Top 10 Largest Cities in the World (by population)

The biggest cities in the world have all become densely populated megastars in the most recent time in human history. Driven by the industrial revolution, millions and millions of people around the world are increasingly leaving the countryside of their countries to settle in the big cities. There they find jobs, better educational opportunities, better infrastructure, and more that characterizes big city life.

Today, there are nearly 500 cities on Earth with a population of more than 1 million. 23%, about 1 in 4 people, of the world's population live in one of these cities. But the top 10 largest cities in the world today easily exceed 10 million people.

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10 BIGGEST CITIES IN THE WORLD BY POPULATION:

1. SHANGHAI, China

23.4 million people

2. BEIJING, China

21.5 million people

3. ISTANBUL, Turkey

15.1 million people

4. KARACHI, Pakistan

14.9 million people

5. TOKYO, Japan

13.9 million people

6. LAGOS, Nigeria

13.1 million people

7. SHENZHEN, China

12.9 million people

8. MUMBAI, India

12.8 million people

9. MOSCOW, Russia

12.5 million people

10. SAO PAULO, Brazil

12.2 million people

10 biggest cities in the world

1. Shanghai, China

Shanghai's Pudong District, the world's largest city by urban population.

Established: In 746 (as Qinglong Town)

Area: Shanghai City, China

Urban city population: 23.4 million

Metropolitan population: ~ 34.0 million

Founded in 746 and originally named 'Qinglong Town', Shanghai (literally meaning "On the Sea") has since grown to become the largest city in the world with a metropolitan population. appropriate market. More than 23 million people call the city the Eastcoast home of China, more populous than China's capital city. And there is no sign that Shanghai will stop growing anytime soon. It is one of the major economic centers anywhere in the world.

2. Beijing, China

Founded: 1045 BC (named Jicheng)

Area: Beijing City, China

Urban city population: 21.5 million

Metropolitan population: ~ 24.0 million

The capital of China is also one of the oldest cities in the country and in the world. More than 21 million people live in the capital today. Beijing was founded in 1045 BC (BC) as 'Jicheng'. From its earliest years, the city has served as the capital of various entities throughout Chinese history. It was first the capital of the ancient Chinese Bang Ji (hence the original name), later it became the capital of the next Bang Yan. Beijing eventually became the capital of a unified China. Beijing can be literally translated as "Northern Capital", referring to the city's geographical location in Northeast China.

3. Istanbul, Turkey

Được thành lập: Năm 660 trước Công nguyên (như Byzantium ) Khu vực: Tỉnh Istanbul, Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ

Urban city population: 15.1 million

Metropolitan population: ~ 15.5 million

Istanbul has had many names over the years and has consistently been among the most populous cities in the world for the past 2,500 years. With a current population of more than 15 million, the city has hit a new record in recent times. The city was originally founded by the ancient Greeks in 660 BC and was named 'Byzantium'. Due to its attractive geographical location right between Europe and Asia, the city very quickly developed into an extremely powerful and important city both commercially and geopolitically.

The city was later conquered by the Romans. Roman Emperor Constantine I then renamed the city 'Constantinople' (City of Constantine) in 330 and made it the Eastern capital of his Roman Empire. In 1453, the Ottoman Empire conquered the city and made it their capital. Today, the city is named Istanbul (translated from Ancient Greek literally "city") and is part of the present-day Republic of Turkey.

4. Karachi, Pakistan

Founded: 1729 (as Kolachi)

Location: Sindh, Pakistan

Urban city population: 14.9 million

Metropolitan population: ~ 16.1 million

Karachi is a very spread out city, with no distinctive downtown area and characteristic skyscrapers in its midst. As a result, many may be surprised that the major port town of Pakistan is actually the 4th largest city in the world with a population of just under 15 million. The city was only founded in 1729, but grew enormously after the British Empire took control of Karachi in 1839. Karachi was originally named Kolachi in honor of the fisherman Mai Kolachi, who is said to have been named Kolachi. was founded the town after heroically saving her husband in the middle. of a great storm. Although no longer the capital, Karachi is often considered the most economically and culturally important city in the now independent country of Pakistan.

