LONDON By Natalia Viznaya

CONTENTS Introduction History Parts of London City Westminster The West End The East End

Introduction London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million. London is one of the oldest and most interesting cities in the world. Modern London is not one city that has steadily become larger through the centuries; it is a number of cities, towns, and villages that have, during the past centuries, grown together to make one vast urban area. London is situated upon both banks of the River Thames, it is the largest city in Britain and one of the largest in the world. Its population is about 7 million people. London dominates the life of Britain. It is a big port and most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre. There is little heavy industry in London, but there is a wide range of light industry in Greater London.

History London was founded in the first century A.D. by the Ro­mans. They left London in the 5th century and the city was largely abandoned. By the 8th century London was again a busy trading centre, and in the llth century it became the capital of England. Edward the Confessor built a palace and an abbey at Westminster. The Norman period saw the construction of the Tower, old St. Paul's Cathedral and many churches and monasteries. Medieval London grew in importance as a trading centre and in 1215 its citizens won the right to elect their own leader, or Lord Mayor. London began to spread beyond the city walls during the Tudor and Stuart periods. The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed three-quarters of the city. Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt St. Paul's Cathedral and designed 51 churches. The rebuilding of London followed the medieval street plan, but the old wooden houses were replaced by buildings of brick to reduce the future fire risk.

During the 19th century London spread rapidly into the suburbs During the 19th century London spread rapidly into the suburbs. As a result of it new forms of transport were developed, including the underground railway system. Britain was then at the height of her imperial power and this is expressed in such buildings as the Houses of Parliament and St. Pancras Station. Large areas of London were destroyed by bombs during World War II, and the rebuilding that followed was of mixed quality.

Parts of London Today in its full extent Greater London covers 625 square miles and consists of 33 separate boroughs. Traditionally London is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End, the East End. They are rather different from one another.

City The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the OldBailey, The City extends over an area of about 2,6 square kilometres. About half a million people work there, but less then 6000 live there.

There are some famous ancient buildings within the City There are some famous ancient buildings within the City. Perhaps the most striking of them is St. Paul's Cathedral, the greatest of English churches. It is Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece. It stands at the top of Ludgate Hill on a site where a Christian church has stood since the 7th century. The construction of the Cathedral started in 1675 and was not finished until 1709. The magnificent classical structure is crowned by the dome. Inside the dome are scenes from the life of St. Paulr Here too is the famous Whispering Gallery. There are many memorials in the Cathedral including those to heroes such as Wellington and Nelson.  The Tower of London is also situated in the City. It has been closely associated with many important events in English history. It has served as citadel, palace, prison, mint and menagerie. The White Tower was built in 1078 by William the Conqueror to protect the city. The Tower is famous for its illustrious prisoners such as Sir Thomas More and Guy Fawkes, Many notable people lost their heads on the executioner's block. The Tower is guarded by the Yeoman Warders popularly known as Beefeaters.

Westminster Westminster is the historic center of government. Until the llth century it was a. sacred place. King Edward the Confessor decided to build a great abbey church here. It was consecrated in 1065, but a week later the King died and was buried in the abbey. His tomb became a popular place of pilgrimage. It can still be found at the heart of the present Westminster Abbey. William the Conqueror was crowned in the Abbey and since then all the Coronations have taken place here. The Abbey contains many royal tombs, memorials to eminent men and women. But the most popular ones are those to writers, actors and musicians in Poet's corner. Alongside the Abbey Edward the Confessor had a palace built. The Palace of Westminster was the royal residence and also the country's main court of law. Parliament met here from the 16th century until the 19th century. The present Houses of Parliament were built after the old palace was burnt down in 1834.

The building contains the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two chambers where parliamentary business is debat ed. On the corner next to Westminster Bridge stands Clock Tower which houses the famous bell Big Ben. Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official London residence. Built in 1702-1705 for the Duke of Buckingham, it was sold in 1761 to George III. The Palace was little used by royalty until Victoria's accession to the throne in 1837. Lon­don's most popular spectacle is Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. It takes place in the forecourt and lasts about 36 minutes.

The West End The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It is the symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there. There are splendid houses and lovely gardens belonging to wealthy people. Oxford Street is an endless shopping area which attracts visitors from all over in the world. Visitors with plenty of money to spend and who come chiefly for enjoyment are likely to pass most of their time in the West End.

Going down Oxford Street you come to Trafalgar Square which is yet another symbol of London. This square received its name from Trafalgar, the cape off which Lord Nelson defeated a Franco-Spanish fleet in 1805. Admiral Nelson, cast in bronze, stands on top of a tall column in the middle of the square. On the north side of Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Not far away is the British Museum — the biggest museum in London. It contains a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures etc., and is famous for its library.

  The East End The port of London is to the east of the City. Here were kilometres and kilometres of docks, and the great industrial areas that depended upon ship­ping. The streets are narrow, the buildings are unimpressive. This is the East End of London, which is densely populated by working class families. It is formerly unattractive in appearance, but now changing because of the introduction of new industries and very expensive housing.