London
General Facts
is situated in the South-East of England
lies western from the Themsemouth
capital of Great Britain
there live neary 7-8 Mio people
City of London was former Londinium
today this part is the business an financial part of London with an area of 2,7 km²
Great London, that is City od London and the 32 district = 1580 km²
History
during England was conquered by the Angeln and Sax London has no importance
with the conquest of the Normanns came upturn
William the conqueror was first king who was crowned in the Westminster Abbey
in the end of the 12 century the citizens´ elected her first mayor
1348 first plaque - black death
1665 renewed plaque Great Plaque and the Great Fire destroey the town
in the 19 century the number of inhabitant incresed immense
in the first world war, no damage in London
in the second ww the air strikes destroyed nearly all the town 10 000 were killed and 17 000 iniured persons
but till the end of the fifties the most was rebuilt
Buildings / Sights
Post Office Tower - constuct in 1965, height: 189 m
National Westminster Bank Building - was built 1979, height 183 m
highest building (224 m) - the Canary Wharf Towrk in Docklands
Saint Paul´s Cathedral - which have a 110 m dome, was built after 1666, architect: Christopher Wren
Big Ben - bell tower of the House of Paliament, named after the politican Sir Benjamin Hall, bell weight: 13,5 tonne (tan)
Tower of London - it was the exprison, was built by William the Conqueror in defence
Tower Bridge - was finished 1894, bridge over Themse at the Tower of London
House of Parliament - British Central Office of Information
Buckingham Palace - in district Westminster, residence of the brit. Queen
Westminster Abbey - since 1066 the place where kings and queens are crowed
London Dungeon - cabinet of spook near the Tower Bridge
Madame Tussard´s - Museum, where famous personalities are showed as wax figures
The Town
East, North/East: an area where mainly workers live East End
- home of immigrants, it is poor but lively an industryly
West, North/West of the City: Inns of Court
- West: Bloomsbury, the favourite place of intelectual in the twenties
- West End - from downtown to the West: famous theatre an shopping streets
- (in the South of WE: South Bank Arts Complex National Theatre, Royal Festival Hall, Hayward Gallery)
South: district of administration, district of the gouvernment with the Whitehall
- Palace of Westminster - seat of parliament
- Saint James Palace (where the Prince of Wales live)
- Buckingham Palace (the residence of the Queen in London)
London´s cultural diversity
Museums
- British Museum in Bloomsbury (biggest and famous museum global with 6 Mio Ausstellungsstücken of all type and the brit. State library)
- Victotia and Albert Museum in South Kensington (art treasures from all over the world)
- National Gallery on the Trafalgar Square (worldwide the collection with the most different kinds of painting)
- Museum of London (shows the histoy of the capital)
- National - Portrait - Gallery (more than 9000 portraits)
- Tate Gallery (collection of britisch paintings since the 16 century)
Theatres
- National Thaetre of the National Theatre Company in South Bank
- Barbicans Centre of the Royal Shakespeare Company
- Victoria Theatre
Opera and Concert Halls
- Royal Opera House in Covent Garden
- Royal Festival Hall in Westminster
Parks
- altogether 215 parks with an area of 220 km²
- famous: Hyde Park, Regent Park, Green Park
Universities
- University College in Bloomsbury
- University College Hospital
- King´s College
- Royal Academy of Music
- Royal College of Art
Inhabitants
ethnic struckture:
about 5 Mio whites
400 000 Indians, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Westindians and Africans
more than 147 languages were speaken
Traffic
two airports (biggest one: heathrow)
very big underground, more than 270 stations
many thousand famous british taxis
Economy
very important: stock market
insurance companies - London thanks to them his prosperity
important revenue source: tourism
producing industry lost the importance - only 10 %
- pressure and publishing companies
- pharmacic and electric produktion
- textilies industry
- brewery
