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	<font size="-1">''] redirects here. For other cities named London please ].''</font>
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	'''London''', capital of the ] and of ], is one of the great world cities, mentioned in the same breath as ], ] and ].

	Originally known as ], it was settled by the Roman invaders who called it ] and used it as a port on the River ]. The Thames runs right through the city and bisects it, north from south, although it is crossed by a number of bridges and tunnels, the most famous of which is the neo-] ].

	Over the years, London has increased dramatically in size, absorbing meadows, woodlands, villages and towns and, prior to 1940, spread outwards in every direction. The ] administrative area covers 1579 sq. km. with a population of around seven million. For more detail on the historical development of London see the ]. Outward growth was halted through the definition of a ].

	Today Greater London comprises the ] and 32 ] including the ]. The City of London, also known as the "square mile", is predominantly the financial centre, and geographically a very small area. Although bustling during the working week, the City of London usually much calmer on the weekends.

	The London that most tourists see is the ] with all its theatres, shops and restaurants. In contrast, the ] has played host to successive waves of immigrants for centuries and contains some of the UK's more deprived areas. The Isle of Dogs is however witnessing unprecedented commercial change and many restaurants, music and comedy clubs are injecting a more varied atmosphere. See also ]. The tourist sites in the West End are mainly in South Kensington or the City of Westminster. The East End is centered on the Borough of ]. The airfields of ], Biggin Hill, Kenley and Northolt lie within the London boundary. Other airports at Gatwick, Luton, Manston, Southend and Stansted have taken to incorporating "London" in their name, but they are situated in the ] at some distance. Special train stations built at Gatwick, Luton and Stansted help to offset their physical remoteness from the capital and thus spread scheduled ] services in a safe and manageable way across the region.

	The elected Mayor of London is ] MP, who was expelled from the British ] following his election as an independent. He is regulated to some extent by an Assembly elected by a proportional voting system, which is unusual in the British political context. Improvements in public safety and transportation are his key priorities. There is every likelihood that the Mayor and the Assembly will be in conflict with one or more Boroughs from time to time, they had each enjoyed "unitary status" and a fair degree of autonomy since the Greater London (county) Council was abolished by the Conservative Government led by ] in 1985.

	Prime London Tourist Attractions:
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	Infamous London tourist attractions:
	*]

	The London public transport system is one of the few systems in the world to be a tourist attraction in its own right; its infrastructure, however, is, and historically has been, financially stretched and under-resourced, leading to frequent difficulties and delays in making journeys.

	While ] runs the ], also known as ''the Underground'', the famous red double-decker buses are now run by private companies, although it is a requirement that the buses are still painted (mostly) red. Government proposals to place the Underground network under a "public-private partnership" arrangement have encountered widespread opposition.

	London is home to a number of ] clubs. Some of the more famous ones in the top division are: ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Less famous and proportionately less successful clubs include ], ], ], ], and ].

	London has five professional ]s; the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia and the BBC (]) Symphony Orchestra.

	See also:
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Revision as of 23:34, 7 July 2002

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London, England