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54 views

London

Uploaded by

thesofihoncharuk
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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London & Cities. Famous Landmarks.

London /ˈlʌndən/ is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland. It is the largest city in Europe and one of the largest cities in the
world. It is the most populous city in the United Kingdom with a metropolitan
area of over 13 million inhabitants. Standing on the River Thames, London has
been a major settlement for two millennia. Its history goes back to 300A.D. when
founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium, this small Celtic settlement had
been turned into a sizable port and an important trading centre.
London dominates British life. It is the home for the headquarters of all
government departments, Parliament, the major legal institutions and the
monarch. It is the country's business and banking centre and the centre of its
transport network. It also hosts the headquarters of the national television and the
press.
London is a world cultural capital. London's 43 universities form the largest
concentration of higher education in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to
host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.
Traditionally it is divided into the West End and the East End. The West End is
famous for its beautiful avenues lined with plane trees, big stores, rich mansions,
expensive restaurants, hotels, theatres and night clubs. The East End used to be a poor
area. Quite a lot of people lived from hand to mouth here.
The heart of London is the City - its commercial and business centre. Here is
situated the Tower of London that comes first among the historic buildings of the
city. It was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by William the Conqueror.
It was used as a fortress, a royal residence and a prison. Now it is a museum of
armour and the place where the Crown Jewels are kept.
A twenty minutes' walk from the Tower will take you to another historic
building — St. Paul's Cathedral, the greatest of English churches. It was built by a
famous English architect, Sir Christopher Wren. St. Paul’s Cathedral with its huge
dome and rows of columns is considered to be a fine specimen of Renaissance
architecture.
Not far away, in Westminster, where most of the Government buildings are
situated, is Westminster Abbey. Many English Sovereigns, outstanding statesmen,
painters and poets are buried here.
Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace, the seat of the
British Parliament. The higher tower contains the largest clock in the country and the
famous bell Big Ben. If we walk along Whitehall, we shall soon come to Trafalgar
Square. The victory in the battle of Trafalgar was won at the cost of Nelson’s life. In
the middle of the square stands Nelson’s monument – a tall column with the figure of
Nelson at its top. The fine building facing the square is the National Gallery.
Not far away is the British Museum – the biggest Museum in London. It
contains a priceless collection of different artefacts.
In South Kensington there are several large museums. The Victoria and Albert
Museum with a magnificent collection of fine and applied arts also includes a wide-
ranging display of ceramics, metalwork and a selection of Constable's masterpieces
which are well worth seeing.
You cannot leave the city without visiting Hyde Park. When you are walking
along its shady avenues, it seems almost unbelievable that all around there is a large
city with its heavy traffic.

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