The largest cities in the world by area and population - top 10

Finding out which city is the largest in the world is easy. True, there will be several such megacities. After all, some are leaders in terms of size, others in terms of population.

The largest cities in the world by population

When studying a modern geographical map, it is difficult to determine in which settlements the most people live and which city is the largest in the world. Indeed, over time, numerous suburbs joined large megacities: small towns, villages, large and small villages. Neighboring settlements formed vast areas of continuous construction - agglomeration. Such zones are clearly visible on satellite images in clear weather due to artificial lighting, which is used in cities and suburbs. The largest agglomerations are located in different corners of the globe, millions of people live in each of them.

Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city and the most populated metropolis on the American continent, occupies the tenth place in the world. It is a multinational port with developed tourism and a rich cultural life with a population of about 20 million people. It harmoniously combines ancient buildings and modern architectural ensembles of glass and metal.

The largest city in the United States, New York, is in 9th place. It is home to more than 8 million people, and the New York metropolitan area has about 21 million inhabitants. This metropolis is an influential economic and financial center not only of the country, but also of the world. Broadway theaters and the Statue of Liberty are the city’s most famous landmarks. New York experienced the bulk of the saddest events in US history in recent decades - the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.Foreign tourists consider this city the most attractive place to visit in the United States.

Mumbai (the old name is Bombay) is in eighth place. Together with the suburbs, the most populated city in India has more than 22 million inhabitants. This is a place where the cultures of Asia and Europe are combined, national traditions are preserved, and local residents are happy to participate in festivals and celebrations of numerous ethnic groups.

Chinese Shanghai ranks seventh in the ranking with a population of more than 23 million inhabitants. The city has low crime and unique modern architecture. In it, buildings of new construction are adjacent to historical structures, the second largest skyscraper in the world is located. Among the agglomerates, it is in seventh place, and among the cities of Shanghai it takes the first place.

Karachi used to be the capital of Pakistan. Now it remains simply the largest city in the country, the center of its business, commercial and industrial life. At the beginning of the 18th century, Karachi was a small fishing village, now it occupies the sixth place in the top of the largest megacities in the world. The population of Karachi is more than 23 million people, the city is actively developing and is considered one of the fastest growing.

Seoul is the capital of the Republic of Korea and the center of the fifth largest agglomeration in the world with a population of more than 24 million people. Royal palaces of ruling dynasties in the past, museums, national parks with Buddhist temples and centers of modern art - there is something to see for a curious tourist. Seoul is considered one of the best cities for shopping, and in institutions you can always try something delicious.

The fourth line belongs to the capital of the Philippines. In the city of Manila and the surrounding areas, more than 24 million people live. It is one of the busiest ports in the world with a developed industry. Ancient buildings attract tourists, there are many religious and historical attractions.

In 3rd place, the oldest city among megacities is Delhi. The capital of India is more than 5 thousand years old. There are nine administrative districts in the city with a total population of more than 26 million people. New Delhi is the central part with rich skyscrapers, a government quarter and excellent infrastructure. It is very different from the Delhi slums with miserable shacks, in which there are no basic sanitary conditions for life. There are no water pipes, and more than twenty families use one toilet. Numerous mosques, temples, historical monuments, regular religious festivals, markets with a variety of goods and dishes of exotic Indian cuisine - all this is also Delhi's hallmark.

Almost 32 million people live in Jakarta and it is the second largest city with the largest population. In this province with the capital status, there are many mosques, temple complexes, parks and entertainment venues for every taste.

The population of Tokyo, along with the city of Yokohama, is almost 38 million people. This record is unlikely to be able to beat any megalopolis in the near future. People inhabited these places back in the Stone Age, but only the last 100 years, Tokyo has gradually turned into one of the modern and developed cities in the world and has become the largest city in the world in terms of population. It consists of many islands and the mainland. It is one of the three world financial leaders along with London and New York. The population of Tokyo agglomeration is larger than the entire Asian part of Russia.

You can compile various ratings of the largest cities. Some lists take into account the size of the territory, others - the number of people. In addition, in different countries the concept of "city" is completely different.

Top 10 largest settlements by area

Some cities distinguished themselves not by the number of people living in them, but by their size.

The leader of the rating is Chongqing, which occupies about the same territory as Austria. It became the largest city in the world by area due to the features of the division of the territory adopted in China. In Chongqing, the densely populated part is very small, and more than 90% are suburban areas, which are also administratively considered urban areas.

Largest capitals of countries: list

The capitals of different states often become leaders of various ratings. For example, in the list of the largest agglomerations there are many such capital cities. Some of them occupy completely small areas, but tens of millions of people live on them. Others, on the contrary, are located in large spaces, but have a relatively small population. The list of the largest capitals by area has its own leaders.

The recognized favorite of this list is the Chinese city of Beijing. It is not only the largest capital city in the world, but also a fairly populated city - more than 20 million inhabitants live in it. Beijing is developing rapidly, has an amazing atmosphere and attracts millions of tourists every year.

It is not possible to answer unequivocally the question about the largest city in the world. You can compile a lot of different ratings and each time get acquainted with new interesting cities in the world.