City of London

London is a big city in the southeast of England on the River Thames. It is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. 7.5 million people live in London. London is the biggest city in the United Kingdom and in Europe.

The Romans built a city called Londinium on the River Thames in AD 43. The name Londinium came from the Celtic language of the Ancient Britons. London is also known as Lunnainn in Scottin, Llundain in Welsh and Londain in Irish.

For a long time, London was a small city and all its people lived inside the walls that were built by the Romans. This area is still called the City of London. Around the city, there were many villages. Gradually, as more and more people came to live there, the villages joined together into one huge city, which is now called "London" or Greater London.

Most people in London are English. However, London also has many migrants, who come from many different countries, speaking different languages and with different religions and cultures. There are also many people from different countries who stay in London on business. Many people visit London as tourists, to see the famous "Sights of London" which include palaces, churches and museums.

London is one of the world's most important cities for business, finance, and politics. It is also important for culture: media, entertainment, fashion, and art. After the railways were built, London grew very big. Another famous old part of Greater London is Westminster. In Westminster is Westminster Abbey (a cathedral), The Palace of Westminster (the Houses of Parliament, with Big Ben), and 10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives.

BIG BEN
Big Ben is the nickname of a bell that rings in the clock tower at the northern end of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, England. Officially, the tower itself is called the Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster. However, most people, including those that live in London, call the tower "Big Ben," because it is very large. It weighs 13 tons. Big Ben is the second bell in the tower. The first was damaged in 1856, due to a miscalculation.

Big Ben is one of London's best-known landmarks. Some believe it got its name from Sir Benjamin Hall. It is the world's largest four-faced chiming clock. The clock alone weighs about 5 tons. It took 13 years to build and it was completed in 1859.

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is the main residence of the British Monarch and is in the centre of London, England. It was built by John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normandy in 1703.It was bought by the British royal family in 1761 and became the official London home of the family in 1837. It is owned by the State.Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms and is one of few working palaces in the world.

London Eye
The London Eye is a large metal structure. It is also known as the Millennium Wheel and is one of the largest observation wheels(a type of Ferris wheel) in the world. It was opened in 2000. It is 135 metres high. The London Eye is a popular tourist destination. More than three million people visited it last year. It was built, in 1999, it was the tallest giant wheel in the world. But then the London Eye was overtaken in May 2006, by the Chinese city Nanchang. The London Eye stands at the western end of Jubilee Garden, on the South Bank of the river Thames, between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge.

Nelson's Column
Nelson's Column is a national monument of the United Kingdom based in Trafalgar Square, London, England. The column was built between 1840 and 1843 to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson's death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a bridge in London. It crosses the River Thames near the Tower of London Many tourists go to London see the Tower Bridge. Workers began to build the Tower Bridge in April 1886 and the bridge was opened in 30 June 1894. When they finished building the bridge, Tower Bridge was the largest bascule bridge yet built. The bridge is 800 feet in length.