In every country in the world - a huge number of cities. Small and big, poor and rich, resort and industrial.

All settlements are remarkable in their own way. One is famous for its landscapes, the other is famous for entertainment, the third is for history. But there are also cities that are famous for their area. So, here are the largest cities in the world by area.

The largest city in the world

This title belongs to the city of Chongqing, it is located in the central part of China, and its area is 82,400 square meters. km, although this includes not only the territory of the city itself, but also the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe territory subordinate to the city. According to official figures, the city occupies an area 470 km long from east to west and 450 km wide from north to south, which corresponds to the size of a country like Austria.

Chongqing is administratively divided into 19 districts, 15 counties and 4 autonomous counties. According to 2010 data, the population is 28,846,170 people. But more than 80 percent of the inhabitants live in countryside, in the city itself there are only 6 million people.

Chongqing is one of the ancient cities in China, with a history of more than 3,000 years. In the late Paleolithic era, primitive people already lived here. This is due to the fact that the city was founded on the spot where the Jialingjiang River flows into the full-flowing Yangtze.

The city is surrounded by three mountains: Dabashan in the north, Wushan in the east and Dalushan in the south. Because of the hilly landscape of the area, Chongqing was nicknamed the "mountain city" (Shancheng). It is located at an altitude of 243 meters above sea level.

The largest cities in the world

Often the degree of urbanization reaches the point that expanding cities are so closely intertwined with industrial, transport and cultural ties and merge into one. Such a cluster of "merged" cities is called an urban agglomeration.

One of the largest is the New York agglomeration, formed around one major city, the core of New York. Its total area is 30,671 sq. km, the population is almost 24 million people. The Greater New York agglomeration also includes Northern New Jersey, Long Island, Newark, Bridgeport, the five largest New Jersey cities (Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth, Paterson and Trenton) and six of the seven largest cities Connecticut (Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury, Norwalk, Danbury).

Largest cities by area in North America

But New York is not the most Big city North America and even in their own country. The total area of ​​the center of the largest agglomeration is only 1214.9 sq. km, it consists of 5 districts: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island. The population does not exceed 8.5 million people. Therefore, New York ranks only third in the list of the largest cities by area in North America.

Second place goes to Los Angeles - the city of angels, located in the south of California, its area is 1302 square meters. km. The city is the center of Greater Los Angeles - an agglomeration with a population of over 17 million people. It is also better known as the center of the film industry and entertainment in the field of music and computer games.

The largest city in North America by area is Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. The area of ​​the city is almost 1500 sq. km, and 9 million people live in this territory, it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city was built in a seismically hazardous zone, and earthquakes occur here quite often, which leads to low buildings and, accordingly, its length and area.

Once on the territory of the modern Mexican capital there was a settlement of the Aztec tribe, called Tenochtitlan. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Spanish conquerors founded new town from which Mexico City grew.

Largest cities in South America

One of the largest cities in terms of area is Sao Paulo, its area is 1523 sq. km. But it is the third largest city in South America. It is located in the southeast of Brazil along the Tietê River. With a population of 11.3 million, it is the most populated city in the Western Hemisphere.

Sao Paulo is a city of contrasts, on the one hand it is the most modern city in Brazil, built up with glass and concrete skyscrapers (this is where the tallest building in the country is located - the Miranti do Vali skyscraper). On the other hand, the city traces its history back to the 16th century, and many “echoes of the past” have been preserved on its territory - ancient buildings, museums, churches, which are harmoniously combined with modern buildings.

Second place belongs to the city of Bogota - the capital of Colombia. The largest city in the country, its area is 1,587 sq. km. Bogotá was founded by Spanish colonizers in 1538. The city is located on the site of an Indian fortress called Bakata and became the capital of New Grenada, this is the name Quesada gave to the conquered territory. In 1598, Bogotá became the capital of the Captaincy General of Spain, and in 1739 of the Viceroyalty of New Grenada.

This is a city of futuristic architecture, combined with colonial-style churches and insignificant historical buildings, inhabited by an unfavorable contingent: homeless people, thieves and robbers. Bogota and its suburbs are home to 7 million people, which is one sixth of the total population of Colombia. But Bogota is only the second largest city in South America.

The palm is occupied by Brasilia. The area of ​​the capital of the Republic of Brazil is 5802 square meters. km. True, it became the capital quite recently - on April 21, 1960, becoming the third capital of the country, after Salvador and Rio de Janeiro. The city was specially planned and built in the central part in order to use inactive areas, attract population and develop distant areas. The capital is located on the Brazilian plateau, far from the main political areas.

The construction of the city began in 1957 according to a unified plan focused on progressive construction technologies and the foundations of modern urban planning. It was conceived as an ideal city. In 1986, the city of Brasilia was named a "patrimony of mankind" by UNESCO.

