LONDON is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom. It is the largest city in Europe and one of the largest cities in the world (together with Tokyo and New York). Historical and geographical circumstances have made London one of the world's most important commercial and cultural centres, while its range of historical connections and its buildings attract millions of tourists from overseas each year.
London dominates Britain. It is 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 contains the headquarters of the national television networks and of all the national newspapers.
The city is at least two thousand years old and was settled long before the first Roman invasion. The original walled city of London was quite small. (Today it is known colloquially as «the square mile»). It did not contain Parliament or the royal court, since this would have interfered with the autonomy of the merchants and traders who lived and worked there. It was in Westminster, another «city» outside London's walls, that these national institutions met. Today both «cities» are just two areas of central London. The square mile is home to the country's main financial organizations, the territory of the stereotypical English «city gent» (*infml or humour: a gentleman).
Two other well-known areas of London are the West End and the East End. The former is known for its many theatres, cinemas and expensive shops. The latter is known as the poorest residential area of central London. It is the home of the Cockney and in this century large number of immigrants have settled there.
There are many other parts of central London, which have their own distinctive characters, and central London itself makes up only a very small part of Greater London (*a local government area including the whole of London and parts of other areas surrounding London, whose length and breadth extends over an area of 700 square miles).
THE WEST END is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It's a symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, restaurants, clubs, parks, shops and houses are situated there. Perhaps the most famous shopping street of all is Oxford Street. Shops of every description line either side of this busy thoroughfare and many of the country's chain stores have their largest shops there. One of the most famous chain stores here is Marks & Spencer, whose flagship at the Marble Arch end stocks items you may not find in any other branch: new lines are introduced here first and, if they prove popular, are then sold nationwide.
Another attraction of the West End is Trafalgar Square, which is the geographical centre of London. It was named to commemorate the historical naval victory won by the British Fleet under the command of Admiral Nelson over the combined French-Spanish fleet at the battle of Trafalgar on the 21st of October 1805. Nelson's Column, with the statue of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson on top, rises in the centre of Trafalgar Square. Opposite the Nelson Monument is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, which contain the finest art collection in the world. Not far from the National
Gallery is the British Museum, famous for its rich library (about 7 million books) and collections.
Piccadilly Circus is the centre of night life in the West End. This is one of the most popular meeting points in London, probably second only to Trafalgar Square. It is a dynamic and picturesque place with a happy and lively cosmopolitan atmosphere. These days it is a rather over-commercialized place, famous for its enormous, illuminated advertising signs and for Alfred Gilbert's tiny figure of a winged archer, popularly known as Eros, the God of Love, but actually designed as the Angel of Christian Charity. This was erected in 1893 as a memorial to the philanthropic Earl of Shaftesbury, who did much to improve the lot of factory workers (esp. children) in the mid-19th century. Today's children, however, are more likely to flock to the Tower Records megastore or to the popular American-style Planet Hollywood restaurant next door.
One of the special joys of London is the amount of space devoted to parks, gardens and open areas, providing peaceful oases in the midst of all the buildings and traffic. Hyde Park is one of the most popular and most frequented points in London. It has had a varied history, having been used for horse-racing, dueling, as the site for the 1851 Great Exhibition and a defensive camp during the Second World War. Today it is a peaceful park, with a Serpentine forming a wonderful habitat for wild creatures and for sailing, boating and swimming. In the north-east corner of the park is Speakers' Corner, where anyone can stand up and talk on any subject they please.
Other famous parks are Regent's Park, St. James's Park, Green Park, Hampton Court, Bushy Park and Richmond Park, etc
