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Fascinating facts about london

London is made up of two ancient cities which are now joined together.
They are:

• the City of London, know simply as 'the City' which is the business and financial heart of the United Kingdom. It is also known as the Square Mile (2.59 sq km/1 sq mi). It was the original Roman settlement (ancient Londinium), making it the oldest part of London and already 1,000 years old when the Tower of London was built.
• the City of Westminster, where Parliament and most of the government offices are located. Also Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the Queen and the Royal family are located there too.

Together they all make up a region known as Greater London.

Interesting facts about london

• London is the biggest city in Britain and in Europe.
• London occupies over 620 square miles
• London has a population of 7,172,036 (2001)
• About 12 per cent of Britain’s overall population live in London
• London has the highest population density in Britain, with 4,699 people per square kilometre,
• London is in the southeast of England.
• London is the seat of central government in Britain.
• The tallest building in London is the Canary Wharf Tower.
• London was the first city in the world to have an underground railway, known as the 'Tube'.
• Some of the most important people from countries all over the world visit the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
• There are over 100 theatres in London, including 50 in the West End. London theatre accounts for 45% of all UK theatre admissions and over 70% of box-office revenues. Source: GLA Economics

London's Government

Who runs the UK?

The British government runs the UK. The leader of the government is the Prime Minister.

Parliamentary democracy

Great Britain (UK) is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional Monarch as Head of State.

The principle behind British democracy is that the people elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons in London at a general election, held no more than five years apart. Most MPs belong to a political party, and the party with the largest number of MPs in the House of Commons forms the government.

Houses of Parliament

For the first time since 1707, the people of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have more say over what happens in their countries, the UK Parliament has devolved (given away) some of its powers to other national and regional bodies. It is only England, that doesn't have its own parliament. Issues that effect England are decided by the UK government, which consists of MPs from all over the UK.

Food and Drink in London

London's food doesn't come any more traditional - or tasty - than good old pie and mash. Locally caught eels were the usual pie filling but they have been gradually replaced by minced beef.

Pie, mash and eel houses have been around in London since the 18th Century.

Today, eels are still served, either stewed or jellied, and with or without pie and mash. The essential accompaniment is green 'liquor' - a salty, parley-based 'gravy' - or chilli vinegar for extra pep.

F. Cooke's pie and mash restaurant on Hoxton Street, Shoreditch, London

Thanks to the capital's multicultural population, you'll find more than 60 different national cuisines from French, Italian and Spanish to Thai and Japanese. Indian food is especially popular in Britain and many people often eat at their local 'curry house'.

Vegetarianism is an accepted part of London's restaurant scene and most places offer at least a couple of dishes for those who do not eat meat.

London's fish and chip shops are part of a uniquely British take-away tradition. The city also has thousands of burger and chicken fast-food restaurants. It also has many Indian, Chinese and pizza take-aways.

Pies are becoming a popular take-way food.

Londoners are famous for their love of a good cup of tea, at home, at work and in cafes. Coffee has been drunk in London since the 17th century, when coffee houses were hotbeds of political discussions and debate. Now-a-days American-style bars such as Starbucks are everywhere.London is packed full of pubs (public houses), where people go to drink beer or wine, and perhaps have a bar meal.

Multicultural London

More than 270 nationalities make up the fabric of the city. Many have family roots in Africa and India, formerly governed by the British empire.

Although predominantly white and Anglo-Saxon, more than a quarter of London's population is from an alternative ethnic background, making up half of the Britain's total ethnic minorities. This gives London the largest non-white population of any European city and is an important part of its cosmopolitan feel.

Over 250 languages are spoken in the city, making the capital the most linguistically diverse city in the world.

In the 2001 census, people living in London classed their ethnic group as the following:

76% as white (classified as British White, Irish or "Other White"),
10% as Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani,
5% as black African,
5% as black Caribbean,
3% as mixed race and
1% as Chinese.