# London

> capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom

**Wikidata**: [Q84](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q84)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/london

## Summary

London was established in 47 [1]. Its official language is English , and its head of government is Sadiq Khan [2]. As of 2021, the population was 8.8 million [3]. The city covers an area of 1.6 thousand  and has an elevation of 15 meters . London operates on time zones UTC±00:00, Greenwich Mean Time, and UTC+01:00 .

## Summary

London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom. Founded circa 47 AD, it serves as a global financial center, a megacity, and the seat of the Mayor of London. Located on the River Thames, it has evolved from the Roman settlement of Londinium into a modern metropolis with a population of nearly 8.8 million people as of 2021.

## Key Facts

- **Definition**: Capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom; classified as a metropolis, megacity, global city, and national capital.
- **Location**: Situated in Greater London (since 1965), England, United Kingdom; coordinates 51.507°N, 0.1275°W.
- **Area**: 1,572 square kilometres.
- **Elevation**: Ranges from 4 metres to 15 metres above sea level; highest point is Biggin Hill at 245 metres.
- **Population**: 8,799,728 (2021 census); historically peaked at over 8.1 million in the 1950s.
- **Inception**: Circa 47 AD (Roman period).
- **Time Zone**: UTC±00:00 (Greenwich Mean Time/standard time); UTC+01:00 (British Summer Time/daylight saving time).
- **Demonym**: Londoner.
- **Government**: Led by the Mayor of London (Sadiq Khan since May 9, 2016).
- **Identifiers**: UN/LOCODE GBLON; ISO 3166-2 code GB-LND; IATA airport code LON.
- **Awards**: Received the Legion of Honour (Legion of Honour) on June 18, 2020, for the city's wartime role.

## FAQs

**What countries has London belonged to throughout history?**
London has been governed by numerous entities, including the Roman Empire (47–410), the Kingdom of Essex (500–730), the Kingdom of Mercia (730–918), the Kingdom of Wessex (918–927), the Kingdom of England (927–1707), the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800), and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922), before becoming part of the modern United Kingdom in 1922.

**Who are the notable heads of government for London?**
The city is led by the Mayor of London. Notable former mayors include Ken Livingstone (2000–2008) and Boris Johnson (2008–2016). The current mayor is Sadiq Khan, who assumed office on May 9, 2016.

**What major events have taken place in London?**
Significant historical events include the Great Fire of London (1666), The Blitz (1940–1941), and the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The city has hosted the Summer Olympics three times: in 1908, 1948, and 2012.

**What are the geographic features and boundaries of London?**
The city spans 1,572 square kilometres and is located on the River Thames and the Grand Union Canal. It borders the counties of Essex, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Hertfordshire. Its highest point is Biggin Hill.

**What international relationships does London maintain?**
London is twinned with numerous cities globally, including Berlin (since 2000), New York City (since 2001), Tokyo (since 2015), Beijing (since 2006), and Paris (implicitly via sister city agreements). It is a member of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

## Why It Matters

London acts as a critical node in global finance, culture, and politics. As one of the world's oldest major cities, founded by the Romans, it provides a continuous historical record of urban development from Londinium to the modern Greater London authority. Its status as the capital of the United Kingdom and England makes it the administrative heart of the nation. The city's resilience through events like the Great Fire, the Blitz, and modern terrorism, coupled with its ability to host global events like the Olympics three times, highlights its enduring global influence. It serves as a hub for the European time zone (UTC±00:00) and is a primary destination for international business and migration.

## Notable For

- **Historical Continuity**: Founded circa 47 AD as Londinium, maintaining capital status for nearly two millennia.
- **Triple Olympic Host**: One of the few cities to host the Summer Olympic Games three times (1908, 1948, 2012).
- **Global Financial Center**: Consistently classified as a top global city and financial center.
- **Population Scale**: The largest city in the United Kingdom and England, with a population approaching 9 million.
- **Transportation Hub**: Uses the "LON" IATA airport code and serves as the reference point for Greenwich Mean Time (UTC±00:00).
- **Cultural Recognition**: Awarded the French Legion of Honour in 2020 for its wartime role.

## Body

### Historical Sovereignty and Governance
London's political history spans nearly 2,000 years. It began as a settlement in the Roman Empire around 47 AD (circa) and transitioned through the Anglo-Saxon period, serving as a possession of the Kingdom of Essex (500–730), the Kingdom of Mercia (730–918), and the Kingdom of Wessex (918–927). It served as the capital of the Kingdom of England from 927 until 1707, followed by the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922). Since December 6, 1922, it has been the capital of the United Kingdom.

Administratively, London has shifted boundaries. It was located in the County of London from 1889 to 1965 and currently sits in the ceremonial county of Greater London (since April 1, 1965). The city is led by the Mayor of London, an office held by Sadiq Khan since May 9, 2016. He succeeded Boris Johnson (2008–2016) and Ken Livingstone (2000–2008).

