query: London was the largest city in the EU in 2015.

pos: London London -LSB- ˈlʌndən -RSB- is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom . Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain , London has been a major settlement for two millennia . It was founded by the Romans , who named it Londinium . London 's ancient core , the City of London , largely retains its 1.12 sqmi medieval boundaries . Since at least the 19th century , `` London '' has also referred to the metropolis around this core , historically split between Middlesex , Essex , Surrey , Kent , and Hertfordshire , which today largely makes up Greater London , See also : Independent city § National capitals . governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.The London Mayor is not to be confused with the Lord Mayor of London who heads the City of London Corporation , which administers the City of London .   London is a leading global city in the arts , commerce , education , entertainment , fashion , finance , healthcare , media , professional services , research and development , tourism , and transportation . It is crowned as the world 's largest financial centre and has the fifth - or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world.Rankings of cities by metropolitan area GDP can vary as a result of differences in the definition of the boundaries and population sizes of the areas compared , exchange rate fluctuations and the method used to calculate output . London and Paris are of broadly similar size in terms of total economic output which can result in third party sources varying as to which is the fifth-largest city GDP in the world . A report by the McKinsey Global Institute published in 2012 estimated that London had a city GDP of US$ 751.8 billion in 2010 , compared to US$ 764.2 billion for Paris , making them respectively the sixth - and fifth-largest in the world . A report by PricewaterhouseCoopers published in November 2009 estimated that London had a city GDP measured in purchasing power parity of US$ 565 billion in 2008 , compared to US$ 564 billion for Paris , making them respectively the fifth - and sixth-largest in the world . The McKinsey Global Institute study used a metropolitan area with a population of 14.9 million for London compared to 11.8 million for Paris , whilst the PricewaterhouseCoopers study used a metropolitan area with a population of 8.59 million for London compared to 9.92 million for Paris . London is a world cultural capital . It is the world 's most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the world 's largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic . London is the world 's leading investment destination , hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city . London 's universities form the largest concentration of higher education institutes in Europe . In 2012 , London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic Games three times .   London has a diverse range of people and cultures , and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region . Its estimated mid-2015 municipal population ( corresponding to Greater London ) was 8,673,713 , the largest of any city in the European Union , and accounting for 12.5 % of the UK population . London 's urban area is the second most populous in the EU , after Paris , with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census . The city 's metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with 13,879,757 inhabitants , while the Greater London Authority states the population of the city-region ( covering a large part of the south east ) as 22.7 million .  London was the world 's most populous city from around 1831 to 1925 .   London contains four World Heritage Sites : the Tower of London ; Kew Gardens ; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster , Westminster Abbey , and St Margaret 's Church ; and the historic settlement of Greenwich ( in which the Royal Observatory , Greenwich marks the Prime Meridian , 0 ° longitude , and GMT ) . Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace , the London Eye , Piccadilly Circus , St Paul 's Cathedral , Tower Bridge , Trafalgar Square , and The Shard . London is home to numerous museums , galleries , libraries , sporting events , and other cultural institutions , including the British Museum , National Gallery , Natural History Museum , Tate Modern , British Library , and West End theatres . The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world .

neg: Council of the European Union The Council of the European Union ( often still referred to as the Council of Ministers , or sometimes just called the Council ( Consilium ) ) is the third of the seven institutions of the European Union ( EU ) as listed in the Treaty on European Union . It is part of the essentially bicameral EU legislature ( the other legislative body being the European Parliament ) and represents the executive governments of the EU 's member states . It is based in the Europa building in Brussels .

neg: London Borough of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in south London , England and is part of Outer London . It covers an area of 87 km2 and is the largest London borough by population . It is the southernmost borough of London . At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name . Croydon is mentioned in Domesday Book , and from a small market town has expanded into one of the most populous areas on the fringe of London . Croydon is the civic centre of the borough . The borough is now one of London 's leading business , financial and cultural centres , and its influence in entertainment and the arts contribute to its status as a major metropolitan centre .   Formed in 1965 from the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District and the County Borough of Croydon , the local authority Croydon London Borough Council , is now part of the local government association for Greater London , London Councils . The economic strength of Croydon dates back mainly to Croydon Airport which was a major factor in the development of Croydon as a business centre . Once London 's main airport for all international flights to and from the capital , it was closed on 30 September 1959 due to the lack of expansion space needed for an airport to serve the growing city . It is now a Grade II listed building and tourist attraction . Croydon Council and its predecessor Croydon Corporation unsuccessfully applied for city status in 1954 , 2000 , 2002 and 2012 . The area is currently going through a large regeneration project called Croydon Vision 2020 which is predicted to attract more businesses and tourists to the area as well as backing Croydon 's bid to become London 's Third City ( after ` The City ' and Westminster ) . Croydon is mostly urban , though there are large suburban and rural uplands in the south . Since 2003 Croydon has been certified as a Fairtrade borough by the Fairtrade Foundation . It was the first London Borough to have Fairtrade status which is awarded on certain criteria .   The area is one of the hearts of culture in London and the South East of England . Institutions such as the major arts and entertainment centre Fairfield Halls add to the vibrancy of the borough . However , its famous fringe theatre `` the Warehouse Theatre '' was put under administration in 2012 when the council withdrew its funding and the building itself was demolished in 2013 . The Croydon Clocktower was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 as an arts venue featuring a library , the independent David Lean Cinema ( closed by the council in 2011 after 16 years of operating , but now partially reopened on a part-time and volunteers basis ) and museum . From 2000 to 2010 , Croydon staged an annual summer festival celebrating the area 's black and Indian cultural diversity , with audiences reaching over 50,000 people . An internet radio station , Croydon Radio , is run by local people for the area . The borough is also home to its own local TV station , Croydon TV . Premier League football club Crystal Palace F.C. play at Selhurst Park in South Norwood , a stadium they have been based in since 1924 . Other landmarks in the borough include Addington Palace , an 18th-century mansion which became the official second residence of six archbishops , Shirley Windmill , one of the few surviving large windmills in Greater London built in the 1850s , and the BRIT School , a creative arts institute run by the BRIT Trust which has produced artists such as Adele , Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis .

neg: Queen Mary University of London Queen Mary University of London ( QMUL ) is a public research university in London , England , and a constituent college of the federal University of London . It dates back to the foundation of London Hospital Medical College in 1785 . Queen Mary College , named after Mary of Teck , was admitted to the University of London in 1915 and in 1989 merged with Westfield College to form Queen Mary and Westfield College . In 1995 Queen Mary and Westfield College merged with St Bartholomew 's Hospital Medical College and the London Hospital Medical College to form the School of Medicine and Dentistry .   Its main campus is in the Mile End area of Tower Hamlets , with other campuses in Holborn , Smithfield and Whitechapel . In 2015/16 it had 17,140 students and 4,000 staff . Queen Mary is organised into three faculties -- the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences , the Faculty of Science and Engineering and Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry -- within which there are 21 academic departments and institutes .   Queen Mary is a member of the Russell Group of leading British research universities , the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Universities UK . Queen Mary is a major centre for medical teaching and research and is part of UCL Partners , the world 's largest academic health science centre . It has a strategic partnership with the University of Warwick , including research collaboration and joint teaching of English , history and computer science undergraduates . Queen Mary also collaborates with Royal Holloway , University of London , to run programmes at the University of London Institute in Paris . For 2015-16 , Queen Mary had a turnover of # 404.3 million , including # 101.0 million from research grants and contracts .   Times Higher Education has ranked Queen Mary equal 46th in a ranking of European universities . In Times Higher Education Best universities in the UK 2017 , it has been ranked 15th . Queen Mary is ranked in the top 5 universities in London in the Complete University Guide 2017 League Table . The Guardian ranks Queen Mary in the University league tables 2017 1st for Media & Film Studies , 2nd for Medicine in the UK and 1st in London for Medicine , 3rd in the UK for Dentistry and 1st in London for Dentistry , 9th for History in the UK and 3rd for History in London , 5th for Law in the UK and 3rd in London for Law . There are seven Nobel Laureates amongst Queen Mary 's alumni and current and former staff .