The largest cities in Europe by area

London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, England, as well as the largest city in the British Isles. The metropolis has an area of ​​1572 sq. km. They fit 8 million people. City of fog London plays a major political, cultural and economic role in the life of the UK. The city has Heathrow International Airport, a major port on the Thames, attractions: among them is the complex of the Palace of Westminster with a clock tower, the Tower Fortress, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral.

London from a bird's eye view

But London ranks only third in the list of the largest cities in Europe. The second place is firmly entrenched in the capital of our Motherland - Moscow. Its area is 2510 sq. km, with a population of 12 million people, according to official figures. This is the largest city not only in Russia, but also in Europe, it is also among the top ten cities in the world in terms of population.

The city is not only the political and administrative, cultural and tourist center of the country, but an important transport hub for the entire country. The city is served by 5 airports, 9 railway stations, 3 river ports.

Istanbul is the largest city in Europe. One of the largest cities on the planet and the largest city in Turkey. Istanbul - the former capital of the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman Empires. The city is located on the banks of the Bosphorus. Its area is 5343 sq. km.

Until 1930, the internationally accepted name of the city was Constantinople. Another name, which is still used in the title of the Patriarch of Constantinople, the Second Rome or New Rome. In 1930, the Turkish authorities ordered that only the Turkish version of the name Istanbul be used. Russified version - Istanbul.

Africa's largest cities by area

Cape Town, a city in the southwest of South Africa (South Africa) - its area is slightly inferior to the area of ​​Moscow and is 2,455 square meters. km. It is located on the coast Atlantic Ocean, on the peninsula at the Cape of Good Hope, near the foot of the "Table Mountain". This city is often called the most beautiful city in the world and the most touristic in South Africa due to its amazing nature.

Tourists choose it for its beautiful beaches and surfing. The city center is home to Old Dutch mansions and ornate Victorian buildings.

The largest city in Africa is Kinshasa - the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, its area is almost 10 thousand square kilometers. Until 1966, this city was called Leopoldville. The population of Kinshasa is over 10 million people. But 60 percent of the city is sparsely populated rural areas that are within the city limits. Densely populated areas occupy a small part of the territory in the west of the city. Nevertheless, Kinshasa is the third largest city in the world by area.

The city is located on the Congo River, along its southern coast, stretching for a long distance. Opposite is the city of Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo. This is the only place in the world where two capitals different countries directly facing each other on opposite banks of the river.

Kinshasa is also the second most French-speaking city in the world, behind only Paris. But judging by the rate of population growth, after some time it can overtake the French capital. This is a city of contrasts. Here, wealthy areas with skyscrapers, shopping centers and cafes coexist with slums of shacks and shacks.

The largest cities by area in Australia and Oceania

Sydney is Australia's largest city. Its area is 12,145 sq. km. The population of Sydney is approximately 4.5 million people.

By the way, the city is the capital of New South Wales. Sydney was founded in 1788 by Arthur Philip, who came to the mainland with the First Fleet. This place is the first colonial European settlement in Australia. The city itself was named by the colonists in honor of Lord Sydney, who at that time was the Minister of the British Colonies.

The largest cities by area in Asia

One of the most major cities is the city of Karachi with an area of ​​3527 sq. km. There were settlements on the site of modern Karachi during the time of Alexander the Great. The ancient port of Crocola was located here - Alexander the Great set up camp before going to Babylon. Next was Montobara, Nearchus sailed from here after research.

Later, the Indo-Greek seaport of Barbaricon was formed. In 1729, the fishing town of Kalachi-jo-Gosh became a significant trading center. After 110 years there was a long period of British colonization. Local residents fought against the European invaders, but only in 1940 they were able to become part of an independent Pakistan.

Shanghai occupies almost twice as much territory as Karachi, its area is 6340 sq. km. It is the third largest city in China and the most densely populated, with a population of nearly 24 million people. One of the largest ports in the world is located here, and in general the city is recognized as the largest trading center. The dynamically developing city boasts its ancient history, it is also the first city in China to which European culture came.

The territory of another Chinese city of Guangzhou is slightly more area Shanghai, and is 7434.4 sq. km on land and 744 sq. km at sea. It is the capital of Guangdong Province. With a population of over 13 million, Guangzhou is the fourth largest city in China after Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin. It has more than 2000 years of history, and it was from here, from Canton (this was the former name of the city of Guangzhou) that the famous "Silk Road" began. Ships with outlandish Chinese goods - silk, porcelain and the like - departed from its trading port.

The largest city by area in the world

This is Beijing - the capital of the "Celestial Empire", its area is 16,800 square kilometers, and its population is 21.2 million people. The city is political and educational center China, yielding an economic role to Shanghai and Hong Kong. In 2008, the Summer Olympic Games were held here.

