Population - 8.2 million people (2011), the largest city in the European Union. Forms a conurbation 'Greater London', within the metropolitan zone population of over 12 million people. Located in the south-east of the United Kingdom, on the banks of the River Thames, about 80 km from the North Sea.
One of the global cities, competing with New York for the title of the world's leading financial center. River and sea ports and six airports, the world's oldest underground. There are more than 40 universities. Location of the British Museum, and the largest in the world at the British Library.
The historic center of the area so Westminster and the City of, which adjoins the medieval Tower of London. In the Fire of 1666, the city was heavily damaged.
Founded under the name Londinium Romans soon after their invasion of Britain in 43 AD. In the XI-XII centuries, became the capital of England. At the beginning of XVIII century became the capital of the United Kingdom and the largest city in Europe. From 1825 to 1925 was the largest city in the world. Since XVI to XX century was the capital of British
The Roman period
Londinium was founded by the Romans soon after their invasion of Britain in the summer of '43. Settlement on the north bank of the Thames at the confluence of the rivers Uolbruk was to protect the wooden bridge built over the River Thames. The Romans probably moved from the coast inland to the sea on the ancient road, pass through the ford near the modern Westminster Bridge.
Despite the fact that in modern London had traces of human presence long before the Romans, the evidence of a permanent settlement in the prehistoric site of the future Londinium found.
Winter 60-61 years Britons using the departure of the Roman army on the island of Anglesey, rebelled against the invaders, and led by Queen Boudica destroyed Kamulodun - the first capital of Roman Britain, and then burned Londinium. However, the city was rebuilt and became the new capital of Roman Britain. At the turn of the II-III century Londinium, was surrounded by a defensive wall with a height of 6 meters, its area was one square mile.
After the division of Britain into two parts - upper and lower in the III century Londinium became the capital of Upper Britain. At the end of the IV century, Britain was divided again, and became the capital of the province of Londinium Maxim Tsezarensis. In 410, the Romans left Britain and Londinium
Middle Ages
Between V to VI century in the history of London remains little known. In the VI-VII centuries, two kilometers west of the ancient city founded by the Saxons Londinium Lyundenvik (from Old English wic - port, market town), which became the capital of the kingdom Vostochnosaksonskogo. [9] After the king of Essex Sabertom Christianity in the year 604 in the precincts of the ancient Londinium placed first chair Bishop of East Saxons Mellita and built St. Paul's Cathedral. In the VIII century, the city came under the power of the kingdom of Mercia. In 842 and 851 respectively Lyundenvik attacked the Vikings. In 871-886 years wintered in "The Great Pagan Army" Vikings, who won half of England.
In 886, in the hands Lyundenvik zapadnosaksonskogo King Alfred the Great, who, fearing invasion Vikings moved into a fortified settlement Lyundenvika Londinium, giving him the name of the German Lyundenburg. Lyundenvik was abandoned by the Saxons, and has evolved into a city street Aldwych. From 1013 to 1042 years Lyundenburg was ruled by the Danes. Soon after the Anglo-Saxon king, Edward the Confessor moved his residence in the western suburbs Lyundenburga Thorney Island, now a district of Westminster (from the English. West - west and minster - Collegiate Church), where he restored the old abbey and founded the Royal Palace. Such a way, London is divided into two main parts: the city - City, has morphed into a business district of London and Westminster - the seat of the king, and later Parliament.
After the victory of the Normans at the Battle of Hastings took place in Westminster Abbey, the coronation of William the Conqueror. The new king of England confirmed the liberty of London, excluding the city of a general census of the subject population. On the banks of the Thames in the event of a popular uprising Normans built the Tower and other defenses.
In 1189 was established by the elected Mayor of London's office. At the turn of the XII-XIII centuries from the ancient Anglo-Saxon capital of Winchester treasury moved to Westminster, London, and eventually became the capital of England. By 1209 he built the first stone London Bridge, stood for more than five hundred years. In 1216, during the Civil War, the city was the last time a foreign army has entered the French, led by Prince, who spoke on the side of the nobles against the king. Thus, London is the only European capital which has not been captured by the enemy has never in the past nearly eight centuries [citation needed 42 days]. In 1320, on the banks of the Thames is based "Steel Yard" - one of the offices of the German merchants of the Hanseatic League, which lasted until 1598.
