London was founded in the first century AD by the Romans. They left London in the 5th century and the city was largely abandoned. By the 8th century London was again a busy trading centre, and in the 11th century it became the capital of England. Edward the Confessor built a palace and an abbey at Westminster. The Norman period saw the construction of the Tower, old St.Paul's Cathedral and many churches and monasteries.
Medieval London grew in importance as a trading centre and in 1215 its citizens won the right to elect their own leader, or Lord of Mayor. London began to spread beyond the city walls during the Tudor and Stuart periods. The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed three-quarters of the city. Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt St.Paul's Cathedral and designed 51 churches. The rebuilding of London followed the medieval street plan, but the old wooden houses were replaced by buildings of brick to reduce the future fire risk.
During the 19th century London spread rapidly into the suburbs. As a result of it new forms of transport were developed, including the underground railway system. Britain was then at the height of her Imperial Powers and this is expressed in such buildings as the Houses of Parliament and St. Pancras Station.
Large areas of London were destroyed by bombs during World War II and the rebuilding that followed was of mixed quality.
Today in its full extent greater London covers 625 square miles and consists of 33 separate boroughs, including the City, the West End, the East End and houses 7 million people.
The City extends over an area of about 2,6 square kilometers in the heart of London. About half a million people work there, but less than 6000 live there. It is the financial centre of the UK with many banks, offices and the Stock Exchange.
All the historical places and famous parks are in the West End. The West End, spreading from the political centre at Westminster includes the shopping area of Knightsbridge, Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and the fashionable Covent Garden: it hosts museums and galleries, among them are the Tate Gallery, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum. In the West End there are Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace. The best known streets are: Whitehall with important Government offices, Downing Street, the residence of the Prime Minister and Fleet Street which stands for the press.
The name `West End' is associated with wealth, luxury and goods of high quality.
The port of London is in the east End. It is an area of dock, unattractive in appearance, but very important in the country's commerce.