Beijing has almost always been the seat of many emperors in its 3,000-year history, and has retained its status as the center of the country to this day. Imperial palaces, tombs, temples and parks have been preserved here. It honors ancient Chinese traditions, regularly restoring ancient buildings, along with sprawling new districts and skyscrapers. Beijing is also considered the safest city in the world. On the Know Everything website, you can also read an article about the most populated cities in the world. And the list of the largest cities by area does not always coincide with the list of the largest cities by population.
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According to the latest official information, there are 2.5 million cities in the world. According to 2015 data, the largest city in the world in terms of area is Chongqing, in terms of the number of inhabitants - Shanghai, in length - Mexico City, in height - La Rinconada.

Each locality is remarkable in its own way. So, one is famous for its landscapes, the other - for enchanting entertainment, the third - for its history. There are some that are known for their scale. This article will focus on them.

The largest city in the world by area

As mentioned earlier, this is Chongqing. It is located in China (its central part), its area reaches 82,400 square meters. km (except for the territory of the city itself, this includes the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe territory under its jurisdiction). According to official figures, Chongqing covers an area of ​​470 km from east to west. Its width from north to south is 150 km (for comparison: Australia has the same dimensions).

The largest city in the world in terms of area is divided into districts (19 units), counties (15 units, 4 of which are autonomous). The population density, according to data for 2010, reaches 28,846,170 people, but over 80% of the inhabitants mainly live in rural areas, and there are only 6 million city dwellers.

History of Chongqing

This city is recognized as the most ancient in China. Its history has been going on for 3 thousand years. During the late Paleolithic period, it was there that the primitive representatives of the human race lived. The reason for this is the location of the city at the confluence of the Jialingjiang River into the full-flowing Yangtze River. The largest city in the world in terms of area is surrounded by three mountains: Dabashan (from the north), Wushan (from the east), Dalushan (from the south). In connection with the hilly landscape, it was called a mountain city (Shancheng). Chongqing rises to 243 meters above sea level.

10 largest cities in the world

There are quite a lot of them on a global scale. In this regard, the article will only present the rating of cities by area. So, tenth place belongs to London (1.57 thousand km). It is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland. This city is also recognized as the largest city in the British Isles. Its location - r. Thames (64 km from the mouth). The city extends on the flat territory of the famous London Basin. The most high point above sea level (245 m) - Westerham Heights (extreme southeast).

This city is one of the largest British ports, the main industrial center. Its area is 1.56 thousand square meters. km. Year of foundation - 43 AD. e. (the era of the invasion of the Romans under the leadership of the emperor Claudius in Britain). Presumably, by the time of the invasion, a very modest settlement existed, but no evidence of this was found during archaeological excavations. Although the majority of London's historic center has not been excavated, the fact of the existence of a settlement during the above period cannot be completely denied.

Ninth, eighth and seventh place in the ranking

ninth place belongs to Tehran (1.6 thousand sq. km). It is the capital and largest city of Iran, the first of all the imposing cities of Asia. From north to south, the city stretched for 26 km, from west to east - for 40 km. The height difference of the bitter line is 700 m.

As a result of excavations, it was found that the existence of a settlement on the territory of the city dates back to 6 thousand BC. e. The settlers were heading to the slopes of Elbrus, thereby escaping from the sultry heat of the existing saline deserts.

Eighth place- Bogota (1.8 thousand sq. km) - the capital of Colombia. Year of foundation - 1538 (by the Spanish conquistador G. Jimenez de Quesado). Its name translates as "fertile land". The city is located in the basin of the western slope of the Eastern Cordillera. Altitude - 2610 m. This is the largest city in Colombia, which combines futuristic architecture, colonial churches, various kinds of museums with the fact that it is recognized as a city of vagrants, drug dealers, eternal traffic jams and slums.

Seventh place- Ankara (2.52 thousand sq. km) - the capital of Turkey. Location - Atlantic Plateau (confluence of the Chubuk and Ankara rivers) at an altitude of approximately 938 m above sea level. This is one of the oldest cities in Asia Minor. It is located at the crossroads of trade routes that connect Europe with Asia. This city is the second most important and potential Turkish economic center. The development of Ankara is determined by a very convenient location at the traffic intersection, the presence of a significant number of civil servants, students, banking, trade structures, and industrial facilities.

Sixth, fifth and fourth place in the ranking

Sixth place- Alexandria (2.7 thousand sq. km) - the main seaport, the second largest city in Egypt, which stretches for 32 km along the Mediterranean coast. Year of foundation - 332 BC. e. (A. Makedonsky). This is the most important financial, industrial, commercial center of Egypt.

Fifth place- Karachi (3.5 thousand sq. km) is a port city located in the southern part of Pakistan. It is the largest in the country and one of the largest in the world. Karachi is the capital of Sindh. The population density is 12-18 million people.

Fourth place- Istanbul (5.3 thousand sq. km) - the former capital of the Byzantine, Ottoman, Roman, Latin empires. It acts as a significant seaport, cultural, commercial, industrial center Turkey. It is the only city located on two continents at once - Europe and Asia. This is the largest city in Europe.