In 1348, London was gripped by an epidemic of plague, of which died out half the city's population. By 1380 the city's population of about 50,000 inhabitants. The epidemic has become an indirect cause of the peasant uprising in 1380, led by Wat Tyler, during which London was subjected to looting
XVI-XVIII century
With the advent of the Tudor dynasty in England, the era of absolute monarchy. The centralization of power in the hands of the king led to the capital began to develop and prosper even more quickly than before. Beneficial impact on the city the reign of Henry VIII and Edward VI - were based famous London parks Hyde Park and Kensington Garden and discovered several major hospitals.
The Reformation, which took place in England under Henry VIII, not the end, in contrast to other countries, bloodshed: it controlled religious conversion king and initiated the "top" and not "from below", as in most other countries. After the Reformation, about half the size of London was occupied by religious buildings and about a third of the population were monks. The situation changed in the years 1538-1541, after Henry VIII passed a law on the supremacy of the king over the church. After that, much of the church property was confiscated and handed over to the king and his closest retainers.
London has developed into one of the largest shopping centers in Europe. The city flourished small businesses, and large British owners conducted their trade around the world - from Russia to America. In particular, Queen Elizabeth I took the ambassadors of Muscovy in the gardens outside London Richmond. Created by giant companies such as the East India in 1600. Once in 1572, the Spanish invaded and looted a large Dutch city of Antwerp, London has become the largest trading center in the North Sea. The rapidly increasing population of the capital - from 50 thousand in 1530 to 225 thousand in 1605. Also, in the XVI century the first maps of London. There were the first public theater, the most popular of which was the "Globe", which were the play by William Shakespeare.
In the XVI century in the West End began to settle aristocrats and courtiers. Soon the area became one of the most prestigious locations in the city. Until now, the house in the West End is a pass in the high society of London.
During the English Civil War, London took the side of Parliament. Militia forces were created and built fortifications to protect the city from the Cavaliers, who more and moved closer to the capital - the battle of Brentford occurred just a few miles from London. However, well-organized defense prevented the royal troops to take the city, and played a decisive role in the war - kept in London Parliament wealth helped win.
In London, as in all European cities of the time, no sanitation and health care, in addition, the city was quite crowded, and so there is an epidemic broke out regularly with many hundreds, and sometimes thousands of victims. But the worst happened in the middle of the XVII century, in the years 1665-1666. In England it is called the Great Plague (English The Great Plague). In London, the victims of the epidemic were about 60 million people (one-fifth of the city). Samuel Pepys, the chronicler of the city, recorded September 4, 1665 as follows: "A week has killed more than 7400 people, including 6000 - the plague. Day night almost without interruption from the street heard the church bells toll
Immediately after the epidemic occurred, another disaster - the Great Fire of London in 1666. If the Great Plague of London's population mowing, the fire caused extensive damage, destroying homes 13.2 thousand (about 60% of the city) and 87 churches (including the old St. Paul's Cathedral). In this case, the fire killed eight people [citation needed 40 days], but many were left without a home and have lost all means of livelihood.
After the restoration of London finally turned into the financial capital of the world. In 1694 he opened the Bank of England, the country has made it possible to increase its influence on the world economy. In 1700, 80% of imports and 69% of exports were in London, England, with a population of more than 500 thousand people.
In the XVIII century, the Enlightenment widespread press and literature. Since then, the center of London was publishing Street Fleet Street. In the same century saw an increase in crime in the capital, because of what has been tightened punishments for even minor crimes are now facing the death penalty. At the end of the XVII century, London has become one of the technological centers in Europe, as evidenced by the visit of the Great Embassy, a member of which was under the name of Peter Mikhailov and Tsar Peter I, who visited there in particular the number of plants and the Greenwich Observatory.
In 1707, London, acquired the status of capital of the UK, a new state formed by uniting England and Scotland. In the same XVIII century were built the new St. Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace - a symbol of modern London - and Westminster Bridge, who became only the second bridge across the Thames in London. By the end of XVIII century, the population of London reached a million.
XIX century
XIX century London - a city of contrasts. On the one hand, it was the capital of the largest state in the world - the British Empire, economic and political center of the world, and on the other - a city where in the slums, with little or no means of livelihood, lived millions of poor people.
XIX century - the era of rapid industrialization and urbanization in Europe and North America. In this century, London was built a number of new mills and factories, and the population has increased by 6 times. In the XIX century, London was the largest city in the world by 1900, its population was about 6 million people. In the capital, there were whole industrial areas, and the most famous of them - East End, has become the opposite of the fashionable West End.
