London is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, but just because you've visited London doesn't mean that you've actually visited the City of London. In fact, Greater London is divided into 33 local authority districts: 32 boroughs and a 1-square-mile financial district officially known as the "City of London." The hotbed of monetary matters is overseen by the City Corporation and is home to less than 10,000 residents, yet hundreds of thousands of Londoners commute there every day. It is also the historic center of Greater London and was known as "Londinium" when it was founded in 43 A.D. by the Romans. The rest of the metropolis gradually grew up around the City, and Greater London is now home to more than 8 million people.
Secrets of other cities:
- We call Los Angeles "L.A." for short, but its official name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles Sobre el Río Porciúncula.
- The Golden Arches in front of the McDonald's on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, France, are white because the yellow arches were deemed to be too tacky for the City of Light.
- Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world that sits on two continents, spanning Asia and Europe.