London, is the capital of the United Kingdom. It is among the oldest of the world’s great cities and one of the most cosmopolitan. It is by far Britain’s largest metropolis and  also the country’s economic  and cultural centre.

Interesting facts about London

1. London is a modern, innovative city, steeped in history. It’s famous for its historic palaces and magnificent landmarks , world-class museums , attractions and events , wonderful parks and gardens.

   London is known for its vibrant culture and cultural icons, such as red buses , West End Shows , the Royal Family, literary figures William Shakespeare and  Charles Dickens and of course film icons  James Bond and Harry Potter.

   

2. The  City of London is an area of central London. It’s the most historical part of London and was founded by the Romans as the settlement of Londinium in AD50. Today, it’s home to some of London’s top attractions, including the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and  St Paul’s Cathedral, as well as modern skyscrapers such as  The Gherkin, “The Walkie-Talkie” (20 Fenchurch Street), and the “The Cheesegrater” (122 Leadenhall Street).
3. London hasfour UNESCOworld heritage sites: Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich, Westminster Palace and Kew’s Royal Botanic Gardens.
4.  London has over 192 museums with 11 national museums including the British Museum – home to thousands of years of culture including the Rosetta Stone (196 BC).
5. London has more than 800 bookshops and over 325 public libraries including the British Library, which holds the Magna Carta.
6. The centre of the city consists of the following districts:
   • St.-James’s, Mayfair en Piccadilly: This area between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square is a well known part of London, filled with pomp and circumstance.
   • The London City, the commercial heart of the town, is one of the world’s major financial centres in the world and there are many architectonic masterpieces. But between all those modern buildings of glass and steel, one can find numerous churches from the 17th century, narrow alleys, old marketplaces and even the remainders of the Roman city walls.
   • Westminster and Bankside: This area is dominated by the Thames with it’s many bridges between the northern and southern banks.
   • Knightsbridge, Kensington and Chelsea: Nowadays classy residential areas, but they used to be green villages faraway from the polluted city. But still there is an atmosphere of exclusivity and wealth: the houses are big, there are many parks and many stately consulates and embassies.
   • Covent Garden, Bloomsbury and Soho are more to the northeast and offer very varied environments: vivid shopping streets alternated with quiet neighborhoods and an attractive Chinatown. 
7. In 1664 and 1665 London was stricken again by the plague, and this time there were about 100.000 victims.
   In 1666 a fire started in a bakery which lasted for four days ruining most of London. After the fire was stopped, it had destroyed 13.220 houses and 84 churches. This tragic event also gave the opportunity to rebuild the city and get rid of the medieval structures and narrow streets. The renovation took five years. From that moment on, London thrives. The city becomes the most important trade centre of the world. The population also grows and during the reign of queen Victoria in the 19th century, London becomes the largest city of the world with  860.000 inhabitants. 
8. It is a very common mistake, but Big Ben is actually not the name for the Tower in London. Big Ben is actually the name for the clock in the Tower. Even locals nowadays refer to this place as the Big Ben tower. The tower is located in the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London. 2012 onward the object is named as Elizabeth Tower, but in the past, the tower was known as the Clock Tower.
9. More than 80 billionaires live in London making it the city with the highest number of billionaires in the world. Moreover, London billionaires represent 80% of all billionaires living in the UK. In this aspect, London leaves behind big cities like New York, San Francisco, Moscow, Paris, etc
10. Red buses are for sure the most typical thing that your mind associates with London. The iconic vehicles didn’t always have this colour. Once upon a time each of them had a different colour with each colour signifying a different route. To stand out the competition the biggest company of buses London General Omnibus Company decide to paint their buses with the red colour in 1907. Ever since London buses have been red.