London england, city, capital of the united kingdom. it is situated in south-eastern england at the head of the river thames estuary. settled by the romans as an important shipping point for crops and minerals, it gradually developed into the wealthy capital of a thriving industrial and agricultural nation. the expansion in the 19th century of the british empire increased londons influence still further. since world war ii the citys prominence on the international stage has diminished, but it remains a flourishing financial centre and home to one of the worlds most important stock exchanges. in addition, it is the foremost tourist destination in britain, a centre of academic excellence, and one of the cultural capitals of the worldwell deserving of the observation by samuel johnson that when a man is tired of london, he is tired of life.
the term city of london, or the city, is applied only to a small area known as the square mile 2.59 sq km1 sq mi that was the original settlemen...