Capital city in England
About London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.14 million people in 2025. Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 15.4 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years. Its ancient core and financial centre, the City of London, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and has retained its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has been the site of the national government and parliament for centuries. London grew rapidly in the 19th century, becoming the world's largest city at the time. Since the 19th century the name "London" has referred to the metropolis around the City of London, historically split among the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire. Since 1965 it has largely comprised the administrative area of Greater London, governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.
Etymology
The name London is attested in the first century AD, usually in the Latinised form Londinium. Modern scientific analyses of the name must account for the origins of the different forms that are found in early sources, such as Latin Londinium, Old English Lunden, and Welsh Llundein, with reference to the known developments over time of sounds in those different languages. The name came into these languages from Common Brythonic; the lost Celtic form of the name was most likely *Londonjon. Until 1889, the name "London" applied officially only to the City of London, but since then it has also denoted the County of London and Greater London.
History
In 1993, remains of a Bronze Age bridge were found on the south River Thames foreshore, upstream from Vauxhall Bridge. Two of the timbers were radiocarbon dated to 1750–1285 BC. In 2010 foundations of a large timber structure, dated to 4800–4500 BC, were found on the Thames' south foreshore downstream from Vauxhall Bridge. Both are located on the south bank of the Thames, where the now-underground River Effra flows into the Thames. Despite the evidence of scattered Brythonic settlements in the area, the first major settlement was founded by the Romans around AD 47, about 4 years after their invasion of AD 43. This only lasted until about AD 61, when the Iceni tribe led by Queen Boudica stormed it and burnt it to the ground. The next planned incarnation of Londinium prospered, superseding Colchester as the principal city of the Roman province of Britannia in 100. …
Geography
Greater London is one of nine regions of England and the top subdivision covering most of the metropolis. The City of London at its core once comprised the whole settlement; as its urban area grew, the Corporation of London resisted attempts to amalgamate the city with its suburbs, causing "London" to be defined several ways. Forty per cent of Greater London is covered by the London post town, in which "London" forms part of postal addresses. The London telephone area code (020) covers an area similar in size to Greater London, although some outer districts are excluded and some just outside included. The London linked-number area extends 18 miles around Kings Cross, see Director telephone system. The Greater London boundary has been aligned to the M25 motorway in places. …
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