London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent...

Greater London covers an area of 609 square miles (1,579 square km). London is a port on the Thames, a navigable river. The river has had a major influence on the development of the city. London began on the Thames' north bank and for many centuries London Bridge was the only bridge in or close to the city. Because of this the main focus of the city was on the north side of the Thames. When more bridges were built in the 18th century, the city expanded in all directions as the mostly flat or gently rolling countryside presented no obstacle to growth. Categories: Stub | Commercial item transport and distribution | Transportation ... Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... This article is a text about the bridge in London. ...

Rivers and canals

The Thames was once a much broader shallower river than it is today. It has been extensively embanked, and many of its London tributaries now flow underground. The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding. The threat has increased over time due to a slow but continuous rise in high water level and the slow 'tilting' of Britain (up in the north and down in the south) caused by post-glacial rebound. The Thames Barrier was constructed across the Thames at Woolwich in the 1970s to deal with this threat, but in early 2005 it was suggested that a ten mile long barrier further downstream might be required to deal with the flood risk in the future [1]  (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4162905.stm). The subterranean or underground rivers of London are the tributaries of the River Thames that were built over in the growth of the metropolis of London. ... The Thames Barrier is a flood control structure on the River Thames at Woolwich Reach in London. ... See also Woolwich, Ontario, Canada and Woolwich, Maine, United States of America Woolwich (pronounced Woolitch) is a town in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames, though the tiny exclave of North Woolwich (which is now part of the...

Rivers

• The River Thames
• The River Brent
• The River Cray
• The River Lee (or River Lea)
• The River Ravensbourne (tidal reach known as 'Deptford Creek')
• The Wandle
• The New River

Length 346 km Elevation of the source 110 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 12935 km² Origin Kemble Mouth North Sea Basin countries England This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... The Brent is a river in south-east England. ... The River Cray is a tributary of the River Darent in southern England. ... This article is not about the River Lee that flows through Cork, in the Republic of Ireland; see River Lee (Ireland). ... The River Ravensbourne is a tributary of the River Thames. ... Categories: UK geography stubs | London Rivers | Rivers in Surrey | Croydon ... There are also other rivers called the New River New Gauge where water leaves the River Lea at the start of the New River The New River is a man-made waterway in England, opened in 1613 to supply London with fresh drinking water. ...

Subterranean rivers

• The Langbourne (dubious)
• The Walbrook
• The River Fleet
• The Tyburn
• The Tyburn Brook
• The River Westbourne
• Counter's Creek
• Stamford Brook
• The River Neckinger
• The River Effra

The subterranean or underground rivers of London are the tributaries of the River Thames that were built over in the growth of the metropolis of London. ... The subterranean or underground rivers of London are the tributaries of the River Thames that were built over in the growth of the metropolis of London. ... The Walbrook river played a key role in the Roman settlement of Londinium, the city now known as London. ... The River Fleet is the largest of Londons subterranean rivers. ... The Tyburn is a stream which runs underground from South Hampstead to St Jamess Park. ... Tyburn Brook is a tributary stream to the River Westbourne. ... The River Westbourne, of similar size to the Fleet, is a river in England that flows from Hampstead down through Hyde Park to Sloane Square and into the Thames at Chelsea. ... Stamford Brook is the confluence of three smaller streams, arising in West London, flowing into Hammersmith Creek and thence into the River Thames. ... The River Neckinger is a river that rose in Southwark and flowed through London to St Saviours Dock where it entered the River Thames. ... The River Effra is a subterranean river located in south London, England. ...

Canals

• Grand Union Canal
• Regent's Canal
• The River Lee Navigation
• The Croydon Canal

The canal at Braunston The Grand Union Canal is a canal in England and part of the British canal system. ... The Regents Canal is a canal across an area just to the north of central London. ... The Croydon Canal ran 9. ...

Islands in the Thames

Note: Only the largest islands are listed here. A longer list can be found in the River Thames article.

• Canvey Island
• Isle of Grain
• Isle of Dogs
  • Millwall
  • Cubitt Town
  • Blackwall
• Eel Pie Island

Length 346 km Elevation of the source 110 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 12935 km² Origin Kemble Mouth North Sea Basin countries England This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... Canvey Island (area 18. ... The Isle of Grain, (OE Greon meaning gravel) is in north Kent, England at the eastern end of the Hoo peninsula. ... Isle of Dogs is also a play by Thomas Nashe and Ben Jonson. ... Categories: UK geography stubs | Middlesex | London Districts ... Cubitt Town is an area on the Isle of Dogs in Tower Hamlets in London, England. ... Blackwall is an area of the East End of London, situated in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... Eel Pie Island, in the River Thames at Twickenham, England, can only be reached by footbridge or boat. ...

Climate

London has a temperate climate, with warm but seldom hot summers, cool but rarely severe winters, and regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year. Summer temperatures rarely rise much above 33°C (91.4°F), though higher temperatures have become more common recently. The highest temperature ever recorded in London was 38.1°C (100.6°F), measured at Kew Gardens during the European Heat Wave of 2003. Heavy snowfalls are almost unknown. In recent winters, snow has generally only settled once or twice and it is rarely more than an inch (25 mm) or so. London's average annual precipitation of 584mm (22.9 inches) is lower than that of Rome or Sydney. London's large built up area creates a micro climate, with heat stored by the city's buildings. Sometimes temperatures are 5°C (9°F) warmer in the city than in the surrounding areas. In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. ... Kew Gardens is a commonly-used name for the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, United Kingdom. ... The summer of 2003 was one of the hottest ever in Europe; this led to a health crisis in certain countries as well as considerable impact on crops. ...

The following table shows average climate date for 1971-2000 at the Met Office station at Greenwich which is the closest station to the centre of London. Categories: Stub | Geography of the United Kingdom ... This page is about Greenwich in England. ...

Hills

The hills in the City of London, Ludgate Hill to the west and Tower Hill further east, are presumed to have influenced the precise siting of the early city, but they are very minor, and most of central London is almost flat. There are a few notable hills in Greater London, but none of them more than a few hundred feet high, and they have not impeded the development of the city in all directions. It is therefore very roughly circular. The City of London forms the historic and financial centre of Greater London. ... Ludgate Hill is a hill in the City of London, near the old Ludgate, a gate to the City that was taken down, with its attached jail, in 1780. ... The word Tower Hill has several meanings: Tower Hill is an elevated spot outside the Tower of London. ... The administrative area of Greater London combines the City of London, the City of Westminster and 31 other London boroughs, and encompasses what is commonly known simply as London, capital of the United Kingdom. ...

• Greenwich Hill
• Hampstead Hill
• Horsendon Hill
• Ludgate Hill
• Muswell Hill
• Parliament Hill, London
• Primrose Hill
• Shooters Hill
• Tower Hill
• Tyburn Hill