London - Capital of the UK. What country is London in? Description, interesting facts When London became the capital
London plays a leading role in the political, economic and cultural life of Great Britain. The city is home to Heathrow International Airport, one of the largest in the world, a river port on the Thames River, many world-famous attractions: Westminster Abbey, the Palace of Westminster complex with the clock tower, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower Fortress and others.
London is located on the prime meridian, which is also often called the Greenwich meridian (named after the area it crosses).
Name
origin of name
The modern name of the city - London - comes from the older Roman “Londinium” (lat. Londinium). There is no consensus on the origin of this word, but scientists have repeatedly put forward hypotheses about the etymology of the name. Here are the four most popular assumptions:
The name is of Latin origin, and is derived from a Roman personal name meaning “furious”;
The name is of Latin origin, and comes from the word Lond, which means “Wild (that is, overgrown with forest) place”;
The name is of Celtic origin, and consists of two words: Llyn (lake) and Dun (fortification): in the Celtic period the city was called Llyndid; the root "-dun" is also found in the names of many other Celtic place names;
The name comes from the ancient European word Plowonida, which means "Flooding River".
Unofficial names for London
The English often call London The Big Smoke (or The Great Smog). This name can literally be translated as "Big Smoke". This definition is connected, of course, with the famous London smog of the 19th-20th centuries. Another unofficial name for the city is The Great Wen. Wen is an old English word that literally translates to "boil", which in this context means "crowded city". When it comes to neighborhood nicknames, the City is sometimes jokingly referred to as "the square mile."
History of London
Founding of the city and Roman period
London was founded in 43 AD. e. , during the invasion of Britain by the Romans led by Emperor Claudius. There is a theory that by the time of the invasion there was a large settlement in this territory, but nothing of the kind was discovered during archaeological excavations. However, most of the historical center was not excavated, and the existence of the settlement before the invasion cannot be completely denied.
At first, London occupied a very small territory. In the 19th century, archaeologists determined that the length of the city from east to west was approximately 1 mile (approx. 1.6 km), and from north to south - approximately 0.5 miles (approx. 0.8 km).
Around 60 AD. e. the city was attacked by the British queen Boudicca (Boadicea) and a large part of London was set on fire. The Romans responded by capturing approximately 80,000 Britons. Soon after this, a battle took place between the Britons and the Romans. According to popular belief, the battle took place on the site of modern King's Cross Station, and Boudicca, having been defeated, committed suicide by taking poison.
The Romans rebuilt the city in a few years, according to a clear urban plan. Londinium soon became one of the most important settlements in Roman Britain. In the 2nd century it reached its peak - by the year 100 Londinium became the capital of Britain, replacing Colchester, the population was about 60,000 people. The city housed the most important administrative buildings.
Around the year 200, Britain was divided into two parts - Upper and Lower. Londinium became the capital of Upper Britain. Around the same time, the so-called Roman Wall was built - a defensive fortification along the perimeter of the city, the remains of which remain in the center of modern London. At the end of the 4th century, Britain was divided anew, and Londinium became the capital of the province of Maxima Caesarensis. In the 5th century, the Romans abandoned Londinium, and the city gradually began to be populated by Britons.
Saxon period and Middle Ages 
In the mid-6th century, Lundenburg ("London Fortification", the Saxon name for Londinium) was incorporated into the East Saxon kingdom. In 604, King Saebert converted to Christianity, and a bishop appeared in the city for the first time. The first bishop of London was named Melitius. At the same time, St. Paul's Cathedral was built. Presumably, initially it was a rather modest chapel. The cathedral was later destroyed by the pagan heirs of Saebert.
At the end of the 7th century, the Saxon settlement of Lundewik (that is, the London settlement) was founded about one and a half kilometers from Lundenburg. Apparently, there was a harbor in Lundevik for merchant ships and fishing boats.
From 730 the city came under the rule of Mercia, a large English kingdom. In the 9th century, Lundenburg was attacked by Vikings. They controlled the city for twenty years, after which King Alfred the Great made peace with the invaders. However, in 1013 Lundenburg was occupied again by the Vikings and remained under their rule until 1042.
In 1066, after the victory at Hastings, William the Conqueror became king of England. The coronation took place in the newly completed Westminster Abbey. William gave the residents of London some privileges compared to residents of other cities. During his reign, a fortification was built in the southeast of the city, now known as the Tower. In 1097, his son William II began construction of Westminster Hall, which served as the basis of the Palace of Westminster. In 1176, construction began on the famous London Bridge, which lasted about 600 years.
In May 1216, London was occupied for the last time by foreign troops - the city was captured by the French king Louis VIII, ending the reign of John the Landless. Later, his own barons rebelled against Louis, and with their help, power in the country again passed into the hands of the British. Thus, London is the only European capital that has not been captured by an enemy even once over the past almost 8 centuries.
The plague that raged in Europe in the 14th century did not spare London either. The Black Death came to England in 1348. The exact number of deaths in London is unknown, but it is estimated that between 30 and 50 thousand people became victims of the plague.
The epidemic was an indirect cause of the peasant revolt led by Wat Tyler (1381), during which London was plundered and devastated. The peasants stormed the Tower, killing the Lord Chancellor (an important public office in medieval England), Archbishop Simon of Canterbury and the keeper of the royal treasury. The uprising was eventually suppressed by royal troops, and Tyler himself was sentenced to death.
In the Middle Ages, London was divided into two main parts - the administrative and political Westminster and the trading City. This division continues to this day. For the Middle Ages, London could be considered a large city - by 1300, approximately 80,000 people lived in it. City self-government also took shape - the Lord Mayor became the head of London.
London in the 16th-18th centuries
With the coming to power of the Tudor dynasty in England, the era of absolute monarchy began. The centralization of power in the hands of the king led to the fact that the capital began to develop and grow richer even faster than before. The reign of Henry VIII and Edward VI had a favorable impact on the city - the famous London parks Hyde Park and Kensington Garden were founded and several large hospitals were opened.
The Reformation that took place in England under Henry VIII, unlike other countries, did not end in bloodshed: here church reforms were controlled by the king and were initiated “from above”, and not “from below”, as in most other countries. After the Reformation, about half the area of London was occupied by religious buildings and about a third of the population were monks. The situation changed in 1538-41, after Henry VIII passed a law establishing the king's supremacy over the church. After this, a significant part of the church property was confiscated and transferred into the hands of the king and his closest vassals.
London has developed into one of the largest shopping centers in Europe. Small businesses flourished in the city, and large English owners conducted their trade all over the world - from Russia to America. Giant companies were created, such as the East India Company in 1600. After the Spanish captured and sacked the major Dutch city of Antwerp in 1572, London became the largest center of trade on the North Sea. The population of the capital increased rapidly - from 50,000 people in 1530 to 225,000 in 1605. Also in the 16th century, the first maps of London appeared. The first public theaters appeared, the most popular of which was the Globe, which staged plays by William Shakespeare.
In the 16th century, aristocrats and courtiers began to settle in the West End. Soon the area became one of the most prestigious places in the city. To this day, the house in the West End is a passport to London's high society.
During the English Civil War, London took the side of Parliament. Militia troops were raised and defensive fortifications were erected to protect the city from the royalists, who moved closer and closer to the capital - the Battle of Brentford took place just a few miles from London. However, a well-organized defense did not allow the royal troops to take the city, which played a decisive role in the war - the wealth stored in London helped Parliament win.
In London, like in all European cities of that time, there was no sewage system and health care system, moreover, the city was heavily overpopulated, and therefore epidemics regularly broke out there with many hundreds, and sometimes thousands of victims. But the worst happened in the middle of the 17th century, in 1665-1666. In England it is called the Great Plague. In London, approximately 60,000 people (a fifth of the city) became victims of the epidemic. Samuel Pepys, the city's chronicler, recorded the following on September 4, 1665: “More than 7,400 people died in a week, 6,000 of them from the plague. Day and night, almost without interruption, the funeral ringing of church bells can be heard from the street.”
Immediately after the end of the epidemic, another disaster occurred - the Great Fire of London of 1666. If the Great Plague decimated the population of London, the fire caused serious material damage, destroying 13,200 houses (about 60% of the city) and 87 churches (including the old St. Paul's Cathedral). Oddly enough, only eight people died in the fire, but many were left homeless and lost all means of livelihood.
After restoration, London finally became the financial capital of the world. In 1694, the Bank of England opened, allowing the country to further increase its influence on the world economy. In 1700, 80% of England's imports and 69% of its exports came from London, and the city's population exceeded 500,000.
In the 18th century, during the Age of Enlightenment, the press and literature became widespread. Since then, Fleet Street has become the center of London's publishing life. In the same century, there was an increase in crime in the capital, which is why punishments were toughened: even a minor crime now faced the death penalty.
In 1707, London acquired the status of the capital of Great Britain, a new state created through the unification of England and Scotland. In the same 18th century, the new St. Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace were built - symbols of modern London - as well as Westminster Bridge, which became only the second bridge in London over the Thames. By the end of the 18th century, London's population reached a million people.
London in the 19th century
London of the 19th century is a city of contrasts. On the one hand, it was the capital of the largest state in the world - the British Empire, the economic and political center of the world, and on the other, a city where millions of poor people lived in slums, with virtually no means of subsistence.
The 19th century was an era of rapid industrialization and urbanization in Europe and North America. In this century, a huge number of new factories and factories were built in London, and the population increased 6 times. In the 19th century, London was the largest city in the world; by 1900 its population was about 6 million people. Entire industrial districts have appeared in the capital, and the most famous of them is the East End, which has become the opposite of the fashionable West End. I must say, from the point of view of the English language, this is quite logical: the East End is translated as “Eastern Edge”, and the West End is translated as “Western Edge”, that is, even etymologically these the two districts represent two edges, two sides of one city.
In the 19th century, dramatic changes occurred in the appearance of London. In 1836, the first railway opened, connecting London Bridge and Greenwich, and in less than 20 years 6 stations opened. In 1863, the world's first subway opened in London. In addition, Big Ben, Albert Hall, the Trafalgar Square complex, and Tower Bridge were built in the 19th century. For the first time in the history of London, sewers appeared (see The Great Stench).
In the 19th century, the system of city government was reformed, since the old system, which had existed since the Middle Ages, clearly did not meet the requirements of the expanding metropolis. In 1855, the Metropolitan Board of Works was created to oversee city construction and infrastructure. In 1888, this body was liquidated, and administrative functions were for the first time assigned to an elected body - the London County Council.
In 1851 London hosted the World's Fair.
Mid-century London experienced mass immigration for the first time. A particularly large influx of visitors came from Ireland. A large Jewish community also formed in the city.
London in the 20th - early 21st centuries
The First World War temporarily stopped the development of London. The city was subjected to air raids for the first time. Between the two world wars London continued to grow, but more in area than in population.
In the 1930s, many city residents suffered due to the Great Depression: the unemployment rate rose sharply and the standard of living fell. The inability of the authorities to do anything led to the emergence of many radical parties, both left and right. Most were based in the working-class East End. The Communists won several seats in the British Parliament, and the British Union of Fascists also enjoyed widespread support. The culmination of the struggle between left and right was the so-called “Battle of Cable Street” - street battles between political extremists of both flanks and the police.
In the same 30s, many Jews fled to London from Nazi Germany. During World War II, the capital of Great Britain was subjected to repeated air bombings, the heaviest of which occurred in September 1940 and May 1941. Many residents were evacuated from the capital. Subway stations served as bomb shelters. In total, during the war in London, 30,000 civilians became victims, 50,000 were injured, and tens of thousands of houses were destroyed.
Immediately after the war, London hosted the Olympic Games for the second time (1948).
In the post-war period, London lost its status as the largest port in Great Britain, as the dock equipment was outdated and the port could not handle large cargo ships. London's water terminals were moved to the nearby towns of Felixstow and Tilbury, and the Docklands area was redeveloped in the 1980s to include offices and apartment buildings.
In 1952, the Great Smog, an extremely harmful mixture of fog and industrial smoke, descended on London for five days. Soon the concentration of combustion products in the air became so high that over the following weeks, about 4,000 people died from the smog in the city, and another 8,000 became victims of the disaster in the next few months. The incident forced the authorities to take this problem seriously, as a result of which a national law “On Clean Air” (1956) was issued, as well as a similar city law (1954)
In the 1960s, thanks to popular musical groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the city became one of the world centers of youth subculture (receiving the nickname “Swinging London”). In 1966, the England team won the FIFA World Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
London became a target for terrorists in the 1970s, when the city was first attacked by the Irish Republican Army. These attacks were repeated regularly until the end of the 20th century, after which the Irish were replaced by the Al-Qaeda group, which organized a series of bombings on London public transport on July 7, 2005.
From mid-century, despite an influx of Commonwealth immigrants (especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh), the city's population began to decline, falling from almost 9 million to 7 million in the 1980s, after which it began to grow slowly.
London welcomed the new millennium with the opening of several new buildings, such as the Millennium Dome and the London Eye, a Ferris wheel that became a new symbol of the city.
At the beginning of the 21st century, London won the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The capital of Great Britain will become the first city to host the Olympics three times.
In 2004, a city development plan was adopted. According to it, by 2016 the population of London should reach 8.1 million people, and the number of skyscrapers should increase. The authorities also intend to improve the public transport system.
Geography and climate
London covers an area of 1706.8 km.
Coordinates: 51°30 N. w. 0°00 W d. (G)
Thames
From southwest to east the city is crossed by the Thames, a navigable river flowing into the North Sea. The Thames Valley is fertile and quite flat, which allowed London to expand evenly. Initially, the river was wider, and its banks were swampy and marshy, but due to human activity, all this disappeared. The Thames is a tidal river and therefore there is a risk of flooding in London. In recent years, this danger has increased due to rising water levels in the river.
Climate
The climate in London is temperate maritime. Most days of the year are cloudy, although the amount of precipitation is even less than in Rome or Sydney. Snow is rare even in winter. The record high temperature is +38 °C (recorded in 2003).
Policy
London has been the capital of the country for almost two millennia: first of Roman Britain, then of England and Great Britain. All English and British kings ruled mainly from London, and the city has always been the center of the country's political life.
Now all government bodies in Great Britain are located in London, in the Westminster area. The government and Parliament of the country meet in the famous Parliament building, the not yet created High Court of the country will be located in the Middlesex Guildhall Palace in the same area of the capital.
The current Mayor of London (since 5 May 2008) is Conservative Boris Johnson. The previous mayor, Labor member Ken Livingstone, served as mayor of the city for two terms: in 2000 he was elected to office as an independent candidate, and in 2004 he won the election as a candidate from the Labor Party.
London is represented in the House of Commons of the British Parliament by 74 deputies, of which 44 are Labour, 21 Conservative, 8 Liberal Democrats and 1 member of the RESPECT party.
Administrative division and city government
London city government has a rather complex structure. It has, as it were, two tiers - the first is city government, the second is local. Urban governance is handled by the Greater London Authority (GLA), local governance by local administrations of municipal districts. The city administration is responsible for strategic planning, economic development of the city, police, fire service and transport, local - for local planning, schools, social services, etc.
In turn, the Greater London Authority consists of two parts. The first is the mayor of the city, representing the executive branch, the second is the London City Assembly, which limits the powers of the mayor and approves the city's annual budget. The Greater London Authority appeared recently, in 2000, replacing the Greater London Council, which was abolished in 1986 (thus, the city existed for 14 years without a central government).
Administratively, London is divided into 33 districts, which include 32 municipal districts, designated by the special word borough and City. Each district has its own administration and district council, elections to which are held every four years. There is no district administration in the City, but there is a traditional government body in the area - the Corporation of London, which has remained virtually unchanged since the Middle Ages. In addition, the City has its own police force, independent from the city one.
List of London boroughs
City
Westminster
Kensington and Chelsea
Hammersmith and Fulham
Wandsworth
Lambeth
Southwark
Tower Hamlets
Hackney
Islington
Camden
Brent
Ealing
Hounslow
Richmond
Kingston upon Thames
Merton
Sutton
Croydon
Bromley
Lewisham
Greenwich
Bexley
Havering
Barking and Dagenham
Redbridge
Newham
Waltham Forest
Haringey
Infield
Barnet
Harrow
Hillingdon
Economy
London is the most important economic and financial center of Great Britain and Europe, one of the world's financial centers. The city's gross regional product in 2004 was $365 billion (17% of UK GDP). The economic importance of the entire London agglomeration is even higher - the regional product in 2004 amounted to $642 billion.
The most important sector of the city's economy is finance, including banking services, insurance, and asset management; The headquarters of the largest banks and financial companies are located in London, including HSBC, Reuters, Barclays. One of the world's largest centers of currency and stock trading is the London Stock Exchange. For centuries, the center of urban financial life has been the City business district.
The second most important industry in London's economy is information. The capital is home to the headquarters of the BBC, one of the largest media corporations in the world. The most popular newspapers are published in London, including The Times, published with almost 700,000 copies daily, The Sun, The Daily Mirror and others.
London is home to the headquarters of many English and multinational companies, including BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Unilever, Corus Group, SABMiller, Cadbury Schweppes, etc. The central offices of more than 100 of the top500 largest European companies are located in the British capital.
London remains one of the largest industrial centers in Britain. The industry of the city and its suburbs is represented by mechanical engineering (automotive manufacturing, electronics industry, machine tool building, shipbuilding and ship repair, etc.), the light, food, oil refining and petrochemical industries, printing, etc. are widely developed.
One of the most important sources of income for London is tourism. In 2003, this industry provided permanent jobs to 300,000 people. Visitors spend 5 billion in London every year. The city is second only to Paris in popularity among tourists.
Despite the fact that London was once one of the largest ports in Europe, it is now only in third place even in the UK. Annual cargo turnover is 50 million tons of cargo.
The heart of economic London is the City. Also, many offices of various companies are located in the Piccadilly Circus area.
Demography
London's population grew most rapidly in the 19th and early 20th centuries, during the period of urbanization. From about 1825 to 1925, London was the most populous city in the world, after which it was overtaken by New York. The population of London reached its highest level in its history in 1939 (approx. 8.6 million people). Now it is the second most populous city in Europe (after Moscow) and the twenty-first city in the world.
The first census of residents took place in 1801. Earlier figures have been calculated by historians and archaeologists.
Ethnic composition
During the 2001 census, 71% of Londoners considered themselves to be of white (Caucasian) race, of which 60% considered themselves British (i.e. English, Scots, Welsh), 3% considered themselves Irish (the rest were white - 8.5%); 10% of Londoners are from South Asia and the Middle East; 11% - representatives of the Negroid race (5.5% - Africans, 5% - Caribbeans, 1% - others); 1% are Chinese, 2% are from other nationalities (mostly Filipinos, Japanese, Vietnamese). 27% of Londoners were born outside the European Union.
Religious composition
Of the beliefs, Christianity is the most popular - 58.2%. It is followed by Islam - 7.8%; Hinduism - 4.1%; Judaism - 2.1% and Sikhism - 1.5%. There are quite a lot of atheists in London - 15.8%.
Places of compact residence of London Muslims are Tower Hamlets and Newham. A large Hindu community is located in the north-western counties of Harrow and Brent, Sikhs live mainly in the eastern and western districts, and Jews live in Stamford Hill and Golders Green, located in north London.
Transport
Most visitors to London enter the city through train stations. Many of them were built in the 19th century and served as the prototype for train stations throughout Europe. Among the busiest stations in London are Waterloo (trains from the south-west counties), Victoria (trains from the suburban counties), Paddington (trains from the western counties and Wales), St Pancras (trains from Europe) and King's Cross (trains from Scotland). .
London's public transport system is one of the busiest in the world, and therefore has to be constantly expanded and thereby complicated. The next round of expansion of the city’s transport network is associated with preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The three main types of public transport in London are buses, tubes and taxis.
Transport for London is responsible for London's public transport. In particular, it operates London's underground, buses and trams and licenses the city's taxis and public water transport.
Buses are used for local travel. There are 700 routes along which buses carry up to 6 million passengers on weekdays. The famous Routemaster buses, which became one of the symbols of not only London, but the whole of Great Britain, were withdrawn from line service in 2005 and now operate only on excursion routes.
The London Underground is the oldest in the world. It has been in continuous operation since 1863 and carries 3 million passengers every day, which is approximately 1 billion people a year. The London Underground consists of 12 lines, most of which connect the city center with its outskirts. Londoners often refer to the underground as a “pipe” due to the very small diameter of the deep tunnels.
In addition to the “classic” metro, the Docklands Light Railway system has been operating in London since 1987, which can be called a light metro. Unlike the “classic” London Underground, the Docklands Light Railway route is laid mainly not in tunnels, but on overpasses. Docklands Light Railway trains operate automatically. There are several interchange stations between the London Underground and the Docklands Light Railway.
London previously had an extensive tram system, but it was closed in 1952. Since 2000, Croydon, a suburb of London, has had a modern tram system, Tramlink. There are plans to build new tram lines closer to the city center: West London Tram and Cross River Tram (scheduled to open in 2016).
In addition to trams, London also had a trolleybus service, which was discontinued in 1962. However, there are plans to restore trolleybus service.
London also has public water transport. The city's waterway system is known as London River Services. Some routes are aimed at tourists, others are more often used by Londoners themselves as regular public transport, for example for commuting to work. Although London River Services are licensed by Transport for London, they are operated by private firms and bus and tube passes are not valid on London's water routes (although they may provide discounts).
"Classic" taxi in London
London's famous black taxis look exactly the same as they did seventy years ago, except for the advertising that now covers many of these vehicles. Newer, more modern-looking cars are now also used as taxis in London. It is worth noting that, unlike most large cities, in London all taxis are controlled by the city administration, or rather the municipal service Transport for London.
Closer to the outskirts of the city, traffic on the streets is predominantly vehicular. London has several high-speed routes and an inner ring road. A fee is charged for the entry of private cars into the city center (since 2005 - 8 pounds sterling, about 400 rubles).
London has five airports: the world's busiest Heathrow, another large airport Gatwick, small Stansted and Luton, as well as London City, intended mainly for charter flights of businessmen.
Education
There are approximately 378,000 students studying in London, with 125,000 of them at the University of London. This university is the largest in the UK and includes 20 colleges and several institutes. Other major higher education institutions: London Metropolitan University, University of East London, University of Westminster, South Bank University, City University, Middlesex University, New London College, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Museums and libraries
The center of London's museums is the area of South Kensington, which houses the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum (the world's largest collection of decorative arts and design). Other notable museums are the British Museum, which has a collection of approximately 7.5 million items; London National Gallery, one of the most respected art museums in the world; the famous Madame Tussauds Wax Museum; Sherlock Holmes Museum. The current royal residence, Buckingham Palace, can also be called a museum, some of the premises are open to visitors usually one month a year (August-September). Also, excursion tours are conducted to the Houses of Parliament, the Tower, and London cathedrals. The national British Library is located in London.
Theaters
Several large commercial theaters specializing in musicals, comedies and dramas are located in the West End. There is even a special term, West End theatre, used in England to refer to commercial entertainment theaters of the Broadway type. Classic theaters include the National Theater in the South Bank, the new Globe Theater and the Royal Court Theatre.
London's classical music theaters are widely known in the world: the famous Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Elizabeth II Theatre.
Famous streets and squares
Piccadilly (street and square) is the economic center of the city. The walls of the houses in the square are covered with advertisements. In the middle (but not in the geometric center) of Piccadilly Circus there is a fountain and the famous sculpture of Anteros, popularly called Eros.
Trafalgar Square commemorates the defeat of the Spanish-French fleet in 1805. In the middle of the square there is a monument in honor of Horatio Nelson, the admiral who commanded the English fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. London's National Gallery is located in Trafalgar Square.
Oxford Street is a shopping street. There are boutiques and shopping centers here.
Harley Street is a street in Westminster that became famous as Doctors' Street - many doctors still practice on this Harley Street.
Abbey Road is famous for the recording studio of the same name, where many legendary musicians made their recordings: the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Manfred Mann and others. The Beatles released an album called Abbey Road in 1969.
Baker Street is the street where the Sherlock Holmes Museum is located.
Temples
The dominant religion in London is Christianity, professed by more than half of the city's population. Therefore, most of the capital's churches are Christian, mainly Anglican. Almost no medieval churches have survived - most were destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666. The symbols of London have long been St. Paul's Cathedral, built at the beginning of the 18th century, and Westminster Abbey. These churches conduct services according to Anglican rites. Westminster Abbey should not be confused with the nearby Westminster Cathedral, which is the largest Catholic church in England.
The Central London Mosque is located in Regent's Park. Neasden Temple in Brent is one of the largest Hindu places of worship in Europe.
There are two Russian Orthodox churches. The central one is the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and All Saints, located next to Knightsbridge metro station.
Entertainment
The most famous shopping destination in London is Oxford Street, but this is not the only shopping street in the city: Bond Street in Mayfair and Knightsbridge, which is home to the famous Harrod’s shopping center, are also popular among Londoners and tourists. Fashion stores can be found in Mayfair, on Carnaby Street in Soho and on King's Road in Chelsea.
In London you can find many restaurants to suit every taste. The most expensive ones are in Westminster, the more democratic ones are in Soho. Restaurants specializing in national cuisine of different nations are scattered throughout the city, the most famous of them being Chinese in London's Chinatown and Bangladeshi on Bricklane Street.
One of London's most famous places is Soho, a small area filled with bars, restaurants, pubs and shops. Among other things, Soho is known for its hot spots, including brothels and nightclubs. Soho is also home to several gay clubs and pubs.
Fashion in London
London became one of the centers of world fashion in the 19th century. The capital of Great Britain, unlike Paris or Milan, has gained fame thanks to men's fashion. Savile Row became the street of fashion workshops. The beginning of the last century dates back to the emergence of the dandy style, which spread throughout Europe.
Here is my Onegin in freedom:
Haircut in the latest fashion,
How dandy London is dressed -
And finally saw the light.
(A.S. Pushkin)
The second round of popularity of English fashion occurred in the early 1960s, when a cultural revolution took place in Western European society. Disharmony and asymmetry came first, expressing protest against the conservative bourgeois way of life. The casual style is developing, it quickly becomes popular among various youth movements: fashion, skinheads, football hooligans. The innovator of the style was Ben Sherman, in addition, retired tennis player Fred Perry, the British equivalent of the Frenchman Rene Lacoste, who also once won all kinds of tennis awards with a racket at the ready, was very popular, and in retirement devoted himself to fashion. The leading designers of youth fashion were Mary Quant and Barbara Hulanicki. The 1970s became the era of punk. The leader among English designers was Vivienne Westwood. Contemporary leading designers of British fashion are Paul Smith, Alexander McQueen, Julian MacDonald.
London has hosted an annual Fashion Week since the early 1990s, and the number of shows during the week has increased from 15 to 50.