neg: City of London (disambiguation) The City of London is the historic centre and main financial district of London , England .   City of London may also refer to :  London , the capital city of England  London , Ontario , Canada  City of London Corporation , the governing body of the City of London , England

neg: Culture of the United Kingdom The culture of the United Kingdom is influenced by the UK 's history as a developed island country , a liberal democracy and a major power ; its predominantly Christian religious life ; and its composition of four countries -- England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland -- each of which has distinct customs , cultures and symbolism . The wider culture of Europe has also influenced British culture , and Humanism , Protestantism and representative democracy developed from broader Western culture .   British literature , music , cinema , art , theatre , comedy , media , television , philosophy , architecture and education are important aspects of British culture . The United Kingdom is also prominent in science and technology , producing world-leading scientists ( e.g. Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin ) and inventions . Sport is an important part of British culture ; numerous sports originated in the country , including football . The UK has been described as a `` cultural superpower '' , and London has been described as a world cultural capital .   The Industrial Revolution , which started in the UK , had a profound effect on the socio-economic and cultural conditions of the world . As a result of the British Empire , significant British influence can be observed in the language , law , culture and institutions of a geographically wide assortment of countries , including Australia , Canada , India , the Republic of Ireland , New Zealand , Nigeria , Pakistan , South Africa , the United States and English speaking Caribbean nations . These states are sometimes collectively known as the Anglosphere , and are among Britain 's closest allies . In turn the empire also influenced British culture , particularly British cuisine .   The cultures of England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland are diverse and have varying degrees of overlap and distinctiveness .

neg: List of tallest buildings in the British Empire and the British Commonwealth The title of tallest building in the British Empire ( later in the Commonwealth ) has been contested since the late nineteenth century . In this era the nations of the British Empire possessed a large measure of cultural unity and naturally looked to each other for comparison and competition . This was evident in the displays at Queen Victoria 's silver and diamond jubilees and in the creation of the British Empire Games in 1930 ( later the Commonwealth Games ) . A similar phenomenon occurred in the world of architecture and civics . Local boosters in cities and regions across the Empire covered the title of `` greatest '' , `` biggest '' , `` largest '' or `` best '' in the Empire .   This boosterism was concentrated in Canada where desire to claim the title spurned a race between cities and builders between 1905 and 1931 .   In general the boosters focused on commercial buildings , as claiming the title was part of marketing the building to potential renters ( and the city to the wider world ) . They conveniently ignored much taller non-commercial buildings such as St Paul 's Cathedral which stands 111 m and was consecrated in 1708 , or Victoria Tower in the Palace of Westminster which was built in 1855 and measures 98.5 m . The Commonwealth of Nations slowly evolved out of the British Empire over decades , but the 1931 Statute of Westminster is often used as a dividing point . During the twentieth century the title was held primarily by Canadian buildings . Since the 1990s , however Asian buildings have held the title .   Height restrictions have much to do with this list . Until the 1960s , London , the capital of the Empire , had especially strict height maxima to preserve the views of historic structures . Until the late 1920 Montreal limited all buildings to a maximum of 10 stories , and it still limits buildings to less than the sea-level elevation of Mont Royal . Since 1989 Vancouver restricted buildings from blocking the North Shore Mountains , creating a practical upper limit of around 137 meters , until 1997 when seven sites were pre-selected for taller buildings as exceptions to the rule . Singapore limits all buildings to below 280 meters because of the proximity of Singapore Changi Airport .   The International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong is not included because it was built after Hong Kong left the Commonwealth .   The list also excludes Toronto 's CN Tower as there is debate as to whether it is technically a building , or just a structure .

neg: London Councils London Councils is the local government association for Greater London , England . It is a cross-party organisation that represents London 's 32 borough councils and the City of London . It was formed in 1995 as a merger of the London Boroughs Association and the Association of London Authorities . In April 2000 it gained further functions as strategic local government in London was reorganised . London Councils is a think tank and lobbying organisation , and also provides some services directly through legislation that allows multiple local authorities to pool responsibility and funding . London Councils is based at 59 1/2 Southwark Street .

neg: Europa building The Europa building is the seat of the European Council and Council of the European Union , located on Rue de la Loi in the European Quarter of Brussels , the capital city of Belgium . Its defining feature is the multi-storey `` lantern-shaped '' construct holding the main meeting rooms ; a representation of which has been adopted by the both the European Council and Council of the EU as their official emblems . The Europa building is situated on the former site of the partially demolished and renovated Bloc A of the Résidence Palace . Its exterior combines the listed Art Deco façade of the original 1920 's building with the post-modern design of architect Philip Samyn . The building is linked via two skyways and a service tunnel to the adjacent Justus Lipsius building , which provides for additional office space , meeting rooms and press facilities .

neg: Geography of London London is the largest urban area and capital city of the United Kingdom , located in southeastern Great Britain . The London region covers an area of 1579 km2 , and had a population of 7,172,036 in 2001 and a population density of 4,542 people per square kilometre . A larger area , referred to as the London Metropolitan Region or the London Metropolitan Agglomeration covers an area of 8382 km2 , and had a population of 12,653,500 and a population density of 1,510 people per square kilometre . London is a port on the Thames ( see main article Port of London ) , a navigable river . The river has had a major influence on the development of the city . London began on the Thames ' north bank and for a long time the main focus of the city remained on the north side of the Thames . For many centuries London Bridge was the only bridge in or close to the city . When more bridges were built in the 18th century , the city expanded in all directions as the mostly flat or gently rolling countryside presented no obstacle to growth .

neg: London Borough of Hackney The London Borough of Hackney ( -LSB- ˈhækni -RSB- ) is a London Borough in Inner London , United Kingdom . The historical and administrative heart of Hackney is Mare Street , which lies 5 mi north-east of Charing Cross .   Southern and eastern parts of the borough are popularly regarded as being part of east London , with northern and western areas belonging to north London .   The London Plan issued by the Greater London Authority assigns whole boroughs to sub-regions for statutory monitoring , engagement and resource allocation purposes . The most recent ( 2011 ) iteration of this plan assigns Hackney to the ` East ' sub-region , while the 2008 and 2004 versions assigned the borough to ` North ' and ` East ' sub-regions respectively .   The modern borough was formed 1965 by the merger of the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney with the much smaller Metropolitan Boroughs of Stoke Newington and Shoreditch .   Hackney is bounded by Islington to the west , Haringey to the north , Waltham Forest to the north-east , Newham to the east , Tower Hamlets to the south-east and the City of London to the south-west .   Hackney was one of the host boroughs of the London Olympics in 2012 , with several of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park venues falling within its boundaries .