5. Tokyo, Japan

Thành lập: Năm 1457 (as Edo ) Khu vực: Quận Tokyo, Nhật Bản

Urban city population: 13.9 million

Metropolitan population: ~38.2 million

Tokyo is the fifth largest city in the world by urban population. At the same time, Japan's capital represents a major part of the world's largest urban population. Nearly 14 million people live in Tokyo proper, but more than 38 million people live in the Greater Toyko Area including cities such as Yokohama (3.6 million inhabitants), Kawasaki (1.4 million inhabitants) or Saitama (1.2 million inhabitants). million people). Tokyo was originally founded in 1457 as 'Edo' (Japanese for estuary) in an area formerly inhabited by only a handful of fishermen. Japanese Emperor Meiji made Edo the new capital of his Empire in 1868 and changed its name to Tokyo, which literally translates to "Eastern Capital". A fitting name for the metropolis in Japan's Eastcoast.

6. Lagos, Nigeria

Established: 15th Century (as Eko)

Region: Lagos State, Nigeria

Urban city population: 13.1 million

Metropolitan population: ~ 21.0 million

Nigeria's largest city is also the largest city on the entire African continent. The city was founded around the 15th century as "Eko" after the Benin Empire conquered the entire area that is now the city. Only a short time later, the city was renamed by the Portuguese colonists, who took over the area in the late 15th century, to Lagos (Portuguese for "Lake"). The British, who took over the city later, kept the name. As the largest city in now independent Nigeria, Lagos is also among the fastest growing cities anywhere in the world. This is not really surprising considering that Nigeria is generally among the most populous and fastest growing countries in the world.

7. Shenzhen, China

Thành lập: Năm 1953 Khu vực: Quảng Đông, Trung Quốc

Urban city population: 12.9 million

Metropolitan population: ~ 23.3 million

Shenzhen represents the youngest city to date in the Ranking of the Top 10 Largest Cities in the World by Population. Although only established in 1953, the city in Southeast China, right on the border with Hong Kong, now has nearly 13 million inhabitants within its city limits. No other city in the world has grown so rapidly in such a short time.

8. Mumbai, India

Founded: 3rd century BC

Region: Maharashtra, India

Urban city population: 12.8 million

Metropolitan population: ~ 20.7 million

Mumbai is the largest city of India. The city consists of seven islands separated by rivers. Mumbai was founded in the 3rd century BC when it became a major settlement in the Maurya Empire. The city is named after the goddess Mumbadevi, who represents Mother Earth in Hinduism. It quickly developed into one of the most important cities on the Indian subcontinent, both economically and culturally.

In 1534, the city came under Portuguese rule, who renamed the city "Bombaim" (Portuguese for "Good Little Bay"). A century later, the British Empire took over India including Mumbai and changed its Portuguese name to "Bombay", a name by which the city is still known in much of the English-speaking world. As the largest city of the independent second most populous country on Earth, the city's official name was changed back to Mumbai, now home to nearly 13 million people.

9. Moscow, Russia

Established: 1147

Region: Central Federal District, Russia

Urban city population: 12.5 million

Metropolitan population: ~ 20.0 million

Originally a small wooden fortress named after the Moskva River, Moscow has now grown into the capital and is by far the largest and most important city of the Russian Federation. The rise of Moscow began in the 13th century when the predecessor state of Russia, Kievan Rus, centered in Kyiv, Ukraine, was destroyed by continued invasions by the Mongols. Daniel Nevsky, the youngest son of the ruler of Kievan Rus, Alexander Nevsky, inherited the wooden fortress and later made Moscow the capital of what first became the Principality of Moscow and later the Tsarist Russian Empire (although for only two years, Saint Petersburg served as the main capital of tsarist Russia). Moscow also later became the capital of the communist Soviet Union and is now the capital of present-day Russia, home to 12 and a half million people.

10. Sao Paulo, Brazil

Founded: 1554 (as Sao Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga)

Region: State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Urban city population: 12.2 million

Metropolitan population: ~21.6 million

Sao Paulo (“Saint Paul”) is the largest city in Brazil and also the largest Portuguese-speaking city in the world. The city was originally founded as a Jesuit college for priests named Sao Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga. It was founded by Portuguese colonists, who took over the area in the 16th century. The city remained a small village of little importance until the early 18th century when gold was found in the area. around the city. The gold rush created a rapid and extremely rapid population growth for the city, quickly making it the economic center of Brazil. The city's name was later shortened to Sao Paulo and it is now the largest city in South America's most populous country. It is home to more than 12 million people.