London subculture
The population of London is so large that internal traditions, trends and dialects inevitably had to appear in it, which together constitute the phenomenon of subculture. The role of London in the life of Great Britain is such that it has always become the center of the country's informal youth movements.
Swinging London
Swinging London was a London youth subculture in the 1960s. The term was born in 1966 thanks to an article in Time magazine. This period is characterized by youth's rejection of traditional values, hedonism and optimism. The period of “Swinging London” was reflected in music, literature, visual arts, not to mention lifestyle. The real cultural icons of this time were the rock musicians The Beatles, Ian Fleming's literary character James Bond, and the Mini Cooper car. The period of Swinging London ended around 1967, when it was replaced by the hippie subculture that came from the west coast of the United States.
Cool Britannia
A significant phenomenon in the cultural life of Great Britain in the 1990s was the period of Cool Britannia (“Cool Britain”). Its beginning (perhaps not coincidentally) coincided with the coming to power of the Labor Party led by Tony Blair. The period was characterized by a rise in patriotism, as well as a general interest in British culture, which was reflected, in particular, in music, fashion, cinema, and also in the architecture of the city. Many new London heroes gained worldwide fame: model Kate Moss, the groups Blur, Suede, who performed music in the widely popular Britpop style, new pop stars Robbie Williams, Spice Girls, East 17, film director Guy Ritchie.
London dialects
The most famous London vernacular, common among the lower social strata of the city's population, is Cockney. Cockneys are characterized by simplified pronunciation of words, incorrect use or omission of certain sounds. The Cockney dialect in England is often the subject of jokes and anecdotes.
Another well-known type of local pronunciation is Estuary English, common not only in London, but also in the Thames basin as a whole. In addition, with the influx of immigrants from Central America, the Jamaican Creole dialect became widespread.
London architecture
The architecture of London is represented by all styles from Norman to postmodernism. Many medieval buildings, however, did not survive, mainly due to the Great Fire of 1666, which destroyed more than 13,000 buildings, and aerial bombing during World War II.
William the Conqueror brought Norman architecture to England. Of the Norman-style buildings in London, the Tower is famous, which began to be built under William and was repeatedly completed by other kings.
The 13th century was the century of early English Gothic. One of the brightest examples of this style is Westminster Abbey. No other examples from this period survive in London. Following the early era came the era of decorated English Gothic, but there are no examples of it in modern London, as well as examples of vertical Gothic - the third Gothic period of English architecture.
The Tudor period logically ended the Middle Ages. Tudor architecture is similar to Gothic, but with significant changes such as deep and high windows. Henry VII's Chapel in Westminster and Hampton Court Palace in Richmond are architectural monuments of the Tudor period.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the founder of the English architectural tradition, Inigo Jones, worked in London. He instilled in British architecture the ideas of Palladianism (classicism), which were based on geometricity, laconicism, functionality, elegance, and the absence of small details and other architectural excesses. Of Jones's works, only two have survived in London - the Banqueting Hall in Whitehall and the Chapel of St. James's Palace.
In the second half of the 17th century, Jones was replaced by Christopher Wren. It was he who drew up the plan for the restoration of London after the Great Fire. In addition, Wren designed hospitals in Greenwich and Chelsea, the famous St. Paul's Cathedral and several dozen other buildings.
Georgian architecture, the era of which began in the middle of the 18th century, generally corresponded to pan-European classicism. The main thing in it was clear shapes and proportions. This period is not represented by any famous buildings in London, but many residential and administrative buildings in the city were built in the Georgian style. Worth noting are the churches designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor, Somerset House (Sir William Chambers) and the Pantheon entertainment center on Oxford Street by James Wyatt.
The 19th century differs from previous ones in its variety of styles. The famous Parliament building with the Big Ben and Victoria towers on it was built in a neo-Gothic style; the famous John Nash, the author of the Trafalgar Square complex, Buckingham Palace and the Marble Arch, worked in the style of classicism; Westminster Cathedral is an example of the neo-Byzantine style. The now defunct Crystal Palace belonged to the industrial style.
In the 20th century, skyscrapers appeared in the city: the Lloyd’s building in the City, the Canary Wharf complex in the Docklands. At the end of the last - beginning of this century, Norman Foster became the leading British architect, who built the SwissRe (Gherkin) skyscraper and New City Hall, the city hall building in London.
Traditions and ceremonies
Great Britain is known as a country of traditions. Many of them have survived from ancient times, and Londoners always revere them.
The changing of the guard at Royal Buckingham Palace is one of the most famous and popular London traditions among tourists. This ceremony takes place daily at 11:30 from April to August, at other times of the year - at the same time, but every other day. Of course, there is no practical benefit from the changing of the guard, but this tradition is one of the most beautiful in London.
The Ceremony of the Keys is a 700-year-old ritual of closing the Tower, performed by its Chief Guardian at exactly 9:50 pm every day.
Royal gun salutes are fired on special occasions, which include the Queen's accession to the throne (6 February), the Queen's birthday (21 April), Coronation Day (2 June), and the Duke of Edinburgh's birthday (10 June). If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the fireworks are displayed the next day.
The Thames Festival takes place in mid-September and includes a torchlight parade, fairs, fireworks and concerts.
The Speakers' Corner is located in Hyde Park. Anyone can climb up to some elevation and practice public speaking on any topic. Now this tradition is in decline - it has become a common tourist attraction, and few speakers the speakers are almost inaudible due to the noise of traffic on nearby Park Lane (the use of microphones in the speakers' corner is prohibited by tradition).
Apart from Easter, Christmas and New Year, all holidays in England fall strictly on Monday. New Year - January 1, is celebrated with family with traditional apple pie. Easter is always celebrated in April; organ music concerts are held in Catholic churches on this day. Easter Monday - on this day it is customary to congratulate each other on Easter, give gifts, and give candy and toys to children on the streets.
Sport
Arsenal Football Club wins the FA Cup
London has hosted the Summer Olympics twice (1908, 1948), and will do so for the third time in 2012. The capital of Great Britain will become the first city in the world to host three Olympics.
In the most popular sport in the UK and the world - football - London clubs have achieved great success. Despite the fact that traditionally the strongest teams in England have always been Liverpool and Manchester United, the capital is most widely represented - with five clubs - in the English Premier League. These teams are: Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham. Currently, Arsenal and Chelsea are among the strongest clubs in Europe and the world. Chelsea have won the Premier League twice in recent years and were a finalist in the UEFA Champions League in 2008, while Arsenal have been crowned champions of England 13 times and participated in the Champions League final in 2006. London is represented by four clubs in the English Rugby Championship.
Wembley
The city's largest stadium, Wembley, reopened in May 2007 after a long renovation. The first match at the renovated stadium took place on May 19 between the teams Chelsea and Manchester United. Wembley hosts the finals of the FA Cup and the Challenge Cup (a major national rugby tournament). Wembley is also the home stadium of the English football team. Cricket matches take place at the Oval and St John's Wood stadiums.
In London, or more precisely, in its suburb of Wimbledon, the tennis tournament of the same name is held annually.
Russians in London
For more than 450 years, state and trade relations have existed between England and Russia.
The first Russian guests in the capital of England were diplomats and royalty. Back in the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I received ambassadors from Muscovy in the gardens of the London suburbs of Richmond and Greenwich (the ambassadors later indignantly reported to Moscow that the queen received them “in the garden”).
The first Russian residents appeared in London in the 17th century, when young people sent by Boris Godunov to study refused to return home and remained in the English capital.
At the end of the 17th century, London was visited by the Great Embassy, of which Tsar Peter I was a member under the name of Peter Mikhailov. The future emperor stayed in England for about two months. He worked longest at the Deptford shipyard, but also managed to visit several factories, the mint, the Greenwich Observatory and meet Isaac Newton.
The Russian ambassador to England in 1784-1806 remains in the memory of Londoners. Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov. Thanks to Vorontsov, it was possible to avoid a war between Russia and Great Britain, when the British authorities were ready to send a fleet to help Turkey (see Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1792). Now in honor of Vorontsov the street in London is called Woronzow Road.
In the 19th century, London became the center of the Russian free press - the magazines “Bell”, “Nakanune”, “Narodovolets”, “Bread and Freedom” were published there, which were then secretly transferred to Russia. At that time, a large Russian colony was formed in London. The most famous Russian Londoners of the 19th century are Alexander Ivanovich Herzen and Nikolai Platonovich Ogarev. Since 1876, the revolutionary Prince Peter Kropotkin lived in London.
Great Britain became a refuge for emigrants from Russia in the 20th century. In 1903, the second congress of the banned RSDLP party was held in London, at which it was divided into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. Therefore, after the revolution of 1917, the influx of emigrants was small compared to Paris, Nice or Prague. It is worth noting only Pavel Nikolaevich Milyukov, chairman of the Cadet Party.