neg: Trans-European conventional rail network The Trans-European conventional rail network , together with the Trans-European high-speed rail network , make up the Trans-European Rail network , which in turn is one of a number of the European Union 's Trans-European transport networks ( TEN-T ) . It was defined by the Council Directive 2001/16/EC of 19 March 2001 .   The aim of this EU Directive is to achieve the interoperability of the European conventional rail network at the various stages of its design , construction and operation .   The network is defined as a system consisting of a set of infrastructures , fixed installations , logistic equipment and rolling stock .   By definition of the EC decision , the conventional rail network may be subdivided into the following categories :  lines intended for passenger services  lines intended for mixed traffic ( passengers and freight )  lines specially designed or upgraded for freight services  passenger hubs  freight hubs , including inter-modal terminals  lines connecting the components mentioned above   This infrastructure includes traffic management , tracking , and navigation systems .   The rolling stock may comprise all the stock likely to travel on all or part of the trans-European conventional rail network .   The EU has decided on nine `` core network corridors '' within the TEN-T framework , which are :  The Scandinavian -- Mediterranean Corridor . Hamina -- Helsinki -- Turku , Stockholm/Oslo -- Copenhagen/Rostock -- Hamburg/Berlin -- Kassel/Leipzig -- Nurnberg-Regensburg -- Munich -- Innsbruck -- Verona -- Florence -- Rome -- Naples -- Messina/Bari -- Palermo/Taranto -- Valletta  The North Sea -- Baltic Corridor . Rotterdam -- Amsterdam/Brussels -- Hannover -- Berlin -- Warsaw -- Kaunas -- Riga -- Tallinn  The North Sea -- Mediterranean Corridor . Cork -- Dublin -- Belfast , Glasgow/Edinburgh/Holyhead -- Manchester -- Birmingham -- London -- Brussels -- Luxembourg -- Strasbourg/Nancy -- Lyon -- Marseille/Montpellier  The Baltic -- Adriatic Corridor . Gdansk/Szczecin -- Warsaw/Poznan -- Lodz/Wroclaw -- Katowice -- Ostrava -- Brno/Bratislava -- Vienna -- Ljubljana/Udine -- Venice -- Bologna -- Ravenna  The Orient/East -- Mediterranean Corridor . Hamburg/Bremen/Rostock -- Hannover -- Leipzig/Berlin -- Dresden -- Prague -- Vienna/Bratislava -- Budapest -- Timisoara -- Sofia -- Bourgas/Athens -- Patras/Limassol -- Lefkosia  The Rhine -- Alpine Corridor . Amsterdam/Rotterdam/Ostende -- Düsseldorf / Brussels -- Cologne -- Frankfurt -- Basel -- Bern -- Novara/Milan -- Genoa  The Atlantic Corridor . Lisbon/Porto/Algeciras -- Salamanca/Madrid -- San Sebastian -- Bordeaux -- Paris -- Le Havre/Mannheim/Strasbourg  The Rhine -- Danube Corridor . Strasbourg -- Frankfurt -- Prague -- Kosice/Strasbourg -- Stuttgart -- Munich -- Vienna -- Bratislava -- Budapest -- Timisoara -- Bucharest -- Costanta  The Mediterranean Corridor . Algeciras -- Seville/Malaga -- Madrid/Valencia -- Barcelona -- Montpellier -- Lyon -- Turin -- Milan -- Venice -- Ljubljiana -- Zagreb -- Budapest  The listed routes are approximate and there are branches on several of them .

neg: Continental Europe Continental Europe , also referred to as mainland Europe , or , by Europeans , simply the Continent , is the continuous continent of Europe , excluding surrounding islands .   The most common definition of continental Europe excludes continental islands , encompassing the Greek Islands , Cyprus , Malta , Sicily , Sardinia , Corsica , the Balearic Islands , Ireland , Great Britain , the Isle of Man , the Channel Islands , Novaya Zemlya and the Danish archipelago , as well as nearby oceanic islands , including the Canary Islands , Madeira , the Azores , Iceland , the Faroe Islands , and Svalbard .   The Scandinavian peninsula is sometimes also excluded , as even though it is technically part of `` mainland Europe '' , the de facto connections to the rest of the continent are across the Baltic Sea or North Sea ( rather than via the lengthy land route that involves travelling to the north of the peninsula where it meets Finland , and then south through north-east Europe ) .   The notion of Europe as a geopolitical or cultural term is centred on core Europe ( Kerneuropa ) , the continental territory of the historical Carolingian Empire and the core of Latin Christendom , corresponding to modern France , Italy , Germany ( or German-speaking Europe ) and the Benelux states ( historical Austrasia ) . This historical core of `` Carolingian Europe '' was consciously invoked in the 1950s as the historical ethno-cultural basis for the prospective European integration ( see also Multi-speed Europe ) .

neg: London Protocol (1852) On 8 May 1852 , after the First War of Schleswig , an agreement called the London Protocol was signed . This international treaty was the revision of an earlier protocol , which had been ratified on 2 August 1850 , by the major Germanic powers of Austria and Prussia . The second London Protocol was recognised by the five major European powers -- Austria , France , Prussia , Russia , and the United Kingdom -- as well as by the Baltic Sea powers of Denmark and Sweden .   The Protocol affirmed the integrity of the Danish federation as a `` European necessity and standing principle '' . Accordingly , the duchies of Schleswig ( a Danish fief ) , and Holstein and Lauenburg ( German fiefs ) were joined by personal union with the Kingdom of Denmark . However , Frederick VII of Denmark was childless , so a change in dynasty was imminent and the lines of succession for the duchies and Denmark diverged . That meant that , contrary to the Protocol , the new King of Denmark would not also be the new Duke of Holstein and Duke of Lauenburg . So for this purpose , the line of succession to the duchies was modified . Further , it was affirmed that the duchies were to remain as independent entities , and that Schleswig would have no greater constitutional affinity to Denmark than Holstein did .   The major powers primarily wanted to ensure , by guaranteeing Denmark 's territorial integrity , that the strategically significant port of Kiel would not fall into Prussian hands . Eleven years later , this treaty became the trigger for the German -- Danish war of 1864 . Prussia and Austria declared that Denmark had violated the Protocol by introducing the November Constitution , which Christian IX of Denmark signed on 18 November 1863 . After an initial period of joint Austro -- Prussian administration , Kiel was ultimately delivered to Prussia in 1867 .

neg: Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London , England , 9.5 mi south of Charing Cross . The principal settlement in the London Borough of Croydon , it is one of the largest commercial districts outside Central London , with an extensive shopping district and night-time economy . Its population of 52,104 at the 2011 census includes the wards of Addiscombe , Broad Green and Fairfield .   Historically part of the hundred of Wallington in the county of Surrey , at the time of the Norman conquest of England Croydon had a church , a mill , and around 365 inhabitants , as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 . Croydon expanded in the Middle Ages as a market town and a centre for charcoal production , leather tanning and brewing . The Surrey Iron Railway from Croydon to Wandsworth opened in 1803 and was the world 's first public railway . Later nineteenth century railway building facilitated Croydon 's growth as a commuter town for London . By the early 20th century , Croydon was an important industrial area , known for car manufacture , metal working and Croydon Airport . In the mid 20th century these sectors were replaced by retailing and the service economy , brought about by massive redevelopment which saw the rise of office blocks and the Whitgift Centre , the largest shopping centre in London until 2008 . Croydon was amalgamated into Greater London in 1965 .   Croydon lies on a transport corridor between central London and the south coast of England , to the north of two gaps in the North Downs , one followed by the A23 Brighton Road through Purley and Merstham and the main railway line and the other by the A22 from Purley to the M25 Godstone interchange . Road traffic is diverted away from a largely pedestrianised town centre , mostly consisting of the North End . East Croydon is a major hub of the national railway transport system , with frequent fast services to central London , Brighton and the south coast . The town is unique in Greater London for its Tramlink light rail transport system .

neg: Ealing London Borough Council Ealing London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Ealing in Greater London , England . It is a London borough council , one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London .

neg: St Paul's Cathedral St Paul 's Cathedral , London , is an Anglican cathedral , the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London . It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grade 1 listed building . Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site , founded in AD 604 . The present cathedral , dating from the late 17th century , was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren . Its construction , completed in Wren 's lifetime , was part of a major rebuilding programme in the City after the Great Fire of London .   The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London . Its dome , framed by the spires of Wren 's City churches , dominated the skyline for 300 years . At 365 ft high , it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1967 . The dome is among the highest in the world . St Paul 's is the second-largest church building in area in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral .   St Paul 's Cathedral occupies a significant place in the national identity . It is the central subject of much promotional material , as well as of images of the dome surrounded by the smoke and fire of the Blitz . Services held at St Paul 's have included the funerals of Lord Nelson , the Duke of Wellington , Sir Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher ; jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria ; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars ; the wedding of Charles , Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer ; the launch of the Festival of Britain ; and the thanksgiving services for the Silver , Golden and Diamond Jubilees and the 80th and 90th birthdays of Elizabeth II .   St Paul 's Cathedral is a working church with hourly prayer and daily services . The tourist entry fee at the door is # 18 for adults ( March 2017 , cheaper online ) , but no charge is made to worshippers .

