London - History

) London

Characteristic:
London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom. It lies on the river Themes. Almost 7 million people live in London and over 15 million in its conurbation[1]. It includes the City of London and 32 boroughs[2]. London is the seat of the Monarch, the Parliament, the Government and the Supreme Court. The Prime Meridian of the World runs across Greenwich in east London.

History:
The first inhabitants were the Celts in 800 BC. Then the place was occupied by the Romans in 55 BC and in 43 BC they established the Roman Londonium there. After the Romans left, this city remained the capital for the Britons. In the 12th century Norman Kings moved the royal court[3] from Winchester to London. In the 16th century the trading companies and the Royal Exchange were established there. This seriously contributed to the rise of London. The 17th century brought suffering for London. In 1665 the Plague epidemic and in 1666 the Great Fire of London. After the fire, four fifth of the city were destroyed. The main architect after the fire was Christopher Wren and his masterpiece is St. Paul’s Cathedral. Then the first insurance company, bank and the Stock Exchange were established. One of the important things for London is the Port, which became the biggest in the 19th century. In the 19th century the infrastructure was established and a lot of the suburbs[4] were connected. In the 20th century the City was also seriously damaged during the World War II.
The prime[5] economic importance of London is as a financial and commercial centre. Twenty-two percent of the world’s transactions take place in London. More than 50 per cent of cargo shipping and air transport is also centred in London. In London there are 5 airports (the biggest are Heathrow and Gatwick). The other main means of transport in London are: busses, underground and the well known black taxis.
[1] ) městská aglomerace
[2] ) volební okres v Londýně
[3] ) královský dvůr
[4] ) předměstí
[5] ) hlavní, první