Do you know which is the largest city in the world? If not, continue reading, as we have explained all the essential information regarding the same in this blog post. Even if you already know, you might find some important details here.
As you must be aware, the world is made up of seven continents, which in turn, are made up of several countries. Each country or nation has states which are made up of different urban and rural areas. Urban areas can be classified into cities and towns. The geographical area and population of a city are larger compared to a town. Cities are more developed than towns.
When it comes to finding out ‘which is the largest city in the world?’, you might come across different answers on the Internet. The reason behind the same is that it’s not necessary that the city largest by area is also the city largest by population. Therefore, the correct answer depends on what exactly you want to know.
What to Understand Before Finding Out the Largest City in the World?
Before you learn about the largest city in the world, you should understand some basic facts regarding the definition of a city. Most people think that a city and a metropolitan area are one and the same, but it’s not true. A metropolitan area covers a city and nearby regions.
Thus, in the language of Statistics, you can say that a city is a subset of a metropolitan area. Both the city and the metropolitan area are settlements of people, but the latter is a more densely populated area compared to the former. A simple example that can help you comprehend the difference between these two units of the geographical area is Melbourne city in Australia.
When you think about Melbourne, you might think that it is a single place, but in reality, Melbourne can mean both ‘The Metropolitan Melbourne’ and ‘The City of Melbourne’. Metropolitan Melbourne consists of the City of Melbourne and other regions. These other regions are mostly suburbs. The term ‘suburb’ means an area situated outside the main city of a metropolitan area.
While the metropolitan area includes both residential and commercial structures, a suburb mostly contains residential structures. Some suburbs contain a few small stores and businesses. ‘The Metropolitan Melbourne’ is also known as ‘The Greater Melbourne Area’. The area of metropolitan Melbourne is 9993 square kilometers, whereas the area of the city of Melbourne is 37.7 square kilometers.
Moreover, the definition of a city might vary from one country to another. Now, let’s have a look at the largest cities in the world on the basis of different parameters. We have considered the geographical area, population, and other parameters for compiling our list.
Find Out Which is the Largest City in the World as Per the Geographical Area
The largest city in the world, by taking the geographical area into account, is Tokyo.
Located in the country of Japan, Tokyo is the largest city as per geographical area or size. The size of Tokyo is 2194 square kilometers. In terms of miles, its size or area is 847.1081 miles. The population of Tokyo is around 14 million people. It’s worth mentioning here that we are referring to the ‘Tokyo Metropolis Area’ and not the ‘Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area’.
If you are wondering, “What is Tokyo Metropolis Area”, “What is Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area” or “What is the Difference Between Tokyo Metropolis Area and Greater Tokyo Metropolitan?”, then let us explain some details here.
The Tokyo metropolis area is different from the Tokyo metropolitan area. The Tokyo metropolis area is an outcome of the merger of the former ‘Tokyo Prefecture’ and the ‘City of Tokyo’. At times, Tokyo Metropolis is also called the Tokyo Prefecture by many people. You might be having a question in your mind “why have we included the prefecture in the blog post regarding the largest city?”. You might be feeling that it’s technically incorrect.
Well, we have an answer to your question. While Tokyo is often referred to as a city, it is governed as a metropolitan prefecture. It has the attributes of both a city and a prefecture. Tokyo can be considered a unique city in this regard. Tokyo city was merged with the Tokyo Prefecture in the year 1943.
The Tokyo Metropolis VS The Tokyo Metropolitan Area
Before you learn more about Tokyo Metropolis and Tokyo Metropolitan, you must know that Tokyo Metropolis is the capital of Japan. The correct name of the Tokyo Prefecture is ‘Tokyo-to’. The Tokyo Metropolis or Prefecture is one of the forty-seven prefectures in the world.
It comprises administrative entities of special wards and municipalities. The Tokyo prefecture is a part of the Kanto region on the central coast of Honshu, which is the largest island in Japan. It is located at the head of Tokyo Bay, which is a large body of water connected to the Pacific Ocean.