Top three ranking

Third place- Buenos Aires (4 thousand sq. km) - the Argentine capital. The year of its foundation is 1580 (the coast of La Plata Bay).

Second place- Kinshasa (10 thousand sq. km) - the capital of the Congo. Until 1966, it had a different name - Leopoldville.

The leader of the rating, as mentioned earlier, is Chongqing. It was mentioned at the very beginning. To date, these are the most big cities. The list is gradually changing and supplemented, due to the accelerated growth of the series settlements.

The largest metropolitan areas in our country

For ease of understanding, they are presented in the table below.

City name	Area, sq. km
Saint Petersburg
Volgograd
Novosibirsk
Chelyabinsk
Ekaterinburg
Nizhny Novgorod
Krasnoyarsk
Rostov-on-Don

According to official data, these are the largest cities in Russia. Their scale gradually changes as they develop. It would be useful to consider in more detail such largest Russian cities (by area) as St. Petersburg (the Northern capital) and Moscow.

Capital of the Russian Federation

Moscow is the largest city (in terms of area and population density) of our country. It is the capital of Russia. Moscow is located on the river of the same name. If you look at the map, it is located in the central part of the plain, located in Eastern Europe. Moscow area - 2511 sq. km.

The federal bodies of the Russian state power are concentrated there. Local self-government is well developed. Moscow is the largest financial center. The predominant part of the country's economy is managed directly by the capital. Also, the largest banks and offices are concentrated in it.

As mentioned earlier, the largest city in Europe is Istanbul, but our capital is the largest tourist and cultural European center. Historical, architectural monuments, modern infrastructure in the field of entertainment will not leave anyone indifferent. In Moscow there are over a hundred theaters, sixty museums, among which the most outstanding are the Bolshoi, Maly Theaters, Sovremennik. Fans of opera and ballet can enjoy wonderful performances, virtuoso performances of artists there.

Of the museums, especially popular are: the Museum of Anthropology (antiquities - a reflection of life, traditions of the peoples of the world), the Zoological Museum, named after Pushkin.

Every guest of the capital, without exception, should visit the Tretyakov Gallery. The largest collection of our fine arts is demonstrated there. In general, everything that Moscow is rich in cannot be described, it is better to see with your own eyes.

Historical chronicles

Moscow is the historical capital of the pre-existing Grand Duchy of Moscow. Her exact age is still not known. In the second half of the 13th century, during the reign of Prince Danil Alexandrovich (son of A. Nevsky), Moscow acquired the status of the center of an autonomous specific principality. At that time, the city was located in the place of a trade interchange, which is why it had the opportunity to grow and develop.

In the XIV-XV centuries. Moscow has already become a major craft and trade city. By the end of the XV century. it received the status of the capital of the largest Russian state.

Northern capital: historical facts, sights

St. Petersburg is one of the most charming cities in the world. His beauty is strict and lyrical at the same time. It is known that during the first 10 years of its existence it grew rapidly (already by 1714 there were about 34.5 thousand buildings). Magnificent palaces, cathedrals, parks, gardens, squares with statues surrounded by picturesque greenery were erected. Peter is a city-museum.

This city has been considered the capital since the time when the entire royal court moved from Moscow to the banks of the Neva (1712). Having intercepted the exits to the Baltic, our state entered the circle of the countries of the North - traditional exporters of leather, fish, iron, timber, lard, grain. Petersburg became the largest foreign trade center of Russia. At the end of the Petrine era, it was from here that almost half of our total exports to the countries of Western Europe were exported.

Then such an important state enterprise as the Mint was transferred from Moscow (1724). In the vicinity of St. Petersburg, palace manufactories arose.

To date, the area of ​​the city of St. Petersburg is 1439 square meters. km, population density - approximately 4.75 million people. The northern capital is located at the 60th degree with. sh., which gives it the status of the world's largest metropolis located in such high latitudes. St. Petersburg extends for 35 km along the coast of the Neva Bay (Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea), affecting the mouth of the Neva, about. Neva delta.

The largest cities of the Russian Federation by population density

For clarity, the information is best presented in a table.

Population density, pers.	City name
	Moscow
	Saint Petersburg
	Novosibirsk city
	Yekaterinburg city
	Nizhny Novgorod
	Kazan
	Chelyabinsk
	Samara
	Rostov-on-Don
	Krasnoyarsk
	Volgograd

These are the largest cities in Russia in terms of population density in 2015.

Finally, it is worth recalling that the article considered the largest cities of our country and Europe. A rating of the 10 largest cities in the world in terms of occupied area is presented.

With the development of industrialization, more and more people are moving from the countryside to the cities. This is a natural process called urbanization. The area of ​​cities and the number of inhabitants is growing steadily. Which city has the largest population? What is the largest city in the world by area? Read the answers in our ranking of the top 10 big cities.

