 * |
 * |
 * |
 * |
 * |
 * |
 * |
 * |
 * |
 * |
 * |
 * |
all photos are from flickr, for more information about them, click the *
After the successful defeat of the url=http://library.thinkquest.org/20176/armada.htm|title=Defeat of the Spanish Armada|publisher=Think Quest|accessdate=2008-04-27}} In 1603, James VI of Scotland came to the throne of England, essentially uniting the two countries. His enactment of harsh anti-Catholic laws made him unpopular, and an assassination attempt was made on [[5 November 1605—the well-known Gunpowder Plot.Plague caused extensive problems for London in the early 17th century, culminating in the Great Plague in 1665–1666. This was the last major outbreak in England, possibly thanks to the disastrous fire of 1666. The url=http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/greatfire.htm|title=The Great Fire of London, 1666|date=[[April 30, publisher=Anniina Jokinen|accessdate=2008-04-27}} A first hand narrative of both plague and fire was provided by Sir [[Samuel Pepys. Rebuilding took over ten years, largely under direction of a Commission appointed by King Charles II and chaired by Sir url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/after_fire_02.shtml |title=London After the Great Fire: Civil War and Revolution|last=Schofield J|date=January 2001|publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-04-28}} Rise of modern LondonFollowing London's growth in the 18th century, it became the world's largest city from about 1831 to 1925. This growth was aided from 1836 by London's first url=http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ITlondon.htm|title=London's Railways|publisher=Spartacus|accessdate=2008-04-28}} The rail network expanded very rapidly, and caused these places to grow while London itself expanded into surrounding fields, merging with neighbouring settlements such as Kensington. Rising metro system—the [[London Underground—in 1863, driving further expansion and urbanisation.London's infrastructure. Between 1855 and 1889, the Metropolitan Board of Works oversaw infrastructure expansion. It was then replaced by the County of London, overseen by the London County Council, London's first elected city-wide administration.German ''url=http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/homefront/arp/arp4.html |title=Air Raid Precautions |work="Home Front" Website |accessdate=2008-06-06}} and destroyed large tracts of housing and other buildings across London. The rebuilding during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s was characterised by a wide range of architectural styles and has resulted in a lack of architectural unity that has become part of London's character. In 1965 London's political boundaries were expanded to take into account the growth of the urban area outside the County of London's borders. The expanded area was called [[Greater London and was administered by the Greater London Council.In the decades following World War II, large-scale immigration from Commonwealth countries and beyond transformed London into one of the most racially and culturally diverse cities in Europe. Integration of the new immigrants was not always smooth, with major Notting Hill and Brixton, but was certainly smoother than in other English regions and largely lacking in widespread support for far right organisations, unlike its European or American contemporaries.An eco revival from the 1980s onwards re-established London's position as a pre-eminent international centre. However, as the seat of government and the most important city in the UK, it has been subjected to bouts of government into negotiations over url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/9240/#3|title=Provisional Irish Republican Army (U.K., separatists)|date=November 2005|publisher=Council on Foreign Relations|accessdate=2008-04-28}} More recently, a [[7 July 2005 London bombings|series of coordinated bomb attacks were carried out by extremist awarded the url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/uk/05/london_blasts/what_happened/html/default.stm|title=BBC News — London Attacks|publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-04-28}}Governancethumb|upright|City Hall (London)|City Hall at night, headquarters of the London Authority">Greater">London AuthorityLocal governmentLondon is the home of the Houses of Parliament in url=http://londonarchitecture.co.uk/Building/304/Parliament.php|title=Parliament|date=2008|publisher=Artefaqs Corporation.|accessdate=2008-04-27}} Many government departments are located close to Parliament, particularly along [[Whitehall, including the Prime Minister's residence at url=http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp|title=10 Downing Street — Official Website|publisher=10 Downing Street|accessdate=2008-04-26}} The British Parliament is often referred to as the "Mother of Parliaments" (although this ''[[sobriquet'' was first applied to England itself by url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/talking_politics/96021.stm |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=2008-06-06 |date=1998-06-03 |title=UK Politics: Talking Politics—The 'Mother of Parliaments'}} because it has been the model for most other parliamentary systems, and its Acts have created many other parliaments. London is represented in the national Parliament by 74 Members of Parliament (MPs) who correspond to local parliamentary constituencies. For a list of London constituencies, see Labour Party, 21 are Conservatives, 8 are RESPECT party.Geographythumb|right|London seen from SPOT (satellites)|SPOT satelliteScopeLondon can be geographically defined in a number of ways, although the situation was once even more ambiguous than it is now and open to periodic legal debate. At London's core is the small, ancient url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/08/15/charingcross_feature.shtml|title=BBC — London — Features — Where is the Centre of London?