LONDON TOUR

LONDON IS THE CAPITAL CITY OF ENGLAND AND OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

LONDON is situated on the river Thames. It’s one of the largest city in the world. Its population is more than 7 million people. It cover an area of 609 square miles (1,579 square km). London is the political, economic and cultural center of Great Britain. The city is very old and beautiful. It was founded more than two thousand years ago.

Traditionally LONDON is divided into FOUR PARTS:

THE CITY vies with New York City as the financial capital of the world and many banking and insurance institutions have their headquarters there. The London Stock Exchange (shares and bonds), Lloyd's of London (insurance) and the Bank of England are all based in the City. Over 500 banks have offices in the City, and the City is an established leader in trading in Eurobonds, foreign exchange, energy futures and global insurance.

THE WEST END of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, businesses, and administrative headquarters. It also includes most of its major theatres, and indeed the term "West End" has become synonymous with London's commercial theatre.

THE EAST END is an industrial district of London. There are many factories and the Port of London there. The region is densely populated by working class families. The residents of the East End are called cockneys which means true Londoners, hereditary inhabitants of the area.

WESTMINSTER is the most important part of the capital. It’s the administrative center. The House of Parliament, the seat of the British Government, are there. It’s a very beautiful building with two towers and a very big clock called Big Ben.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, one of several palaces owned by the British Royal family, is one of the major tourist attractions in London.

The Houses of Parliament, also known as

the PALACE OF WESTMINSTER is the seat of Britain's two parliamentary houses, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, commonly known as

the BIG BEN, is one of London's most famous landmarks. The name Big Ben actually refers to the clock's hour bell, the largest of the clock's five bells, the others being used as quarter bells.

London’s TOWER BRIDGE is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. Its Victorian Gothic style stems from a law that forced the designers to create a structure that would be in harmony with the nearby Tower of London.

The majestic ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL was built by Christopher Wren between 1675 and 1711. It is one of Europe's largest cathedrals and its dome is only exceeded in size by that of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

HYDE PARK is one of several royal parks in London connected to each other, forming one large green lung in the center of the city.

The TOWER OF LONDON was built at the beginning of the 11th century by William the conqueror. The tower was expanded during the 13th century into the fortified complex that we know today. The Tower's most popular attraction is its famous collection of Crown Jewels.