The British Isles is an archipelago consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, and many smaller islands. Great Britain, including England, Scotland, and Wales is sometimes simply called Britain and is the largest island of the archipelago. The term Britain is commonly used as an abbreviated name for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

England's eventful history and scenic diversity make it one of the world's most popular visitor destinations. United as a single nation a little over 1000 years ago, its origins go back to the dawn of civilization.

Although small in size (smaller than the state of New York), England is a giant in history, achievement and influence. An interest in renowned citizens, such as Winston Churchill and William Shakespeare, or historical sites, such as Stonehenge and the Tower of London, draws visitors from around the world.

In Ad 50 the Romans built a city on the banks of the Thames river in Southeast England and called it Londonium. Nobody really knows where this name came from, but today we know this city as London, the capital of England.

In Anglo-Saxon times, Vikings attacked the city. When they found that a bridge blocked them from sailing up the Thames, they towed the bridge away with ropes. Some people think the rhyme, "London Bridge is Falling Down" celebrates this. By the time the Normans invaded in 1066, London had grown into a sizable city and the conquerors decided it would make a better capital than the city they first chose, Winchester.

During the seventeenth century two disasters struck London. In 1665 the Great Plague killed thousands of people. The following year, the Great Fire of London burned down two-thirds of the city. But, in some ways, the fire was a good thing: it stopped the plague from spreading. Also, the king ordered that all new buildings should be built from stone or brick, and so many of them have lasted until this day.

Today London is England's largest city with more than seven million people of all ethnic backgrounds living and working there. The government meets in London at the Houses of Parliament, the prime minister lives at Number 10 Downing Street, and the monarch lives in Buckingham Palace.

The financial district of London is known as "The City" of "The Square Mile." It is a special area and has its own Lord Mayor. (There is a separate Mayor covering all of London.) The new Lord Mayor gets to ride in a horse-drawn golden state coach during the annual Lord Mayor's Parade.

There are many royal parks in London where people walk, ride horses, feed swans, or play games. Baker Street, where the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes lived, is near Regent's Park. With 50 theaters in the West End theater district (many more scattered around the city), fantastic shops, ancient churches and cathedrals, wonderful museums and galleries, London is an exciting city with two thousand years of history.

Some interesting things to do in London:

  • Ride high into the air on the gigantic observation wheel, the London Eye.
  • Have your picture taken next to a Buckingham Palace guard who wears a tall, furry hat.
  • Visit the Tower of London where Anne Boleyn was imprisoned before losing her head.
  • See some of the earliest dinosaurs ever found at the Natural History Museum.
  • Try to read the heiroglyphics (ancient writing) on the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum.

 

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