Located in south-east England on the shores of the river Thames, London is the capital city of the United Kingdom, with a population that ranges between 7.5 (city) million and 14 million (metropolitan area), making it the largest city in Western Europe.
 

A major economic, cultural, political and administrative centre, London is a truly global city. Almost one third of its population was born outside the United Kingdom, resulting in an extremely large ethnic and cultural diversity.
 

Sport has always played a vital role in British society, while in turn Britain has certainly been deeply influential in shaping the way sport is played and perceived today.
 

Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and widely considered the father of the Modern Olympic Games, greatly admired how the British private schools of the 19th century taught ‘games’ and integrated sporting values into the civic education of young men.
 

London in many ways shares this heritage, boasting sporting venues such as Wembley Stadium (football/soccer), Wimbledon (tennis), Lords Cricket Ground (cricket), Twickenham (rugby), Wentworth (golf) and Ascot (horse racing).
 

Sporting and otherwise, the 2012 Olympic Games are certain to add yet another rich chapter to the unique history of the city of London.