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Few cities can boast a more vibrant mix of people and cultures than London. It is one of the most diverse capitals in the world – the 2001 census revealed that 29% of the city’s population was from a minority ethnic group. And perhaps because of this it is hard to talk about one overall, dominant cultural way of life. From the huge Bangledeshi population in east London to the Portuguese stronghold of Stockwell, London’s ethnic communities are large and varied. Some of these communities, such as the post-war Caribbean immigrants, are now up to third generation and are firmly embedded as Londoners – indeed, one of the city’s major festivals, the Notting Hill Carnival, is deeply rooted in the Afro-Caribbean culture. Sizeable pockets of temporary migrants, such as young Australians and South Africans and, with the recent enlarging of the EU, eastern Europeans, also form significant communities across the capital.



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It is not just people from overseas who are drawn to the city either – a large number of the city’s population, particularly people in their 20s and 30s, are drawn to London from elsewhere in the UK for professional reasons, especially to work in the finance or media sectors. Among this group, the most popular cultural practice is mainly a social one – most young people tend to go out to bars and restaurants with friends and colleagues after work and at weekends.

There is a substantial percentage of ’born and bred’ Londoners too, on the whole white working-class people whose family history connects them to the area in which they live. These are not necessarily cockneys though – that distinction officially only applies to people from the East End of London.

Despite, or perhaps because of, London’s liberal nature, it can also be an anonymous place in contrast to smaller towns or cities, and the transient nature of many residents means a sense of community can be hard to foster.

It would be incorrect to say London is a totally harmonious place – race-related tensions do occur and manifest themselves in violent incidents, and immigration is also a sensitive subject on the wider UK political scene. Recent events on the international stage, namely the ’war on terror’, and the London bombings in 2005, have put a sharp focus on Muslims in British society too. But on the whole, Londoners are proud of their city’s diversity and the fact that it remains one of the most tolerant and welcoming places to live in Europe.