1) London welcomes more foreign visitors than any other city in the world: over 15 million a year (followed by Hong Kong with 12 million, Bangkok and Singapore with over 10 million, and Paris with 8.7 million visitors).
It is also the ninth largest city in the world and the largest agglomeration in Europe. If London were a country, it would be the eighth largest in Europe!
2) Ancient Londinium (London takes its name from the Roman colony, but it was also called Augusta, Lundenwic and Ealdwic) was located in what is now the financial centre, the Square Mile, and has the same boundaries as in the Middle Ages.
3) You already know that in the UK they drive on the left. But there is one exception in London – the road to the Savoy Court Hotel, where they drive on the right!
4) London is the first and, to date, the only city to have hosted the Olympic Games three times: in 1908, 1948 and 2012.
5) London is very similar to New York, Moscow and Berlin. It is also very similar to Babylon – 270 different languages are spoken there, which is more than in any other city in the world!
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6) The houses at numbers 23 and 24 on Leinster Gardens in Paddington… aren’t real! These houses are actually just painted facades to hide the underground railway line behind them. London pizzerias know this and have learned to ignore orders to this address.
7) The M25 London Motorway is the longest ring road in the world at 122 km!
8) There are 6,128 licensed restaurants in London, which is 22% of all restaurants in the UK!
9) 55% of the London Underground is above ground, not underground! In addition, five underground stations are named after advertisements: Angel, Swiss Cottage, Royal Oak, Manor House and Elephant & Castle.
10) There are around 21,000 licensed taxis in London, which, despite their name ‘Black Cabs’, are available in 12 different colours.
The name comes from the black meter invented in the 1890s to measure the distance travelled. To find out if a taxi is available, check if the orange light on the roof is on. If not, the taxi is already occupied and will not stop, so there is no point in waving your hand.
