London

“United Kingdom is island country, located off the north-western coast of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom comprises the whole of the island of Great Britain-which contains England, Wales, and Scotland-as well as the northern portion of the island of Ireland.”(www.britannica.com)

London is the capital of Great Britain. London lies on the banks of the Thames. It is nearly 50 km from North to South and nearly 50 km from East to West. With a population of about 7 million, this vast metropolis is by far the largest city in Europe, a distinction it has maintained since the 17th century. In the 19th century it was the largest and most influential city in the world, the centre of a large and prosperous overseas empire. Although it no longer ranks among the world’s most populous cities, London is still one of the world’s major financial and cultural capitals. (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia 99 (CD-ROM))

London is one of the biggest ports in the world. Ships from every part of the world come to this port. London is a number of towns and villages that have, during the past centuries, grown together. The oldest part is the City. It is the birthplace of London. It is about 2 thousand years old. The City is the busiest part of London and the business centre of Great Britain. The City is full of life in daytime, but at night and during weekends it seems that there are almost no people there. Most of the Londoners, who work in the City, do not live there. There are many places of interest – historical buildings, museums, picture galleries, theatres and concert halls in the City and the West End of London. Most of the factories and docks are in the East End. The streets of London are very busy and noisy. There are endless lines of buses, cars and taxis. The traffic moves fast. There are crowds of people in the streets, especially in the mornings and afternoons. Then people are hurrying to and from their jobs. The standard of living is high in London, but life is not so easy for those who are unemployed. (MARTINSONE, MILLERE, RUSMANE 1993, 123, 124, 125 pg)…