London is the capital of the United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the both banks of the Thames river. It’s the largest city in Europe and one of the largest cities in the world with the population of 11 million people. About a fifth of the total population of the UK lives in the Greater London area, that is in London and its suburbs.  

   London is home for the headquarters of all government departments, Parliament, the major legal institutions and the monarch. It’s the country’s business and banking center and the center of its transport network. It contains the headquarters of the national televisions networks and of all national newspapers.  

   The original walled city of London founded by Romans was quite small. In the middle ages, it did not contain the Parliament or the Royal court, because it would have interfered with the interests of the merchants and traders who lived there. It was in Westminster, another city outside London’s walls, that these national institutions met. Today, both “cities” are just two areas in Central London.  

   So London consists of four main parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End.  

   The City is the business part of London. It occupies only one square mile in the middle of the capital. It once made the entire town of London, surrounded by the wall first built by the Romans. London’s most important firms, banks and offices are situated here. The City is home to London’s main financials organizations. The Royal Exchange, the Stock Exchange and the Bank of England. During the day time, nearly a million people work there, but less than 8000 people actually lived there. They are caretakers of the offices, some lawyers, the clergy of St. Paul’s Cathedral, etc. There are some famous historical buildings in the City. The Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral are among them.  

   The West End is the richest and the most beautiful part of London. The visitor can fined here all the most interesting buildings, theatres, shops, restaurants, museums, picture galleries and gardens.  

   The East End is the Eastern part of London. It is its poorest pert. There are no big parks or gardens here. Mainly workers and poor people live in the East End.  

   Westminster is the governmental part of London. There one can see the Westminster Abbey, where every Royal coronation took place and where many famous Englishmen were buried; the Houses of Parliament with the famous Clock Tower called Big Ben and other historic monuments.  

   There are many great and wonderful sights, which attract the tourists attention to London: Trafalgar Square with the Nelsons Column, Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the Queen, the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Natural history museum, Madame Tussauds Museum and many, many other interesting places.  

   There are many squares and beautiful parks in London — St. Games’s park, Green park, Regents park, Park with the London Zoo, Hyde park with the Speakers Corner and other parks.