Greater London is often referred to as "the City" or "the Square Mile" and it forms the main financial district. Archaically, the urbanised area of London was known as the Metropolis. In common usage, the terms "London" and "Greater London" are usually used interchangeably. Greater London is officially divided for some purposes, with varying definitions, into Inner London and Outer London. For some strategic planning purposes it is divided into five sub-regions. Greater London is under the strategic local governance of the Greater London Authority (GLA). It consists of an elected assembly, the London Assembly, and an executive head, the Mayor of
Mile End railway station (London) Mile End railway station (London) Mile End was a railway station in Bethnal Green, east London, opened in 1841 by the Eastern Counties Railway on its line between the Shoreditch terminus and Coborn Road. Shoreditch station was later renamed Bishopsgate, and an additional station called Bishopsgate (Low Level) opened preceding Mile End. In 1872 a new connection between Liverpool Street, which by then was the new terminus of the Great Eastern Railway, and Hackney Downs was opened and Mile End station was closed and replaced by Bethnal Green Junction just to the west, which later became known simply as Bethnal