neg: France France ( -LSB- fʁɑ̃s -RSB- ) , officially the French Republic ( -LSB- ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz -RSB- ) , is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . The European , or metropolitan , area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . France spans 643801 km2 and had a total population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017 . It is a unitary semi-presidential republic with the capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban centres include Marseille , Lyon , Lille , Nice , Toulouse and Bordeaux .   During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome , which held Gaul until 486 , when the Germanic Franks conquered the region and formed the Kingdom of France . France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , with its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337 to 1453 ) strengthening state-building and political centralisation . During the Renaissance , French culture flourished and a global colonial empire was established , which by the 20th century would be the second largest in the world . The 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots ) . France became Europe 's dominant cultural , political , and military power under Louis XIV . In the late 18th century , the French Revolution overthrew the absolute monarchy , established one of modern history 's earliest republics , and saw the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen , which expresses the nation 's ideals to this day .   In the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire , whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe . Following the collapse of the Empire , France endured a tumultuous succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870 . France was a major participant in the First World War , from which it emerged victorious , and was one of the Allied Powers in the Second World War , but came under occupation by the Axis Powers in 1940 . Following liberation in 1944 , a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War . The Fifth Republic , led by Charles de Gaulle , was formed in 1958 and remains to this day . Algeria and nearly all the other colonies became independent in the 1960s and typically retained close economic and military connections with France .   France has long been a global centre of art , science , and philosophy . It hosts Europe 's fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually , the most of any country in the world . France is a developed country with the world 's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity . In terms of aggregate household wealth , it ranks fourth in the world . France performs well in international rankings of education , health care , life expectancy , and human development . France remains a great power in the world , being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state . It is a leading member state of the European Union and the Eurozone . It is also a member of the Group of 7 , North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) , Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) , and La Francophonie .

neg: European Capital of Culture The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension .   Preparing a European Capital of Culture can be an opportunity for the city to generate considerable cultural , social and economic benefits and it can help foster urban regeneration , change the city 's image and raise its visibility and profile on an international scale .   In 1985 , former actress Melina Mercouri , then Greece 's minister of culture , and her French counterpart Jack Lang came up with the idea of designating an annual Capital of Culture to bring Europeans closer together by highlighting the richness and diversity of European cultures and raising awareness of their common history and values .   The Commission of the European Union manages the title and each year the Council of Ministers of the European Union formally designates European Capitals of Culture : more than 40 cities have been designated so far .   An international panel of cultural experts is in charge of assessing the proposals of cities for the title according to criteria specified by the European Union .   A 2004 study conducted for the European Commission , known as the `` Palmer report '' , demonstrated that the choice of European Capital of Culture served as a catalyst for the cultural development and the transformation of the city . Consequently , the beneficial socio-economic development and impact for the chosen city are now also considered in determining the chosen cities .

neg: English independence English independence is a political stance advocating secession of England , the largest and most populous country of the British Isles , from the United Kingdom . Support for secession of England has been influenced by the increasing devolution of political powers to Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland , where independence from the United Kingdom is a prominent subject of political debate .   English independence is seen by its advocates as a way to resolve the West Lothian question in British politics : Scottish , Welsh and Northern Irish MPs in the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster can vote on matters affecting England , while English MPs do not have the same power over equivalent issues in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland , as these powers are devolved to the Scottish Parliament , Northern Ireland Assembly or the National Assembly for Wales .   While some minor political parties have campaigned for English independence , all major UK-wide political parties adhere to the opposing view of British unionism , and oppose altering the constitutional status of England . Scottish demands for independence , rather than English demands , are seen as the most pressing threat to British unity ; Scotland voted against independence at the referendum on 18 September 2014 . and a second vote is proposed in late 2018 or early 2019 .

neg: List of tallest buildings in the European Union This list ranks the tallest buildings in the European Union that stand at least 100 m tall , based on standard height measurement . This means that spires and other architectural details are included in the official height , but not antenna masts , as it is defined by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat . Only habitable buildings are ranked , which excludes radio masts and towers , observation towers , cathedrals , steeples , chimneys and other tall architectural structures . Since 2011 , the tallest building in the EU has been The Shard in London , United Kingdom , at 310 m.


query: Gift of the Night Fury stars the voice of an actor whose legal middle name is James.

pos: Gerard Butler Gerard James Butler ( born 13 November 1969 ) is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film , stage , and television . After studying law , Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as Mrs Brown ( 1997 ) , the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies ( 1997 ) , and Tale of the Mummy ( 1998 ) . In 2000 , he starred as Dracula in the horror film Dracula 2000 with Christopher Plummer and Jonny Lee Miller .   The following year onward , he played Attila the Hun in the miniseries Attila ( 2001 ) and then appeared in the films Reign of Fire with Christian Bale ( 2002 ) , and Lara Croft Tomb Raider : The Cradle of Life with Angelina Jolie ( 2003 ) , before playing André Marek in the adaptation of Michael Crichton 's science fiction adventure Timeline ( 2003 ) . He then was cast as the role of Erik , The Phantom in Joel Schumacher 's 2004 film adaptation of the musical The Phantom of the Opera alongside Emmy Rossum . That role earned him a Satellite Award nomination for Best Actor .   Although Attila and The Phantom of the Opera were important breaks , it was only in 2007 that Butler gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of King Leonidas in Zack Snyder 's fantasy war film 300 . That role earned him nominations for an Empire Award for Best Actor and a Saturn Award for Best Actor and a win for MTV Movie Award for Best Fight . In the 2010s , he voiced the role of Stoick the Vast in the animated action-fantasy film How to Train Your Dragon , a role he later reprised in Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon ( 2010 ) , Gift of the Night Fury ( 2011 ) and How to Train Your Dragon 2 ( 2014 ) . He played military leader Tullus Aufidius in the 2011 film Coriolanus , the modernized adaptation of Shakespeare 's tragedy of the same name . He also played Sam Childers in the 2011 action biopic Machine Gun Preacher .

pos: Gift of the Night Fury Gift of the Night Fury is a 2011 computer-animated short film by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Tom Owens . It was released on November 15 , 2011 , on DVD and Blu-ray , along with another original animated short film Book of Dragons .   Based on How to Train Your Dragon , the short takes place in the middle of preparing for the Viking winter holiday . After all dragons inexplicably fly away , the last one of them unwittingly kidnaps Hiccup . The film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel , Gerard Butler , Craig Ferguson , America Ferrera , Jonah Hill , T.J. Miller , Kristen Wiig , and Christopher Mintz-Plasse .

neg: Joseph Ashton (actor) Joseph Ashton Valencia ( born November 18 , 1986 ) is an American film actor and voice actor .

neg: James Smillie James Smillie is a British and Australian actor known for his roles in stage and television productions and voice over . Smillie was born in Scotland and emigrated from the Glasgow tenements , carving out a career in Australia before returning to the United Kingdom to appear in stage roles in London 's West End . On television , he is probably best known internationally for his role as Dr. Dan Marshall in the lavish 1980s Australian soap opera Return to Eden .

neg: John Michael Higgins John Michael Higgins ( born February 12 , 1963 ) is an American actor and voice actor whose film credits include Christopher Guest 's mockumentaries , the role of David Letterman in HBO 's The Late Shift , and a starring role in the American version of Kath & Kim . He portrayed Peter Lovett in the TV Land original sitcom Happily Divorced , and provided the voice of Iknik Blackstone Varrick in The Legend of Korra . He currently stars in the NBC sitcom Great News as Chuck Pierce .

neg: Mike O'Brien (actor) Michael Patrick O'Brien ( born June 22 , 1976 ) , is an American actor , writer , and comedian , best known for his work as a writer and short filmmaker on Saturday Night Live .

neg: Wes Brown (actor) James Wesley `` Wes '' Brown ( born January 26 , 1982 ) is an American actor .

