| Being one of the largest and most populated | | | | static. But although urban building |
| cities of Europe, London, the United | | | | constructions were not allowed to take place |
| Kingdom's capital is a cosmopolitan area in | | | | at the same speed as before, the city's |
| which a highly diverse range of peoples, | | | | habitats' number continued to increase. |
| cultures and religions coexist today. | | | | Today, London's wider metropolitan area has a |
| According to a Guardian newspaper editorial, | | | | population between 12 and 14 million |
| "London in 2005 can lay claim to being the | | | | depending on the definition of that area. |
| most diverse city ever." With more than 300 | | | | According to the 2001 census, 27 percent of |
| different languages spoken in London's | | | | London's population was born outside the UK |
| streets by its permanent residents, such a | | | | and about 29 percent were classified as |
| claim seems at least reasonable. | | | | non-white -non-counting the unknown tens of |
| | | | thousands who did not complete a census form. |
| During my last London visit, I was astonished | | | | But even this total does not include the |
| by the multicultural experience a tourist | | | | second the third generation immigrants, who |
| like me could have, just by visiting | | | | have inherited the traditions of their |
| different neighborhoods and talking to a | | | | parents and grandparents. |
| variety of people. In fact, the city is | | | | |
| considered today to be an international | | | | Ethnically diverse and historically rich, |
| transport hub and an extremely popular | | | | London continues to attract people from |
| tourist destination, making London one of the | | | | around the globe who find in its |
| most visited world's capitals; a fact that | | | | neighborhoods their new home. London in 2006 |
| tremendously promotes its multicultural | | | | is uncharted territory. According to |
| character. | | | | sociologists and historians, never have so |
| | | | many different kinds of people tried living |
| London's metropolitan are has considerably | | | | together in the same place before. Virtually |
| grown over the centuries, especially during | | | | every race, nation, culture and religion in |
| the 19th and early 20th centuries increasing | | | | the world can claim at least a dozen of |
| industrialization that led to rapid | | | | Londoners. But, what some people see as the |
| population growth. England's capital was the | | | | greatest experiment of multiculturalism of |
| most populated city of the world until 1925, | | | | the last centuries is already challenged by |
| when New York overtook its immense number of | | | | the global political and social developments |
| citizens. London continued to grow until | | | | which have recently begun to point out that |
| World War II and the Green Belt legislation | | | | harmony and peace are more than ever subject |
| which led to its population largely remain | | | | to the powers of race and ethnicity. |