Capital city (pop. 8 millions of inhabitants) of Great Britain and chief city of the Commonwealth of Nations, SE England, on both sides of the Thames. London is made up of 32 boroughs and the Corporation of London (The City), each with its own local government.

The City, 1 sq mi (2.6 sq km), the historical and commercial core of London, has its own constitution and elects the lord mayor (since 2000 all the borough representation set the Assembly of the Great London, which the mayor is currently Ken Levingston, also called Red Ken – he is not really conservative!).

London is one of the world's foremost financial, commercial, industrial, and cultural centres, and one of its greatest ports. London's cultural institutions include the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Gallery (and the famous New Tate in a former power station near Southwark), and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Among its landmarks are the remains of the city's Roman walls, Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, and Westminster Abbey to name but a few.