neg: James Urbaniak James Christian Urbaniak ( born September 17 , 1963 ) is an American actor and voice actor . Urbaniak was born in Bayonne , New Jersey and currently lives in Los Angeles , California .   One of his first noteworthy roles was in the avant-garde playwright/director Richard Foreman 's The Universe , for which Urbaniak won an Obie . His first media appearance occurred in 1983 , when at the age of 20 , James came onstage from the audience of Late Night with David Letterman , to try his hand at a monologue joke that Letterman had flubbed . He has also been acclaimed for his acting in the films Henry Fool and American Splendor , in the latter of which he played legendary illustrator R. Crumb . He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his role in Thom Pain ( based on nothing ) . He provides the voice for main character Dr. Thaddeus Venture on The Venture Bros. as well as the Doctor 's brother Jonas Venture Junior and the super-villain Phantom Limb .   Urbaniak played a pizza guy in the famous `` Whassup ? '' television commercials for Budweiser . He also portrayed the moderator in `` Human Centipede Anonymous '' , a Funny or Die short depicting three men who grapple with their past as a human centipede .   Urbaniak appeared on Ken Reid 's TV Guidance Counselor Podcast on May 13 , 2015 .

neg: James Byng James Byng ( born 1985 ) is an English actor and vocalist . Acting since the age of ten , James made his West End debut in the title role of Oliver ! at the London Palladium . He played the same role in the national tour of Oliver ! and at the Royal Charity Gala Hey ! Mr. Producer , honoring theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh at the Lyceum Theatre on 8 June 1998 . Byng also played Gavroche in Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre . From 2007 to 2008 he was seen on stage at the Theatre Royal , Drury Lane , first playing various ensemble roles and then taking over the part of Frodo Baggins in Matthew Warchus ' theatrical adaption of The Lord of the Rings . In 2008-09 Byng appeared in the role of John Darling in the musical Peter Pan at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds . He just finished a tour with the West Yorkshire Playhouse production of The History Boys by Alan Bennet , in which he played Posner . From September until November 2010 Byng was on tour with a production of Carrie 's War in the role of Nick Willow . After performing in Secret Cinema - Back to the Future he can currently be seen in The Grimm Tales at The Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf .   Byng 's television and film work includes the role of George Hawthorne in the 2002 television adaptation of Goodbye Mr. Chips , starring Martin Clunes which aired both in Great Britain and in the United States . In this made-for-television film he appeared as James Malcolm . He also played wayward American Montague Bear in the independent film Rupert Brockstein 's Blood Red Letters .   James has also been seen and heard as host and resident jazz vocalist at the Starlight Theatre , Manchester , and the Grove Inn Jazz Club in Leeds .

neg: Ultimate Nick Fury General Nicholas Joseph `` Nick '' Fury is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics ' Ultimate Marvel section as a different version of Nick Fury . He has a substantial presence in all the Ultimate Marvel comics , appearing first in Ultimate Marvel Team-Up and Ultimate X-Men and later reappearing regularly in Ultimate Spider-Man and finally securing a regular , recurring role as the general of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the leader of the Ultimates , a re-imagining of the Avengers . His character was redesigned to look like Samuel L. Jackson , the actor who later went on to portray Nick Fury in several Marvel movies and television shows set in the established Marvel Cinematic Universe .

neg: Lee Majors Lee Majors ( born Harvey Lee Yeary ; April 23 , 1939 ) is an American film , television and voice actor . Majors is best known for portraying the roles of Heath Barkley in the American television Western series The Big Valley ( 1965 -- 1969 ) , Colonel Steve Austin in the American television science fiction action series The Six Million Dollar Man ( 1973 -- 1978 ) , and Colt Seavers in American television action series The Fall Guy ( 1981 -- 1986 ) .   In the television series The Six Million Dollar Man , Steve Austin takes on special high-risk government missions using his superhuman bionic powers . The television character Steve Austin became a pop culture icon of the 1970s .   Majors reprised the role of Colonel Steve Austin in several bionic reunion television movies in the late 1980s and 1990s . He appeared in a number of supporting , recurring and cameo roles in feature films and television series , and lent his voice to a number of animated TV series and video games .

neg: James Cosmo James Cosmo ( born 24 May 1948 ) is a Scottish actor known for his appearances in films including Highlander , Braveheart , Trainspotting , Troy , and The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe , as well as television series such as Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy . On 3 January 2017 Cosmo entered the nineteenth series of Celebrity Big Brother , on Day 19 of the series he won a pass to the final on 3 February 2017 and finished in fourth place .

neg: Ryan O'Quinn Ryan O'Quinn ( born March 6 , 1972 ) is an American television , film and voice actor , author and comedian .

neg: Brandon Potter Charles Brandon Potter ( born July 28 , 1982 ) is an American voice actor , voice director , and script writer who works for anime series at Funimation/OkraTron 5000 . He has provided voices for a number of English-language versions of Japanese anime series and films .

neg: James Stark James Stark may refer to :   People  James Stark , pseudonym for Robert Conroy Goldston ( b. 1927 ) , American historical writer  James Stark ( painter ) ( 1794 -- 1859 ) , English painter  James Stark ( footballer ) , Scottish footballer  James Stark , 19th-century North American actor  James P. Stark ( 1885 -- 1929 ) , British athlete  James R. Stark , United States Navy admiral  James D. Stark synth-pop artist from Portland , Oregon .   Fictional characters  James Stark , a vampire in the House of Night series of novels

neg: James Morrison (actor) James Paige Morrison ( born April 21 , 1954 ) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of CTU Director Bill Buchanan on 24 .

neg: Michael-James Olsen Michael-James Olsen ( born 1994 ) is an Australian/American film actor .

neg: Mikey Kelley Michael `` Mikey '' Kelley ( November 14 , 1973 ) is an American voice actor .

neg: Manikuttan Thomas James , better known by his stage name Manikuttan , is an Indian film and television actor .

neg: Joel McDonald (actor) Joel McDonald ( born December 23 , 1980 ) is an American actor , voice director , and script writer who works for anime series at Funimation .

neg: Carlos Knight Carlos Knight ( born September 22 , 1993 ) is an American actor and comedian . He co-starred as Owen Reynolds in Supah Ninjas and as Diesel ( his character from Fred 2 : Night of the Living Fred and also Fred 3 : Camp Fred ) in Fred : The Show .

neg: Craig Shoemaker Craig Shoemaker ( born November 15 , 1958 ) is an American comedian , writer , and voice actor . He is best known for his baritone-voiced character , The Lovemaster , which he routinely portrays in his comedy act . In 1997 he was named Funniest Male Stand-Up Comic at the American Comedy Awards .


query: The Khmer Empire is somehow related to modern Cambodia.

pos: Khmer Empire The Khmer Empire , officially the Angkor Empire , the predecessor state to modern Cambodia ( `` Kampuchea '' or `` Srok Khmer '' to the Khmer people ) , was a powerful Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia . The empire , which grew out of the former kingdoms of Funan and Chenla , at times ruled over and/or vassalised most of mainland Southeast Asia .   Its greatest legacy is Angkor , in present-day Cambodia , which was the site of the capital city during the empire 's zenith . The majestic monuments of Angkor -- such as Angkor Wat and Bayon -- bear testimony to the Khmer Empire 's immense power and wealth , impressive art and culture , architectural technique and aesthetics achievements , as well as the variety of belief systems that it patronised over time . Satellite imaging has revealed that Angkor , during its peak in the 11th to 13th centuries , was the largest pre-industrial urban centre in the world .   The beginning of the era of the Khmer Empire is conventionally dated to 802 CE . In this year , King Jayavarman II had himself declared chakravartin ( `` king of the world '' , or `` king of kings '' ) on Phnom Kulen . The empire ended with the fall of Angkor in the 15th century .

neg: Central Market, Phnom Penh The Central Market ( ផ ស រធ ថ ម , `` Psah Thom Thmey '' , `` New Grand Market '' ) , is a large market constructed in 1937 in the shape of a dome with four arms branching out into vast hallways with countless stalls of goods . Initial design and layouts are from French architect Louis Chauchon . Construction works were supervised by French architects Jean Desbois and Wladimir Kandaouroff .   It is located in Cambodia 's capital city , Phnom Penh . When it first opened in 1937 , it was said to be the biggest market in Asia ; today it still operates as a market . From 2009 to 2011 , it underwent a US$ 4.2 million renovation funded by the French Development Agency .   The unique Art Deco building is a Phnom Penh landmark . Before 1935 , the area was a lake that received runoff during the rainy season . The lake was drained and construction began in 1935 . Since its completion in 1937 , wet season flooding around the market has remained a problem and is vestigial evidence of the old lake . The entrance to the market is lined with souvenir merchants hawking everything from T-shirts and postcards to silver curios and kramas . Inside is a dazzling display of jewels and gold . Electronic goods , stationery , secondhand clothes and flowers are also sold . During the Franco-Thai war the market was bombed heavily by Thai aircraft , causing heavy damage , and it had to be temporarily closed . After the end of World War II the market was rebuilt in the modern style .

