London

===Scope===
London, also known as [[Greater London]], is one of nine [[regions of England]] and the top subdivision covering most of the city's metropolis. The [[City of London]] at its core once comprised the whole settlement, but as its urban area grew, the [[City of London Corporation|Corporation of London]] resisted attempts to amalgamate the city with its [[suburbs]], causing "London" to be defined several ways.<ref name="chancery">{{Cite book|last1=Beavan |first1=Charles|last2=Bickersteth|first2=Harry|title=Reports of Cases in Chancery, Argued and Determined in the Rolls Court|publisher=Saunders and Benning |year=1865 |url=https://archive.org/details/reportscasesinc14romigoog}}</ref>
[[File:London by Sentinel-2.jpg|alt=|thumb|Satellite view of London in June 2018]]
Forty per cent of Greater London is covered by the [[London postal district|London post town]], in which 'London' forms part of postal addresses.<ref name=london_042>{{Cite book |last=Stationery Office |title=The Inner London Letter Post |publisher=H.M.S.O |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-10-251580-0 |page=128}}</ref> The London telephone [[area code]] (020) covers a larger area, similar in size to Greater London, although some outer districts are excluded and some just outside included. The Greater London boundary has been [[List of Greater London boundary changes|aligned to the M25 motorway]] in places.<ref name=london_044>{{Cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1993/Uksi_19930441_en_1.htm|title=The Essex, Greater London and Hertfordshire (County and London Borough Boundaries) Order|year=1993|publisher=Office of Public Sector Information|access-date=6 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107231348/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1993/Uksi_19930441_en_1.htm|archive-date=7 January 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

Further urban expansion is now prevented by the [[Metropolitan Green Belt]], although the built-up area extends beyond the boundary in places, producing a separately defined [[Greater London Urban Area]]. Beyond this is the vast [[London commuter belt]].<ref name=london_041>{{Cite web |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/plansd/london_regional_200104.pdf |title=London in its Regional Setting |publisher=London Assembly |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527193714/http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/plansd/london_regional_200104.pdf |archive-date=27 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Greater London is split for some purposes into [[Inner London]] and [[Outer London]],<ref name=london_045>{{Cite book |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1963/cukpga_19630033_en_1 |title=London Government Act 1963 |year=1996 |publisher=Office of Public Sector Information |access-date=6 May 2008 |isbn=978-0-16-053895-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817142118/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1963/cukpga_19630033_en_1 |archive-date=17 August 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and by the River Thames into [[North London|North]] and [[South London|South]], with an informal [[central London]] area. The coordinates of the nominal centre of London, traditionally the original [[Eleanor Cross]] at [[Charing Cross]] near the junction of [[Trafalgar Square]] and [[Whitehall]], are about {{Coord|51|30|26|N|00|07|39|W|type:city(7,000,000)_region:GB}}.<ref name=london_039>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/08/15/charingcross_feature.shtml |title=London&nbsp;— Features&nbsp;— Where is the Centre of London? |publisher=BBC |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817141948/http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/08/15/charingcross_feature.shtml |archive-date=17 August 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>