The largest cities in the world by population

To determine the largest cities of the world by the number of inhabitants inhabiting them, in April 2018, scientists conducted research "Demographia. World Urban Areas 14th Annual Edition". In their measurements, scientists took into account only urban agglomerations with continuous development. fused agglomerations treated as one object. So where does the largest number of people live? You will find the answer in the following list.

Agglomeration - compact cluster of settlements with a clear central city.

Top 10 largest cities in the world by population:

1. Tokyo - Yokohama. The largest city in the world by population. The population is 38050 thousand people. This agglomeration is formed by the merging of the two largest cities in Japan. Tokyo is the capital of the state, and Yokohama is the largest port in the country.
2. Jakarta. The population is 32275 thousand people. The capital of Indonesia is growing with new residents at a very fast pace
3. Delhi. In the Indian metropolis, there are 27280 thousand inhabitants. The city is the second largest in India, it is the capital of the country, New Delhi.
4. Manila. The Philippine capital is home to 24,650 thousand people, most of whom live below the poverty line.
5. Seoul - Incheon. The agglomeration from the capital of Korea and the surrounding cities is also overpopulated - 24,210 thousand inhabitants.
6. Shanghai. The leader among Chinese settlements in terms of population growth - 24,115 thousand as of April 2018. It is the largest seaport in the world and the most important financial and cultural center of China.
7. Mumbai. The number of inhabitants is growing rapidly due to the standard of living above the Indian average - 23,265,000. The economic capital of India, 40% of all foreign trade falls on this settlement.
8. . The US financial center also attracts a huge number of people - 21,575,000.
9. Beijing. The capital of China is home to 21,250,000 people. Since 2015, population growth has slowed down, and by 2018 it has stopped.
10. Sao Paulo. The most densely populated metropolis in the Southern Hemisphere - 21,100 thousand inhabitants. The city is an important financial center of Brazil, accounting for 12% of the country's GDP.

And our capital Moscow still occupies the 15th place in this rating with 16,855 thousand people, but this number is growing very quickly. But among countries by the number of million-plus cities Russian Federation holds an honorable fourth place. China, India and Brazil are ahead of us in this indicator.

The largest city in the world by area

There is also a system for measuring the area of ​​settlements, including the whole territory. This method does not take into account the continuity and density of buildings. In this option, the territory is calculated taking into account water and mountain areas. What is the largest city in the world by area? Find the answer to this question in the list below.

List of largest cities by area:

1. Chongqing (China) - 82403 km². It is believed that the largest city in terms of area in the world - chinese city central subordination Chongqing. The area they cover is huge. But these are measurement data together with suburbs and villages, there is no continuous development in this territory and the population density is only 373 people / km². And its urbanized area is only 1473 km². That is why it cannot be fully called the largest city in the world. The population of this administrative unit 30,751,600 people.
2. Hangzhou (China) - 16847 km². The second among all cities in the world in terms of territory. Hangzhou is located on the east coast of China. It is inhabited by 8.7 million inhabitants.
3. Beijing (China) - 16411 sq. km. Located in the east of the country, the most dynamically developing center of China - GDP growth from 2005 to 2013. amounted to 65%. That is why a huge number of labor migrants live in it - over 10 million illegal immigrants.
4. Brisbane (Australia) - 15826 sq. km. Located on the east coast of Australia. Brisbane is very multiethnic, and 21% of its population are foreigners.
5. Asmara (Eritrea) - 15061 sq. km. Despite the vast territory of the African capital, only 649,000 people live in it, because most of it is occupied by low-rise buildings.

The largest cities in the world by area

To the list of the largest urban agglomerations and conurbations entered like beautiful cities with rich history and many attractions, as well as the greatest industrial centers.

Conurbation - urban agglomeration without a clear dominant center.

The largest urban agglomerations by area:

1. . The largest agglomeration on the planet in terms of its area - occupies 11,875 square kilometers. The financial capital of America and the state of the same name.
2. Boston - Providence, USA. With all suburbs - 9189 sq. km.
3. Tokyo - Yokohama, Japan (Tokyo is the capital). The agglomeration of the largest cities in Japan is located on a large territory - 8547 km².
4. Atlanta. This American city with its agglomeration is located on 7296 square kilometers. It is the capital and compatible largest city of the state of Georgia.
5. Chicago. Together with the suburbs, it occupies 6856 km². It is the second largest financial center in the United States.
6. Los Angeles. The American city with nearby territories is located on 6299 sq. km. Capital of the State of California.
7. Moscow, Russia. The Moscow agglomeration with all suburbs of continuous development occupies 5698 square kilometers.
8. Dallas - Fort Worth. Represents conurbation of many small cities, is located on 5175 square kilometers.
9. Philadelphia. 5131 sq. km.
10. Houston, USA. 4841 square kilometers.
11. Beijing, the capital of China. Quite an extended city - 4144 sq. km.
12. Shanghai, China. 4015 sq. km.
13. Nagoya, Japan. 3885 sq. km.
14. Guangzhou - Foshan, China. 3820 sq. km
15. Washington, USA. The capital of America covers an area of ​​3424 square kilometers.

