The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is located in east London, England.  The borough lies in the East End of London, to the north of the River Thames.  The name ‘Tower Hamlets’ derives from the Tower Division, an area of Middlesex that spanned the current borough as well as a fraction of the London Borough of Hackney.  The settlement developed as a collection of small villages situated around the walls of the city and the main roads leading into London.  It was originally a rural area with farmland and marshes, and its community made money through farming and shipping.  The district underwent significant development in the 19^th century, and was heavily populated in the late-19^th century due to an influx of immigrants.  Many people moved to the neighbourhood after being displaced from former central London slums, and the area became poor and overcrowded.  It was not until 1965 that the London Borough of Tower Hamlets was established, bringing together the nearby areas of Bethnal Green, Poplar and Stepney.  Tower Hamlets has undergone extensive regeneration and is now one of the hosts of the 2012 Summer Olympics.