### Geography and Physical Characteristics
London covers an area of 1,572 square kilometres. Its coordinates are 51.507222°N, -0.1275°W. The city's elevation varies between 4 and 15 metres above sea level, depending on the source, with the highest point being Biggin Hill at 245 metres. The city is situated on the River Thames and the Grand Union Canal. It shares borders with Essex, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Hertfordshire. Historically, it occupied parts of the historic counties of Middlesex, Surrey, Kent, Essex, and Hertfordshire.

### Demographics and Population Trends
London's population has fluctuated significantly over the last two centuries according to census data:
- **1801**: 1,011,157
- **1851**: 2,286,609
- **1901**: 6,226,494
- **1931**: 8,098,942
- **1951**: 8,164,416
- **1981**: 6,608,513
- **2001**: 7,172,036
- **2011**: 8,174,000 (implied via estimation context)
- **2021**: 8,799,728

The city is a diverse metropolis, with aliases including "The Big Smoke" and historical names like *Londinium*, *Lundenwic*, and *Augusta*.

### Major Historical Events
London has been the site of pivotal historical moments:
- **Great Fire of London** (1666): A major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the city.
- **1908, 1948, 2012 Summer Olympics**: Hosting the games in three different centuries.
- **The Blitz** (1940–1941): Heavy bombing during the Second World War.
- **7 July 2005 London bombings**: A series of coordinated terrorist attacks.

### Infrastructure and Connectivity
The city utilizes the timezone UTC±00:00 (standard) and UTC+01:00 (daylight saving), identified as Europe/London. It has a complex postal code system including E, EC, N, NW, SE, SW, W, WC, and various outward codes like BR, CR, and HA. Local dialing codes include 20 and several others (1322, 1689, etc.). Transport identifiers include the UN/LOCODE **GBLON** and IATA code **LON**.

### International Relations
London maintains extensive twinning agreements with cities worldwide, including:
- **Berlin** (since October 10, 2000)
- **New York City** (since 2001)
- **Tokyo** (since 2015)
- **Beijing** (since April 10, 2006)
- **Shanghai** (since March 31, 2009)
- **Delhi** (since July 25, 2002)
Other twinned or partner cities include Mumbai, Algiers, Moscow, Bogotá, Johannesburg, and Los Angeles.

### Digital and Cultural Presence
The city maintains an official website at london.gov.uk and active social media presence under the handle **ldn_gov** on platforms like Twitter and Instagram. It has been described by various encyclopedic sources, including Encyclopædia Britannica and the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Its Wikidata ID is Q84.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/mayor-london/former-mayors-london)
2. [Source](https://www.london.gov.uk/people/mayoral/sadiq-khan)
3. [Source](http://www.citymayors.com/gratis/uk_topcities.html)
4. Integrated Authority File
5. [Source](http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/)
6. [Source](https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/attractions-museums-entertainment/londons-roman-amphitheatre)
7. [Source](https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/no1poultry_molas_2007/)
8. [Source](https://www.bfmtv.com/politique/celebrations-du-18-juin-le-prince-charles-accepte-la-legion-d-honneur-pour-la-ville-de-londres-en-francais_VN-202006180181.html)
9. [Source](http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/zygx/dfjl/t693273.htm)
10. [Source](http://delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/doit_udd/Urban+Development/Our+Services/International+Affairs+Cell+%28IC%29/Sisters+City+Agreements/)
11. Virtual International Authority File
12. OpenStreetMap
13. [Source](http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/no1poultry_molas_2007)
14. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
15. MusicBrainz
16. [Source](http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_TOT_POP&u_id=10097836&c_id=10001043&add=N)
17. [Source](http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/HTMLDocs/dvc134_a/index.html)
18. [Source](http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/population-estimates-for-england-and-wales/mid-2012/mid-2012-population-estimates-for-england-and-wales.html)
19. [Estimates of the population for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland)
20. [Source](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021/report?compare=E12000007)
21. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
22. Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names. 2018
23. [Source](http://cnig.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CNT-PVM_r%C3%A9vis%C3%A9_2020-01-27-1.pdf)
24. [Source](https://sjp.pwn.pl/so/londynczyk;4459400.html)
25. [Source](https://sjp.pwn.pl/so/londynka;4459399.html)
26. GeoNames
27. [Source](https://it-ch.topographic-map.com/map-39bss8/Londra/?zoom=19&center=51.50719%2C0.01625&popup=51.50731%2C0.01621)
28. BabelNet
29. UMLS 2023
30. [London - Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/London/@51.5287398,-0.2664031,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x47d8a00baf21de75:0x52963a5addd52a99!8m2!3d51.5072178!4d-0.1275862!16zL20vMDRqcGw?entry=ttu)
31. [London | Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/subjects/place:london)
32. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
33. [Source](https://fr.dentist/kb/london-uk/)
34. Golden
35. Bibliography of the History of the Czech Lands
36. [LONDON latest news & coverage](https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/topic/london)
37. museum-digital