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London, capital of the United Kingdom and of England, is one of the great world cities, mentioned in the same breath as Paris, Tokyo and New York.

Originally known as Lud, it was settled by the Roman invaders who called it Londinium and used it as a port on the [[River Thames. 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 Gothic Tower Bridge.

Over the years, London has increased dramatically in size, absorbing meadows, villages and towns as it has spread onwards and outwards in every direction. The Greater London administrative area covers 1579 sq. km. with a population of around seven million. For more detail on the historical development of London see the history of London.

Today Greater London comprises the City of London and 32 London boroughs including the City of Westminster. 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 is virtually deserted on the weekends.

The London that most tourists see is the West End with all its theatres, shops and restaurants. In contrast, the East End has played host to successive waves of immigrants for centuries and contains some of the UK's more deprived areas. The tourist sites in the West End are mainly in the City of Westminster. The East End is centered on the borough of Tower Hamlets.

Prime London Tourist Attractions:

• Buckingham Palace
• British Museum
• Charing Cross Road
• Chinatown
• Cleopatra's Needle
• Covent Garden Market
• Hampton Court Palace
• Kew Gardens
• The London Eye
• National Academy
• Madame Tussaud's
• Soho
• Tate Britain
• Tate Modern
• Theatreland
• Tower Bridge
• Tower of London
• Victoria & Albert Museum
• Westminster Abbey

London Transport is one of the few public transport 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 LT runs the Tube, also known as the Underground, the famous red double-decker buses are now run by private companies, athough 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 football clubs. Some of the more famous ones in the top division are: Arsenal F.C., Charlton Athletic F.C., Chelsea F.C., Fulham F.C., Tottenham Hotspurs F.C., and West Ham United F.C.. Less famous and proportionately less successful clubs include Crystal Palace F.C., Millwall F.C., Queen's Park Rangers F.C., Wimbledon F.C., and Leyton Orient F.C..

See also:

• History of London
• Mayor of London

London is also the name of a major city of Ontario, Canada: see London, Ontario.

For other localities named London, see Londons