|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-06-06}} London's metropolitan area grew considerably during the Green Belt legislation, and the area has been largely static since. The London region of England, also commonly known as [[Greater London, is the area administered by the Greater London Authority. The urban sprawl of the conurbation—or Greater London Urban Area—covers a roughly similar area, with a slightly larger population. Beyond this is the vast London commuter belt.Forty percent of Greater London is covered by the last=Stationery Office|title=The Inner London Letter Post|publisher=H.M.S.O|date=1980|pages=128|isbn=0102515808}} The 020|London telephone area code covers a larger area, similar in size to Greater London, although some outer districts are omitted and some places just outside are included. The area within the orbital last=Mail|first=Royal|title=Address Management Guide|publisher=Royal Mail|date=2004}} and the Greater London boundary has been [[List of Greater London boundary changes|aligned to it in places. Greater London is split for some purposes into url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1963/cukpga_19630033_en_1|title=London Government Act 1963|publisher=Office of Public Sector Information|accessdate=2008-05-06}} Informally, the city is split into [[North London|North, South, East, West and often also [[Central London.The city-wide local government area and London transport area have varied over time, but broadly coincide with the Greater London boundary. The Romans may have marked the centre of ''title=Trafalgar Square History|url=http://www.london.gov.uk/trafalgarsquare/history/index.jsp|publisher=Greater London Authority|accessdate=2008-06-06}} The coordinates of the nominal centre of London (traditionally considered to be the original Eleanor Cross at [[Charing Cross, near the junction of Trafalgar Square and Whitehall) are approximately . Trafalgar Square has also become a point for celebrations and protests.StatusWithin London, both the City of London and the City status and both the City of London and the remainder of Greater London are the ceremonial counties. The current area of Greater London was historically part of the counties of last=Barlow|first=I. M. |title=Metropolitan Government|publisher=Routledge|date=1991|pages=346|isbn=Routledge}} Unlike most capital cities, London's status as the capital of the UK has never been granted or confirmed officially—by [[statute or in written form. Its position as the capital has formed through constitutional convention, making its position as ''UK's unwritten constitution. The capital of England was moved to London from royal court, and thus the political capital of the nation.According to the Collins English Dictionary definition of 'the seat of government,' London is not the capital of England, as England does not have its own government. However according to the Oxford English Reference dictionary definition of 'the most important town...' and many other authorities,'England' London is properly considered the capital of England.TopographyGreater London covers an area of 609 square miles (1,579 km²), making it the 37th largest urban area in the world. Its primary geographical feature is the Thames, a url=http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/london/thames.htm|title=River Thames London|publisher=Woodlands Junior School|accessdate=2008-05-06}} The [[Thames Valley is a Parliament Hill, highest points in London are located in the suburbs or on the boundaries with adjacent counties.The Thames was once a much broader, shallower river with extensive url=http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=M9qvtYYhRtAC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=thames+%22iron+age%22+london+wide+geography+shallow+marsh&ots=wVDtRsVF-V&sig=GFqR9QKs45u-ggfYI0dcCA3GUzc#PPA10,M1|title=''London: A History, by Francis Sheppard page 10.|publisher=Google Books|accessdate=2008-06-06}} Since the [[Victorian era It has been extensively embanked, and many of its London tributaries now flow underground. The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding. The threat has increased over time due to a slow but continuous rise in [[Tide|high water level by the slow 'tilting' of Britain (up in the north and down in the south) caused by post-glacial rebound. In 1974, a decade of work began on the construction of the [[Thames Barrier across the Thames at url=http://www.mech.uwa.edu.au/~kamy/Thames%20Barrier.htm|title=Thames Barrier|publisher=Melissa Soh and Pei-Chea Tran|accessdate=2008-05-06}} While the barrier is expected to function as designed until roughly 2030, concepts for its future enlargement or redesign are already being discussed.ClimateLondon has a marine climate, like much of the British Isles, so the city rarely sees extremely high or low temperatures.Summers