London is the capital of England an

London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom Founded in 55 BC by the Romans, this city is Britain's political, economic and cultural centre. London is the most populous city in Europe with an official population of 7.7 million people and has a metropolitan area with the population of between 12 and 14 million people London is divided into three big parts: the City, the West End and the East End. The City of London (usually called "The City") is a big financial and business centre. It is an independent unit, having its own Lord Mayor and its police force own The Royal Exchange built in 1567 and opened Elizabeth I by is situated there. The West End is London's main entertainment and shop ping district, with locations such as Oxford Street, Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus acting as tourist magnets. The West London area is known for fashionable residential areas such Notting Hill, Knightsbridge and Chelsea as with very expensive property
The eastern side of London contains the East End and East London. The East End is the area closest to the original Port of London, known for its high immigrant population, as well being one of the poorest areas in London with slums. as for The surrounding East London area is being redeveloped as part of the Thames Gateway including the London Riverside and Lower Lea Valley, which is being reconstructed into the Olympic Park for the 2012 olympic Games. London has numerous sites which attract crowds of tourists. Piccadilly Circus is the heart of London. On special occasions nearly 50,000 people gather around the statue of Eros in the centre of the Circus. This statue was erected in 1893 in honour of the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury who helped the poor. People were shocked at the naked memorial and its creator lost
his popularity and left for another country. In 1932, however, he received a knighthood for his masterpiece St. Paul's Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren's creation. The building of the cathedral began in 1675 and finished in 1710 visitors can go to the Whispering Gallery to enjoy its acoustic phenomenon. The Cathedral contains lot of fine paintings, a sculptures and other works of art From the Stone Gallery one an enjoy the breathtaking view of London The Houses of Parliament are not ancient, rebuilt in 1870 er a fire. When Parliament sits, flag flies from the Victoria a Tower by day and at night a light shines in the clock. The old Palace of Westminster Palace was built as a residence for the King and his court. The interior of the Palace is richly decorated with paintings and works of art. Big Ben, the famous clock named after Sir Benjamin Hall, is reliable timekeeper a and a much-loved landmark. Westminster Abbey, one of the masterpieces of the Middle Ages, is situated across Parliament Square. This is where all the English monarchs have been crowned for more than 600 years. A lot of famous people are buried inside the cathedral: Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, William Shakespeare and many others
Halfway along Whitehall is 10 Downing Street, the residence of the Prime Minister. It also houses his secretariat and helpers. Trafalgar Square is famous for a tall monument in the cen tre of it, called Nelson's Column, and built to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar and honour Admiral Nelson. The National Gallery across the square houses the national collection of Western European painting. on the waterfront of the City is the famous Tower of London, the oldest construction in London built in the 11th century. It used to be a prison, fortress, a palace, a treasury and even a zoo. The oldest part of the Tower is the White
Tower. Most of the public displays are here They include a big collection of armour, jewels and clothes. Traitor's Gate, taken to the Tower, can still be through which prisoners were seen. The Tower of London is also famous for Beefeaters, peo ple who work mainly as guides and guards. But another duty is to look after the 12 black ravens that live on the territory of the Tower One of the London sites is Tower Bridge across the Thames built because of the need for an open waterway for large ships The bridge now is one of the symbols of London The National Portrait Gallery founded in 1856 houses more than 9,000 works and a large archive. Among other museums and galleries is the Tate Gallery, opened in 1897. The Victoria and Albert Museum houses a magnificent collection of fine and applied arts The National History Museum contains a collection of plants, animals and minerals. The Hall of Human Biology enables visitors to learn about their bodies and the way they work The Science Museum displays the discovery and development of such inventions as the steam engine, photography, glass making, printing and others
The British Museum is one of the biggest museums in the world containing a lot of artifacts and pieces of art. It was founded in 1753 by an act of Parliament. But still one of the most famous museums in London is Madam Tussauds Museum, which houses a great collection of wax figures of celebrities. The Sherlock Holmes Museum, situated not far from it, is dedicated to the fictional character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. often called "The Green City", London has number of open a spaces and green areas. The largest of these in the central area are the Royal Parks of Hyde Park and its neighbours
Kensington Gardens and Holland Park Gardens at the western edge of central London, and Regent's Park on the northern dge. Closer to central London are the smaller Royal Parks of Green Park and St. James's Park. Hyde Park, the largest park in London, is popular for sports and sometimes hosts open-air concerts. Among its sites is Speakers' Corner, a place where anyone can speak out on any topic. Kensington Gardens house the Statue of Peter Pan, wh is a favourite place for children that gather around it, and the famous Round Pond Regent's Park is another popular place of rest for Londoners with an open-air theatre and the Zoo. The Regent's Canal leads to London Little Venice, a very rich district with beautiful luxurious houses
London is also a centre of culture with more than 40 theatres in the West End. Theatres range from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company to the English Stage Company's presentations of experimental works at the Royal Court Theatre. Opera and ballet performances are given at the Royal opera House, which is situated in Covent Garden London is also a big shopping centre with numerous cheap and expensive shops of different kinds with "Harrods" being the most famous shop in the world