Largest cities by population density

From year to year urban overcrowding problem is becoming more and more acute. Over the past 20 years in major cities South-East Asia population growth averages more than two percent per year. Which city has the highest population density? We have collected information on this subject in the following list.

Top 10 largest cities by population density:

1. Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is the most densely populated city in the world - 43,079 people / km², and in one of the regions this figure reaches 68,266 people / km². Moreover, more than 60% of the population lives in urban slums.
2. Calcutta, India. The population density is 27462 per square kilometer. Over the past 10 years, the population has decreased by 2%. A third of them live in urban slums.
3. chennai, India. Density - 24418 people per square kilometer. A quarter of all residents live in slums.
4. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. 23234 people per square kilometer. The annual population growth is 4.2%, which is one of the highest rates in the world.
5. Mumbai, India. 20694 The standard of living here is somewhat higher than in other cities of the country. Therefore, population growth is predictable.
6. Seoul, capital South Korea. This city is also densely populated - 16626 people / km². The capital of Korea is home to 19.5% of all residents of the country.
7. Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. 14469 people / km² Back in the 80s, the density was 8000 inhabitants per square kilometer, and by 2018 it had almost doubled.
8. Lagos, Nigeria. 13128 people per km².
9. Tehran, the capital of Iran. 10456 inhabitants per 1 square kilometer.
10. Taipei, the capital of the Republic of China (Taiwan). 9951 people per km².

Video about the largest cities

K:Wikipedia:KU pages (type: not specified)

List of cities in the world by population with a population of over 4 million as of January 2015. There are 3 cities with a population of more than 20 million people and 16 cities with a population of more than 10 million people. The largest cities are Shanghai (24,150,000), Karachi (23,500,000) and Beijing (21,150,000). There are two Russian cities among the largest cities: Moscow (10th place) and St. Petersburg (43rd place). The table shows the population of cities without taking into account the suburbs.

