What Is The Capital Of The United Kingdom?

The capital city of the UK is London, which is also the capital of England. It is situated in the southeast of the United Kingdom on the river Thames. It has a larger population in the United Kingdom of about 8,000,000 people. The city has been a significant human settlement for the last two millennia. London is one of the world’s leading cities in commerce, arts, entertainment, finance, education, fashion, transportation, media, tourism, healthcare, research and development, and professional services. London is the largest financial center in the world, and its metropolitan area is ranked the 6th in the world with the largest GDP. The city of London experiences the most international arrivals making it the most visited city in the world, besides its huge passenger traffic, which has propelled the city to rank as having the largest city airport system in the world. It is the leading investment destination in the world and has an ultra high net worth individuals and more international retailers than any other city in the world. Universities in London form the largest concentration of learning institutions than any other place in Europe. London was the host of 2012 Summer Olympic Games, becoming the first city to host the sporting events three times.

History of the City of London

London was founded at about 50 CE, and it derived its name from word Londinios which is a Celtic word meaning "the bold." The housing during this time was made of a ditch and an earth ramp with a wooden palisade on top. The growth of London was due to the presence of the vital port with wooden wharves and jetties. The main exported goods were grain and metal while wine, olive oil, silk, and ivory was imported

Economy of London

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom is dominated mainly by service industries compared to other cities and towns in the United Kingdom which are driven by the manufacturing industries. Over 3.5 million people or 85% of the London population are employed in the service industry. The factors that favored London to be a significant service industry include the following, excellent transport infrastructure in the aviation industry, business-friendly environment, use of the English language, which is the dominant international language for business, and use of English contract law, which is the primary international business law. In 2014, London generated about 20% of the total GDP of the UK, which was equivalent to $600 billion and the economy of the metropolitan area of London was the largest in Europe.

London Tourism

London is has become the most visited city because and has become the best prime destinations for tourists, which is evident through the number of international tourists arrivals. Some of major tourist attraction sites in London include The Tower of London, British Museum, Buckingham Palace, and the Globe Theater among others. London was ranked the most visited city in the world in 2015, and it received more than 65 million tourists in that year. In the same year, it was the top city with cross-border spending reaching $20.23 million. Tourism in the city is among the prime industries. In 2003 it employed more than 350,000 full-time workers, and the city accounted for 54% of inbound visitor spending in the UK. In 2016, TripAdvisor ranked London as the world’s top city destination.

Transport in London

Transport being the primary economic driver of any other city, London has one of the best transportation systems in the world. The bus, river, and road system are all integrated and use the Oyster card system. The London buses are convenient and cheap to travel around the city. Other methods of transport are London trams and London Underground rail system.

Culture and Religion in UK's Capital City

London is a melting pot of cultures and there are more than 300 languages spoken in London. The city is widely believed to be the cultural capital of the world. Historically, London was dominated by Christianity, but as the city grew, other religions came up. Currently, 58% of the population are Christians, 16% are Pagans, and 8.5% are Muslims, while the remaining 8.5% consists of Hindus, Jews, Sikhs, and Buddhists.