       London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial centre. It is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe. Its population is about 8 million.
       London is one of the oldest and most interesting cities in the world. It began life as a Roman fortification at a place, where Romans founded a settlement on the river Thames 2,000 years ago. They called it Londinium. London became a prosperous trading centre during Middle Ages.
       London suffered two big catastrophes: a terrible Plague in 1665 and the Great Fire in 1666. As a result of the Great fire St Paul's Cathedral was destroyed. It took Sir Christopher Wren 35 years to restore it. As a result of its long and exciting history, London offers a visitor a rich store of fascinating buildings, streets, monuments and colourful ceremonies.
       London is the manufacturing centre and the country's main banking and financial centre. It's also one of the largest ports in the United Kingdom; London is a great educational and cultural centre. There is the University of London, The British Library, well-known museums and galleries, among them the British Museum, the National Gallery.
       Traditionally it is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different from each other.
       The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre. Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there, including Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Bailey. There some famous ancient buildings within the City, among them St. Paul'; Cathedral, the greatest of English churches, the Tower of London, was used as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison. Now it is museum of arms and Armour, it has the Crown Jewels. The Yeom Warders have guarded the Tower since the reign of Henry VIII. They are often called "Beefeaters". These are usually about 6 ravens. Every day at the Tower ends with the Ceremony of the Keys.
       Westminster is the historic, the government part of London There is Westminster Abbey, the House of Parliament, "Big Ben" also Buckingham Palace and other important buildings in it. can find Westminster Abbey, where British monarchs have been crowned since William I and many other famous people are buried there including statesmen, musicians and writers.
       The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of Lon don. It's the symbol of wealth and luxury. It's the shopping an entertainment centre. It includes Trafalgar Square. It is the geographical centre of London to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. The tall Nelson's Column stands in the middle of the square. Behind Nelson's Column is the National Gallery, an art gallery in which we can find many old masterpieces. There are the main shopping areas: Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, and the entertainment centres of Soho. Piccadilly Circus is the centre of night life in the West End. It's actually quite small. The East End is quite different from the other parts of London.
       The East End is unattractive in appearance, but very impor-tant to the country's commerce. There are a lot of factories, workshops and docks there. The East End markets are famous throughout the world. Traditionally someone born in the East End is known as a cockney.
       London has a few famous parks: Hyde Park, St James' Park, Regent Park with its wonderful Zoo and others.
       London includes surrounding villages. Many people don't prefer to live in the city center.
       I think the saying "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." (Dr. Johnson) is true, but we can't be bored in London. It is one of fascinating cities with an exciting mixture of ancient and modern.