Greater London is the largest city in the UK (and Europe) with over 7.5 million inhabitants and is in the South East of the country just above Kent and North of Essex and includes the City of London plus 31 boroughs. London is a cosmopolitan melting pot of different religions, colours and nationalities with a great contrast between the rich and the deprived, who in some areas live almost side by side. The Mayor of London has unique powers over various aspects of Londoners lives such as transport, finance and justice.

London has the highest GDP (or earnings per head) of any city the UK and is famous for its financial district which has been the home of the London Stock Exchange (founded in 1801), the Bank Of England and various financial institutions for hundreds of years. 

London’s skyline is dominated by the towering St Pauls Cathedra, built by St Christopher Wren in 1697 after. The Great Fire of London in 1666 which helped to re-shape the overcrowded Capital. The capital was just recovering from the Great Plague of 1665 which killed around 20% of the population, so when the Great Fire destroyed much of the worst housing the city was rebuilt in a more sanitary manner with less likelihood of disease and fire.

The UK parliament with powers over all residents is based in Westminster, central London. It is the oldest of any democracy dating from 1707 and housing MPs from England, Wales and Scotland who serve 4 year terms for their parliamentary constituencies.

While the works of Charles Dickens have influenced that way we think about London during the 18th century, Dickens himself was born in Portsmouth on the South coast. Dickens wrote using his extensive knowledge of the great Metropolis of London, its hardships, characters and geography. After 150 years all of his novels (including Great Expectations, Little Dorritt and Oliver Twist) are still in print and have become cornerstones of UK National Curriculum.

Famous people born in London include: film director Alfred Hitchcock, outlaw Dick Turpin, writer Edgar Allen Poe, Robinson Crusoe author Daniel Defoe, actor Michael Caine, ex Prime Minister Tony Blair, actor Boris Karloff, crime writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, ex Prime Minster Benjamin Disraeli and ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ TE Lawrence.