are warm with average high temperatures of 23 °C (73 °F) and lows of 14 °C (57 °F), however, temperatures could exceed 25 °C (77 °F) on many days. Winters in London are chilly, but rarely below freezing with temperatures around 2 - 8 °C (36 - 46 °F), while spring has mild days and cool evenings.London has regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year, with average precipitation of 583.6 mm (22.98 in) every year. Snow is relatively uncommon, particularly because heat from the urban area can make London up to 5 °C (9 °F) hotter than the surrounding areas in winter. Light snowfall, however, is sometimes seen a few times a year, although it is not uncommon to have no snow during the colder months. London is in USDA AHS Heat Zone 2.Districtsthumb|left|A satellite image of West London. Hyde Park is visible in the centre, with Park to the south-west (bottom left corner).">Richmond">Park to the south-west (bottom left corner). London's vast urban area is often described using a set of district names (e.g. url=http://www.krysstal.com/londname.html|title=London Place Names|publisher=KryssTal|accessdate=2008-05-05}} These are either informal designations, or reflect the names of superseded villages, parishes and city wards. Such names have remained in use through tradition, each referring to a neighbourhood with its own distinctive character, but often with no modern official boundaries. Since 1965 Greater London has been divided into 32 [[London boroughs in addition to the ancient City of London.The City of London is one of the world's three largest financial centres (alongside New York and url=http://www.london.gov.uk/london-life/business-and-jobs/financial-centre.jsp|title=London as a financial centre|publisher=Mayor of London|accessdate=2008-05-06}} over-the-counter derivatives, fund management and foreign equities trading. It also has the world's largest insurance market, the leading exchange for dealing in non-precious metals, the largest spot gold and gold lending markets, the largest ship broking market, and more foreign banks and investment houses than any other centre. The City has its own governance and boundaries, giving it a status as the only completely autonomous local authority in London. London's new financial and commercial hub is the London Docklands|Docklands area to the east of the City, dominated by the UK's national government and the well-known [[Westminster Abbey.The West End is London's main entertainment and shopping district, with locations such as url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1608619.stm |title=West End still drawing crowds |work=BBC |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-06-06}} The Chelsea—where properties can sell for tens of millions of pounds. The average price for all properties in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is £894,000 with similar average outlay in most of [[Central London.The eastern region of London contains the East End and East London. The East End is the area closest to the original url=http://web.archive.org/web/20060829024354/http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8487518/site/newsweek/ |title=Tomorrow’s East End |publisher=News Week |accessdate=2007-08-16}} The surrounding [[East London, England|East London area saw much of London's early industrial development; now, brownfield sites throughout the area are being redeveloped as part of the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympics.{| class="toccolours" style="margin:0 auto; backgrond:none;"Ethnic groupsChristianity is the most practiced religion in London with 58.2% of all residents currently adhering themselves to it. This is followed by those of no religion (15.8%), Muslims (8.5%), Hindus (4.1%), Jews (2.1%), Sikhs (1.5%), Buddhists (0.8%) and other (0.5%), though 8.7% of people did not answer this question in the Census. London has traditionally been dominated by large number of churches, particularly in the City. The well-known Anglican administrative centres, while the principle bishop of the url=http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/|title=Lambeth Palace Library|publisher=Lambeth Palace Library|accessdate=2008-04-27}} Important national and royal ceremonies are shared between St Paul's and [[Westminster Abbey. The Abbey is not to be confused with nearby url=http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/home.html|title=West Minster Cathedral|publisher=Westminster Cathedral|accessdate=2008-04-27}} Religious practice is lower in London than any other part of the UK or Western Europe and is around seven times lower than [[United States|American averages. Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, observance is very low within the Anglican denomination, although church attendance, particularly at evangelical Anglican churches in London, has started to increase.London is also home to sizeable Tower Hamlets and Newham; the most important Muslim edifice is url=http://www.iccuk.org/index.php?article=1&PHPSESSID=rbt2vceqs1bpn9567k0kiv9hu5|title=London Central Mosque Trust Ltd|publisher=London Central Mosque Trust Ltd. & The Islamic Cultural Centre|accessdate=2008-04-27}} London's large Hindu community is found in the north-western boroughs of [[London Borough of Harrow|Harrow and Brent, the latter of which is home to one of Europe's largest url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/19/hindu_london_feature.shtml|title=Hindu London|date=[[6 June publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2006-06-03}} Sikh communities are located in East and West London, which is also home to the largest Sikh temple in the world, outside url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2898761.stm|title=£17 m Sikh temple opens|date=2003-03-30|publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-06-07}} The majority of url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2004/08/11/communities_jewish_feature.shtml|title=Jewish Communities in London|date=[[1 March publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2006-06-03}}Economythumb|180px|upright|right|The City of London is the world's largest banking and insurance centre. It is home to the Stock Exchange and Lloyds of London.">London">Stock Exchange and Lloyds of London. right|thumb|Piccadilly Circus at night London is a major centre for author=[[Saskia Sassen|Sassen, Saskia|title=The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo|year=2001|publisher=Princeton University Press|edition=2nd edition}} According to 2005 estimates by the Los Angeles, url=http://www.itweek.co.uk/accountancyage/news/2184877/london-ranked-world-six-largest=|title=London ranked as world's six largest economy|publisher=ITWeek|accessdate=2008-08-04}} As the world's largest international banking centre with a 50% share of all European activity and Europe's second largest city economy after Paris, year-by-year London generates approximately 20% of the UK's [[Gross Domestic Product|GDP (or $446 billion in 2005); while the economy of the the second largest in Europe - generates approximately 30% of UK's GDP (or an estimated $669 billion in 2005).London shifted to a mostly service-based economy earlier than other European cities, particularly following service industry and business centre can be attributed to factors such as English being the native and dominant language of business, its former position as the capital of the url=http://213.86.34.248/NR/rdonlyres/31A65F7D-B455-4FEE-8BEE-7CDB83FD634A/0/BC_RS_LKPUK0607_FullVersion.pdf|title=London's Place in the UK Economy, 2006–07|date=November 2006|publisher=A report by Oxford Economic Forecasting for the City of London|accessdate=2008-08-27}} Other factors include [[English law being the most important and most used contract law in international business and the multi-cultural infrastructure. Government policies such as low taxes, particularly for foreigners (non-UK domiciled residents do not get taxed on their foreign earnings), a business friendly environment, good transport infrastructure, particularly its aviation industry; and a deregulated economy with little intervention by the government have all contributed to London's economy becoming more service based. Over 85% (3.2 million) of the employed population of greater London works in service industries. Another half a million employees resident in Greater London work in manufacturing and construction, almost equally divided between both. There has been a significant fall in the number of people working in manufacturing industries in London over the last three decades, largely as a result of competition from lower cost regions but also as a consequence of technology and process improvements. Even so, there are still more than 15,000 manufacturing businesses in London such as clothing, printing, fabricated metal, furniture and wood/products and food and drink. There is also strong growth in the recycling/environmental sector. A strong manufacturing base still thrives in London because of its geographic location and access to huge markets, its large science and knowledge base, its physical assets, its diversity and its role as a centre of design and creative industries.London's largest industry remains finance, and its url=http://www.efinancialcareers.de|title=Big 4 Audit London All Levels!|publisher=Jobs.Finanztreff|accessdate=2008-06-06}} The City is the largest financial and business centre in the world as it has recently overtaken New York City, partly due to strict accounting following the [[Sarbanes-Oxley Act and a tightening of market regulations in the United States. Due to New York's tightening of market regulations, London stock exchanges had approximately 20% more initial public offerings in 2006.London is home to banks, brokers, insurers and legal and accounting firms. A second, smaller financial district is developing at Barclays and the Magic Circle, which includes global currency transactions in 2005—an average daily turnover of US$753 billion—with more US dollars traded in London than New York, and more euros traded than in every other city in Europe combined.More than half of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100) and over 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies are headquartered in central London. Over 70% of the FTSE 100 are located within London's metropolitan area, and 75% of Fortune 500 companies have offices in London.Along with url=http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/2CAE66FB-2DD5-41A5-B916-8FFC37276059/0/BC_RS_lpuk_0511_FR.pdf|title=London's Place in the UK Economy, 2005–6|date=November 2005|publisher=''Oxford Economic Forecasting'' on behalf of the Corporation of London|pages=19|accessdate=2006-06-19}} The British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC is a key employer, while other broadcasters also have headquarters around the city. Many national newspapers are edited in London, having traditionally been associated with url=http://www.canarywharf.com/mainfrm1.asp|title=Canary Wharf Group |publisher=Canary Wharf Group plc|accessdate=2008-04-27}} [[Soho is the centre of London's [[post-production industry.Tourism is one of London's prime industries and employs the equivalent of 350,000 full-time workers in London in 2003, while annual expenditure by tourists is around £15 billion."", Visit London. Retrieved on [[2006-06-03.London is the world's most popular city for international visitors."