London has long been a melting pot of cultures, with people from all over the world coming together to trade and live in harmony. This is due to a combination of industrialization and the growth of the British Empire in the 19th century, which saw London's population grow rapidly. Today, more than 300 languages are spoken in Greater London, and the city is home to one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the world. The earliest records of black people living in London date back to the 17th and 18th centuries, mostly from Jamaica.
However, it wasn't until 1948 when the HMT Empire Windrush arrived that significant numbers of Caribbean people, particularly Jamaicans, began to settle in the capital. Southwark has the largest black African population, Croydon has the largest black population in the Caribbean and Lambeth has the highest total black population in London. The Polish Government in Exile was based in London until it was dissolved in 1991 after the restoration of democracy in Poland. The Putney Evangelist Church is one of several Polish-speaking Roman Catholic churches in London, and the Hammersmith Polish Social and Cultural Association is the main center of the community.
A major wave of immigration began in the 1970s, when people from the Sylhet Division arrived in London fleeing poverty and the Bangladesh Liberation War. The 2001 census recorded that 12,360 people born in Greece lived in London, with particular concentrations in Hyde Park, Regent's Park, Chelsea and Kensington census areas. There is also a large Turkish Cypriot community in South London districts such as Lambeth and Croydon. The German business and expatriate community focuses on Richmond upon Thames, which is home to the German School of London (DSL) and most of the German expatriates residing in London.
Most Lithuanians live in Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest. London is home to one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the world. This is evident from a painting which shows at least three black people as a reminder that London was home to many different groups of migrants. The city offers a plethora of churches, mosques, synagogues and temples for all to use. It is also home to one of the largest Nigerian communities outside Nigeria. We understand that some of you may be studying remotely from the start due to the coronavirus situation and therefore unable to reach campus or London.
However, it is important to remember that London's rich ethnic diversity is something that makes it so special.
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