Title: Getting to know about London
Course: a trip to London

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Una petita explicació de la lliçó

Geography and Population

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is made up by four provinces: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. London is England´s capital city. London is situated in Southeastern England, lying astride the River Thames some 50 miles upstream from its estuary in the North Sea. London is one of the biggest cities in the world. Its physical limits correspond to the counties of Greater London, Kent, Surrey and Berkshire.

The total population is estimated in 7.517.700. Greater London is the most urbanized area in the United Kingdom and the most populous city in the European Union. People live in the boroughs that you can see in this map.

How many boroughs are there in London?

- 33
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- 25
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- 12
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History of London

Although excavations West of London have revealed the remains of circular huts dating from before 2000 a.c. The history of the city begins with the Romans, who occupied Britain in AD 43 under emperor Claudius, and provided a name to the city: Londinium

Historian Tacitus mentioned the city for the first time in AD 60. The city was fortified in the following century and there are no records about the Anglo-Saxon period. In the Middle Ages London was already an important city. When William the Conqueror ruled Britain, he gave London its first Charter of Citizenship. The Norman Kings selected London as the site of the government and the court.

By 1520, when the Tudors came to power, the city was again enjoying prosperity, but the apogee of London came within the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603), daughter of Henry VIII. In the 1630´s the Earl of Bedford began developing Covent Garden, originally the convent garden of the Benedictines of Westminster, thereby initiating the process of building estates of town houses on land acquired from former religious houses.

In 1664 the plague killed around 70000 Londoners. In 1666 the Great Fire of London burned from September 2 to September 5; even St. Paul´s Cathedral was destroyed and had to be rebuilt.

During the XVIII and XIXth centuries London suffered many changes. Industrialization made people to emigrate from the field to the city. Therefore, London population increased and the newcomers often had to live in miserable conditions. On the other hand, glamour and splendour arrived in the city as well. New buildings such as the Crystal Palace and the Big Ben were built.

London suffered German Blitzkrieg´s raids during World War II and many buildings had to be rebuilt but afterwards, the city emerged as one of the most important world capitals and will organise the next 2012 olympic games.

When can we say that London became the capital city of England?

- 1842
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- 1066
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- 1664
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Entertainment and famous venues: Big Ben

London is one of the most attractive cities in the world. When one thinks of the UK, the first image that may come into one´s mind is the Big Ben

This famous Tower Clock in Westminster celebrates this year its 150 anniversary. It owes its name to a well-known Victorian politician. What was his name?

- William Shakespeare
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- Benjamin Disraeli
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- William Thackeray
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The London Eye

If the Big Ben is a XIXth century monument, the London Eye is the newest one. It was built to celebrate the arrival of the new millennium

Write in 50 words what you think of this monument