|1.15 MiB}}", Visit London. Retrieved on 2006-06-03. A study carried out by Euromonitor in October 2007 places London at first place out of 150 of the world's most popular cities, attracting 15.6 million international tourists in 2006. This puts London far ahead of 2nd place Bangkok (10.35 million) and 3rd place Paris (just 9.7 million).London attracts 27 million overnight-stay visitors every year. Formerly the largest port in the world, the url=http://www.portoflondon.co.uk/pdfs/ls/ARA_-_Trade_Statistics.pdf|title=Trade Statistics|publisher=Port of London Authority, Annual Report and Accounts 2005|accessdate=2006-06-03}} Most of this actually passes through the Port of Tilbury, outside the boundary of [[Greater London.CityscapeArchitecturethumb|right|The London Eye London is too diverse to be characterised by any particular mouldings. Many grand houses and public buildings (such as the National Gallery) are constructed from url=http://londonarchitecture.co.uk/Building/798/National_Gallery.php|title=National Gallery: Trafalgar Square|date=2008|publisher=Artefaqs Corporation.|accessdate=2008-04-27}} Some areas of the city, particularly those just west of the centre, are characterised by white [[stucco or whitewashed buildings. Few structures pre-date the Great Fire of 1666, except for a few trace Roman remains, the Tudor survivors in the City. A majority of buildings in London date from the Victorian periods. The disused (but soon to be rejuvenated) 1939 url=http://londonarchitecture.co.uk/Building/1698/Battersea_Power_Station.php|title=Battersea Power Station|date=2008|publisher=Artefaqs Corporation.|accessdate=2008-04-27}} while some railway termini are excellent examples of Victorian architecture, most notably [[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras and Paddington (at least internally).The density of London varies, with high employment density in the central area, high residential densities in suburbs. In the dense areas, most of the concentration is achieved with medium-rise and "Gherkin", url=http://www.londonarchitecture.co.uk/Building/731/30_St._Mary_Axe.php|title=30 Saint Mary Axe|date=2008|publisher=Artefaqs Corporation.|accessdate=2008-04-26}} Other notable modern buildings include [[City Hall (London)|City Hall in url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2129199.stm|title=Inside London's new 'glass egg'|date=Tuesday, [[16 July publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-04-26}} the Somers Town/Kings Cross, and the Great Court of the url=http://londonarchitecture.co.uk/Building/275/British_Museum__The.php|title=The British Museum|date=2008|publisher=Artefaqs Corporation.|accessdate=2008-04-27}} What was formerly the [[Millennium Dome, located by the Thames to the east of Canary Wharf, is now used as an entertainment venue known as The O2.The development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the many new skyscrapers over the next decade, particularly in the City of London and Canary Wharf. The 72-storey, "url=http://www.shardlondonbridge.com/vertical_city/the_building.php|title=Shard London Bridge — Official Website|publisher=Shard London Bridge|accessdate=2008-04-27}} the [[Bishopsgate Tower and many other skyscrapers over are either proposed or approved and could transform the city's skyline. As of July 2008, there are 426 high-rise buildings under construction, approved for construction, and proposed for construction in London.A great many monuments pay homage to people and events in the city. url=http://londonarchitecture.co.uk/Building/286/Monument__The.php|title=The Monument: Cannon Street|date=2008|publisher=Artefaqs Corporation.|accessdate=2008-04-27}} Marble Arch and Park Lane respectively, have royal connections, as do the url=http://www.londonarchitecture.co.uk/Building/290/Royal_Albert_Hall.php|title=Royal Albert Hall: Kensington Gore|date=2008|publisher=Artefaqs Corporation.|accessdate=2008-04-26}} [[Nelson's Column is a nationally-recognised monument in [[Trafalgar Square, one of the focal points of the centre.Parks and gardensThe largest parks in the central area of London are the Royal Parks of Hyde Park and its neighbour url=http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/|title=Kensington Gardens|date=2008|publisher=The Royal Parks|accessdate=2008-04-26}} This park contains [[London Zoo, the world's oldest scientific zoo, and is located near the tourist attraction of url=http://www.madametussauds.com/London/About.aspx|title=Madame Tussauds — Official Website|publisher=Madame Tussauds|accessdate=2008-06-06}} Closer to central London are the smaller Royal Parks of [[Green Park and url=http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/green_park/|title=Green Park|date=2008|publisher=The Royal