London's diverse cultures encompass over 300 languages. The London Underground is the oldest rapid transit system in the world. London is the most visited city in Europe and has the busiest city airport system in the world.

With Europe's largest concentration of higher education institutions, it is home to some of the highest-ranked academic institutions in the world- Imperial College London in natural and applied sciences, the London School of Economics in social sciences, and the comprehensive University College London. Its GDP (€801.66 billion in 2017) makes it the largest urban economy in Europe, and it is one of the major financial centres in the world. Īs one of the world's major global cities, London exerts a strong influence on its arts, entertainment, fashion, commerce and finance, education, health care, media, science and technology, tourism, and transport and communications. Since the 19th century, the name 'London' has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which since 1965 has largely comprised Greater London, which is governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.

The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament.

The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and retains its medieval boundaries. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million.

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