neg: Provisional Government of National Union and National Salvation of Cambodia The Provisional Government of National Union and National Salvation of Cambodia ( PGNUNSC ) was an Internationally unrecognized and ostensibly provisional government set up by the Khmer Rouge on July 11 , 1994 in opposition to the established Kingdom of Cambodia . Its Prime Minister was Khieu Samphan ( who was also head of the armed forces ) and its Deputy Prime Minister ( in charge also of foreign affairs ) was Son Sen. It was staffed by members of the Cambodian National Unity Party . Areas it controlled included Pailin ( the capital of the provisional government ) and Preah Vihear ( where it was based . ) The Khmer Rouge radio station was also known as the `` Radio of the Provisional Government of National Union and National Salvation of Cambodia . '' Other ministers included Chan Youran , Mak Ben , In Sopheap , Kor Bun Heng , Pich Cheang and Chuon Choeun .   In August 1996 senior Khmer Rouge official Ieng Sary defected from the KR with two armed divisions and the formation of his own party , the Democratic National Union Movement , which in turn encouraged more defections from the KR as Pol Pot ordered the assassinations of Son Sen ( which was successful ) and Ta Mok ( which was not . ) In mid-June 1997 Khieu Samphan ( who had by now founded the Khmer National Solidarity Party ) denounced Pol Pot and began discussing demobilization and a return to civilian life .   With Pol Pot 's death in April 1998 and widespread sentiment within the Khmer Rouge for an end to an almost 20-year conflict , Khieu Samphan and Ta Mok dissolved the provisional government on June 22 , 1998 .

neg: Mahendraparvata Mahendraparvata is an ancient city of the Khmer Empire era in Cambodia . The existence of the city has been known for decades , however , much of it lay concealed by forest and earth . The city was uncovered by an archaeological expedition led by Jean-Baptiste Chevance and Damian Evans in 2012 with the aid of airborne laser scanning technology called LIDAR .

neg: Zabag kingdom Zabag ( Chinese : Sanfotsi ; Sanskrit : Suvarnadvipa , Javaka ; Arabic : Zabaj ) is thought to have been an ancient kingdom located south of China somewhere in Southeast Asia , between the Chenla Kingdom ( now Cambodia ) and Java . The established studies by several historians associated this kingdom with Srivijaya and pointed its location somewhere in Sumatra , Java or Malay Peninsula . However its exact location is still the subject of debate among scholars . Other possible locations such as northern Borneo and Philippines are also suggested .

neg: Chinese Cambodian Chinese Cambodians are Cambodian people of Chinese or partial Chinese descent . The Khmer term Khmer kat Chen is used for people of mixed Cambodian & Chinese descent while Khmer Chen can mean Cambodian born citizens of Chinese ancestry ( Khmer is the majority ethnic group of Cambodia and Chen means `` Chinese '' in the Khmer language ) . During the late 1960s and early 1970s , they were the largest ethnic minority in Cambodia ; there were an estimated 425,000 . However , by 1984 , there were only 61,400 Cambodians of Chinese ancestry left . This has been attributed to a combination of warfare , economic stagnation , Khmer Rouge , and emigration . There are , however , tens of thousands of mixed Chinese and Khmer ancestry .   Despite their relatively small population , Chinese Cambodians are over represented in some of the most visible aspects of Cambodian society , often leading to feelings ranging from resentment to outright discrimination by `` pure '' Khmers . Chinese Cambodians play leading roles in the Cambodian business sector as well as within Cambodia 's political scene . Chinese Cambodians also have a considerable presence in the Cambodian economy and are estimated to own a vast share of it . Many Chinese Cambodians are particularly influential in the Cambodian banking sector where money-lending and shopkeeping enterprises are prevalent . Of particular note is China 's economic role in the country which encouraged Sino-Khmer businessmen to reestablish their past businesses which were once suppressed by the Khmer Rouge .

neg: Tribhuvanāditya Tribhuvanāditya was the ruler of the Khmer Empire from 1166 to 1177 . He came to power after he assassinated Yasovarman II . He ruled over many rebellions by Yasovarman 's loyal supporters but managed to hold the throne until forces from the neighboring Champa empire under Jaya Indravarman III invaded and conquered his capital Angkor . He was then killed Jaya Indravarman III .

neg: Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge ( -LSB- kəˈmɛər_ˈruːʒ -RSB- , -LSB- kmɛʁ ʁuʒ -RSB- , `` Red Khmers '' ; ខ ម រក រហម Khmer Kror-Horm ) was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea in Cambodia . It was formed in 1968 as an offshoot of the Vietnam People 's Army from North Vietnam , and allied with North Vietnam , the Viet Cong , and the Pathet Lao during the Vietnam War against the anti-communist forces from 1968 to 1975 . The Khmer Rouge emerged victorious in the Cambodian Civil War , overthrew the military dictatorship of the Khmer Republic and installed their own government Democratic Kampuchea in 1975 , led by Pol Pot , Nuon Chea , Ieng Sary , Son Sen , and Khieu Samphan . This was followed by the Cambodian genocide from year 1975 until year 1979 , when the Khmer Rouge was finally removed from power by Vietnam in the Cambodian -- Vietnamese War . The military power of the Khmer Rouge organization was not broken however , and a long era of guerrilla warfare involving large swaths of the Cambodian countryside began . Many different military factions were involved in the guerrilla war era and it ended around 1994 .   The Khmer Rouge organization is remembered especially for orchestrating the Cambodian genocide , which resulted from the enforcement of its social engineering policies . Its attempts at agricultural reform led to widespread famine , while its insistence on absolute self-sufficiency , even in the supply of medicine , led to the death of thousands from treatable diseases such as malaria . Arbitrary executions and torture carried out by its cadres against perceived subversive elements , or during purges of its own ranks between 1975 and 1978 , are considered to have constituted genocide .   The governments-in-exile ( including the Khmer Rouge ) held onto Cambodia 's UN seat ( with considerable international support ) until 1993 , when the monarchy was restored and the country underwent a name change to the Kingdom of Cambodia . A year later , thousands of Khmer Rouge guerrillas surrendered themselves in a government amnesty . In 1996 , a new political party , the Democratic National Union Movement , was formed by Ieng Sary , who was granted amnesty for his role as the deputy leader of the Khmer Rouge . The organization ( Khmer Rouge ) was largely dissolved by the mid-1990s , and finally surrendered completely in 1999 . In 2014 , two Khmer Rouge leaders , Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan , were jailed for life by a UN-backed court , which found them guilty of crimes against humanity and responsible for the deaths of up to 2 million Cambodians ( Khmer ) , nearly a quarter of the country 's then population , during the `` Killing Fields '' era between 1975 -- 1979 .

neg: Prasat Suor Prat Prasat Suor Prat is a series of twelve towers spanned north to south lining the eastern side of royal square in Angkor Thom , near the town of Siem Reap , Cambodia . The towers are made from rugged laterite and sandstone . The towers are located right in front of Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King , flanking the start of the road leading east to the Victory Gate , on either side of which they are symmetrically arranged . Their function remains unknown .   The current tower 's name in Khmer means `` The towers of the tight-rope dancers '' , a romantic name derived from local belief assuming that they were used to support a high wire stretched between them for acrobatics purpose during royal festivals . This belief however , is irrelevant . Zhou Daguan describes in his records that the towers are used to settle disputes among Angkorian people .   The temple was possible built during the reign of Indravarman II .   Among the twelve towers , the structures identified as N1 tower and N2 antechamber were in danger of collapse and were reconstructed in 2001-2005 by JSA ( Japanese Government Team for the Safeguarding of Angkor ) and APSARA .

