伦敦 英文介绍

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Introduction


A double-decker bus drives past the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster.
This tower contains a …
The capital of both England and the United Kingdom, London is the biggest city
in western Europe with more than seven million people. Because of its historical
sites and cultural institutions London is a major tourist attraction. People all
over the world are familiar with the city's red double-decker buses and black
cabs. London sits on the banks of the River Thames. The city is quite spread out
because there was no plan for the city's growth until the 1950s.

Places of Interest
London has many religious, governmental and scenic places to visit. For example,
Westminster Abbey is an ancient church in London's West End. All of England's
kings and queens have been crowned in the abbey since 1066. Also, some of
England's most famous people are buried there, including the writers Charles
Dickens and Geoffrey Chaucer and the scientists Charles Darwin and Sir Isaac
Newton.
The London government building, the Palace of Westminster, contains both Houses
of Parliament – the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The palace covers
3.2 hectares (8 acres) and has 1,200 rooms and about 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) of
passages. The well-known clock tower rises 98 metres (320 feet) high over the
palace. Although many people believe that Big Ben is the name of the clock in
the tower, it is actually the name of the bell inside the clock. This bell
weighs 13 tonnes and is 2.3 metres (7.5 feet) tall.
Another well-known London building is Buckingham Palace. This is where the queen
lives. The Tower of London is one of the oldest buildings in the city. For
centuries the tower was a prison. Several famous prisoners were held there,
including the explorer Sir Walter Raleigh and Henry VIII's wife Anne Boleyn.
Today, visitors are able to see the tower itself as well as the Crown Jewels,
which are displayed there.
London has many scenic places. For example, Hyde Park is the largest open area
in central London. It is joined with Kensington Gardens to make one large park.
Trafalgar Square is a popular plaza containing a monument to the famous naval
officer Lord Horatio Nelson. Piccadilly Circus, near the centre of London, is a
busy crossroads where five roads meet. A memorial fountain stands in the middle
of the crossroads. There are many theatres and restaurants in this area.

People
Because of its size and the fact that the British Empire used to extend around
the world, people of many different cultures live in London. In the second half
of the 1900s, many people from Asia, the Caribbean and Africa moved to London.
These groups of

people brought with them their own languages and cultures. As a
result, more than 300 different languages are spoken in London, making the city
very multicultural.

Culture
London is known for its many museums. One important museum is the British
Museum. It is the oldest public museum in the world, containing art and
artefacts from such ancient civilisations as those of the Greeks, Romans and
Egyptians. There are two main art museums in London. The National Gallery, which
is on Trafalgar Square, has a fine collection of classical European painting.
The Tate Gallery (Tate Britain) is devoted to British art. The Tate Modern
opened in 2000 and houses international modern art.
In addition to museums, London is also home to arts such as theatre and music.
The Globe Theatre, which is modelled on a theatre that was popular in the late
1500s and early 1600s, holds performances of William Shakespeare's plays. Many
types of productions can also be seen at the National Theatre and in the West
End, the area near Piccadilly Circus. Music can be enjoyed at the Royal Opera
House and the Royal Festival Hall, among other places.

Economy
London is an important centre for international banking. Because of this, there
are many banks in the city. The financial centre of London is an area 2.6 square
kilometres (1 square mile) known as The City. London is also a centre for
investing. The city's insurance companies, especially for ocean and air travel,
are some of the largest in the world. The tourist industry is also an important
part of London's economy. More than 200,000 people in London work at jobs that
are related to tourism.

History
Early History
London has had a long and eventful history. The first people to build a city
near the mouth of the River Thames were not from England; they were from Rome.
In the 1st century AD this Roman city was called Londinium (the name was
eventually shortened to London). About 400 years later, the Romans left England
and a Germanic people, the Saxons settled in the area of London. Around the same
time, Vikings began attacking the city. They continued to attack it on and off
for about the next 200 years.

William I and the Plague
By the time William the Conqueror (William I) of Normandy arrived in London in
1066, London was England's largest town. William the Conqueror was crowned king
in Westminster Abbey. He also created the Tower of London for protection. During
the next 500 years, London continued to grow rapidly. It was rich, but it was
also dirty and full of diseases. From the 1300s to the 1600s, London suffered
from outbreaks of a deadly disease known as the bubonic plague. The Great Plague
of 1665 killed some 70,000 people.

The Great Fire and Rebuilding
In 1666, the city had another disaster – the Great Fire of London. Although this
fire destroyed the city, London was rebuilt. One of the architects that helped
rebuild many of the a

ncient churches was Sir Christopher Wren (1632–1723). The
most important church he worked on was St Paul's Cathedral. London continued
growing rapidly for the next 150 years. The Industrial Revolution and the growth
of the British empire in the 1800s brought even more people to the city.

The 1900s and Beyond
London faced some difficult challenges in the 1900s. During World War II
(1939–45), London was heavily bombed by Nazi Germany in a campaign called the
Blitz. In the rebuilding that followed the war, high-rise buildings were
constructed. Also, some of the areas affected by World War II, such as the
docks, were redeveloped. In the late 1900s many more buildings were added to
London's skyline. These included the Millennium Dome and 30 St Mary Axe
(nicknamed the Gherkin). Other parts of London also came under redevelopment in
the early 21st century, particularly the poorer parts of the East End, where the
2012 Olympic Games will be held. Population (2006 estimate), 7,512,400.

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To cite this page:
MLA Style: "London." Britannica Elementary Library. Encyclopdia Britannica
Student and Home Edition. Chicago: Encyclopdia Britannica, 2011.
APA Style: London. (2011). Britannica Elementary Library. Encyclopdia
Britannica Student and Home Edition. Chicago: Encyclopdia Britannica.

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