The 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England

Officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad or "London 2012 Olympic Games", are
scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012. London
will become the first city to officially host the modern Olympic Games three times, having previously
done so in 1908 and in 1948.
London was selected as the host city on 6 July 2005 during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore,
defeating Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris after four rounds of voting.
The Olympics prompted a redevelopment of many of the areas of London in which the games are
to be held particularly themed towards sustainability.While the budgetary considerations have
generated some criticism, the Games will make use of many venues which were already in place
before the bid, including Wembley Stadium, Wembley Arena, Wimbledon All England Club, Lord's Cricket
Ground, The O2 Arena, Earls Court Exhibition Centre,Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, and
the Excel Centre.
The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will use a mixture of new venues, existing and historic
facilities, and temporary facilities, some of them in well-known locations such as Hyde Park and
Horse Guards Parade. Some of the new facilities will be reused in their Olympic form, while others,
will be resized or relocated.
The majority of venues have been divided into three zones within Greater London: the Olympic Zone,
the River Zone and the Central Zone. In addition to these are those venues that, by necessity, are
outside the boundaries of Greater London, such as the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy on
theIsle of Portland in Dorset which will host the sailing events, some 125 miles (200 km) southwest of
the Olympic Park. The football tournament will be staged at several grounds around the UK. Work
began on the Park in December 2006 when a sports hall in Eton Manor was pulled down. The
athletes' village in Portland was completed in September 2011.

The City of London is an area in central London, England. In the mediaeval period it constituted
most of London, but the conurbation has grown far beyond it. As the Citys boundaries have
remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, it is now only a tiny part of the metropolis, though
it remains a notable part of central London and holds city status in its own right.
It is often referred to as the City (often written on maps as "City") or the Square Mile, as it is just
over one square mile (1.12 sq mi/2.90 km2) in area. These terms are also often used
as metonyms for the United Kingdom's financial services industry, which continues a notable history of
being based in the City.
The term London now refers to a much larger conurbation roughly corresponding to Greater
London, a local government area which includes 32 London boroughs including the City of Westminster as
well as the City of London. The local authority for the City, the City of London Corporation, is unique in
the United Kingdom, and has some unusual responsibilities for a local authority in Britain, such as
being the police authority for the City. It also has responsibilities and ownerships beyond the City's
boundaries. The Corporation is headed by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, an office separate from
(and much older than) the Mayor of London.

The City is today a major business and financial centre, ranking alongside New York City as the leading
centre of global finance; throughout the 19th century, the City served as the world's primary
business centre, and continues to be a major meeting point for businesses to this day. London
came top in the Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index, published in 2008. The other major financial
district in London is Canary Wharf, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the east.
The City has a resident population of a little over 11,000, but around 316,700 people work there,
mainly in the financial services sector. The legal profession forms a major component of the
western side of the City, especially in the Temple and Chancery Lane areas; these are where the Inns of
Court are located, of which two Inner Temple and Middle Temple fall within the City of London
boundary.
The name "London" is now used for a wider area than just the City of London, which is often
known simply as "the City". This usage is documented as far back as the 16th century. "The City"
also denotes the trading and financial community based there. In this context it is also colloquially
known as the "Square Mile".

Growth of London

The 18th century was a period of rapid growth for London, reflecting an increasing national
population, the early stirrings of the Industrial Revolution, and London's role at the centre of the
evolving British Empire. The urban area expanded beyond the borders of the City of London, most
notably during this period towards the West End and Westminster.
In 1708 Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, was completed on his birthday. However,
the first service had been held on 2 December 1697; more than 10 years earlier. This Cathedral
replaced the original St. Paul's which had been completely destroyed in the Great Fire of London
and is considered to be one of the finest in Britain and a fine example of Baroque architecture.
Expansion continued and became more rapid by the beginning of the 19th century, with London
growing in all directions. To the East the Port of London grew rapidly during the century, with the
construction of many docks, needed as the Thames at the City could not cope with the volume of
trade. The arrival of the railways and the Tube meant that London could expand over a much
greater area. By the mid-19th century, with London still rapidly expanding in population and area,
the City had already become only a small part of the wider metropolis.

Landmarks- Historic buildings

The Great Fire of 1666, bombing and post-War redevelopment has meant that the City, despite its
history, has relatively few intact notable historic structures remaining. Those that are present
today include theMonument to the Great Fire of London ("the Monument"), St Paul's Cathedral, the Guildhall,
the Royal Exchange, Dr. Johnson's House, Mansion House and a great many churches, many designed bySir

Christopher Wren, who also designed St Paul's Cathedral. 2 King's Bench Walk and Prince Henry's Room are
notable historic survivors of heavy bombing of the Temple area, which has largely been rebuilt to its
historic form. Another example of a bomb-damaged place having been restored is Staple Inn on
Holborn. A few small sections of the Roman London Wall exist, for example near the Tower of London
and also in the Barbican area. Among the twentieth century listed buildings are Bracken House, the
first post WWII buildings in the country to be given statutory protection, and the whole of
theBarbican and Golden Lane Estate.
The Tower of London is not within the City, but is a notable visitor attraction which brings tourists to
the southeast of the City. Other landmark buildings include a number of the modern high-rise
buildings as well as the Bank of England, the Old Bailey, Smithfield Market and the Lloyd's building.