London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. For two millennia it was a large settlement and its history goes back to its founding by the Romans when it was named Londinium. Central London, the former City of London, also known as The Square Mile or The City, retains its medieval borders. At least since the nineteenth century, the name "London" refers to the metropolis developed around this nucleus. Today most of this conurbation constitutes the Greater London region, whose administrative area has its own elected mayor and assembly.

London has a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions and over 300 languages ​​are spoken on its territory. In July 2007, the official population was 7,556,900 within London's limits, making it the most populous municipality in the European Union. Its urban area (the second largest in the EU) has a population of 8,278,251, while the metropolitan region (the largest in the EU) has an estimated total population (rural and urban) of between 12 million and 14 million. The London Underground, operated by Transport for London, is the world's largest underground railway network, London Heathrow Airport is the world's busiest international passenger airport and the city's airspace is the busiest of all. urban center of the world.

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The city has four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew's Royal Botanic Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church; and the historic site of Greenwich (where the Royal Greenwich Observatory marks the primary meridian, 0 ° longitude and GMT). Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square and The Shard. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries and other cultural institutions such as the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern and the British Library. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world.

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London is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world and its restaurants are the best reflection of this situation. Specialties can be found from all over the world in their restaurants, in some cases as well prepared and tasty as in their home countries. This is the case with Indian cuisine, so popular that it is difficult to find a London neighborhood where there is not at least one popular Indian restaurant.

The restaurants dedicated to international cuisine are mostly clustered in certain areas of the city. For example, on Brick Lane in the East End are the best Bangladeshi curries, in Brixton you'll find African and Caribbean dishes, in Chinatown, next to Leicester Square, are Chinese restaurants, and on Drummond Street you'll find a great offer. of vegetarian restaurants.

For the English, breakfast is the main meal of the day and so is usually in large quantities. The typical British breakfast, which you can try at your hotel or in one of London's many cafes, includes toast, scrambled or starred eggs, bacon, sausages and tomatoes, among others.

Tea is also an important ingredient in meals, whether for breakfast, lunch or mid-afternoon (the famous five o'clock tea) and has its origin in India.

When it comes to the main dishes, English cuisine focuses on seafood, fish and fried food, chips and pork with peas. It is a cuisine based on simple dishes, but using high quality products from sustainable rural agriculture. The most distinctive English specialty and undoubtedly the so-called fish and chips. Originally, this dish was served on newsprint as it was born as urban street food. Sausages and sausages accompanied with mashed potatoes, onions and sauces are also very popular.

Typical desserts include the famous Yorkshire pudding, made with flour, milk and eggs. Apple pies are also very much appreciated by the English and so will be easy to find in London.

The United Kingdom is one of the regions where you can find some of the best beers in the world. In London there are several pubs where you can drink the famous Guinness beers, a kind of intense-flavored black beer. Whiskey is also a very popular drink and so the English allied it with the taste of beer: a "nip" is whiskey taken with half a liter of beer and a "hauf" is whiskey with a liter of beer. Try it if you dare!

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London's climate is temperate oceanic, with unusually warm summers (July average temperature: 18 ° C), as well as rarely a harsh winter (January average temperature: 6 ° C). In summer, temperatures rarely rise above 33 ° C. The highest temperature recorded in London was 38.1 ° C on August 10, 2003, and the lowest was -21.1 ° C in December 1796.

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