London, Dec. 22 : A new study has found that London outstrips 60 global rivals as an economic and cultural powerhouse

Following months of research of population figures, financial markets, tourism trends, transport facilities and data relating to sports and arts events and transport, the study comes to a dramatic conclusion: London is the world's capital city.

The survey was carried out by The Independent and, for the first time, allows a direct comparison of global cities.

Around the world, civic competition is reaching new heights as cities strive to provide the finest creative, culinary and tourist experiences. This is creating powerhouses such as Delhi and Beijing.

With one of the world's most ebullient stock exchanges, a bustling and economically attractive City, the highest number of Unesco World Heritage Sites in any city, and a truly international restaurant scene that typifies its cultural make-up with more ethnic restaurants than any other metropolis, London scores highly across the board.

Paris came third, winning the title of Continental Europe's capital thanks to its financial clout and busy international airports.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said the research showed London's strength lay in its multicultural makeup.

"London is establishing itself as the world's number one financial centre and greatest city in the world. Londoners are proud of our 'unity in diversity' and regard the multiculturalism of our city as one of its greatest strengths. With over 300 languages spoken here, London is literally the most international city in the world. Its financial sector, its creative industries and its tourism industry all rely, in different ways, on their relations with the rest of the world and, with the achievements of winning the Olympic Games and hosting major sporting events like the Tour de France, we have proved the success of becoming the city that embraces globalisation, " he said.

At the bottom of the table come Addis Ababa and Beirut. Mexico City is at tenth place. New York is placed second in the list. Paris, which lags a full 10 points behind London, is three places above Madrid (sixth) and six ahead of Rome (ninth).

Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco all made it into the top 15.

Other cities to perform well in the survey included Tokyo, but Asian centres such as Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai are closing in.

Delhi and Mumbai both came in way ahead of Russia's former capital St Petersburg, the laidback bliss of Melbourne and even the balmy Mediterranean delights of Israel's capital Tel Aviv. Dublin came in at 30, four places ahead of Edinburgh, while Glasgow was at 42. (ANI)