Text 1. London

London is the capital of the United Kingdom. It is situated in southeastern England along the Thames River. Since the 17th century this vast metropolis has been by far the largest city in Europe. In the 19th century it was the largest and most influential city in the world, the center of a large and prosperous overseas empire. Although it no longer ranks among the world’s most populous cities (its population in the year 2000 was about 7.5 million), London is still one of the world’s major cultural capitals. It is also a major tourist destination.

Traditionally London is divided into 4 parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End.

The historical center of London is now a relatively small area still known as the City, which covers only about 2.6 sq km (about 1 sq mi). The City is capitalized, to distinguish it from the larger metropolis. This is where London began as a Roman colonial town around ad 50, at the point where the Romans built the first bridge in London. Today this area is one of the world’s leading financial centers. Most of the financial activities are crowded along Threadneedle Street, near the intersection known as the Bank, which includes the huge Bank of England complex, the Royal Exchange, and the Stock Exchange.

There are some famous ancient buildings within the City. Perhaps the most striking of them is St. Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of British churches, designed by English architect Christopher Wren to replace the original church, which was destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666.

The Tower of London was one of the first and most impressive castles built after the Norman invasion of England in 1066. Since the times of William the Conqueror various kings have built and extended the Tower of London and used it for many purposes. It was used as a royal palace and a prison. And now it is a museum. For many visitors the principal attraction is the Crown Jewels, the finest precious stones of the nation. The security of the Tower is ensured by a military garnison and by the Yeoman Warders or Beefeaters, who still wear their picturesque Tudor uniform.

The City of Westminster, about two miles upstream from the City of London, emerged as England’s political and religious center of power after the 11th century. At the heart of Westminster is Westminster Abbey, begun by Edward the Confessor in the 11th century and rebuilt in the 13th century. It has always been closely associated with the monarchy and is used for such state occasions as coronations and royal funerals. One of the greatest treasures of the Abbey is the oaken Coronation Chair made in 1300.

Across the road from Westminster Abbey is Westminster Palace, or the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Parliament. The Clock Tower, which contains the hour-bell called Big Ben, is known the world over. Farther west is the monarch’s permanent residence in London, Buckingham Palace.

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It is London’s shopping and entertainment hub. The busiest shopping area is Oxford Street, where such large department stores as Selfridges, John Lewis, and Marks and Spencer are located. Other well-known shopping areas include Knightsbridge, the location of Harrods department store; and Piccadilly, where Fortnum and Mason specializes in fine food. The main entertainment attractions are scattered throughout the Soho and Covent Garden sections, northeast of Piccadilly. Soho and Covent Garden were created as residential areas in the 17th century, but now are home to shops, theaters, and street entertainers. The Royal Opera House and most of London’s major theaters are there, as are movie houses, and hundreds of restaurants, cafés, and bars.

Located just west of Soho and Covent Garden in the West End is a more residential area. The houses were often built for the aristocracy and the upper middle class. The relatively dense development of this area is broken up by a series of Royal Parks, areas once owned by the Crown, including Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and Regent’s Park.

In the northern part of the West End is Bloomsbury, the city’s traditional intellectual center, with its concentration of bookshops and homes of writers and academics. The British Museum, one of London’s chief tourist attractions is also situated there. Nearby is the giant complex of the University of London, whose various colleges and departments have taken over much of Bloomsbury.

Trafalgar Square is the geographical center of London. It was named in memory of Admiral Nelson’s victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The tall Nelson’s Column stands in the middle of the square. Some significant buildings, such as the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery are on the square. On the northeast corner is Saint Martin-in-the-Fields, the classical-style church designed by James Gibbs in the 1720s.

The East End has long been the home of London’s docks and immigrants. It has frequently been characterized by slums, poverty, and crime. Many poorer immigrants and working-class Londoners still reside in the East End. Much of the old dockyard area has been abandoned and redeveloped as the Docklands, an ambitious project designed to lure London’s financial activities away from the congested City.

London itself is a living museum, with more than 2,000 years of history and culture. It also boasts one of the greatest concentrations of significant museums (more than 100) of any city in the world. The jewel in this cultural crown is the British Museum, with 4 km of galleries and more than 4 million exhibits. Its collections range from Egyptian and classical antiquities to exhibits on Roman and Anglo-Saxon Britain, China, Japan, India, and Mesopotamia. The Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington displays an important and varied collection of applied arts. Decorative arts on display range from tapestries, furniture, and sculptures to paintings, clothing, and metalwork. Across the street are the Natural History Museum with its dinosaurs, and the Science Museum, which includes a renowned section on the history of medicine. The Museum of London, next to the City’s Barbican Centre, effectively introduces visitors to London’s history by walking them through successive eras chronologically.

London is a major repository of the greatest Western art and a creative center for contemporary artists. The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square contains Britain’s premier art collection, with holdings from every major European art school. Next door is the National Portrait Gallery, with thousands of striking portraits of Britons, both the well known and the unfamiliar. The Tate Gallery has two London branches; one contains the principal collection of British art and the other displays international modern and contemporary art.