East London is a popularly and informally defined part of London, capital of the United Kingdom lying east of the ancient City and north of the River Thames. East London comprises the whole of six modern London Boroughs – Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Havering – and the greater part of a seventh, Hackney. The East End of London is a subset of East London, corresponding to areas closer to the ancient City.