London is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England, and with over seven million inhabitants in the Greater London area, is the second-most populous conurbation in Europe (after Moscow). From being Londinium, the capital of the Roman province of Britannia, it rose to become the centre of the British Empire and to contribute today 17% of the GDP of the world's fourth largest economy. London has been one of the world's most important centres of commerce and politics for almost two millennia (although the capital of England was Winchester during most of the Dark Ages).

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