neg: Little Cambodia The term Little Cambodia ( or Cambodia Town ) refers to an ethnic enclave of people from the country of Cambodia .   Cambodian presence in the West traces back to the French colonisation of Cambodia from the 1860s to mid-1950s , in which a number of Cambodians migrated to France as students or workers . This group formed the basis of the Cambodian population in France .   While some were able to flee to France shortly after the Khmer Rouge took over in 1975 , most Cambodians left their country after the regime in the 1980s , with most arriving in the United States ( specifically to Long Beach , California ; Lowell , Massachusetts and the New York City borough of the Bronx ) , as well as France ( specifically to Paris and the surrounding Île-de-France region ) .

neg: Sihanoukism Sihanoukism ( ស ហន ន យម Sihanouk Niyum ) is a Cambodian political ideology referring to Norodom Sihanouk 's style of leadership , particularly in the 1950s . Sihanoukist political parties include the Sangkum Reastr Niyum , FUNCINPEC , and the most recent Community of Royalist People 's Party . On 30 June 2006 , in a letter to Sisowath Thomico , Sihanouk urged FUNCINPEC and other parties not to use in their writings or statements `` Sihanoukism '' and `` Sihanoukist '' .

neg: Old Pahang Kingdom Old Pahang Kingdom ( Malay : Kerajaan Pahang Tua ) was a historical polity centred in the Pahang region in the east coast of Malay Peninsula . The polity appeared in foreign records from as early as 5th century and at its height , covered much of modern state of Pahang and the entire southerly part of the peninsula . Throughout its pre-Melakan history , Pahang was established as a mueang or naksat of some major regional Malayic mandalas including Langkasuka , Srivijaya and Ligor . Around the middle of the 15th century , it was brought into the orbit of Melaka Sultanate and subsequently established as a vassal Muslim Sultanate in 1470 , following the coronation of the grandson of the former Maharaja as the first Sultan of Pahang .

neg: Babylonia Babylonia was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in central-southern Mesopotamia ( present-day Iraq ) . A small Amorite-ruled state emerged in 1894 BC , which contained at this time the minor city of Babylon . Babylon greatly expanded during the reign of Hammurabi in the first half of the 18th century BC , becoming a major capital city . During the reign of Hammurabi and afterwards , Babylonia was called Māt Akkadī `` the country of Akkad '' in the Akkadian language .  It was often involved in rivalry with its older fellow Akkadian-speaking state of Assyria in northern Mesopotamia . Babylonia briefly became the major power in the region after Hammurabi ( fl . c. 1792 -- 1752 BC middle chronology , or c. 1696 -- 1654 BC , short chronology ) created a short-lived empire , succeeding the earlier Akkadian Empire , Third Dynasty of Ur , and Old Assyrian Empire ; however , the Babylonian empire rapidly fell apart after the death of Hammurabi .   The Babylonian state , like Assyria to the north , retained the written Akkadian language for official use ( the language of its native populace ) , despite its Northwest Semitic-speaking Amorite founders and Kassite successors , who spoke a language isolate . It retained the Sumerian language for religious use ( as did Assyria ) , but by the time Babylon was founded , this was no longer a spoken language , having been wholly subsumed by Akkadian . The earlier Akkadian and Sumerian traditions played a major role in Babylonian and Assyrian culture , and the region would remain an important cultural center , even under protracted periods of outside rule .   The earliest mention of the city of Babylon can be found in a clay tablet from the reign of Sargon of Akkad ( 2334 -- 2279 BC ) , dating back to the 23rd century BC . Babylon was merely a religious and cultural centre at this point and neither an independent state nor a large city ; like the rest of Mesopotamia , it was subject to the Akkadian Empire which united all the Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one rule . After the collapse of the Akkadian empire , the south Mesopotamian region was dominated by the Gutian people for a few decades before the rise of the Third Dynasty of Ur , which , apart from northern Assyria , encompassed the whole of Mesopotamia , including the city of Babylon .

neg: Ahom language The Ahom language is a nearly extinct Tai language spoken by the Ahom people who ruled the Brahmaputra river valley in the present day Indian state of Assam between the 13th and the 18th centuries . The language is classified in a Northwestern subgrouping of Southwestern Tai owing to close affinities with Shan , Khamti and , more distantly , Thai . As the Ahom rulers of the area assimilated to the more numerous Assamese , the Indo-Aryan Assamese language gradually replaced Ahom as a spoken language , a process which became complete during the 19th century . As of 2000 , Ahom was only known by approximately 200 priests of the traditional Ahom religion and only used for ceremonial or ritualistic purposes .   Although the language is no longer spoken , the exhaustive 1795 Ahom-Assamese lexicon known as the Bar Amra preserves the form of the language that was spoken during the Ahom Kingdom . Ahom is an important language in Tai studies . It was relatively free of both Mon-Khmer and Indo-Aryan influences and has a written tradition dating back to the 13th century .

neg: Economy of Cambodia The economy of Cambodia at present follows an open market system ( market economy ) and has seen rapid economic progress in the last decade . Cambodia had a GDP of $ 18.05 billion in 2015 . Per capita income , although rapidly increasing , is low compared with most neighboring countries . Cambodia 's two largest industries are textiles and tourism , while agricultural activities remain the main source of income for many Cambodians living in rural areas . The service sector is heavily concentrated on trading activities and catering-related services . Recently , Cambodia has reported that oil and natural gas reserves have been found off-shore .   In 1995 , with a GDP of $ 2.92 billion the government transformed the country 's economic system from a planned economy to its present market-driven system . Following those changes , growth was estimated at a value of 7 % while inflation dropped from 26 % in 1994 to only 6 % in 1995 . Imports increased due to the influx of foreign aid , and exports , particularly from the country 's garment industry , also increased .   After four years of improving economic performance , Cambodia 's economy slowed in 1997-98 due to the regional economic crisis , civil unrest , and political infighting . Foreign investments declined during this period . Also , in 1998 the main harvest was hit by drought . But in 1999 , the first full year of relative peace in 30 years , progress was made on economic reforms and growth resumed at 4 % .   Currently , Cambodia 's foreign policy focuses on establishing friendly borders with its neighbors ( such as Thailand and Vietnam ) , as well as integrating itself into regional ( ASEAN ) and global ( WTO ) trading systems . Some of the obstacles faced by this emerging economy are the need for a better education system and the lack of a skilled workforce ; particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside , which struggles with inadequate basic infrastructure . Nonetheless , Cambodia continues to attract investors because of its low wages , plentiful labor , proximity to Asian raw materials , and favorable tax treatment .

