Why go
Bevis Marks Synagogue in the City of London is affiliated to London's historic Sephardic Jewish community. The well-known St Paul's Cathedral in the City and Southwark Cathedral south of the river are Anglican administrative centres, while the Archbishop of Canterbury, principal bishop of the Church of England and worldwide Anglican Communion, has his main residence at Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth.
What to look for
- During the period 1991–2001 a net 726,000 immigrants arrived in London.
- The region covers an area of 1,579 square kilometres .
- The 2011 census showed that 36.7 per cent of Greater London's population were born outside the UK.
The full story
The table to the right shows the most common countries of birth of London residents. Note that some of the German-born population, in 18th position, are British citizens from birth born to parents serving in the British Armed Forces in Germany. With increasing industrialisation, London's population grew rapidly throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was for some time in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the most populous city in the world. Its population peaked at 8,615,245 in 1939 immediately before the outbreak of the Second World War, but had declined to 7,192,091 at the 2001 Census. According to Eurostat, London is the most populous city and metropolitan area of the European Union and the second most populous in Europe.