Bishopsgate, in the City of London. - London is a major centre for international business and commerce and is one of three 'command centres' for the global economy (along with New York City and Tokyo).[15] As Europe's largest city economy, year-by-year, London's economy generates approximately 19% of the UK's GDP[16] or £219 billion in 2005; whilst the entire London metropolitan area generates approximately 30% of UK GDP or £345 billion in 2005.[17] London shifted to a mostly service-based economy earlier than other European cities, particularly following the Second World War. London's success as a service industry and business centre can be attributed to many factors: English becoming the new lingua franca; its former position as the capital of the British Empire; its close relationship with the US and various countries in Asia; English law being the most important and most used contract law in international business, the multi-cultural infrastructure (schools, places of worship, cultural and social organisations); relatively low taxes, particularly for foreigners (non-UK domiciled residents do not get taxed on their foreign earnings); a business friendly environment (e.g. in the City of London the local government is not elected by the resident population but instead by business - the City of London is a business democracy), good transport infrastructure, particularly its aviation industry and a deregulated economy with little intervention by the government. [citation needed] Over 85% (3.2 million) of the employed population of greater London works in the services industries. Another half a million employees resident in Greater London work in manufacturing and construction, almost equally divided between both.[citation needed] London has five major business districts: the City, Westminster, Canary Wharf, Camden & Islington and Lambeth & Southwark.