In 2005, according to unofficial data, about 200 thousand Russian-speaking people lived in London. The UK National Health Service, which compulsorily collects data on the nationality of patients, reports 40 thousand patients who identified themselves as Russian. According to Mark Hollingsworth and Stuart Lensl, authors of the book “Londongrad or “From Russia with Money”” (2009), 300 thousand Russians live in London, including about 100 super-rich people. Five newspapers are published in Russian, there are more than five Russian schools, several Orthodox churches (parishes of the Diocese of Sourozh, the ROCOR, as well as the Exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople), there are shops where you can buy “traditional” Russian products; Russian doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. offer their services. There are also Russian restaurants aimed at both emigrants and London exotic lovers. Since 2007, the Pushkin House has been operating in the center of London - an unofficial Russian cultural center, which hosts lectures on Russian culture, shows Russian films, conducts Russian language classes, operates a library, and organizes exhibitions, presentations, concerts and receptions. Pushkin House is owned by the Pushkin House Trust, which is a UK registered independent charity (number 313111) dedicated to the promotion of Russian language and culture. “Pushkin House” became the heir to the famous “Pushkin Club”, which existed in London since 1955 and carried out similar activities.
In addition, London is known as the place of residence of several Russian billionaires - the owner of the Chelsea football club Roman Abramovich (who, however, is recognized as a tax non-resident, since he spent only 57 full days in the UK in 2007), Oleg Deripaska, Vladimir Gusinsky. In addition, such controversial figures as Boris Berezovsky and Akhmed Zakaev live in London.
There are two monuments dedicated to Russians in London:
The memorial to Soviet soldiers and citizens who died during the Second World War was opened on May 9, 1999 in Geraldine Mary Park at the British Imperial War Museum in London. The monument by Russian sculptor Sergei Shcherbakov is a three-meter bronze monument in the form of a woman bowing her head, above which there is a freely suspended bell, and at the foot of the monument there is a granite slab with words of memory. Every year, on May 9, surviving veterans, representatives of states of different countries, as well as everyone who wants to pay tribute to the memory of this Great Victory lay flowers at the monument.
The monument to Peter the Great was unveiled in 2001 in the London district of Deptford, in the place on the banks of the Thames River where Peter I lived for some time in 1698. The monument was created by sculptor Mikhail Shemyakin and architect Vyacheslav Bukhaev.
Famous Londoners
Politicians
Henry VIII
Elizabeth I
Charles II
George III
Victoria
George V
Elizabeth II
Artists
William Turner
Alfred Hitchcock
Kelly Osbourne
Scientists
Michael Faraday
Charles Darwin
Actors
Alan Rickman
Tom Sturridge
Emma Thompson
Tilda Swinton
Helen Mirren
David Suchet
Helena Bonham Carter
Robert Pattison
Tim Roth
Jude Law
Ben Barnes
Quotes
"London is a wonderful place if you can get away from it" (Arthur Balfour)
“The fogs of London did not exist until art discovered them” (Oscar Wilde)
“It's good that you smoke. Every man needs something to do. There are too many idle people in London.” (Oscar Wilde)
“Even crushed by his fellows in the London Underground, the Englishman desperately pretends that he is alone here” (Germaine Greer)
“If you are tired of London, you are tired of life” (Samuel Johnson)
Seeing London, I saw as much life as the world can provide.
Samuel Johnson
The city of Charlie Chaplin's subtle humor and Alfred Hitchcock's hoaxes. The city where Anna Wintour's subtle style and Elizabeth Taylor's acting talent were born. All this is London in the UK. The capital, which preserves the centuries-old history of the Kingdom and inspires its future creators. More than 19 million people visit the city of fogs every year, and everyone finds something special for themselves. Just imagine how many colors and secrets the capital contains to fascinate so many people.
Panorama of London at night (source – Unsplash)
Who founded London and when?
The history of London goes back more than 2 thousand years. Before the Roman conquests it was a small settlement. In the 60s AD it begins to expand, and after the uprising of local tribes it burns to the ground. The Romans completely rebuilt the city and turned it into the northernmost capital of the empire. It remains this way until the 5th century, until the beginning of Anglo-Saxon rule.
And with the coming to power of King Edward the Confessor, a palace was built here, which designated the new capital of the country. The Vikings also begin to fight for a place conveniently located above the Thames, which is why the city periodically suffers destruction.
In the 11th century, it began to acquire architectural landmarks known today. The Normans, who capture the capital led by William the Conqueror, are busy building the Tower and Westminster Hall. Over time, numerous churches and palaces appeared in the capital and beyond its borders, from Hampton to Greenwich.
View of the Thames next to St. Paul's (source - Unsplash) In the 15th century, the Tudor era began, and it was replaced by the Stuart dynasty. Then the city experiences one of the greatest disasters - the Great Fire, which completely destroyed wooden buildings and houses. However, he turned out to be a phoenix, capable of rising from the ashes. The Industrial Revolution, which began in the 18th century, contributed to the development of the British Empire, and its capital, which a century later became the largest city in the world. The political, cultural and economic center of the Kingdom is concentrated here. Since that time, there have been many difficult periods in the history of London: two world wars and the Great Depression - but it has retained its status as one of the most developed cities in the world.
Life in London and its features
London boroughs map
The capital of Foggy Albion is divided into 32 boroughs and London City. It houses all the most famous attractions: St. Paul's Cathedral, the Great Fire Monument, Guild Hall and Mansion House. The borough of Westminster, where the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace are located, is also often visited by tourists. The districts popular for their entertainment, cafes and restaurants are also located here: Soho, Covent Garden, Fitzrovia and Belgravia. But the London districts of Hackney and Haringey are considered the greenest areas in the city with many parks and gardens.
Soho in London (source – Unsplash) Housing and rent
Each district of the city has its own characteristics and highlights. If you want to be close to cultural attractions such as theatres, art galleries and museums, then apartments and hotels in Soho, Covent Garden or Mayfair will suit you. Accommodation here is quite expensive; for a hotel room for two you will have to pay close to £120 or more.
For a quiet holiday, it is better to choose accommodation in Fitzrovia or Bloomsbury, among bookshops and quiet streets. The average price for a room here is 85-90 pounds.
Kensington has convenient connections to both the city center and Heathrow Airport. And in general, transport in London allows you to conveniently move around the city. Prices for a double room at the hotel range from £90 to £200, allowing you to choose a place to suit every taste and budget.
Climate and weather in London
The weather in London is known to be rainy, peaking in December, so it is better to plan your visit for some other month. Snow is not a common occurrence here, and winter temperatures rarely drop below zero degrees. If you like to travel in the warm season, then come in July or August. The maximum temperature during this season does not exceed 25 degrees Celsius, this is what makes holidays in London in the summer so successful.
View of St. Paul's Cathedral (source – Unsplash) London Transport
The transport system in London is very developed - there is everything for convenient movement: metro, buses, trams, city trains and bicycle rental. London Underground includes underground and overground lines, as well as trains. It is divided into 9 zones and 11 branches, the central part of the city is included in the first zone. The metro operates from 05:00 to 24:00. The ticket price depends on the distance and method of payment. The cheapest contactless payment.
Famous double-decker buses They travel around the clock. Please note that they do not accept cash. A single trip costs £1.50. For an hour you can use free travel on other buses.
Double-decker buses in London (source – Unsplash) Trams- a relatively new type of transport in the capital. They only operate in the southern part of the city: Wimbledon, Croydon and Beckenham. By the way, from July 2018, London trams will completely switch to a contactless payment system; only subscription cards and tourist cards will be valid.
This payment system is the most common in the city. The so-called Visitor Oyster Card can be bought online, at London Underground stations or in specialist stores. It differs from the usual one in that not only residents of the Kingdom can buy it.
Most types of transport are equipped for convenient movement of people with disabilities. You can view all travel options by downloading travel guides from the Transport for London website. Here you can also find out which transport is free for people with disabilities, where service animals are allowed, and how to get to the desired location.
Shopping in London
You'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to shopping in London: high-end boutiques, huge malls and hidden treasure markets. If you want to get into the center of luxury and wealth, then welcome to Mayfair. Luxury purchases from Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany are about him.
In Covent Garden you will find your exclusive gift. In shops on the streets and markets you can buy handmade jewelry, special sweets and exquisite clothes.
Anyone who likes to look for pearls in a noisy sea is advised to go to Camden. You can spend hours wandering around its street markets, searching for antiques, new fashions and little things that catch your eye while shopping in London.
Camden Lock Market (source – Unsplash) All London sights
When you get to the capital, be sure to take time to visit the most famous British museums, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Sherlock Museum, as well as historical sites. The most popular among them are the Palace of Westminster, Trafalgar Square and Tower Bridge. Here are the top most popular London attractions.
Buckingham Palace
The Queen's residence is a very famous place, so it is better to plan your visit early. Large halls with paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens, as well as a huge royal collection, are open to visitors. Every day the palace hosts a pompous changing of the guard ceremony, which crowds of tourists gather to watch.
Buckingham Palace in London (source – Unsplash) "London Eye"
From the Ferris wheel you can see the entire city at a glance. The trip lasts 30 minutes. During this time, you rise to a height of 135 meters and will be able to contemplate all the beauty of the historical part of the capital. And in the evening the view from the wheel is simply stunning - the dark sky above the city is drowned in the colorful lights of the metropolis.
