What is The Mall, London?
[[File:The Coldstream Guards Troop Their Colour MOD 45165212.jpg|thumb|300x300px|The Mall, looking northeast towards [[Admiralty Arch]]]] [[Image:The Mall London.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Mall, looking southwest towards [[Buckingham Palace]]]] [[File:The Mall - Gate to Green Park 2009.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The Mall: gate to [[Green Park]]]] [[File:Admiralty Arch - geograph.org.uk - 479325.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Admiralty Arch]] [[File:Flags Saint George's Day 2011 in Trafalgar Square, London.jpg|thumb|230px|right|The White Ensign, flag of [[Royal Navy]], shown on St George's Day.]] '''The Mall''' <ref>{{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|æ|l}} [http://londonist.com/2011/10/pronunciation.php How do you pronounce Theydon Bois?] Londonist.</ref> is a short but important road in [[London]]. It runs from [[Buckingham Palace]] at its western end to [[Whitehall]], right near [[Trafalgar Square]]. On the way, it runs through [[Admiralty Arch]]. It is closed to traffic on Sundays and public holidays, and on ceremonial occasions. The Mall was built as a ceremonial route in the early 20th century. There are similar ceremonial routes in cities such as [[Berlin]], [[Mexico City]], [[Oslo]], [[Paris]], [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Vienna]] and [[Washington, D.C.]]. These routes are often used for major national ceremonies. When the Mall was built, a new façade (front face) was constructed for Buckingham Palace, and the [[Victoria Memorial (London)|Victoria Memorial]] was erected. The [[Victoria Memorial, London|Queen Victoria Memorial]] is in front of the gates of the Palace, whilst Admiralty Arch at the far end leads into Trafalgar Square. The length of The Mall from where it joins Constitution Hill at the Victoria Memorial end to Admiralty Arch is exactly {{convert|0.5|nmi}}. [[St. James's Park]] is on the south side of The Mall, opposite [[Green Park]] and [[St James's Palace]], on the north side. Running off The Mall at its eastern end is [[Horse Guards Parade]], where the [[Trooping the Colour]] ceremony is held. The surface of The Mall is colo