London

London (population 8 million) is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union. In the 19th century it was the biggest city in the world. In terms of its combined economic power and cultural significance, it vies with New York for the title of "unofficial capital of the world". Standing athwart the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core. The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region and the Greater London administrative area, governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is the world's leading financial centre alongside New York City and has the fifth-largest city GDP in the world (and the largest in Europe). London is a major world cultural capital. It has the third most international visitors in the world and London Heathrow is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers. London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe. In 2012 London will become the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.

London has a diverse range of peoples and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries. The Greater London Urban Area is the second-largest in the EU with a population of 8,278,251, while London's metropolitan area is the largest in the EU with an estimated total population of between 12 million and 14 million. London had the largest population of any city in the world from around 1831 to 1925.

London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret's Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory marks the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) and GMT). Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, Wembley Stadium, and the Shard London Bridge tower. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions, including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, British Library, Wimbledon and 40 theatres. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world and the second most extensive (after the Shanghai Metro).

As it relates to Singapore:

Singapore to London: 7 non-stop flights per day

London is about 11,000 km from Singapore.

London forms a key element in Singapore's history. It was the home of the British East India Company, whose employee Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore in 1819.

For 120 years when Singapore was part of the Straits Settlements (1826 to 1946), it was ultimately controlled from London by the British government (Colonial Office).

Lee Kuan Yew stayed in London for a period in the 1940s when studying at the London School of Economics.

Today the two cities retain close links. London hosts many tourist visitors from Singapore, and vice versa. Between London's Heathrow airport (Terminal 3) and Singapore there are 7 non-stop flights in both directions every day, provided by Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Qantas. The journey takes 13 hours.

Some of London's main football teams, such as Arsenal and Chelsea, have many fans in Singapore, though perhaps not as many as Manchester United and Liverpool, which are based in UK provincial cities some 200 miles from London.

In popular culture, the London-based boyband "One Direction" is currently extremely popular with many Singapore teenagers.

London is the home of the BBC which has a BBC World Service 24-hour radio transmitter on 88.9 FM in Singapore. [1]

The Queen, who is head of the Commonwealth, of which Singapore has been a member since 1965, has her main seat in London.

External links

• Wikipedia article