neg: George Groslier George Groslier ( -LSB- ʒɔʁʒ ˈgʁo.lje -RSB- ( zhorzh gro-lyay ) ( February 4 , 1887 , in Phnom Penh , Cambodia -- June 18 , 1945 , in Phnom Penh ) was a French polymath who -- through his work as a painter , writer , historian , archaeologist , ethnologist , architect , photographer and curator -- studied , described , popularized and worked to preserve the arts , culture and history of the Khmer Empire of Cambodia . Born in Phnom Penh to a French civil servant -- he was the first French child ever born in Cambodia -- Groslier was taken by his mother to France at the age of two and grew up in Marseilles . Aspiring to become a painter , he tried but failed to win the prestigious Prix de Rome . Shortly afterwards , he returned to Cambodia , on a mission from the Ministry of Education . There he met and befriended a number of French scholars of traditional Cambodian culture . Under their influence , he wrote and published , in France in 1913 , his initial book on this subject : Danseuses Cambodgiennes -- Anciennes et Modernes ( Cambodian Dancers -- Ancient and Modern ) . It was the very first scholarly work ever published in any language on Cambodian dance . He then returned to Cambodia , traveling the length and breadth of the country to examine its ancient monuments and architecture . From this experience came his book A l'ombre d ` Angkor ; notes et impressions sur les temples inconnus de l'ancien Cambodge ( In the Shadow of Angkor : Notes and Impressions on the Unknown Temples of Ancient Cambodia ) . In June 1914 , Groslier enlisted in the French army and was employed as a balloonist in the early part of World War I . It was during this time that he met and married sportswoman Suzanne Cecile Poujade ; they eventually had three children .   He was ultimately reassigned to French Indochina because of his knowledge of the Khmer language . Upon his arrival in Phnom Penh in May 1917 , he was charged with a new mission : to found a new Cambodian art museum and organize a school of Cambodian arts . From 1917 to his retirement in 1942 , Groslier changed the focus of his work from that of merely describing Cambodian culture for a European audience to what he called a `` rescue mission '' to save the indigenous national art forms of Cambodia from destruction . His vision for the museum was to build collections from the full range of Cambodia 's traditional works of art . At the art school , Groslier did not try to make the native culture adapt to that of the colonizing power ; on the contrary , he insisted that the school be run by Cambodians for Cambodians and that no European influence be allowed . He was also intolerant of any attempts by Europeans to loot or damage native art . In 1923 , the 22-year-old writer André Malraux , later to become world-famous , removed some bas-relief statues from a 10th Century temple , Banteay Srei , with the intention of selling them to an art museum . Although Malraux claimed that he was acting within the law , Groslier immediately had him arrested , scarring the former 's reputation in Indochina . Groslier would later contemptuously refer to Malraux as `` le petit voleur '' ( `` the little thief '' ) .   Between 1920 and 1939 , Groslier 's family frequently traveled between France and Cambodia so that the three children could attend schools in France . In 1939 , however , events leading up to the Second World War made such travel increasingly dangerous , and Suzanne was forced to remain in France with their two sons , while Nicole , their daughter , stayed with her father in Cambodia . When the Japanese military occupied Cambodia , because French colonies were then administered by the pro-Axis Vichy regime , violence was initially avoided . But in March 1945 , as the Allies made further advances in Asia , the Japanese relieved French officials of their authority , rounded up all foreign nationals , and placed them under guard in concentration camps . Because of his known enthusiasm for shortwave radio , Groslier was suspected by the Japanese of being part of the anti-Japanese resistance . On June 18 , 1945 , in Phnom Penh , while imprisoned by the Kempeitai , Groslier died under torture . He was later officially recognized as Mort pour la France ( `` Died in the service of France '' ) .   All Groslier 's major work was inspired by his profound love and respect for the Cambodian people and their culture . Referring to his numerous talents , literary scholar Henri Copin has written : Through these disciplines of learning and art he roamed majestically , like that familiar Asiatic figure the elephant , all while exploring the past and absorbing the present of the country that witnessed his birth and , ultimately , his death . Drawing from this matchless wellspring of riches , he was able to convey , in writings both knowledgeable and sensitive , the ties and emotions that bound him to the land of the Khmer and its singular culture . In addition to his extensive body of scholarly writings on the art , archaeology and history of the Khmer people of Cambodia , Groslier 's books include detailed travelogues as well as works of fiction -- such as the novel Retour à l'Argile ( Return to Clay ( 1928 ) ) , which won Le prix de littérature colonial ( Grand Prize of Colonial Literature ) in 1929 -- describing his impressions of , and interactions with , Cambodians . Both institutions he founded , the National Museum of Cambodia and the Royal University of Fine Arts , are still in operation today .

neg: France–Thailand relations France -- Thailand relations cover a period from the 16th century until modern times . Relations started in earnest during the reign of Louis XIV of France with numerous reciprocal embassies and a major attempt by France to Christianize the kingdom of Thailand ( then known as Siam ) and establish a French protectorate , which failed when the country revolted against foreign intrusions in 1688 . France would only return more than a century and a half later as a modernised colonial power , engaging in a struggle for territory and influence against Thailand in mainland Southeast Asia that would last until the 20th century .

neg: Human rights in Cambodia The human rights situation in Cambodia is facing growing criticisms both within the country and an increasingly alarmed international community . After a series of flagrant violation against basic human rights a feeling of incertitude regarding the direction the country is emerging , sometimes comparing the situation to a newborn Burma .   In its report on Cambodia , Human Rights Watch stated that `` Authorities continue to ban or disperse most public demonstrations . Politicians and journalists critical of the government face violence and intimidation and are barred from equal access to the broadcast media . In addition , the judiciary remains weak and subject to political influence . Trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation through networks protected or backed by police or government officials is rampant . The government continues to turn a blind eye to fraudulent confiscation of farmers ' land , illegal logging , and widespread plundering of natural resources . ''   The current state of the country could be described as a semblance of pluralistic democracy . In July 2004 , the royalist opposition party FUNCINPEC formed a coalition government with the Cambodian People Party ( CPP ) after a political deadlock of more than a year . More recently , Sam Rainsy Party ( SRP ) members have been targeted for criminal prosecutions , after seeing the parliamentarian immunity of several SRP members lifted by a criticized closed-door hand vote with members of the parliament .

neg: Western Satraps The Western Satraps , Western Kshatrapas , or Kshaharatas ( 35 -- 405 ) were Indo-Scythian ( Saka ) rulers of the western and central part of India ( Saurashtra and Malwa : modern Gujarat , Maharashtra , Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states ) . They are so named in contrast to the `` Northern Satraps '' who ruled around East Punjab and the area of Mathura .   The Western Satraps were contemporaneous with the Kushans who ruled the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and were possibly their overlords , and the Satavahana ( Andhra ) who ruled in Central India . They are called `` Western '' in contrast to the `` Northern '' Indo-Scythian satraps who ruled in the area of Mathura , such as Rajuvula , and his successors under the Kushans , the `` Great Satrap '' Kharapallana and the `` Satrap '' Vanaspara . Although they called themselves `` Satraps '' on their coins , leading to their modern designation of `` Western Satraps '' , Ptolemy in his 2nd century `` Geographia '' still called them `` Indo-Scythians '' . The power of the Saka rulers started to decline in the 2nd century CE after the Saka rulers were defeated by the south Indian Emperor Gautamiputra Satakarni of the Satavahana dynasty . Later the Saka kingdom was completely destroyed by Chandragupta II of the Gupta Empire in the 4th century CE .   Altogether , there were 27 independent Western Satrap rulers during a period of about 350 years . The word Kshatrapa stands for satrap , itself descended from Old Persian and which means viceroy or governor of a province .

neg: Laos–Thailand relations Laos and Thailand have had bilateral relations for the most part of history . The two countries share a common border , share linguistic and cultural similarities , and have long intertwined histories since the time of their predecessor kingdoms Lan Xang and Ayutthaya in the 15th century . The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang included all of northeastern Thailand as recently as the early 18th century . Thailand 's northeastern region , Isan , has particularly strong Lao roots . Linguistically , the inhabitants of Isan , a third of the Thai population , speak the Isan language , a Lao dialect . Both countries have an interest in making the Mekong River a `` river of true peace and friendship '' , as their respective prime ministers called for in 1976 .   Diplomatic relations between the modern states were established in 1950 , but cross-border cooperation only began at the end of the Cold War .

neg: Samrong Sen Samrong Sen ( alternates : Somron-Seng , Somrong Seng , Somrong Sen , Som-Ron-Sen ) on the east bank of the Stueng Chinit River is a prehistoric archaeological site in the Kampong Chhnang Province , Cambodia . Consisting of a very large fluviatile shell midden , it flourished in particular from 1500 BC to 500 BC .   Excavations at Samrong Sen , which started in the 1880s , have been described as the earliest prehistoric archaeological studies which gave credence to the concept of Southeast Asian Bronze Age . Excavations conducted to depths of 6 m stratifications have revealed that Samrong Sen provides a link to the professional skills and burial practices of the Bronze Age communities who lived in the Banchiang area on the banks of the Chinit River . As Samrong Sen was almost the only known prehistoric settlement in Cambodia for many years , it was visited by many archaeologists and its artefacts were studied by scientists in several countries . It has been characterized as a highly developed Stone Age culture in Indo-China .