area of London are the Royal Parks
of Hyde Park, its neighbour Kensington Gardens at the western
edge of central London and Regent's Park on the northern edge.
Regent's Park contains London Zoo, the world's oldest scientific zoo,
and is located near the tourist attraction of Madame Tussauds Wax
Museum. Closer to central London are the smaller Royal Parks of
Green Park and St. James's Park. Hyde Park in particular is popular
for sports and sometimes hosts open-air concerts.
9. Parks and gardens
• A number of large parks lie outside the city centre, including the remaining Royal
Parks of Greenwich Park to the south-east and Bushy Park and Richmond Park to
the south-west, as well as Victoria Park, East London to the east. Primrose Hill to
the north of Regent's Park is a popular spot to view the city skyline. Some more
informal, semi-natural open spaces also exist, including the 791-acre (3.2 km2)
Hampstead Heath of North London. 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.
10. Transport
• Transport is one of the four main areas of policy administered by
the Mayor of London, however the mayor's 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.
11. Transport
• Cycling is an increasingly popular way to get around London.
The London Cycling Campaign lobbies for better provision.
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 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.
12. Buses and trams
• London's bus network 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 network's ridership was
estimated at over 1.5 billion passenger trips per annum, more than the
Underground. Around £850 million is taken in revenue each year. London
has the largest wheelchair accessible network in the world and, from the
3rd quarter of 2007, became more accessible to hearing and visually
impaired passengers as audio-visual announcements were introduced.
13. Buses and trams
• The distinctive red double-decker buses are internationally recognised,
and are a trademark of London transport along with black cabs and the
Tube. London has a modern tram network, known as Tramlink, based
around Croydon in South London. The network has 39 stops, 3 routes and
carried 26.5 million people in 2008. Since June 2008 Transport for London
has completely owned tramlink and plans to spend £54m until 2015 on
maintenance, renewals, upgrades and capacity enhancements. Since April
2009 all trams have now been refurbished.
14. Air
• London is a major international air transport hub with the largest
city airspace in the world. Eight airports use the word London in
their name, but most traffic passes through only five. London
Heathrow Airport, in Hillingdon, West London, is the busiest airport
in the world for international traffic, and is the major hub of the
nation's flag carrier, British Airways. In March 2008 its fifth terminal
was opened, and plans are already being considered for a sixth
terminal and third runway.
15. Air
• Similar traffic, with the addition of some low-cost short-haul flights, is also
handled at London Gatwick Airport, located south of London in West
Sussex. London Stansted Airport, situated north east of London in Essex, is
the main hub for Ryanair, and London Luton Airport to the north of
London in Bedfordshire, caters mostly for low-cost short-haul flights.
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.