Parks|accessdate=2008-04-26}} Hyde Park in particular is popular for [[London#Sports|sports and sometimes hosts open-air concerts.A number of large parks lie outside the city centre, including the remaining Royal Parks of url=http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/greenwich_park/|title=Greenwich Park|date=2008|publisher=The Royal Parks|accessdate=2008-04-26}} and Bushy Park and url=http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/bushy_park/|title=Bushy Park|date=2008|publisher=The Royal Parks|accessdate=2008-04-26}} as well as [[Victoria Park, East London to the east. url=http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Attraction/Victoria_Park/1c98/|title=LondonTown — Primrose Hill|publisher=LondonTown.com|accessdate=2008-04-26}} Some more informal, semi-natural open spaces also exist, including the [[Hampstead Heath of url=http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/living_environment/open_spaces/|title=Hampstead Heath — City Of London|date=[[24 April publisher=David Bentley|accessdate=2008-04-26}} This incorporates [[Kenwood House, the former [[stately home and a popular location in the summer months where classical musical concerts are held by the lake, attracting thousands of people every weekend to enjoy the music, scenery and fireworks.Society and cultureAccentTraditionally the London accent has been given the famous Cockney label, and was similar to many accents of the South East of England, developing a unique form of slang known as Cockney Rhyming Slang. However, due to the invention of Received Pronunciation as a form of standardising the English language, and also due to the large number of immigrants to London, this accent is now largely limited to the white working classes, and especially in areas with a large white working class majority. The accent of a 21st century Londoner varies widely; what is becoming more and more common amongst the under 30s however is some fusion of Cockney, Received Pronunciation, and a whole array of 'ethnic' accents, in particular Caribbean, which form an accent labelled Multicultural London English, with a large amount of slang in use as well.Leisure and entertainmentupright|thumb|Bond Street, one of main shopping streets">Mayfair's">main shopping streets Within the City of Westminster, the entertainment district of the West End has its focus around theatre district is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the city's Chinatown district, and just to the east is speciality shops.The United Kingdom's url=http://www.yourlondon.gov.uk/visiting/topic.jsp?topicid=6482&search_title=Theatres+and+concert+halls|title=Theatres and concert halls.|publisher=Your London|accessdate=2008-06-06}} Shoreditch and url=http://www.gatewaysmoving.com/about_moving_to_london_england_uk.htm|title=History and general information.|accessdate=2007-08-17}} [[Islington's one mile (2 km) long Upper Street, extending northwards from The Angel, has more bars and restaurants than any other street in the UK.Europe's busiest shopping area is Galliano, Stella McCartney, Manolo Blahnik, and Jimmy Choo among others; its renowned art and fashion schools make it an international centre of fashion alongside Paris, Milan and New York. London also has a high number of street markets, including Camden Market for fashions and alternative products, Portobello Road for antiques, and vintage and one-off clothes, and Borough Market for organic and specialist foods.thumb|right|The Trooping the Colour held in 2006 to mark the Queen's 80th birthday. It is held every year as a military parade performed by regiments of the Commonwealth and the Army.">British">Army. London offers a great variety of cuisine as a result of its ethnically diverse population. Gastronomic centres include the Bangladeshi restaurants of url=http://www.chinatownlondon.org/|title=Chinatown — Official Website|publisher=Chinatown London|accessdate=2008-04-27}} Soho's variety of restaurants includes Italian- and Greek-influenced establishments among others, as well as all manner of novelties and oddities. More upmarket restaurants are scattered around central London, with concentrations in [[Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Notting Hill.There are a variety of regular annual events. The url=http://www.londontown.com/LondonEvents/NottingHillCarnival/019fd|title=London Town — Notting Hill Carnival|publisher=LondonTown.com|accessdate=2008-04-27}} The beginning of the year is celebrated with the relatively new New Year's Day Parade, while traditional parades include November's [[Lord Mayor's Show, a centuries-old event celebrating the annual appointment of a new Lord Mayor of the City of London with a procession along the streets of the City, and June's Trooping the Colour, a very formal military pageant to celebrate the Queen's Official Birthday.Literature and filmupright|thumb|Charles Dickens (1812–1870), whose works formed a pervasive image of Victorian LondonLondon has been the setting for many works of literature. Two writers closely associated with the city are the diarist Great Fire, and Victorian London. Johnson's well-known aphorism: "''When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.''" The earlier (1722) ''Great Plague. ''The Alchemist'' - was set in the city. Later important depictions of London from the 19th and early 20th centuries are the afore-mentioned Dickens novels, and