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'''London''' is the capital and largest city of [[England]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. It stands on the River Thames in the south-east of England, at the head of its 50-mile (80 km) estuary leading to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and retains boundaries close to its medieval ones. Since the 19th century, "London" has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which largely makes up Greater London, the region governed by the Greater London Authority.
	'''London''' is the capital city of the [[United Kingdom]] and the largest city in England by population. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England and is one of the world's major centres for finance, culture, politics, education, transport, media, law, technology, and tourism.

	London can refer to Greater London, the wider metropolitan area, or the historic City of London. The City of London is the ancient financial district and local authority sometimes called the Square Mile. Greater London is the wider administrative area governed by the Mayor of London, the London Assembly, and 32 London boroughs plus the City of London.

	== Geography ==
	London is built around the River Thames, which runs from west to east through the city. The urban area includes dense inner districts, suburban boroughs, parks, waterways, business districts, historic villages absorbed into the city, and major transport hubs.

	Important areas include the City of London, Westminster, the West End, the South Bank, Canary Wharf, Camden, Kensington, Stratford, Greenwich, Brixton, Croydon, Wembley, and many other local centres.

	== Population ==
	The Greater London Authority reported that the Office for National Statistics mid-year estimate for 2023 put London's population at about 8.95 million. The city's population is highly diverse by nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, and migration history.

	London's growth is not evenly spread. Some boroughs have young and fast-changing populations, while others are more suburban or older. Housing costs, transport access, employment, and migration all shape the pattern of population change.

	== Government ==
	London has several layers of government. The Mayor of London provides citywide leadership and controls or influences areas such as transport, policing oversight, fire and rescue, planning, housing, economic strategy, and the environment.

	The London Assembly scrutinises the Mayor and mayoral advisers. Local services are largely delivered by the London boroughs and the City of London Corporation.

== History ==	== History ==
The etymology of London is uncertain. It is an ancient name, found in sources from the 2nd century. It is recorded c. 121 as Londinium, which points to Romano-British origin. A widely accepted though not universally held explanation is that the name derives from the Old English word for "place" or "fortification", and "lond" being an obsolete term for the River Thames. Londinium was established as a civilian town by the Romans about four years after the invasion of AD 43. Archaeologist Leslie Wallace notes that the town's location made it the first point of entry for many, if not most, invaders, merchants, and travellers who came to the island from Roman times to the Early Middle Ages. The city is closely tied to its strategic position on the Thames. It was a focal point of Iron Age Britain in the 1st millennium BC; during the Roman period, Londinium superseded it as the capital of the Roman province of Britannia. After the collapse of Roman rule in the 5th century, Londinium was abandoned, although Romano-British culture continued in the St Martin-in-the-Fields church in the city of London. The Bede writes of the old Roman city of London where the river Thames flowed.
	London began as the Roman settlement of Londinium. It later developed into a medieval trading city, royal and parliamentary centre, port, and imperial capital.

	The city has been shaped by fire, plague, migration, industrialisation, empire, war, suburban growth, deindustrialisation, financial expansion, and cultural change. The Great Fire of 1666, the growth of the docks, the railways, the Blitz, post-war rebuilding, and the development of the Underground all left major marks on the city.

== Economy ==	== Economy ==
London is a leading global city, with strengths in commerce, finance, education, the arts, media, fashion, healthcare, professional services, research and development, tourism, and transportation all contributing to its prominence. It is one of the world's leading financial centres and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world depending on measurement. London is a world cultural capital. It is the world's most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the world's largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic. London is the world's leading investment destination, hosting more international retailers and ultra-high-net-worth individuals than any other city. London's universities form the largest concentration of higher education institutes in Europe, and London is home to highly ranked institutions such as Imperial College London in natural and applied sciences, the London School of Economics in social sciences, and the comprehensive University College London. In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted three modern Summer Olympic Games.
	London has a large and varied economy. Finance, professional services, technology, education, creative industries, tourism, government, healthcare, retail, hospitality, construction, and transport all play major roles.

== Transport ==
London has one of the oldest and most extensive transport systems in the world. London's bus network is one of the largest in the world, running 24 hours a day, with about 8,500 buses, more than 700 bus routes, and over 19,500 bus stops. Within London, all terminals are served by bus services operated by National Express Coaches, Eurolines, and Megabus. London has several mainline railway termini, which serve as the departure point for services to other parts of the country. The London Underground, commonly referred to as the Tube, is the oldest and second longest metro system in the world and was the first to operate electric trains. The Docklands Light Railway, which opened in 1987, is a second metro system using smaller and lighter trains, which serve the Docklands, Greenwich, Lewisham, and Newham. The Emirates Air Line, which opened in June 2012, is a cable car link across the River Thames between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Victoria Dock.
	City Hall describes its business and economy work as focused on making London a fairer, more inclusive, and more prosperous economy. London remains a major global financial centre, but its economy also depends on universities, small businesses, cultural venues, public services, and local high streets.

	== Culture and Tourism ==
	London has museums, theatres, galleries, music venues, sports grounds, markets, parks, religious buildings, universities, restaurants, and historic sites. Major attractions include the British Museum, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery, Tate Modern, Kew Gardens, and many others.

	The city's culture comes from both national institutions and local communities. Its food, music, art, language, and street life reflect centuries of migration and trade.

	== References ==
	* [https://data.london.gov.uk/demography/ GLA Datastore: London demography]
	* [https://www.london.gov.uk/home-page-london-city-hall London City Hall: Mayor and Assembly]
	* [https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/about-london-assembly London City Hall: About the London Assembly]
	* [https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/business-and-economy London City Hall: Business and Economy]
	* [https://www.visitlondon.com/ Visit London: Official Visitor Guide]
	* [https://www.visitbritain.com/en/destinations/england/london VisitBritain: London]

	[[Category:Cities]]
	[[Category:United Kingdom]]