The name of London is not unique. There are cities of the same name in the United States of America and in Canada (Ontario). Through the capital of England passes the zero meridian, which allows you to visit both the eastern and western hemispheres of the planet. Today, every student can tell about this. Even in English classes, we read a lot about the capital of Misty Albion. Moreover, its history, cultural heritage and architecture annually attract millions of tourists from all over the world. But do we know everything about this city? What not to read in textbooks? We study 7 interesting facts about London.
Transport
Two types of public transport are popular in London : buses and the subway. In 2011, an auto marathon was held. Its distance was 486 million kilometers. This figure is 12 thousand times the circumference of the Earth. London buses also took part in this race . By the way, there are 8500 of them in the capital of England (19,500 stops). And do not be surprised if you do not notice traffic jams in central London in broad daylight . The fact is that you need to pay for travel to central streets on a personal car. This is another plus choice of public transport.
Regular bus rides are expensive for Londoners, so a special payment card has recently been introduced. Not every tourist knows such interesting facts about London. In English, this card is called Oyster. With it you can pay for travel on the bus and boat. To do this, you just need to attach the card to a special device and money will be withdrawn from it at a rate that is two times lower than cash payment.
The metro presents a completely different picture. The cost of travel is directly related to their range. Therefore, the payment card must be scanned twice: at the entrance and exit of the subway. If the passenger forgot to make a second scan, then after a few hours he will be fined, having deducted a certain amount from the card.
By the way, if you want to replenish your language piggy bank, then you definitely need to know these interesting facts about London. In the English subway, the townspeople themselves call Tube, which means "pipe." The busiest station is Vaterloo. The morning rush hour on it lasts about three hours. During this time, it sends an average of 57 thousand passengers. Also in London there are several metro lines without a driver. Exactly! Trains are controlled by a special electronic system called the Docklands Light Rail.
Buses travel around London around the clock. Therefore, you can walk around the city when and as much as you like. But the metro runs from 5 am to midnight.
Famous skyscrapers
Undoubtedly, interesting facts about London cannot but be connected with the grandiose and majestic architecture of the city. However, now the matter concerns not historical, but modern buildings. According to the BBC, the most popular skyscraper in the world is located in London. This is the "Mary Ex Tower" with 40 floors. It has an original form, for which it received the nickname from Londoners "Cucumber" (in English it sounds like Gherkin). The building is located in the City of London and costs approximately 650 million pounds. This is about two billion dollars.
Another London skyscraper is called The Shard (or, in translation from English, “Shard”). This is an office center in 72 floors, made in the form of a cone. Its height reaches 309 meters. According to these indicators, the skyscraper takes 65th place in the world ranking.
Billionaires
Interesting facts about London will be especially relevant for the female half of humanity. After all, it is in the capital of Great Britain that the largest number of billionaires lives than in any other metropolis. According to statistics, there are 72 such influential and wealthy gentlemen here. According to Business Insider, this indicator is the leading one in the world. It is noteworthy that periodically this figure is growing. For comparison: 48 billionaires live in Moscow, and 43 in New York. Among them, of course, the vast majority are middle-aged men.
Polyglot City
The capital of England is the most multinational and multilingual city in the world. This statement can be safely added to interesting facts about London. Almost all residents speak English here. However, Bengali, Chinese, Cantonese and Punjabi occupy leading positions in popularity. In total, the city has about three hundred languages. This is probably due to the fact that young people from all over the world are drawn to the famous London universities. After all, British education is and remains the highest quality and authoritative.
In addition, London is considered the most populated city. According to the latest data, 8.4 million people live in it. This figure is even higher than the population of the whole of Israel, which is home to just over 8 million people.
Ferris wheel
Interesting facts about London cannot get around such a landmark as the London Eye. This is one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world. It is set on the south bank of the Thames, in the Lambeth region. The project has been implemented for almost six years. Outwardly, the London eye resembles a bicycle wheel. At night, you can see it from afar thanks to the LED backlight. The structure reaches 135 meters in height (it is approximately 45 floors). If you unwind the wheel, the length of the rim will be 424 meters. More than three million people visit the attraction annually. The London Eye makes a full revolution in half an hour. From its height offers an amazing view of almost the entire city.
The laws
Interesting facts about London relate to the strange laws that still operate there. For example, people are forbidden to die in the house of parliament. Pregnant women can go to the toilet wherever they want, even if an unbearable desire overtakes them at Buckingham Palace. The penalty for this will not be imposed on them. Or another law, rooted deep in English history. Despite the fact that the 21st century has stood in the courtyard for a long time with high technology and scientific achievements, the rule applies in all London hotels: first feed the horse of the future guest. It is not known exactly what is now understood by this animal. Perhaps the staff needs to refuel the car or just conveniently park it. But the law exists, and you cannot go against it.
Pubs
In fairness, pubs get into interesting facts about London. You may ask: what's so unusual? However, these establishments are a real London attraction. From six o’clock in the evening they begin to fill with residents of the metropolis. On Fridays by this time there are no more places in them. So people have to stand outside waiting. Ale is one of the most beloved and popular drinks in London. You can also enjoy a tasty snack at local pubs. The classic menu offers potatoes with fish or sausages, burgers. Favorite game in pubs is darts.
In 2009, an unusual bar was opened in London. It is called Alcoholic Architecture because it can only be consumed in the form of steam. The visitor pays five pounds for the entrance, he is given a special suit, and then the magic begins. The air in the hall is filled with vapors of gin and tonic. People inhale it and feel completely immersed in this magnificent drink.
Useful little things
In addition, we will share information that will be especially useful for tourists. These are interesting facts about life in London:
- London is a major city. In order not to get lost in it, each resident has at hand a special map with all the streets, roads. And this is not surprising! Just imagine, in the British capital there are more than a thousand streets, not to mention the roads. Before you get a job as a taxi driver in London, you must attend special courses for three years.
- Recently, a glass toilet has been installed on one of London's streets. This is a real test for impressionable people. The fact is that the design of the toilet has a rather tricky idea. Outside, its walls are mirrored, however, inside they appear to be glass and completely transparent. There he is, English humor! By the way, Londoners are not at all boring people, they just joke very subtly and exquisitely. Connoisseurs often compare English humor with Odessa.
- An interesting amendment for pedestrians was made in 2010. This is a speed limit! For this, the sidewalks were even divided into two lanes. To make a promenade in London, it is better to move along the inner lane and not interfere with passers-by hurrying on business. This will save you from a collision and give you the opportunity to admire the magnificent architecture and shop windows of the capital of Britain.
- Londoners do not wash at home! This is the golden rule of the city. To do this, many laundries open doors every day. For the price, the services are very affordable. And the work is carried out seven days a week. So in London it is simply impossible to stay dirty.
Summary
In this article we have collected the most interesting facts about London. However, this city daily surprises not only tourists, but also the indigenous people. The British metropolis is growing, and every year it is overgrown with new legends, ideas, creates new cultural masterpieces and sets records. In a word, London is a city that you need to visit, and maybe even stay in it for people who love and value a rich and multifaceted life.