London
London is the capital and the largest city of the United Kingdom. Its population is about eight and a half million. London is Great Britain's biggest manufacturing centre and the country's main banking and financial centre. London is also one of the largest ports in the United Kingdom. It is linked with all parts of the country by roads and railways. London is a great educational and cultural centre. The University of London with 14 colleges has more than 76,000 students. The British Library houses one of the finest collections in the world. Museums and galleries are world known too, among them the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The city's main concert halls are Covent Garden and the Modern Royal Festival Hall. London is a multinational city, with a large immigrant population from Britain's former colonies especially from South Asia and the Wfest Indies. In fact, there are several Londons. There is the City of London, which is the oldest part of London. It is the country's financial and business centre. There is the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange, the Mansion House (the official residence of the City's Lord Mayor), and many other important landmarks. The West End is the name given to the area of central London which includes Trafalgar Square, the main shopping areas of Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, and the entertainment centres of Soho, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. Many government buildings, including 10 Downing Street (the residence of the British Prime Minister), are nearby. There is also Buckingham Palace, the Queen's residence. The East End covers a wide area to the east of the City, which is quite different from the other parts of London. There are many warehouses and factories producing clothes in the East End. It is also one of those areas of London where working class people live. The East End markets are famous throughout the world for all kinds of goods. Traditionally someone born in the East End is known as a cockney. London has a few famous parks: Hyde Park with its Speakers' Corner, St. James' Park, Regent Park with its wonderful Zoo and others.
West of the City, there is Westminster that contains the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben (the famous clock tower) and Westminster Abbey where from the Norman times British monarchs have been crowned and later buried. Many other famous people are also buried in Westminster Abbey including statesmen, musicians and writers. In Poet's Corner one can find statues and the tombs of William Shakespeare, Byron, T.S. Eliot and others. Trafalgar Square is considered the geographical centre of London. It was laid out in memory of Lord Nelson's great naval victory of 1805 in the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson's statue stands on top of a column in the middle of the square, which makes a good place for people to meet or to unite for all kinds of meetings. At Christmas time there is a huge Christmas tree which is sent to Britain from Norway every year. The City is famous for its oldest part, the Tower of London, which is more than nine hundred years old. It was originally built as a fortress, later it was a royal palace, and then served as a prison. Now it is a museum with a wonderful collection or armour and the Crown Jewels. The Tower is full of history and visitors can see the Yeomen Warders or "Beefeaters," in their picturesque uniforms of four hundred years ago. Today they will show visitors the main places of interest and speak about the history of the Tower. Tower Bridge, which crosses the Thames beside the Tower, has a distinctive Victorian construc¬tion and can be opened to let big ships pass into the Pool of London. St. Paul's Cathedral designed by the English architect Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century, is one of the most famous churches in the world. St.Paul's contains memorials to many national heroes, among them Lord Nelson, Sir John Moore, the Duke of Wellington, and Sir Christopher Wren. There are steps up to the Whispering Gallery, inside the dome, where words whispered into the stone wall can be heard right round the other side. From the stone gallery outside visitors have a magnificent view of London.