London is one of the world most important cultural and financial centres. Its status as a major global city is borne from its worldwide influence in the arts, education, entertainment, fashion, media and politics. London is a racially and culturally diverse European city with a population of 7.5 million speaking over 300 different languages.
London is a major centre for international business and commerce and is the worlds second largest financial centre after New York. London is predominantly a service-based economy and more than half of the UKs top 100 listed companies and over 100 of Europes 500 largest companies have their headquarters in central London.
Tourism is one of London’s main industries attracting over 27 million toursists to the city each year. London is home to four world heritage sites (Royal Botanic Gardens, the Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich and Westminster Palace) and a multitude of well known tourist attractions such as the Houses of Parliament, St Pauls Cathedral, London Eye, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square.
Tourists can also visit some of London’s most famous institution such as the National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Tate Modern and the British Museum as well enjoy the up-market retail experiences of Harrods, Covent Garden and Oxford Street. London makes the most of the River Thames.
Running through the heart of the city from the south-west to the east, tourists may enjoy a leisurely walk along the river bank or take one of the many river cruises and view some of London’s iconic architecture from a different perspective.
Londons large urban areas can be described by their district names. Some of the most well known include, the City of London (financial centre), the Docklands (New financial and commercial hub), the City of Westminster (home of national government), West End (entertainment and shopping) Notting Hill, Knightsbridge and Chelsea (fashionable and expensive residential areas) and the East End. East London has seen major redevelopment including the Canary Wharf estate and will also benefit from the Olympic Park being based there for the 2012 Olympics. |
