London is a major global city located along the River Thames in the South of England. The city makes up part of the Greater London area which houses approximately 8.63 million people. This equates to 12.5% of the UK population, making it the second most populous city in Europe.
The city’s history can be traced back to the days of the Roman Empire in approximately AD43, when the city was originally named Londinium. The Romans were quick to construct a bridge over the River Thames which soon turned London into major commercial centre and port. The city has continued to thrive ever since it was founded and is now regarded as one of the most important business centres in the world. However, the city has faced a number of challenges throughout history with the most famous of these being the Great Fire of London in 1666. The fire swept through and destroyed large parts of the city with rebuilding work taking over ten years to complete!
London is a location of rich historical influence having housed royalty and nobility since its foundation. This is due to the construction of a wide array of palaces and castles in the city, such as The Tower of London, Palace of Westminster and of course Buckingham Palace. The majority of these palaces are now widely open to the public and attract many of the millions of tourists that visit London every year. The city also houses many museums and galleries which also attract large numbers of visitors. The most popular of these are; The British Museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Science Museum.
Theatre has been a large part of life in London since the 16th century due to the influence of William Shakespeare and development of the famous Globe Theatre. Ever since theatre productions in London have become increasingly popular. The West End is now considered to represent one of the highest levels of commercial theatre production in the world. As well as theatre productions the city is also home to a vibrant music scene. Music interests in the capital range from opera at the Royal Albert Hall to rock and pop concerts in Wembley Arena.
A large number of university’s are now located in and around the capital, with many being amongst the highest ranking in the country. The University of London, Imperial College, City University and London Metropolitan are among the wide variety of higher education facilities which can be found in London. Many graduates find themselves pursuing careers in the city, thus adding to the importance of the high levels of teaching standards found across London.
There are many businesses which operate in the capital, with everything from large multi-national corporations to small local companies. Over 70% of the FTSE 100 companies have their headquarters in the London area. The most prominent sector is the finance sector, with the City of London being home to the Bank of England, London Stock Exchange and Lloyds’ of London insurance market to name but a few. Technology is another rapidly growing sector in London, notably in the East London Tech City, often referred to as Silicon Roundabout due to the large number of web businesses located around Old Street Roundabout. A large number of high flying technology companies locate their headquarters in London, these include; Amazon, Google, BT, EE and Facebook.
London boasts one of the greatest transport systems in the world. The city is home to a number of large airports including London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead and Luton. The airports provide major transport links to destinations all over the world and are a vital ingredient in retaining the city’s global business links and of course enable the booming tourist industry in the capital to reach an international audience. The London rail system is also particularly prominent with the London Underground being the second longest metro system in the world and providing millions of people with travel routes throughout the entire city. The National Rail system is also available to provide transport links to most major cities throughout the UK, as well as the increasingly popular Eurotunnel routes linking the capital to other major European cities.
London has grown throughout history to be one of the most prominent cities in the world in both business and entertainment environments. All signs are pointing towards this continuing in the future to consolidate London as a major global destination.
Wherever you are set up in business in London, Eacotts are Accountants-for- London. the Home Counties, and the UK. Why not contact us today?
