GCSE Geography | Why is London important? (UK City Study: London 1)

London in the UK's capital city and is in south-east England, about 50 miles (80 km) upstream from the North Sea. The Romans started building London in 43 AD. In the 9th century, London became the largest city in England, and became the capital city of England in the 12th century.

The Greater London area has a population of around 9.1 million people and extends up to 45 miles (70 km) from its centre, bordered by Essex, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Kent, and Surrey. In the centre of London is the historic financial district of the City of London, measuring just 1.1 square miles (2.9 square km) - home to both the Stock Exchange and the Bank of England, with a mixture of modern corporate skyscrapers and medieval alleyways.

London's national importance

• London is by far the UK’s largest and wealthiest city, and is also the country's most ethnically diverse region
  
• The 2021 census recorded London's population as 8.8 million people, a 7.7% increase from 2011 - although estimates for the current population are 9.1 million
• London generates over 1/5 of the UK’s GDP - almost £500 billion annually
• Earnings and house prices have risen faster in London than anywhere else widening the gap between the city and the rest of the UK
• Around 1.1 million people commute into London every day - with 587,000 people working in the financial district of the City of London
• There are over 1 million private sector businesses were based in London - which is significantly more than in any other part of the UK
• London has around 40 universities so attracts students from all over the UK to study
• London has many museums, galleries and other tourist attractions that draw in visitors from the rest of the country, such as the British Museum, Natural History Museum and the National Gallery
• There are 39 theatres in the West End (pictured below), with another 200 plus across the capital city highlighting the importance of London as a cultural hub
• London is also home to national sporting stadiums such as Wembley, Twickenham, Lords and Wimbledon
• The Port of London was once the largest port in the world - it is now the second largest in the UK (after Felixstowe) and handles 48 million tonnes of cargo each year
• London is a major transport hub for the UK - home to 6 airports, and most major rail routes terminate in the city and join London's integrated public transport system operated by Transport for London
  

London's international importance

• London is an important global city, and is the world's joint most important financial centre - sharing the top spot with New York
• The headquarters of many large international and British companies are based in London
• London is a national and international centre for media and culture - the BBC is one of the world's biggest broadcasting corporations with its headquarters at Broadcasting House in Central London
• London's West End is the largest theatre district in the world
• London is a major tourism centre for international visitors - over 20 million people visit the city from other countries each year
• London is one of the most multicultural cities in the world - around 41% of its population were born outside the UK, and over 300 languages are spoken
• Many of London’s iconic buildings are owned by foreign investors, e.g. The Gherkin (owned by a Brazilian company), The Shard and Canary Wharf (owned by Qatar), Battersea Power Station (owned by Malaysia), and Lloyd's of London (owned by China, and pictured below)

• London attracts investment and people from all around the world - there 530 foreign companies listed in London
• 6 international airports, including Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted serve London and connect it to the rest of the globe
• London is home to some of the world's most renowned universities and research centres, e.g. the London School of Economics and Imperial College London
• The global headquarters of two of the world's largest banks, HSBC and Barclays, and the global news service Reuters, are in Canary Wharf (London's second financial district - pictured below)
• London has the largest non-food retail sales of any city in the world - with a total of £64 billion spent each year - e.g. Oxford Street - the most famous shopping street in London, with hundreds of shops including department stores, high street brands, and designer boutiques; Bond Street - a top destination for designer shopping, with stores like Chanel, Armani, and Versace; and Knightsbridge - with luxury brands and department stores like Harrods and Harvey Nichols