London is the capital of the Kingdom of Great Britain, one of the most influential states in the world in the political and economic sphere. The approximate foundation time is 43 years, when the Romans invaded the territory of the country and formed a city called Londinium. After reading this article, you will learn a lot of interesting things, including the coordinates of London. Let us also consider the meaning of the concept of a green belt.
General information and coordinates of London
The city is located in the southeast of the United Kingdom. The total area of the British capital is approximately 1580 square meters. km The highest point in the city is Westerham Heights Hill, located in the southeastern part. Its length is 245 meters. The modern capital is divided into 33 administrative self-governing districts. The population in 2014 was 8.5 million people.
The coordinates of London, latitude and longitude are calculated conditionally. The center of the city is considered to be the intersection of Eleanor Cross and Charing Cross streets, which are located next to Trafalgar Square. The exact coordinates of London: 00 ° 07′45 ″ West; 51 ° 30′55 ″ north latitude. On a world map you can see that the city is located on the prime meridian, called Greenwich. The name comes from the eponymous observatory, which is the reference point of longitude.
Green belt
This term is used to designate a site of 554.7 thousand hectares around the capital of Britain, which is three times the territory of London itself. The goal of maintaining the green belt was to prevent the further construction of any new buildings.
The first unsuccessful attempt to stop the growth of London was made in 1593. From that moment until the 19th century, the city grew six times. This was facilitated by the emergence of a large number of roads and railways as a result of technological progress. In 1938, a parliamentary act defined the green belt as a place for recreation and agriculture. Thus, the territory and coordinates of London have remained unchanged for several decades.
Weather
The climate of the capital of the United Kingdom is described as temperate marine. Winters in London are mild and warm, with an even amount of rainfall throughout the year. This weather is due to the impact of the Atlantic Gulf Stream. The off-season oscillation amplitude is quite small: for example, in January, the air temperature is not less than +5 degrees Celsius, and in July - +23 ° C.
Extreme temperatures usually fall in August: for example, in 2003 +37 ° C was recorded. Hot weather lasted for several days. The coldest month is January. At this time, the temperature at night can drop to a maximum of −7 ° C. The height of the snow cover is usually 25 millimeters. Due to the fact that the geographical coordinates of London are such that it is somewhat distant from the Atlantic, the city is blown by cool winds in the summer and warm winds in the winter. For one year, there are one or two storms.
Hydrography of the city
From the south-west to the east, the river Thames flows through the territory of London. Within the city, its length is 68 kilometers. Three types of bridges pass through the Thames - pedestrian, automobile and railway, and under it there are 20 tunnels for various purposes. The river flows into the North Sea.
150 sq. km of the capital are flooded annually due to the tides of the Thames. During the time of the Romans, the river bed in the Westminster area was narrowed by 3 times. In order to protect land from sea waves, the Thames Barrier was built in 1984. This dam, located within the city limits, blocks the movement of water, rushing up the river. In the northern region of the Thames, water channels remained, the total length of which is 105 kilometers: the Grand Union (including its Paddington sleeve), Regents and Lee Navigation. They were built at the beginning of the 19th century to connect the London Docklands with the canal networks of Great Britain.