Arthur Conan Doyle's illustrious Sherlock Holmes stories. Trollope's Palliser novels are largely set in London, vividly depicting Westminster and its surrounds. The 1933 novel ''Down and Out in Paris and London'' by George Orwell describes life in poverty in both cities. A modern writer pervasively influenced by the city is Peter Ackroyd, in works such as ''London: The Biography'', ''The Lambs of London'' and ''Hawksmoor''. Academic Bloomsbury and hilly Hampstead have traditionally been the liberal, literary heartlands of the city.London has played a significant role in the film industry, and has major studios at Pinewood, Shepperton, Elstree and Leavesden, as well as an important url=http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/|title=Working Title Films|publisher=Universal Studios|accessdate=2008-04-27}} Many films have also used London as a location and have done much to shape international perceptions of the city. See main article [[London in film.The city also hosts a number of performing arts schools, including the Central School of Speech and Drama (alumni: Judi Dench and Laurence Olivier), the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (alumni: Jim Broadbent and Donald Sutherland) and the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (alumni: Joan Collins and Roger Moore). The London Film Festival is held each year in October.MusicLondon and its surrounding url=http://www.londonlogue.com/places-to-go/guide-to-englands-music-history.html|title=Guide to England’s music history|date=February 6, publisher='Chris'; Bootsn AllTravel Network|accessdate=2007-05-30}} Notable musicians and groups associated with London include [[Pink Floyd, Queen, [[Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and The Police. London was instrumental in the development of punk music, with figures such as the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Vivienne Westwood all based in the city.London and the surrounding areas are also well known for large summer music festivals that take place annually and feature dozens of performances ranging from local acts and DJs to nationally recognised headline performers. Some of the most popular of these festivals include the 02 Wireless Festival and Latitude Festival (held in July), The Big Chill and Reading Festivals (in August) and Bestival (held in September). Although London festivals typically attract large numbers of locals, visitors travel from throughout the UK and Europe to attend the events.As Britain's largest urban area, London has played a key role in the development of most British-born strains of "urban" and electronic music, such as grime and UK hip hop artists.The largest entertainment venture of all time, The Phantom of the Opera, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, premiered here at Her Majesty's Theatre, and emerged as the highest grossing entertainment event with US $3.3 billion, and attendance of 80 million worldwide.SportLondon has hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in 1908 and 1948. In July 2005 London was chosen to host the Games in 2012, which will make it the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympics three times. London was also the host of the British Empire Games in 1934.London's most popular sport (for both participants and spectators) is football. London has thirteen The Football League|League football clubs, including five in the Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. London also has four [[rugby union teams in the Saracens, Wasps and Harlequins), although only the Harlequins play in London (all the other three now play outside Greater London). London also has many other [[rugby union clubs in lower leagues, including Richmond F.C., Blackheath R.C., Rosslyn Park F.C. and Barnes R.F.C.There are two professional Super League at the Stoop and the National League 2 side the Elmbridge, West London Sharks in Isleworth and South London Storm in Croydon.Since 1924, the original Wembley Stadium was the home of the English national football team, and served as the venue for the final as well as Challenge Cup final. The new url=http://www.wembleystadium.com/pressbox/presspack/factsandFigures.htm | title=Wembley Stadium — Presspack — Facts and Figures | publisher=Wembley National Stadium Limited | accessdate=2008-06-06}} Twickenham Stadium in west London is the national [[rugby union stadium, and has a capacity of 84,000 now that the new south stand has been completed.Lord's (home of Middlesex C.C.C) in url=http://www.lords.org/lords-ground/about-lords/|title=About Lord's Cricket Grounds — Official Website|date=2008|publisher=MCC |accessdate=2008-04-29}} and The Oval (home of Surrey C.C.C) in url=http://www.surreycricket.com/the-brit-oval|title=The Brit Oval — Official Website|date=2008|publisher=Surrey CCC|accessdate=2008-04-29}} One of London's best-known annual sports competitions is the [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon Tennis Championships, held at the All England Club in the south-western suburb of Wimbledon. Other key events are the annual mass-participation url=http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/|title=Flora London Marathon 2008|publisher=London Marathon ltd|accessdate=2008-04-29}} and the [[Oxford University|Oxford ''vs.'' Cambridge Boat Race on the [[River Thames between Putney and Mortlake.TransportTransport is one of the four