London Eye (source – Unsplash) Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
14 interactive zones and more than 300 figures that embody chic, glamor and incredible stories. You have the simultaneous opportunity to walk the red carpet with Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Depp, be in the same sports area with David Beckham and Usain Bolt, and have your photo taken with the royal family. And all this in the most famous British museum, Madame Tussauds.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (source – PhotosForClass) Tower of London
One of the oldest and most famous prisons in the world, where the heirs of the royal dynasty spent their last days. This place is as picturesque as it is mystical. Once here, visit London's first zoo and an exhibition of the royal jewels, and stroll nearby Tower Bridge.
Tower Bridge near the palace (source – Unsplash) Somerset House
The luxurious palace in the neo-classical style became the center of the cultural life of the capital. It hosts open-air concerts, film screenings and contemporary art exhibitions. In summer there are 55 beautiful fountains, and in winter there is a spacious ice skating rink.
Somerset House in London (source – Unsplash) Where to stay in London
London in the UK is ready to welcome every guest, regardless of his financial status and vacation preferences. The number of hotels, apartments and hostels allows you to choose an option with the ideal price-quality ratio.
London Hotels
A room for two in a three-star hotel in central London will cost between £80 and £100 depending on conditions. However, if you look for accommodation outside the center, you can find room options for a night with breakfast for two for 60-70 pounds. Most hotels in London have a restaurant or cafe where you can order lunch or dinner. Please note that finding a place in the city with public access to WiFi is quite difficult: you will be required to have a UK number to register. Therefore, you can use the Internet at the hotel. Here visitors are told the login password.
Colorful London entrances (source: Unsplash) Aparthotels
Apartments can be an ideal option for families or couples, since here you can either cook yourself or order food, while you will also be provided with hotel service. The cheapest options cost around £80 per night. Depending on proximity to central London the price will be higher. The apartments will cost approximately 160-170 pounds per night.
Hostels
Would you like to meet new people and reminisce about your student years? A hostel is an ideal option for this, especially since you can save money. The cost of one place per night is 50-60 pounds, but you can find accommodation for 35-40 pounds. This will depend on your preferences: how many neighbors you are willing to share a room with, what location you choose, etc.
How to get there
The capital of Great Britain is, without exaggeration, the air gateway of the country. There are as many as 5 airports here: London City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted. Heathrow the busiest of them, it is he who receives the largest number of international flights. How to get from here to the center as quickly as possible? You can use the train. The Heathrow Express arrives at Paddington station in 20-25 minutes. The tube journey will be cheaper but will take approximately 50 minutes to Piccadilly Circus station. The N9 bus leaves from the airport to Trafalgar Square every 20 minutes.
Heathrow Airport in London (source – Unsplash) City is much closer to central London than other airports. You can get to it by metro or bus. Laton And Stansted known among travelers for their low-cost prices. From Latona you can get to the station in 10 minutes by bus, and from there by train to the center in another 20 minutes. And from Stansted there is an express service to Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale.
From the airport Gatwick There are express trains and buses. The first ones run every half hour, and the journey time is 20 minutes. But traveling by bus will take a little more than an hour.
There is a railway station in Camden St Pancras station , which receives international trains from France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Wondering how to get to London attractions like Buckingham Palace or the Palace of Westminster? Take the metro. From the station you can take it to any direction in the city.
Ganna Koval
Share:London is the brilliant capital of the United Kingdom. This is a place that is especially worth visiting. This is the birthplace of all parliaments and, perhaps, the most famous royal family in the whole world. London has all the attributes of a world-class city, whose charm lies in the combination of complete opposites. London is the political, economic, commercial and cultural center of Great Britain.
Geography
London is located on flat terrain, on both banks of the River Thames, surrounded by small hills and forests. The city occupies more than 1,500 square kilometers, and together with its suburbs it makes up the largest European agglomeration. The general geography of the city is quite flat, with slight differences in elevation - the highest point is located in the southeast and reaches only 245 meters above sea level. The plane of the plain is dissected not only by the main navigable river, but also by many tributaries, only some of which are collected in sewers under the areas of the British capital. Most of the small rivers flow through green areas designated as parks and recreational areas. Of great importance is the fact that in the mid-20th century it was decided to limit the spread of development to green spaces - therefore, an almost continuous forest area was built around London. London is located on the prime meridian, called Greenwich, from which all time zones on the planet originate. The starting point is the Greenwich Observatory. The time difference with Moscow is +3UTC (that is, in Moscow the time is three hours longer). Geographically, the British capital is made up of historical districts that have been formed throughout the existence of London, as well as due to the characteristics of the area. If you look at the city from space, it is quite compact and practically corresponds to a circle centered around Old London. The administrative division is municipalities and districts (the so-called boroughs), of which there are 32, as well as the City district, which has a separate status.
London climate
The greatest influence on the weather conditions of the city is exerted by the warm Atlantic Gulf Stream, thanks to which the climate of the British capital is defined as temperate maritime. A short distance from the ocean ensures fairly mild winters and warm summers. The winter months in London can only be determined by the calendar, as the average air temperature ranges from +5°C to -3°C. In history, the lowest figure reached only -16°C. Winter in the British capital is more similar to the same period in the subtropical regions of the planet. The spring months are characterized by slight temperature changes with no frosts or heavy precipitation. During the year, the thermometer rarely drops below 0°C and occurs between November and March. Almost all months of the year have an equal level of rain, and therefore are not divided into any specific periods. Summer in London is moderate and not hot - the average temperature is around +22-23°C, with rare periods of July and August, when the possible maximum reaches +37°C. But this does not happen often and hot weather lasts no more than a few days. Autumn begins in October and lasts almost until mid-December. This season is characterized by a gradual decrease in temperature and rare night frosts. Autumn in the British capital is practically no different from other seasons in terms of precipitation, and sometimes a storm or storm is possible.
When is the best time to go to London?
Spring and summer are warm seasons, when ordinary clothes are enough to visit all the sights. The blooming gardens, parks and royal reserves attract many tourists with their incredible colors and diversity. The hot summer months can be brightened up with a trip to the city beaches, as the Thames warms up almost at the level of the Mediterranean Sea and gives a pleasant swimming sensation. The length of the day in summer allows you to walk more during daylight hours. Autumn and winter also attract tourists - pleasant weather does not require special clothing, as in the Russian capital. In addition, infrequent snowfalls leave virtually no traces on city streets - utility services carefully monitor this. There is no feeling of winter in London, since warm air masses from the Atlantic Ocean completely neutralize the effects of frost.
Story
The main British city is many hundreds of years old, as it dates back to the ancient Roman fortress of Londinium, the remains of which can still be seen in the form of ruined remains of fortifications. The Anglo-Saxon period of the 6th and 7th centuries is characterized by the fact that London became the main residence of the king and began to be intensively built up. The most significant examples of architecture of that time are the Tower, Westminster Abbey and the old Palace of Westminster. It was during this period that the English capital was divided into two areas - the city itself, which is now known as the City; former Thorney Island, which became Westminster. The year 1216 is chronicled as the last time the city was captured by foreign forces, and this saw London develop rapidly and vigorously while remaining secure. The greatest losses for London were brought by the Great Plague of 1666 and the subsequent Great Fire, which destroyed both the population of the capital and almost all wooden buildings. After this, a decree was issued that all buildings in London should be made of stone. In memory of the victims of the disease, a Plague Column was erected in the city center.
By the beginning of the 18th century, London finally became the world's financial and commercial capital, which was greatly facilitated by fairly loyal laws and the authorities' predisposition to everything new. At this time, the Bank of England and the East India Trading Company opened - ensuring the colonial development of Britain and the entry of new types of goods into London. Various scientific institutions are opening, including the Greenwich Observatory. Having established itself as the capital of Great Britain and the largest city in Europe, London began rapid development in the 18th and 19th centuries. Almost all major architectural monuments date back to this period - Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and Trafalgar Square, Albert Hall and London Bridge. The first railway was opened in the city in 1836, the first metro was opened in 1863, and by the end of the 19th century the entire city was surrounded by an extensive sewerage system. In the 20th century, during the First and Second World Wars, the British capital was subjected to air raids and bombings several times, which left a mark on the development of London, but did not have any tangible impact on its development. Being a relatively safe haven, the city continued to attract emigrants from Europe. London is the only city in the world that has hosted the Olympic Games three times.
London Attractions
- One of the oldest and most famous landmarks in the city is the Tower of London, founded by William I. Over the course of history, it has been a fortress, a royal palace, a state prison and an arsenal. Now the Tower is a unique museum where you can experience past centuries and touch the walls that witnessed many tragic events in British history. There is an exhibition of weapons and life-size figures of kings on horseback. All exhibits can be examined carefully - they are not placed in glass cases, and interactive conditions allow you to get closer to historical times.
- The collegiate church of St. Peter is called Westminster Abbey. This is where the monarchs of Great Britain are crowned. Construction (with interruptions) lasted from 1245 to 1745. Famous writers and poets are buried in the abbey, next to the royal tombs. Here lies the immortal author of The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson, Lord Byron and many others.
