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London

Let's visit London! Below there are some most important information about the capital of England. Enjoy!

 

London is the capital of England. The river Thames runs through London.The mayor of London is Boris Johnson.

London is made up of two ancient cities which are now joined together. Some facts about London:

• the City of London, known simply as 'the City' which is the business and financial heart of the United Kingdom. It is also known as the Square Mile (2.59 sq km/1 sq mi). It was the original Roman settlement (ancient Londinium), making it the oldest part of London and already 1,000 years old when the Tower of London was built.

• the City of Westminster, where Parliament and most of the government offices are located. Also Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the Queen and the Royal family are located there too.

Together they all make up a region known as Greater London.

• London is the biggest city in Britain and in Europe
• London occupies over 620 square miles
• London has a population of 7,172,036 (2001)
• About 12 per cent of Britain’s overall population live in London
• London has the highest population density in Britain, with 4,699 people per square kilometre
• London is in the southeast of England
• London is the seat of central government in Britain
• The tallest building in London is the Canary Wharf Tower
• London was the first city in the world to have an underground railway, known as the 'Tube'
• Some of the most important people from countries all over the world visit the Queen at Buckingham Palace
• There are over 100 theatres in London, including 50 in the West End

 

Big Ben 

 

 The Palace of Westminster contains the bell Big Ben that is struck each quarter hour. A light in the clock tower tells when the House of Commons is in session. Big Ben is one of the most famous landmarks in the world. The clock tower is situated on the banks of the river Thames and is part of the Palace of Westminster. Officially "Big Ben" does not refer to the whole clocktower (also known as St Stephen's Tower), but to the huge thirteen ton bell that strikes the hour. The Great Bell which was first struck on the 7 September 1859. The Big Ben bell has the following measurements: 9'-0" diameter, 7'-6" high, and weighs 13 tons 10 cwts 3 qtrs 15lbs (13,760 Kg).

 

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official and main royal London home. It has been the official London residence of Britain's monarchy since 1837. Queen Viktoria was the first monarch to live there. Buckingham Palace is not only the home of the Queen and Prince Philip but also the London residence of the Duke of York (Prince Andrew) and the Earl and Countess of Wessex (Prince Edward and his wife) and their daughter. Buckingham Palace was originally a grand house built by the Dukes of Buckingham for his wife. George IV began transforming it into a palace in 1826.

 

The Tower of London

For over 900 years, The Tower of London has been standing guard over the capital. As a Royal Palace, fortress, prison, place of execution, arsenal, Royal Mint, Royal Zoo and jewel house, it has witnessed many great events in British history. The Tower of London was originally built by William the Conqueror, following his successful invasion of England in 1066. It is better known as a prison. The responsibility for looking after the prisoners was given to the Yeomen  Warders or Beefeaters.

 

St. Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral seen today was built between 1675 and 1711 by Sir Christopher Wren. The foudation stone was laid in 1675 when Wren was 43 years old, and the last stone was put in lace by his son 35 years later. The original Norman cathedral, destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666, was even larger than Wren's new building and must have dwarfed the medieval city. The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is the second biggest dome in the world, after St Peter's in Rome. At the dome's base is the Whispering Gallery, a circular walkway halfway up the inside of the dome. Due to the acoustics of the curved surface, a phrase whispered against one wall can be heard against the far wall 112 feet away.

 

London Bridge

Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognisable bridges in the World. It is the London bridge you tend to see in movies and on advertising literature for London. Tower Bridge is the only Thames bridge which can be raised. Its middle section can be raised to permit large vessels to pass the Tower Bridge. Massive engines raise the bridge sections, which weigh about 1000 tons each, in just over a minute. It used to be raised about 50 times a day, but nowadays it is only raised 4 to 5 times a week.

 

The London Eye

The British Airways London Eye (Millennium Wheel) stands 135 metres (443 feet) high on the South Bank of the River Thames between Westminster and Hungerford Bridges. It is the world's highest observation wheel. The wheel was constructed in sections which were floated up the river Thames on barges and assembled lying flat on pontoons. Once the wheel was complete it was raised into its upright position by cranes, initially being lifted at a rate of about 2 degrees per hour until it reached 65 degrees. The London Eye as seen from Westminster with the London Aquarium and County Hall to the right. The total weight of steel in the Eye is 1,700 tonnes.