Now, let’s understand what is the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area or the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. It comprises the Tokyo Prefecture (Metropolis) and other regions. To be more precise, the Tokyo Metropolitan Area consists of the Tokyo Metropolis Area and three prefectures. These three prefectures are ‘Kanagawa’, ‘Saitama’, and ‘Chiba’.
The size of the Tokyo metropolitan area is 13,500 square kilometers. The population of the Tokyo metropolitan area is 37 million. The Tokyo metropolitan area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. It contains around 25 percent of the total population of Japan. It is 3 times larger than Yokohama, which is the second-largest city in Japan. The Tokyo metropolitan area is 1.5 times larger than Seoul, which is the second-largest metropolitan area in the world.
Some Interesting Facts About Tokyo Metropolis Area
- The former name of Tokyo is ‘Edo’. It was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate, which is also known as the Edo shogunate. The Tokugawa shogunate was the military government that ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868.
- Shinjuku Station, which is a major railway station in the Shinjuku and Shibuya wards in Tokyo, is the busiest railway station in the world.
- Along with the world’s busiest railway station, the world’s busiest intersection is also located in Tokyo. This intersection is the Shibuya Crossing.
- The first Disneyland resort built outside the United States of America is Tokyo Disneyland. Sprawled across a large area of 114 acres, the Tokyo Disney Resort contains Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.
- The Tokyo Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Asia and the second largest stock exchange in the world in terms of market capitalization.
- Tokyo is an exceptionally safe city for residents and travelers. It often appears at the top of lists featuring the safest cities in the world.
- The ‘Hen na Hotel’, which is the first and only hotel run by robots in the world, is located in Tokyo. The hotel has amenities like keyless locking and entry and free Wi-Fi.
Find Out Which is the Largest City in the World as Per the Population
The largest city in the world, by taking the population into account, is the New York City
Located in the United States of America, New York City is the largest city as per population. It is a part of New York, which is one of the fifty states of the USA. In order to differentiate between the New York state and New York City, the word ‘City’ is used with the name of the city.
Along with the fifty states, the United States of America also includes the District of Columbia, which is also known as Washington D.C. The population of New York City or NYC is 18.8 million. New York City is the largest city in the USA. It consists of five boroughs, which are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. The size or area of New York City is 1223.59 square kilometers.
The term ‘Borough’ is used to refer to a town, which despite being a part of a larger town, has its own council or government. A borough is an administrative or political division similar to a county. Each borough in New York City has its own significance and characteristics.
The population of New York City was 8.3 million in the year 2019. Thus, it can be understood that the population of this city has increased considerably in the past three years. The major reason behind the same is that NYC attracts millions of immigrants every year. A large number of people all over the world dream of living in the USA. The preferred destination of most of these people is New York City.
New York City: Let’s Understand All Five Boroughs Properly
Each of the five boroughs of New York City has various neighborhoods, i.e., regions or localities. Manhattan is the geographically smallest yet the most densely populated borough of NYC. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is one of the original counties of the U.S. state of New York. Manhattan is believed to be the heart of New York City.
Brooklyn was once a city, but then it merged with New York City. The merger happened in the year 1898. Brooklyn is coextensive with Kings County in the New York state. Brooklyn has attractive tourist destinations. Queens is located across the East River from Manhattan.
The Bronx, which was once synonymous with poverty and crime, has made tremendous progress over the years. It is the northernmost of all five boroughs of NYC. Staten Island is the southernmost and the least populated of all five boroughs of New York City. As the name suggests, Staten Island is an island.
New York City VS New York State VS New York Metropolitan Area
It’s important to mention here that the United States of America has New York City, the New York Metropolitan Area, and New York State. We have already mentioned that New York City is one of the cities of the New York State. NYC is the most populous city in not just the New York state but also the United States of America.
The New York Metropolitan Area, which is also known as the ‘Tri-State Area’, comprises the city and suburbs of New York City. It also comprises north and central New Jersey, three counties in western Connecticut, and five counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania are the states in the USA.
Apart from the regions mentioned above, the New York Metropolitan Area also includes some regions of the New York State. These regions are Long Island, the Mid-Hudson Valley, and the Lower Hudson Valley. The size and the population of the New York Metropolitan Area are 8936 square kilometers and 20.1 million, respectively.
