London is the capital of the United Kingdom and the constituent country of

England, and is the largest city in the European Union. It is the world’s seventh

biggest city and it is seven times larger than any other city in the country.

It began life in the 1st century A.D. as a Roman fortification. The first major

settlement was founded by the Romans in 43 A.D. and was called Londinium.

In 1665 there was a Great Plague in London, so many people left the city and

escaped to the villages in the surrounding countryside. The Great Fire of 1666 ended

the plague but it also destroyed much of the city.

Traditionally London is divided into four parts: the City, Westminster, the

West End and the East End.

The city’s core, the ancient City of London, still retains its limited mediaeval

boundaries. There are a lot of tourists’ attractions within the City. Among them St.

Paul’s Cathedral, the greatest of English churches and the Tower of London. St Paul’s

Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of London. Sir

Christopher Wren was an architect of the masterpiece.

Westminster is the governmental part of London. It has many historical places

and the brightest of them is the Westminster Abbey.

The East End used to be a purely working district where working-class families

lived. We still can find a great number of factories, workshops and docks there. The

West End is a symbol of wealth and luxury.

The Thames is a natural boundary between the West End and the East End of

London.