areas of policy administered by the Mayor of London, however the mayor's financial control is limited and he does not control the heavy rail network, although in November 2007 he assumed responsibility for the url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/networkandservices/5011.aspx|title=London Overground | Transport for London|publisher=Transport for London|accessdate=2008-04-27}} The public transport network, administered by Olympics. London has been commended as the city with the best public transport. [[Cycling in London|Cycling is an increasingly popular way to get around London. The url=http://www.lcc.org.uk/|title=London Cycling Campaign|date=[[20 November [[2006|publisher=Rosanna Downes|accessdate=2008-04-27}}RailwaysLondon's bus network is one of the biggest in the world, running 24 hours, with 8,000 buses, 700 bus routes, and over 6 million passenger journeys made every weekday. In 2003, the network's ridership was estimated at over 1.5 billion passenger trips per annum which is more than the Underground. Around £850 m is taken in revenue each year and London has the largest wheelchair accessible network in the world and, from the 3rd quarter of 2007, became more accessible to hearing and visually impaired passengers as audio-visual announcements were introduced. The buses are internationally recognised, and are a trademark of London transport along with black cabs and the Tube.AirLondon is a major international air transport hub. No fewer than eight airports use the words ''London Airport'' in their name, but most traffic passes through one of five major airports. busiest airport in the world for international traffic, and is the major hub of the nation's flag carrier, url=http://www.heathrowairport.com/|title=BAA Heathrow: Official Website|publisher=BAA|accessdate=2008-04-27}} In March 2008 its fifth terminal was opened, and plans are already being considered for a sixth terminal. Similar traffic, with the addition of some Low-cost carrier|low-cost url=http://www.gatwickairport.com/|title=BAA Gatwick: Gatwick Airport|publisher=BAA|accessdate=2008-04-27}} [[London Stansted Airport and url=http://www.stanstedairport.com/|title=BAA Stansted : Stansted Airport|date=2008|publisher=BAA|accessdate=2008-04-27}} [[London City Airport, the smallest and most central airport, is focused on business travellers, with a mixture of full service short-haul scheduled flights and considerable [[business jet traffic.RoadsHome to a range of universities, colleges and schools, London has a student population of about 378,000 and is a centre of same system as the rest of England.With 125,000 students, the url=http://www.london.ac.uk/aboutus|title=About the University|date=2006-02-20|publisher=University of London|accessdate=2006-06-03}} It comprises 20 colleges as well as several smaller institutes, each with a high degree of autonomy. Constituent colleges have their own [[University and college admissions|admissions procedures, and are effectively universities in their own right, although most degrees are awarded by the University of London rather than the individual colleges. Its constituents include multi-disciplinary colleges such as UCL, [[King's College London|King's, [[Royal Holloway, University of London|Royal Holloway and more specialised institutions such as the [[London School of Economics, [[School of Oriental and African Studies|SOAS, the [[Royal Academy of Music, the [[Courtauld Institute of Art and the url=http://ioewebserver.ioe.ac.uk/ioe/index.html|title=Institute of Education — University of London|publisher=[[Institute of Education|accessdate=2008-04-28}}Imperial was ranked the 5th best and UCL the 9th best university in the world.In addition, the LSE is considered the world‘s leading social science institution for teaching and research, plus has the most international student body of any university in the world today.London's other universities, such as City University, 1992, and others which were founded much earlier. Imperial College London left the University of London in 2007. London is also known globally for its business education, with the url=http://www.ebslondon.ac.uk/about_ebs.aspx|title=About EBS London|date=2007|publisher=Regent's College|accessdate=2008-04-28}} and Cass Business School (Europe's largest finance school) both being top world-rated business schools. In addition there are three international universities: [[Schiller International University, Richmond University and Regent's College.London is home to many museums, galleries, and other institutions which are major Science Museum and url=http://travel.webshots.com/album/558147499WXOGaf?start=12|title=South Kensington — Museum Quarter|publisher=Travel Webshots|accessdate=2008-04-28}} The British Library at St Pancras is the UK's National Gallery, url=http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/|title=Tate Britain: British Art from 1500|publisher=[[Tate Britain|accessdate=2008-04-28}} and url=http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/|title=Tate Modern: International modern and contemporary art|publisher=[[Tate Modern|accessdate=2008-04-28}} See the [[list of museums in London.Sister citiesAs well as London's twinning, the Boroughs of London have twinnings with parts of other cities across the world. Shown below is the list of cities that the Greater London Authority is twinned with.
ReferencesFurther reading
|