Cities by population

#	City	Population (people)	City area (km 2)	Population density (person / km 2)	A country
1	Shanghai	24,150,000 (with rural suburbs)	6 340,50	3 809	PRC PRC
2	Karachi	23 500 000	3 527,00	6 663	Pakistan Pakistan
3	Beijing	21,516,000 (with rural suburbs)	16 410,54	1 311	PRC PRC
4	Delhi	16 314 838	1 484,00	7 846	india india
5	Lagos	15 118 780	999,58	17 068	Nigeria Nigeria
6	Istanbul	13 854 740	5 461,00	6 467	Turkey Turkey
7	Guangzhou	13 080 500	3 843,43	3 305	PRC PRC
8	Mumbai	12 478 447	603,40	20 680	india india
9	Tokyo	13 370 198	622,99	14 562	japan japan
10	Moscow	12 197 596	2 561,50	4 814	Russia, Russia
11	Dhaka	12 043 977	815,80	14 763	Bangladesh Bangladesh
12	Cairo	11 922 949	3 085,10	3 864	Egypt Egypt
13	Sao Paulo	11 895 893	1 521,11	7 762	Brazil Brazil
14	Lahore	11 318 745	1 772,00	3 566	Pakistan Pakistan
15	Shenzhen	10 467 400	1 991,64	5 255	PRC PRC
16	Seoul	10 388 055	605,21	17 164	The Republic of Korea The Republic of Korea
17	Jakarta	9 988 329	664,12	15 040	Indonesia Indonesia
18	Kinshasa	9 735 000	1 117,62	8 710	Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo
19	Tianjin	9 341 844	4 037,00	2 314	PRC PRC
20	mexico city	8 874 724	1 485,49	5 974	Mexico Mexico
21	Lima	8 693 387	2 672,30	3 253	Peru Peru
22	Bangalore	8 425 970	709,50	11 876	india india
23	London	8 416 535	1 572,15	5 354	UK UK
24	NY	8 405 837	783,84	10 724	USA USA
25	Bangkok	8 280 925	1 568,74	5 280	Thailand Thailand
26	dongguan	8 220 207	2 469,40	3 329	PRC PRC
27	Tehran	8 154 051	686,00	11 886	Iran Iran
28	Ahmedabad	8 029 975	475,00	11 727	india india
29	Bogota	7 776 845	859,11	9 052	Colombia Colombia
30	Ho Chi Minh City	7 681 700	2 095,60	3 667	vietnam vietnam
31	Hong Kong	7 219 700	1 104,43	6 537	PRC PRC
32	Baghdad	7 180 889	4 555,00	1 577	Iraq Iraq
33	Wuhan	6 886 253	1 327,61	5 187	PRC PRC
34	Hyderabad	6 809 970	621,48	10 958	india india
35	Hanoi	6 844 100	3 323,60	2 059	vietnam vietnam
36	Luanda	6 542 944	2 257,00	2 899	angola angola
37	Rio de Janeiro	6 429 923	1 200,27	5 357	Brazil Brazil
38	Foshan	6 151 622	2 034,62	3 023	PRC PRC
39	Santiago	5 743 719	1 249,90	4 595	Chile Chile
40	Riyadh	5 676 621	1 233,98	4 600	Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
41	Singapore	5 399 200	712,40	7 579	Singapore Singapore
42	Shantou	5 391 028	2 064,42	2 611	PRC PRC
43	Saint Petersburg	5 225 690	1 439,00	3 631	Russia, Russia
44	Pune	5 049 968	450,69	6 913	india india
45	Ankara	5 045 083	1 910,92	2 282	Turkey Turkey
46	chennai	4 792 949	426,51	21 057	india india
47	Abidjan	4 765 000	2 119,00	2 249	Cote d'Ivoire Cote d'Ivoire
48	Chengdu	4 741 929	421,00	11 260	PRC PRC
49	Yangon	4 714 000	598,75	7 873	Myanmar Myanmar
50	Alexandria	4 616 625	2 300,00	2 007	Egypt Egypt
51	chongqing	4 513 137	1 435,07	3 145	PRC PRC
52	Calcutta	4 486 679	200,70	24 252	india india
53	Xi'an	4 467 837	832,17	5 388	PRC Links . geogoroda.ru. Retrieved 14 July 2016. An excerpt characterizing the List of cities in the world by population Napoleon enters Moscow after a brilliant victory de la Moskowa; there can be no doubt about victory, since the battlefield remains with the French. The Russians retreat and give up the capital. Moscow, filled with provisions, weapons, shells and untold riches, is in the hands of Napoleon. The Russian army, twice as weak as the French, does not make a single attempt to attack for a month. Napoleon's position is the most brilliant. In order to fall on the remnants of the Russian army with double strength and exterminate it, in order to negotiate a favorable peace or, in case of refusal, to make a threatening movement against Petersburg, in order even, in case of failure, to return to Smolensk or Vilna , or stay in Moscow - in order, in a word, to keep the brilliant position in which the French army was at that time, it would seem that no special genius is needed. To do this, it was necessary to do the simplest and easiest: to prevent the troops from being plundered, to prepare winter clothes that would be enough in Moscow for the entire army, and to properly collect provisions for the entire army that were in Moscow for more than six months (according to French historians). Napoleon, the most brilliant of geniuses and having the power to direct the army, historians say, did nothing of the sort. Not only did he not do any of this, but, on the contrary, he used his power to choose from all the paths of activity presented to him that which was the most stupid and pernicious of all. Of all that Napoleon could do: spend the winter in Moscow, go to St. Petersburg, go to Nizhny Novgorod, go back, north or south, the way that Kutuzov went later - well, whatever you think up is more stupid and more pernicious than what he did Napoleon, that is, to remain in Moscow until October, leaving the troops to plunder the city, then, hesitating whether to leave or not to leave the garrison, leave Moscow, approach Kutuzov, do not start fighting, go to the right, reach Maly Yaroslavets, again without experiencing the chance to break through , go not along the road that Kutuzov went, but go back to Mozhaisk and along the devastated Smolensk road- nothing could be more stupid than this, more detrimental to the army, as the consequences showed. Let the most skillful strategists come up with, imagining that Napoleon's goal was to destroy his army, come up with another series of actions that would, with the same certainty and independence from everything that the Russian troops did, would completely destroy the whole French army, like what Napoleon did. The brilliant Napoleon did it. But to say that Napoleon destroyed his army because he wanted it, or because he was very stupid, would be just as unfair as to say that Napoleon brought his troops to Moscow because he wanted it, and because that he was very smart and brilliant. In both cases, his personal activity, which had no more power than the personal activity of each soldier, only coincided with the laws according to which the phenomenon took place. Quite falsely (only because the consequences did not justify the activities of Napoleon) historians present to us the strength of Napoleon weakened in Moscow. He, just as before, as after, in the 13th year, used all his skill and strength to do the best for himself and his army. Napoleon's activity during this time is no less amazing than in Egypt, in Italy, in Austria and in Prussia. We do not know correctly about the extent to which the genius of Napoleon was real in Egypt, where forty centuries looked at his greatness, because all these great feats are described to us only by the French. We cannot correctly judge his genius in Austria and Prussia, since information about his activities there must be drawn from French and German sources; and the incomprehensible surrender of corps without battles and fortresses without siege should incline the Germans to recognize genius as the only explanation for the war that was waged in Germany. But there is no reason for us to recognize his genius in order to hide our shame, thank God. We have paid to have the right to simply and directly look at the matter, and we will not cede this right. His activity in Moscow is as amazing and ingenious as elsewhere. Orders after orders and plans after plans come from him from the moment he enters Moscow until he leaves it. The absence of residents and deputations, and the fire of Moscow itself, do not bother him. He does not lose sight of either the good of his army, or the actions of the enemy, or the good of the peoples of Russia, or the administration of the valleys of Paris, or diplomatic considerations about the forthcoming conditions of peace. In military terms, immediately upon entering Moscow, Napoleon strictly orders General Sebastiani to follow the movements of the Russian army, sends corps to different roads and Murat orders to find Kutuzov. Then he diligently orders the strengthening of the Kremlin; then he makes an ingenious plan for a future campaign across the entire map of Russia. In terms of diplomacy, Napoleon calls to himself the robbed and ragged captain Yakovlev, who does not know how to get out of Moscow, sets out to him in detail all his policy and his generosity and, writing a letter to Emperor Alexander, in which he considers it his duty to inform his friend and brother that Rostopchin badly ordered in Moscow, he sends Yakovlev to Petersburg. Having set out in the same detail his views and generosity before Tutolmin, he sends this old man to St. Petersburg for negotiations.