- The Palace of Westminster is the building where meetings of the British Parliament are held. After the fire that happened in 1834, the palace was rebuilt. The construction of the complex was carried out on the old Westminster Hall, as well as the remains of St. Stephen's Chapel with a crypt. The old palace survived several fires and was destroyed during the Second World War. Recent restoration work led by Charles Bury has revealed the original use of golden yellow sandstone in the palace's construction.
- Trafalgar Square is the main square and geographical center of London. It was named in memory of Admiral Nelson's victory over Napoleon's fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. On the north side of Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery.
- Madame Tussauds Wax Museum has its own interesting history. This woman lived at the court of Louis XVI and created wax figures of all the famous people executed during the French Revolution. These exhibits were presented at the first exhibition in 1835. Since then, the collection has been constantly expanding - life-size statues of politicians, artists and celebrities are depicted, who often donate their own clothes for their wax doppelgängers.
- Another very important and significant landmark of London is the London Eye - one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world (its height is 135 meters). This attraction is relatively new; the wheel was built in 1999 (in honor of the new millennium), and the first launch was carried out in 2000. From the highest point of the wheel you can see the entire city. The ticket office and café are located in the former County Hall building. One lap (including boarding and disembarking) takes approximately half an hour. On clear days, visibility is up to approximately 40 kilometers. These days, the London Eye is one of the most visited tourist attractions. The trip should be made in the first half of the day to enjoy the best illumination of the city. Don't forget to bring binoculars and a camera on this exhilarating journey!
- The docks were considered dangerous areas of London. Edgar Wallace describes these life-threatening places in the famous work about Jack the Ripper. However, these days these places are very attractive to tourists. The area has a great selection of old classic pubs. The revival of the docks shows what metamorphoses occur with old buildings in the context of modern architecture. A good example of such a transformation is the Hays Galleria.
Events and festivals
The multinational appearance of London, the mass of ethnic groups and the influence of diverse cultures have led to the fact that the city traditionally has many purely English holidays, as well as all kinds of events that almost never stop:
- January - The grand New Year's parade begins on the 1st, in which dozens of musical groups take part. The procession passes through the city center and ends with a large fair. At the end of January, as a rule, Chinese New Year is also celebrated grandly in Chinatown.
- February - London Fashion Week starts in the middle of the month, where all the famous couturiers of the world are presented. It is not for nothing that the British capital is considered one of the capitals of fashion, as many famous brands work here, for example, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney.
- March is the famous St. Patrick's Day, which stretches for almost a week of festivities. During the festival, various festivities, parades, fairs, processions and other entertainment events are held. The ancient Celtic holiday of the Spring Equinox on the night of March 21 is also vividly celebrated. The last week of the month is the Head of the River, a traditional rowing competition held on the Thames.
- April is famous for the most popular and large-scale London Marathon, as well as elite events - the London Golf Show and an antiques exhibition. April is the time of the Easter holidays, which are marked by fairs, festivities, festivals and concert events.
- May - starts with MayDay - a simple reason to relax in nature with friends. On this day, picnics and fun are organized in numerous parks in London. The Chelsea Flower Show is the most iconic event of spring and the largest in the world. In May, the FA Cup final is held at the famous Wembley Stadium, the International Theater Festival, and the three-week Festival of Opera and Musicals in Covent Garden.
- June - on the first or second Saturday of the month, when the weather permits, the most important British holiday is held - the Queen's Birthday. In June, two music festivals are held in the Tower Hamlets and Islington area - the first is dedicated to classical and world music; the second - to the modern direction in music and theater.
- July - famous for free morning concerts as part of the City Festival. In the same month, the prestigious Wimbledon tennis tournament, a flower show in Hampton Court, and a festival of emerging performers in East Barnet take place. The oldest regatta in the world, Dogget`s Coat and Badge, starts in mid-July. The Soho Festival surprises with its original concerts and championships. One of the most beautiful events is the “Swan Upping” ceremony, which usually takes place on July 20-24 and has long historical roots.
Ceremony "Raising the Swans"
- August - the last month of summer is famous for one of the largest Festivals of Caribbean culture in Notting Hill, as well as the opening of Buckingham Palace to visitors in the last days of August.
- September - early autumn will be marked by a grandiose and traditional boat parade on the Thames, when boats from different eras are presented to the attention of spectators. Also in the first autumn month, another Fashion Week is held in the city.
- October - this month is famous for the opening of the Parliament session - or rather, the Queen’s official passage through London and mass street events. There is also the London Restaurant Festival, which brings together chefs from all over the world. The end of the month is marked by the beginning of the International Film Festival.
- November - Food festival and opening of the ice sculpture exhibition in Hyde Park. In November, Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night are traditionally celebrated, which are famous for torchlight processions and burning of effigy, fireworks and festivities. Since 1215, there has been an annual Lord's parade.
- December is the time of Christmas and preparation for it. Fairs and festivals begin almost from the first days and last until the New Year's parade.
Restaurants and cafes in London
London is a city of many cultures and nationalities, so finding cuisine from any country here is not difficult. The rich colonial past and close ties with the Commonwealth countries mean that in the British capital you can try almost any dish that exists in the world. It is very remarkable that gourmets can use guidebooks and find a variety of catering establishments for themselves:
- national cuisines - in addition to standard types, for example, French or Chinese, you can taste dishes of regional cuisines. Thus, lovers will be able to try Celtic dishes, African food, a variety of Indian cuisine, Scottish or Irish food.
- branded restaurants - in the expensive business city or in the area of fashionable boutiques you can visit establishments with signature cuisine, many of which are marked with Michelin signs. For example, The Ledbury, Gastron home and many others.
- establishments of the middle price category - located in tourist centers, shopping and entertainment complexes, in the cozy streets of the Inner City.
- cafes can be found anywhere and everywhere - from huge business centers to parks. In addition to chain establishments like McDonald's, there are a lot of small cafes that offer original and inexpensive dishes, drinks and desserts.
- pubs - you can’t go to London without visiting at least one beer establishment. Their popularity is so great that even in the City you can find them on almost every corner. Pubs typically serve a variety of British beers, as well as stronger national drinks.
Shopping
London is a universally recognized center of world high fashion, but shopping here can be done in completely different ways. Price categories will also allow everyone to buy the things they like. Brand boutiques, salons, multi-brand stores, outlets - all this can be easily found in the British capital. Shopping centers Harrods, Selfbridges, Liberty, Covent Garden Market are popular among tourists, as well as the most central streets for shopping - Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly. But the most important thing is still the souvenirs that can be bought in specialized stores, at street vendor stalls, and in large shopping and entertainment complexes. To remember London, in addition to the standard set of postcards or a refrigerator magnet, you can buy:
- English tea is a traditional drink that is strongly associated with London. There are a lot of companies in the city that have more than a century-old history of tea production and offer gift and souvenir packaging with an exquisite drink.
- attributes of sports clubs and universities - there are many of them in the British capital, and therefore for everyone you can find a scarf, sweatshirt, cap, flag with an image and inscription, for example, of the Chelsea Club or Oxford University.
- figurines - London landmarks in the form of small copies that everyone will like. Here are the famous guardsmen, Big Ben, a red telephone booth, a double decker, and other options. Most are made in the form of piggy banks, caskets, cases, so they will also bring benefits to their owners.
- cult things - remember that London has a lot of museums and other iconic places. Museum of Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes, the Beatles, where they always sell a lot of different souvenirs.
- scarves, umbrellas, shawls - these things have always been very important for Londoners, they can be bought in different parts of the city.
How to get to London?
The easiest and most convenient way to travel to London is to use airlines. Near the British capital there are two largest international airports - Heathrow and Gatwick, as well as 4-5 small air terminals that accept international flights. Almost all airlines in the world provide flights to London, as it is also a major transit hub. You can choose different flight options - from business class to low-cost. All airports are located quite close to the city and have well-developed connections through ground, underground and rail transport. The second travel option is by train under the English Channel. London can be reached by high-speed rail from Paris or Brussels, from where trains run to the British capital. Usually the trip does not take much time and passes through a unique architectural object - an underwater tunnel. You can also get to London by car, but you will have to travel all over Europe and take a ferry to cross to the islands. In addition, entry into the city is limited due to smog and air pollution, and the cost of entry is quite high, so you will have to leave the car in the suburbs.
Transport
The city is famous for the fact that the metro first appeared in it and to this day it is considered the most modern and one of the most extensive in the world. If you look at the map of London, there are stations in almost all significant and important places, and the metro covers almost all residential areas. A distinctive feature of the London Underground is that its cost depends on the travel distance, and the direction is determined by the cardinal points - for example, at the transfer hub it will be written “to the South-West” or “to the North”. The next popular type of public transport is the famous double-decker buses - “double deckers” - painted in the traditional red color. They travel throughout the city, but are more common in the center and surrounding areas. Taxis are represented by many private companies that use a wide variety of vehicles. But the black “cab” is considered traditional - a car of original design with a high body. Since cabs are in great demand, you can only call one by phone, and you won’t be able to catch one on the street. Car rental in London is represented by several dozen companies, but the entire center has entry restrictions with a significant fee, and parking will require additional funds. Even Londoners themselves try to use public transport, which is cheaper and does not stand idle for hours in traffic jams.
