London – United Kingdom
London is also the most populated city in England. The Romans founded “Londonium” in 43AD with the building of a bridge across the River Thames. This turned the locale into road nexus and major port. The Romans eventually abandoned Britain in the 5th Century, but the importance of London was set.
The ancient City of London was a 1.12 square mile area – many of the important city centers and attractions are still found in this square area, although the city has grown a great deal since then.
On September 2, 1666, the city was largely destroyed due to the Great Fire of London. Ironically, this fire may have contributed greatly to ending the ravages of the bubonic plague that swept through much of the rest of Europe.
Today, London is one of the world’s leading cities. You name the field and London is probably at or near the top in advancing the area of concern. Historically, London has taken a lead at one time or another in the arts, commerce, education, economics, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, and just about any other field you can think of…
“London may be the world’s most-visited city every year. Based on international arrivals and the existence of the world’s largest city airport system, you can make that case. London is one of the world’s leading investment destinations, hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city on earth. London’s 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education institutes in Europe, and a 2014 report placed it first in the world university rankings. According to the report London also ranks first in the world in software, multimedia development and design, and shares first position in technology readiness. In 2012, London became the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.
London has a diverse range of peoples and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken within Greater London. The Office for National Statistics estimated its mid-2014 population to be 8,538,689, the largest of any municipality in the European Union, and accounting for 12.5 percent of the UK population. London’s urban area is the second most populous in the EU, after Paris, with 9,787,426 inhabitants according to the 2011 census. The city’s metropolitan area is one of the most populous in Europe with 13,879,757 inhabitants, while the Greater London Authority states the population of the city-region (covering a large part of the south as 22.7 million.
London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret’s Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory, Greenwich marks the Prime Meridian, 0° longitude, and GMT). Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions, including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, British Library and 40 West End theatres. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world.” (Source: Wikipedia)
Did You Know?
London was the world’s most populous city from 1831 to 1925.