It's no secret that most people prefer to live in cities where all the benefits of civilization are available. Due to the fact that the number of people wishing to become city dwellers is increasing every day, settlements are gradually increasing in size, turning into megacities. What are the largest cities in the world, how many residents they live in, and what area they occupy - cognitive information in our article.

The largest cities in the world by population

The last population census in each country was carried out at different times, and constant migration greatly complicates the calculations. Therefore, some of the data on which the rating is based may no longer be relevant. But still, the list of the largest megacities looks something like this.

  1. For several years, Chinese Shanghai has been on the first place among the most populated cities in the world. Here, according to the census, 24 ml are constantly living. 150 thousand people. In order to conveniently accommodate all residents, the metropolis is constantly growing, and most of all - in height. Therefore, Shanghai boasts the largest skyscrapers. At the same time, many architectural sights have been preserved here, some of which are up to seven hundred years old.
  2. The city of Karachi, which is located in southern Pakistan, has 23 million 200 thousand inhabitants. Small in age (about 200 years), this metropolis is actively growing, increasing its area and population. A distinctive feature of the city is the diversity of nationalities that constantly inhabit it. A mixture of cultures, customs and social strata gives the metropolis a special touch.
  3. The third step in the ranking is Beijing - the capital of China. The population of the metropolis is 21 million 710 thousand people.This is the oldest city in the TOP 5, because it was founded back in the distant 5th century BC. Today it is a real tourist mecca, people from all over the world come here to see the emperor’s palace and other architectural masterpieces with their own eyes. At the same time, the city is actively developing, there is a skyscraper in 106 (!) Floors.
  4. The Indian capital of Delhi boasts a population of 18 million 150 thousand. This is the most contrasting city in the ranking. Indeed, in it you can see the breathtaking high-rise buildings in fashionable areas, and wretched slums, where several families are crowded in the same hut without any amenities. In addition, the city has many old temples, castles and fortresses that amaze with their splendor.
  5. Turkish Istanbul, according to the end of 2017, has 15 million 500 thousand people. It is the largest city in Europe. Moreover, the metropolis is developing rapidly, and the number of residents is growing by about 300 thousand every year. Istanbul has a good location on the banks of the Bosphorus, which contributes to its development and prosperity.

Briefly get acquainted with the next five largest cities in the world in terms of population.

  • Tianjin is a large Chinese metropolis. It is home to 15 million 470 thousand people. He began his development with a small village, and then became a large port city.
  • The Japanese capital of Tokyo has 13 million 743 thousand inhabitants. The city is actively developing, citizens have a high standard of living, thanks to which more and more people flock to the metropolis.
  • The largest city of Nigeria, Lagos has a capacity of 13 million 120 thousand inhabitants. Moreover, the density of their placement is quite high: 17,000 people per square kilometer. The city is divided into slums and areas with huge skyscrapers. In Africa, it is the largest metropolis.
  • Guangzhou is another city in China. 13 million 90 thousand people live here. The metropolis is called the center of world trade. It attracts tourists with ancient historical monuments that coexist peacefully with modern urban buildings.
  • Indian Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is a leader among megacities in population density. Indeed, in an area of ​​600 square kilometers, 12 and a half million people live. This city became famous thanks to a number of film studios, united under the name of Bollywood. All popular Indian films are filmed here.

The top ten ranking lists as many as four Chinese cities along with the capital. This is logical given that one sixth of the world's population lives in China.

Top 10 largest settlements by area

  1. Chongqing is the largest city in the world by area. It is located in China, its length is 82 thousand 400 square kilometers.
  2. The Chinese metropolis of Hangzhou has an area of ​​16 thousand 840 km2.
  3. The capital of China is located on 16 thousand 801 km2.
  4. Australian Brisbane has an area of ​​15,826 km2.
  5. The city of Chengdu (China) occupies 13 thousand 390 km2.
  6. Australian Sydney is located on a territory of 12,144 km2.
  7. The metropolis of Tianjin (China) has 11 760 km2 of area.
  8. Melbourne (Australia) is spread over 9 thousand 990 km2.
  9. The capital of Congo Kinshasa has 9 965 km2 area.
  10. The Chinese city of Wuhan has 8,494 km2 of territory.

Rating of the largest ghost cities in the world

  1. The Chinese city of Ordos began to be built in 2003, it was planned that about a million people would live in it. The metropolis until 2010 has grown in the territory of 355 square kilometers. But the cost of housing did not allow residents to purchase real estate, as a result of which the houses remained half empty. Today, the number of inhabitants barely reaches 50 thousand.
  2. The resort town of San Ji in Taiwan is dead, no one lived in it at all. The project built ultramodern houses in the form of UFO plates. It was expected that rich people would relax in them, tourists would come to look at the original architecture and have fun in numerous complexes.But during the crisis, the financing of the project stopped, and the city was not popular. He became a wasteland.
  3. On the island of Cyprus is Famagusta - an abandoned city. It used to be a major trade and economic center. But he was left without residents because of the war between Turkey and Greece. Countries cannot agree to whom the territory should belong. Therefore, the city has become a kind of border, fenced with barbed wire.
  4. American Detroit has only recently been a thriving city. Today it has only a few thousand inhabitants. More and more people are leaving the city due to poor environmental conditions. The reason for this is the construction of large industrial automobile enterprises. Today, the city has a high crime rate, which also does not contribute to comfortable living and pushes residents to move.
  5. Russian Neftegorsk became uninhabited after the 1995 earthquake. Powerful tremors did not leave alive more than 2 thousand inhabitants, destroyed almost all the buildings. There was no point in rebuilding the city, so only ruins remained in its place.
  6. The Japanese city of Namie was the victim of a huge disaster. In 2013, the Fukushima nuclear power plant exploded, after which all residents were evacuated. Today, it is forbidden to enter the territory of Namie, since the level of radiation remains dangerous.
  7. The city of Centralia in the United States became home to anthracite miners who came here from all over America and remained alive even after the closure of the mines. But the decision of the city authorities to burn garbage was disastrous for the whole city. In 1962, coal deposits in the ground began to smolder from the fire, carbon monoxide emissions began to occur. It was decided to evacuate the population. According to official figures, today 10 people live there.

Largest capitals of countries: list

Most of the population is the capital of China, Beijing - 21 million 710 thousand. In addition, it is the largest city among the capitals.

Further, the twenty capitals of the world look in this order relative to the number of inhabitants.

  • Delhi (India) - 18 million 150 thousand;
  • Tokyo (Japan) - 13 million 742 thousand;
  • Moscow (Russia) - 12 million 500 thousand;
  • Seoul (South Korea) - 10 million 422 thousand;
  • Lima (Peru) - 10 million 251 thousand;
  • Jakarta (Indonesia) - 9 million 608 thousand;
  • Mexico City (Mexico) - 9 million 100 thousand;
  • Cairo (Egypt) - 9 million 153 thousand;
  • London (Great Britain) - 8 million 539 thousand;
  • Bangkok (Thailand) - 8 million 281 thousand;
  • Bogota (Colombia) - 8 million 81 thousand;
  • Singapore (Singapore) - 5 million 889 thousand;
  • Santiago de Chile (Chile) - 5 million 150 thousand;
  • Cape Town (South Africa) - 3 million 740 thousand;
  • Berlin (Germany) - 3 million 611 thousand;
  • Nairobi (Kenya) - 3 million 240 thousand;
  • Madrid (Spain) - 3 million 166 thousand;
  • Athens (Greece) - 3 million 91 thousand;
  • Buenos Aires (Argentina) - 3 million 80 thousand

Related:More from the author: