2.

London

London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Its situated on the river Thames in southeast England and covers an area of about 1 580 square
kilometres. London is the largest city in the country.
More than 7 million people live there.
Its one big conurbation. It includes the City of London, Westminster and Southwark.
London is the seat of the Monarch, the Parliament, the Government and the Supreme Court.
It also contains many important museums, galleries, theatres and many historical buildings and
parks.
Mayor of London is Boris Johnson.

History

The city history is very rich.

The Celts settled the territory of todays London as early as 800 B.C.
It was established in 43 A.D. by the Romans who built a bridge over the river Thames and
settled there (their settlement was called Londinium).
During the 12th century reign of Norman kings (William the Conqueror was the first) the royal
court moved from Winchester, the former capital, to London for ever.
London prospered and absorbed the originally separate Westminster.
In 1665 more than 75 000 people died from a plague epidemic and a year later in autumn the
Great fire of London destroyed four fifths of the city. It began in the bakery in Pudding Lane,
where the mister baker forgot some fire in the oven and continued for 4 days. The fire was
really big. It destroyed over 63 000 houses. There were wooden houses, so the fire had great
place to live. Sir Christopher Wren built the new London we know today with wide streets and
stone buildings. He is responsible for The Monument to the Great Fire.
The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century brought development of industry and growth of
population. Railways and underground lines were constructed. London was the largest city of
the world, the largest port and the most important financial centre.
The City of London was very damaged by German bombing during World War II.

Transport

River busses are very popular because of huge traffic.

In London there are three airports: Heathrow (the largest of them), Gatwick, Stansted.
There is a rail connection to all parts of the island from 15 central stations (Victoria Station).
The quickest and cheapest way to get around central London is by underground, often called
the tube. It is the oldest underground in the world (420 kilometres long with 273 stations).
London famous double-deckers (red and some of them golden) went almost everywhere. Their
using was finished because they were too old and expensive.
Taxis are usually black and look old, they are expensive, but drivers are very polite and friendly.

Economy

The prime economic importance of modern London is as a financial and commercial centre.
The London Stock Exchange is the worlds biggest.
Tourism is also very important for Londons economy.

Places of general interest

Central London comprises the City of London, Westminster, the West End and the East End.

The West End

o

The West End is known as a shopping and entertainment centre.

The East End

o

It is where many new immigrants groups are and many working people live.

The City of London

o The City of London is the oldest part of the town and it is the largest business, financial and
commercial centre of Europe. A lot of important companies, headquarters, banks and financial
institutions are situated there. There is for example The Bank of England and The Stock
Exchange.

The Tower of London

o William the Conqueror began to build the massive fortress the White Tower in the 11th
century.
o The White tower was once a royal palace, then a prison, a royal mint, an execution site,
observatory and fortress. It's a museum of arms now.
o There is a torture chamber and one typical house called: Jewel house. The Crown Jewels
are kept there.
o The Tower is guarded by the Yeomen Warders (called Beefeaters) who still wear the
uniform of Tudor times.
o Eight ravens are kept in the Tower to protect the whole Kingdom. The legend says that
the Kingdom will die when the ravens leave the Tower.
St. Pauls Cathedral
o This great baroque dome is the work of the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren and
was being built for 35 years after the Great Fire.
o There was the wedding of Diana and Prince Charles.
o The Cathedral is known for its Whispering Gallery (you can clearly hear what is
whispered on the opposite side).
o St. Pauls Cathedral is 111 metres tall it is the largest church after Saint Peters in Rome.
o Britains heroes are buried there for example: Admiral Nelson, Sir Christopher Wren
Fleet Street is the centre of press.
Tower Bridge
o Tower Bridge is situated next to the Tower of London.
o It has two towers and between towers are drawbridges. (It can open in the middle in 90
seconds).

