London

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions
Character of the city
Landscape
- City site
  - Geologic foundation
  - The valley of the Thames
  - Panorama of the city
- Climate
- Environment
  - Smog and air pollution
  - Water pollution
  - Flood control
- City layout
People
- Settlement patterns
  - Demographic trends
  - Population density
- Ethnic composition
  - The historical base
  - Immigrants from Europe
  - Immigrants from the Commonwealth
  - The multiethnic metropolis
  - Residential patterns
Economy
- Trade, administration, and leisure
- Industry
  - Shipping
  - Manufacturing
- Finance
  - International significance
  - Financial districts
- Transportation
  - The Thames
  - Roads
  - Railroads
  - Taxicabs
Administration and society
- Government
  - The City Corporation
  - Greater London
- Postal districts
- Police
- Hospitals
- Education
Cultural life
- Centers of the arts
- Museums
- Art galleries
  - Exhibition spaces
  - Artists’ quarters
- Theatres
- Music
- Tributes
- Sports
  - Football
  - Cricket
  - Other spectator sports
History
- The early period
  - Foundation and early settlement
  - Medieval London
  - Tudor London
  - 17th-century London
- Evolution of the modern city
  - 18th-century London
  - Organization, innovation, and reform
  - Reconstruction after World War II

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Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2025

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