London

cities · history · England

Ancient Roman settlement. London was founded by the Romans about 2,000 years ago and they called it Londinium. The old Roman core is still the heart of the city today.

River Thames runs through it. London sits on the River Thames in southeast England, which connects the city to the North Sea and made it perfect for trade and travel.

Home of government. The City of Westminster, next to the old Roman part of London, has been where England's parliament and national government meet for hundreds of years.

World's biggest city once. In the 1800s, London grew so fast that it became the largest city in the entire world, and its wider area is still the biggest in Western Europe today.

Massive metropolitan area. Modern London covers a huge region governed by 33 local authorities and includes over 15 million people in its wider metropolitan area.