The City of Westminster

o

The city of Westminster is known as the centre of political and administrative life.
Buckingham Palace
o It has built by the Duke of Buckingham in 1703.
o It has become the official royal residence.
o Every noon (11 a.m.) the Changing of the Guard is very interesting. The Royal Guard
wears bear skin and red coat. It is the traditional uniform.
o In front of Buckingham Palace there is the Queen Victoria Monument.
Trafalgar Square
o A high column with Nelsons statue (Admiral Nelson won the battle of Trafalgar) and
two fountains stand in the middle of the square.
o It is also very popular place for demonstrations and meetings.
o At Christmas time a big decorated Christmas tree stands there.
o In Trafalgar Square there is National Gallery with a lot of famous paintings.
o There are also a lot of pigeons.
The Houses of Parliament
o They are the political centre of the United Kingdom.
o They were built in 1840 on the place where Westminster palace used to stand.
o There is also the famous clock tower with Big Ben and its characteristic bell ringing. It is
called after Sir Benjamin Hall, one of the ministers. He was called Big Ben by people. The
strike of Big Ben is used by BBC as a time signal.
o There are two houses of British Parliament called: The House of Lords (decorated in red,
you can find there the throne of the Sovereign and the seat of the Lord Chancellor) and
The House of Commons (decorated in green, the Speaker has there the seat)
Westminster Abbey
o It is very old church.
o English kings and queens have been crowned here and many of them are buried here.
o Inside there is Coronation Chair and the well known Poets Corner where are
monuments to some famous poets (John Milton, William Shakespeare...)
Whitehall
o Whitehall is the street and also the synonym for Government because it is lined with
Government offices along both sides.
o There are Headquarters of the Royal Horse Guard.
o Close is Downing Street whose number 10 has been the home of the Prime Minister
since 1735.
Piccadilly Circus
o It is the busiest and noisiest place in London. There are a lot of night clubs, shops,
theatres, cinemas and restaurants.
o In the centre stands the statue of Eros (the Greek god of love).
In London was built many things for tourists. For example there is a London Eye. It is the big
wheel with cabins for people. They can see the whole city from the bird side.

Parks

Saint Jamess Park is the oldest greenery in London. There is a lake with small islands.
Hyde Park is the most popular among tourists. In Hyde Park there is Speakers Corner, the place
where everybody can speak anything without fear except criticising the royal family. Plus, you
must not stand on the British soil (therefore the speakers take a box or newspaper to stand on).
Kensington Gardens There is Kensington Palace; it is still a home of the royal family, and Albert
Hall a concert hall.
Regents Park is the most elegant park with beautiful gardens, lakes and very big zoo.

Museums and Galleries

They are free of charge.

The largest museum in the world is The British Museum (animals, minerals, ancient civilizations,
arts...) which includes The British Library with 11 million books.
Wax figures of famous people are in Madame Tussauds.
In Baker Street there is Sherlog Holmes Museum too.

Shopping

Oxford Street is the most well-known shopping street in London. There is for example
Selfridges. It is a large department store.
In Regent Street there are two famous toy shops called Libertys and Haleys.
Bond Street is well-known as a street of jewellery and paintings shops.
In Knightsbridge there is Harrods, Londons most famous department store.

Theatre

London is the centre of English drama. There are a lot of theatres.

For example Old Vic, the oldest of them.
The National Theatre it is a complex of three theatres.
The Barbican Centre is also a centre for arts and conferences, currently the largest in Europe.
In Globe Theatre you can see William Shakespeares plays.

Schools

London is the seat of London University, which has more than 45 thousand students and nine
faculties.

Sports

Football in London is very popular. You can see it in the stadium Wembley.
Wimbledon is the scene of the famous Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
London was chosen to host the Summer Olympic Games in 2012.

Londons Environs

If you go to Greenwich you will see the Cutty Sark, a Victorian sailing ship which carried tea from
China. The Prime Meridian of the World runs across Greenwich. In Greenwich there is The
National Maritime Museum where are a lot of ships and the Old Royal Observatory.
You can admire the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew with more than 30 000 plants.
On a chalk hill there rises Windsor Castle the largest castle in the world built by William the
Conqueror.