In the XIX century in the form of London underwent major changes. In 1836 he opened the first railway line, linking London Bridge and Greenwich, and less than 20 years, has opened six stations. In 1863 in London there was the world's first subway. In addition, in the XIX century were built Big Ben, the Albert Hall, a complex of Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge. For the first time in the history of London appeared drainage (see Great stench).
In the XIX century, London was the center of Russian free press - it published magazines "Bell", "eve", "Narodovolets", "Bread and Freedom", which then secretly transferred to Russia. In London at the time formed a considerable Russian colony. The most famous Russian Londoners XIX century - Alexander Herzen and Nikolai Rakhmanov Ogarev.
In the XIX century had reformed municipal government, as the old system, which has existed since the Middle Ages, clearly does not meet the requirements of the sprawling metropolis. In 1855 was created the Metropolitan Committee for Work (English Metropolitan Board of Works), which controlled the urban development and infrastructure. In 1888, this body is eliminated, and the administrative functions were first assigned to the elected body - the London County Council (born London County Council).
In 1851, London has the world exhibition.
In mid-century London was first exposed to immigration. Particularly large influx of immigrants came from Ireland. Also in the city formed a large Jewish community.
XX - beginning of XXI century
The First World War to suspend development of London. The town was first subjected to air attack. In the period between the two world wars London continued to increase, but larger, and not by the public.
Britain has become a haven for immigrants from Russia and in the XX century. In 1903, London was the second congress of the RSDLP banned party, where it split into Bolsheviks and menshevikov.Poetomu after the revolution of 1917 in London arrived immigrants such as Pavel Milyukov.
In the 1930s, many residents suffered from the Great Depression: a highly increased rate of unemployment, the standard of living fell. The inability of the authorities to do anything led to the emergence of many radical parties on both the left and right directions. Most of them are based in the East End of work. In the Parliament of the United Kingdom have a few places the Communists, there was strong support and the British Union of Fascists. The culmination of the struggle between left and right is the so-called "Battle of the Kebl Street" - street battles between political extremists of both flanks and the police.
During the same 1930 to London from Nazi Germany, many Jews fled. During the Second World War, the capital of the UK suffered repeated aviabombezhkam, the heaviest of which occurred in September 1940 and May 1941. Many residents were evacuated from the capital. Bomb shelters were underground stations. Altogether during the war in London, the victims were 30 thousand civilians, 50 thousand were injured, tens of thousands of homes were destroyed.
Immediately after the war, London for the second time took the Olympic Games (1948).
After the war, London lost its status as the UK's largest port, because the equipment is obsolete docks and port could not manage a large cargo ships. Water terminals of London have been moved to the nearby cities Felikstau and Tilbury and London Docklands in 1980 was rebuilt - now there are offices and apartment buildings.
In 1952, the Great Smog, are dangerous mixture of fog and smoke of industrial origin, five days later in London. Soon the air concentrations of combustion products has become so high that over the next week in the city of smog killed about four thousand people, and another 8 thousand victims of the disaster in the next few months. The incident forced the authorities to seriously address this problem, resulting in the published national law on "Clean Air" (1956), as well as a similar city law (1954)
In 1960, due to popular music groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the city became one of the world centers of youth subcultures (nicknamed "Swinging London"). In 1966, the English national team won the final at the stadium "Wembley" FIFA World Cup.
Targets for terrorist attacks in London was in 1970, when the city was attacked for the first time the Irish Republican Army. These attacks were repeated regularly until the end of the XX century, after which came to replace the Irish group Al-Qaeda, which has organized a series of bombings in the London public transport 7 July 2005.
Since mid-century, despite the influx of immigrants from Commonwealth countries (especially from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh), the population began to decline, down from almost 9 to 7 million in 1980, after which it was slowly growing.
The new millennium London greeted the opening of several new buildings such as the Millennium Dome (Millennium Dome) and the London Eye (London Eye), a Ferris wheel, which has become a new symbol of the city.
At the beginning of XXI century London won the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The capital of the United Kingdom has become the first city to accept the Olympic Games three times.
In 2004, the plan was adopted for the development of the city. According to him, in 2016, the population of London is expected to reach 8.1 million people, should increase the number of skyscrapers. The authorities also intend to improve the public transport system.
In July 2005 London was the target of terrorist attacks by Islamic fundamentalists.
In August 2011, on the outskirts of the city there were major riots, burning cars and accompanied by pogroms.
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