Accommodation in London
The huge metropolis provides hundreds of accommodation options that will suit any traveler, businessman or tourist. The hotel industry, as in most large cities, is represented by different places to stay:
- 5-star hotels are represented by ancient residences and buildings that belong to chain brands - The Kensington, The Savoy, Royal Garden Hotel.
- 4-star hotels also have a high level of service and are often located in the very center of the city - Hilton London Paddington, The Rubensatthe Palace, Hilton, Marriott, Novotel chains.
- 3-star hotels make up the main hotel stock and can be located both in ancient mansions and in modern buildings throughout London - the Premier Inn, Holiday Inn, Ibis chains.
- In addition, the British capital has hundreds of offers from 2-star small hotels, family hotels, apartment rentals and hostels.
For any tourist you can find inexpensive accommodation located in the historical center or close to it. In some cases, the quality of service is quite low, but if you are traveling to walk and visit attractions, then this will be quite enough - especially for students and young people.
Connection
The capital of Great Britain has a very high level of Internet provision in public places - from hotels to large shopping centers and parks. All establishments are equipped with a Wi-Fi network. Telephone communication is provided by the GSM standard for mobile operators and conventional landline phones for domestic and international communications. Roaming in the UK is quite expensive, so it is recommended to purchase a card from a local company or use a regular phone for calls, both locally and abroad. Most often, tourists use the Internet to negotiate with relatives, but no one will deny themselves the pleasure of using a traditional red pay phone booth.
1. The best and fastest way to get to know London is a bus tour, especially if you have little time.
2. It’s not bad to go shopping in London for fun. The main shopping streets are Region Street, Oxford Street and Pont Street. It is worth knowing that it is best to go shopping on weekdays, in the first half of the day, since stores are open on weekdays until 18:00, and only large shopping malls are open on weekends.
3. For those who want to buy something, London is considered a paradise where even the most incredible desires come true. Near Oxford (40 minutes' drive from London) there is one of the largest discount centers in England, Bicester Village.
4. If your stay in London will take more than three days, it is worth purchasing an Oyster travel card. It will allow you to save significantly on transport.
5. If you come to London for a couple of days, then a “Hop-on, hop-off” excursion bus will help you see as many sights as possible. The essence of the system is that you can get acquainted with the main attractions of the city through which the bus route arrives. You have the opportunity to get off the bus at any stop, see the sights, and then get on the next bus (they run every 15 minutes).
6. Most museums in London are open from 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, and on weekends from 14:00 to 17:00.
7. You should definitely know that smoking is prohibited almost everywhere in London, and all parks and squares are closed at night.
8. For those who want to save money in London, a list of some free attractions will be useful: British Museum, National Gallery, Houses of Parliament, Tate Britain and Whitechapel Gallery , Temple Church.
London on the map, panorama
Despite the fact that 60 years ago, after the Great London Smog, the city acquired an unusual nickname "The Big Smoke", today the fairly humid, fresh and clean air of the huge metropolis pleases its residents and tourists. Of course, fog, which was the main cause of the famous tragedy in 1952, is not uncommon for the city today, but after the high-profile incident, the metropolis authorities are carefully monitoring the ecology of the capital and the state. In addition, everyone who wants to visit London should take an umbrella with them, which will immediately become a basic necessity, because light rain drizzles here almost every day.
Despite the dull weather and cloudy sky, the residents of hospitable London are very friendly, smiling and never seem to be sad. The warm atmosphere of the city is literally imbued with a joyful mood and creative spirit. On Friday evening, all places of rest (especially pubs) are so crowded that you can see a lot of people just standing on the street, chatting and treating each other to wine or beer. Sunday evening is another matter - the city seems to stand still and you can rarely see a passer-by on the street.
Of course, compared to New York, where life is in an eternal rush, London is not such a “fast and active” city, although there is hardly enough time for measured gourmet breakfasts. But sitting somewhere in a park on the grass, surrounded by nature and city residents with coffee, a warm bun or a sandwich, is very English. During the day, such London parks are always very crowded, however, everyone around feels free and comfortable.
English restraint and patience are inherent not only to high-ranking titled persons, but also to ordinary London police officers, who will always tell tourists the way and friendly talk about local rules and laws. The patience and politeness of law-abiding residents of the capital of Great Britain is noticeably reflected on the roads, where drivers, even at night on an empty highway, try not to exceed the speed limit, and during the day let each other pass, thereby preventing endless traffic jams.
A little history
The history of London is multifaceted and interesting. The oldest city in Europe was founded back in 43 AD. The metropolis, which today occupies 1706.8 km 2, grew from a settlement about 1.6 km long and 0.8 km wide. Since its inception, London has been a significant trading center and an important port, and by 100 AD. became the capital of Britain. Another 100 years later, when Britain was divided into several parts, the Romans built a protective wall around the city, and today tourists who go to London can see its remains.
For several centuries in a row, London passed from hand to hand, was destroyed and rebuilt more than once, but at the same time it did not stop developing and being built. In 1066, the power of the city passed to William the Conqueror, who began construction of the famous Tower, about which there have been legends for many centuries, attracting the interest of tourists.
The beginning of the 18th century was significant in the history of London, when after the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London the city was completely restored and began to bear the proud title of the capital of Scotland and England.
By the way, you can find out a lot of interesting things about London here:
Transport for London
Transport for London is not just a means of transportation, but one of the main symbols of the city, especially when it comes to double-decker buses, the world's oldest metro and the busiest airport, Heathrow.
Despite its impressive scale, the city metro, divided into 6 zones, does not pose any particular difficulties. In the first zone, i.e. in the center, all the sights of London are concentrated. For those who plan to frequently travel around the city by metro, it will be cheaper and more convenient to buy a travel ticket that is valid for one or several days.
There are quite a lot of buses in the city, and in the center you can see their schedules, as well as diagrams of routes of interest. The fare is paid to the driver or cashier upon entry. But it is worth remembering that during the day, when the streets are crowded, it is very difficult to get to the place on time by bus, so it is better to take the metro. But buses run around the clock, so you can walk freely until the morning.
Safety in London
Like any metropolis, London city is not free from crime, but effective police work allows all visiting tourists to feel confident in a foreign city. Even in the evening, you shouldn’t be afraid to walk down the street, especially in the Soho area, where a lot of people gather in the evening. However, the outlying areas of the city, such as Williston, are not worth visiting and are generally not visited by tourists. In any case, even in the center of the capital there is no need to let down your vigilance; for example, it is better not to “catch” an illegal taxi on the street.
London Attractions
The Tower and Tower Bridge are the most popular attractions of the city and its symbols. They can tell the best story about the history of London. The oldest fortress, the Tower, is today the historical center of the capital.
There is hardly a single tourist who has not heard about Big Ben - the third tallest clock tower in the world. "Big Ben" is the name of the largest bell on the huge clock of the Palace of Westminster, which weighs 13 tons.
The amazingly beautiful and mesmerizing cathedral church of Westminster Abbey is built in the Gothic style and is located in the area of London called Westminster. In the temple you can see the tombs of the most famous people in England: kings, military leaders, cultural figures.
In the same area is Buckingham Palace, the residence of British monarchs. The most important receptions, official ceremonies and banquets take place here. Every year, the residence is visited by approximately 50,000 guests invited to royal ceremonies and receptions. London's largest private garden extends around Buckingham Palace.
The main museum of Great Britain and one of the largest museums in the world is the British Museum. The main treasure of England is kept here - the Library of the British Museum.
And for dessert - an interesting video about “toy” London:
The city of London is located on the territory of a state (country) Great Britain, which in turn is located on the territory of the continent Europe.What administrative and political part does the city of London belong to?
The city of London is included in the administrative and political part of England.The administrative and political part is an enlarged territory consisting of several constituent entities of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
What county (district) is the city of London located in?
The city of London is part of the county (district) of Greater London.A characteristic of a county (district) or a subject of a country is the integrity and interconnection of its constituent elements, including cities and other settlements that are part of the county (district).
The county (district) of Greater London is an administrative unit of the state of Great Britain.
Population of the city of London.
The population of the city of London is 8,416,999 people.What time zone is London located in?
The city of London is located in the administrative time zone: UTC0, in summer UTC+1. Thus, you can determine the time difference in the city of London, relative to the time zone in your city.London area code
London telephone code: +44 20. In order to call London from a mobile phone, you need to dial the code: +44 20 and then the subscriber’s number directly.Official website of the city of London.
Website of the City of London, official website of the City of London, or as it is also called “Official website of the City of London Administration”: http://www.london.gov.uk/.Flag of the city of London.
The flag of the city of London is the official symbol of the city and is presented on the page as an image.Coat of arms of the city of London.
The description of the city of London presents the coat of arms of the city of London, which is the distinctive sign of the city.Metropolitan in the city of London.
The subway in the city of London is called the London Underground and is a means of public transport.The passenger flow of the London metro (London metro congestion) is 1,260.00 million people per year.
The number of underground lines in the city of London is 11 lines. The total number of underground stations in London is 270. The length of underground lines or the length of underground tracks is: 402.00 km.
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