United Kingdom

London is the capital of the United Kingdom, home to the UK Parliament at Westminster, the Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street, and the monarch’s official London residence, Buckingham Palace. It has been the nation’s political center since medieval times, evolving from the Roman settlement of Londinium into a global hub of government, finance, and culture. To remember it, think “Big Ben = big decisions”: the famous clock tower stands beside Parliament, symbolizing national leadership. Don’t be misled by other major cities—Birmingham and Manchester are important industrial and cultural centers, and Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland within the UK—but London is where the UK’s national government sits.