Recently, more and more people prefer to live in urban areas. The largest city in the world in terms of area, Chongqing has a population in 2010 of about 28 million people. According to various estimates, about half of the world's population now lives in cities. At the same time, the total area of ​​the world's cities is not so large - just over 1% of the land area.

Modern urbanization, that is, the process of growth of cities and urban population, began in the middle of the twentieth century and especially affected developing countries. It is characterized not only by the growth of the population, but also by the growth of cities, the formation of large agglomerations. This leads to the fact that modern megacities become colossal in size, which is confirmed if we consider the largest cities.

The largest cities in the world

There may be several answers to the question of which is the largest city in the world in terms of area. The reason for this is the uncertainty of the borders and the very concept of “city”. However, the Chinese Chongqing is considered the generally accepted record holder, which extends over 82,400 km 2, which is comparable to the area of ​​Austria. On the site of this city, people began to settle, according to local archaeologists, as early as 3000 years ago.

No wonder, because it is in this place that the Jialing River flows into the Yangtze, and to the west of the city extends the Red Pool - the breadbasket of China. Among other things, the city is surrounded by three mountain ranges like a fortress wall: Dabashan in the north, Wushan in the east and Dalushan in the south. Despite the fact that the process of urbanization is in full swing, only about 2% of the territory is urban development with all the characteristics of the city, while most of it is in suburban and rural areas. That is why in terms of population it is not even included in the top twenty largest cities on the planet.

In recent years, China has been developing rapidly. Therefore, it is not surprising that the largest cities in the world are located here. Not only the aforementioned Chongqing, but also the largest in terms of population, Shanghai, which is ahead of Tokyo in its growth. The largest city is also located in this country and is its capital.

Beijing extends over 16,800 km2 and, unlike Chongqing, is heavily urbanized and constantly growing. In early 2005, the government adopted a plan that aims to halt the city's sprawl in all directions by concentrating it in two semi-circular lanes to the west and east of the city centre. The example of Beijing clearly shows the negative aspects of growth and increasing urbanization: traffic jams, air pollution, violation and destruction of architectural monuments.

The famous Beijing smog calling card cities along with the Forbidden City. Traffic jams in Beijing are no longer inferior to those in Moscow, despite the fact that the number of cars in relation to the population there is much less. The city is not saved by the constant expansion of highways, the construction of new roads and the introduction of more stringent parking and travel rules in various urban areas.

China in the future has every chance of becoming a leading country in urban planning. IN last years The Chinese government talks about the need to increase the level of consumption within the country for economic growth. This requires urbanization and migration to cities from rural areas. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is here that the largest cities in the world are located, which will continue to grow in the future.

Already now, ahead of time, the country is developing construction technologies and implementing various projects to optimize urban space and improve the quality of life of the population. And the cities themselves and urban areas are being built ahead of schedule. This has led to the fact that the largest ghost town in the world is located in one and a half billion China.

New Ordos is the largest city with high-rise buildings and developed infrastructure, but without a population. It extends over 355 km 2 and is designed for more than 1 million inhabitants. People actually live there, but there are not many of them - according to various estimates, from 30 to 100 thousand. This does not prevent the university, libraries, municipal services, public transport and even the tourist office from fully working. All this is here and even functions, except perhaps for no one.

But local officials do not despair and gradually move people from the surrounding villages to city apartments, reviving the city. This is generally characteristic of Chinese ghost towns: they are gradually filled with people, because every year about 10 million people move to cities. Most characteristic example- Shanghai's Pudong district, which has become a landmark of the country thanks to its futuristic skyscrapers. Even 15 years ago, it was an abandoned city. Now it houses many offices, shopping centers.