Exposé d’anglais : The city

The City of London also called the ‘one square mile’ is the historical center of London. Until the 18th century, the City of London was all of London.
Today, this area is the financial center of Europe. It has only about 6000 residents and is almost deserted during the weekend, but on weekdays it buzzes with activity.
The City of London is a geographically small city within Greater London in England. It is the historic core of London around which, along with Westminster, the modern conurbation grew. The City’s boundaries have remained almost constant since the Middle Ages, and hence it is now only a tiny part of the much larger London metropolis. It is often referred to as the City or the Square Mile, as it is just over one square mile in area. These terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom's financial services industry, which are principally based there.
In the medieval period, the City was the full extent of London, and distinct from the nearby but separate settlement of Westminster, which became the City of Westminster. The term "London" now refers to a much larger conurbation containing both cities. The City of London is still part of London's city centre, but most of London's metropolitan functions apart from financial services are centred on the West End. The City is today a major business and financial centre, ranking on a par with New York City as the leading centre of global finance. The City has a resident population of under 10,000 It employs 340,000 professional workers, mainly in the financial sector, making the area's transport system extremely busy during peak times. It is known as the richest square mile in the world.
. It is governed by the City of London Corporation, which has some unusual responsibilities for a local authority, such as being the police authority for the City. It also has responsibilities and ownerships beyond the City's boundaries.

I. The city : Origins and developments