Life in a City (OCR GCSE Geography B)
Revision Note
Written by: Jacque Cartwright
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
London - Location & Importance
The capital of the UK is Greater London, usually known as London
It is located in the southeast of England and sits on either side of the Thames River, with the bulk of Greater London being north of the river
Divided into inner and outer London, and has 32 boroughs and one City of London
Historically, the City of London was (and still is) the Roman city of Londinium, but as London grew, it incorporated parts of Middlesex, Surrey and Kent to become the County of London
By 1965, London was made up of 88 different boroughs and districts
To address this growth, 32 boroughs were established to create Greater London
The City of London is not a borough but a county and government district and is often referred to as 'The City' or 'The Mile'
In Roman times, Londinium was 1 square mile and remained as the main 'city of London'
From the Middle Ages this area expanded, but is still known as the 'Square Mile' or The Mile and is the centre of finance
Since 1839 it has also run its own police force, the City of London Police
In 2000, another level of local government was created called the 'Greater London Authority (GLA)', and covers all the boroughs and the 'City'
Importance of London
London is the largest city in the UK (Birmingham is the second largest)
It is England's economic, transportation and cultural centre, with a long history and popular tourist destination
Regional | Many people commute to London, and it provides many jobs for people Wealthy city with higher-than-average house prices and earnings Europe's fastest-growing technology cluster, with 3,000 companies concentrated in the East End The capital generates 22% of UK GDP despite accounting for only 12.5% of the UK population |
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National | Over 40 leading universities and research Central government is based in Whitehall 6 major train stations and 5 international airports around London and is home to the second biggest port in the UK |
International | Considered a ‘world city’, London is one of three important financial centres in the world, along with New York and Tokyo Major international centre for fashion, art, theatre, and film Headquarters of major TNCs |
City of Lagos Location & Importance
Lagos is Nigeria’s largest and most populous city
Lagos developed on the west side of the sheltered Lagos lagoon, next to the Bight of Benin on the Atlantic Ocean and borders with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon
Nigeria is an oil-rich nation and is predicted to be one of the largest economies in the world
City of Lagos
Importance of Lagos
Regional | Lagos Island is the financial hub of the city (CBD) 6,300 millionaires live in Lagos, 330 have a fortune of more than $10 million, 20 are worth more than $100 million – and there are 4 billionaires The CBD and the Eko Atlantic development provide high skilled jobs, with industrial areas and ports providing low-skilled employment |
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National | The city has a well-connected transport hub, along with a major international airport and a very busy seaport providing raw materials for local industries Although Lagos is not the capital (Abuja is), it is one of the world’s fastest-growing megacities (600,000 people per year) and is Nigeria’s leading city in terms of trade and economy 80% of Nigerian industry is in Lagos |
International | The port facility on Tin Can Island in Lagos connects Nigeria to the world through global trade in mostly oil Lagos has emerged as a major centre for the headquarters of national and global companies such as Shell Nigeria Lagos has the fourth highest GDP in the whole of the African continent Growing fashion, and film industry (Nollywood) |
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