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London

Capital of United KingdomLondon stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a tidal estuary that runs about 80 km down to the North Sea.

Why it's the capital

The Romans founded the city as Londinium around AD 47. Winchester had been the capital of Anglo-Saxon England, but London became the main centre for foreign trade and defence, and Westminster has been the seat of the national government and parliament for centuries.

Fun facts

  1. The London Underground opened on 10 January 1863 as the world's first underground passenger railway.
  2. In 1666 the Great Fire destroyed much of the city, which was then mostly built of wood.
  3. William the Conqueror was crowned in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066, and he built the Tower of London.

Finding it on the globe

London sits almost exactly on 0° longitude, because the prime meridian passes through Greenwich in the southeast of the city. Aim for the Thames estuary in southeast England.

Sources: Wikipedia: London, Wikipedia: London Underground, Wikipedia: Royal Observatory, Greenwich