New York City: History, Culture, Religion, Ethnicity, Language, and More
New York City needs no introduction since it’s popular throughout the world. As we have mentioned earlier in this blog post, it is one of the major immigration hubs of the world. It is the most densely populated major city in the USA. It is also one of the most populous megacities in the world. The term ‘megacity’ refers to a large city. Usually, cities with a population of more than 10 million people are called megacities.
A long and interesting history is associated with New York City. A visit made by an Italian named Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524 is believed to be the first documented visit to New York Harbor. Henry Hudson, who was an English explorer, rediscovered New York Harbor in the year 1609.
In 1624, a permanent European presence was established near New York Harbor. The modern city of New York was formed by consolidating Brooklyn, the county of New York, the county of Richmond, and the western portion of the County of Queens in the year 1898.
Rich culture and the coexistence of people from varied religions and ethnic backgrounds are two of the most highlighted characteristics of New York City. As people from different parts of the world migrate to NYC, you can witness various religious practices being followed in the city. English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, German, Italian, French, Greek, Hindi, Punjabi, and Bengali are some of the languages spoken in NYC.
Some Interesting Facts About New York City
- The New York Public Library is the third largest library in the world. Containing more than 50 million books, the library is the second largest library system in the USA.
- New York City is the most linguistically diverse city in the world. More than 800 languages are spoken in this city, where a language other than English is spoken in 4 out of 10 households.
- The number of Chinese people living in New York City is higher than the number of Chinese people living in any other city outside of Asia. Similarly, the number of Jewish people living in New York City is higher than the number of Jewish people living in any other city outside of Israel.
- The Federal Reserve Bank in New York City has the largest gold storage in the world. More than 7000 tons of gold bars are there in the gold vault of the bank.
- There are 27,373 restaurants in New York City as of 2022. This city is home to some of the best restaurants in the world.
- The Statue of Liberty, which is an iconic monument in the USA, was gifted by France to New York City in 1886. The structure was shipped in 350 separate pieces. It was assembled on Ellis Island in 4 months.
- New York City is on the way to becoming home to ‘The Lowline’, which is the first underground park in the world. This park is located in the Manhattan borough of the city.
Largest Cities in the World as Per Some Other Parameters
Tokyo Metropolis Area and New York City are the largest cities in the world in terms of area (size) and population, respectively. But along with them, some other regions are also termed as ‘the largest cities in the world’ on the basis of certain factors or parameters. Let’s see which are those regions and why they are called the largest cities.
Chongqing Municipality in China
Located in China, Chongqing is considered to be the largest city by many due to its size. However, it is not exactly the largest city, as Chongqing does not meet the definition of a city. Chongqing is a municipality and not a city. The Chongqing municipality is situated at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in southwestern China.
The municipality of Chongqing consists of the city of Chongqing and several noncontiguous cities. It is divided into 26 districts, 8 counties, and 4 autonomous counties. The city of Chongqing, or the Chongqing city, includes urban and suburban regions.
It is one of the four municipalities that come under the direct administration of the central government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Of the four municipalities, only Chongqing is located deep inland. The Chongqing municipality is the most populous municipality in China. Chongqing is sprawled across 82,300 square kilometers. The population of the municipality of Chongqing is more than 31 million.
The history, culture, and other aspects of this municipality are worth learning. The Chongqing municipality was located within Sichuan province during the Republic of China era. It separated from Sichuan province in the year 1997.
Some Interesting Facts About Chongqing
- It is one of the top 100 cities in the world in terms of scientific research outputs, according to the Nature Index database.
- It has become a highly important industrial city and economic center in western China. Industries like chemicals, electronics, food processing, and machinery exist in this municipality.
- It serves as the headquarters of one of the four major car manufacturers in China. It is also the largest area for the manufacturing of motorcycles in China.
- It is an important coal-mining base in southwestern China. A gas purification plant, a hydroelectric station, and a hydropower plant are also located in Chongqing.
- It has one of the world’s 50 busiest airports in the world. This airport is Jiangbei International Airport. The monorail system of Chongqing has the greatest number of stations.
- It is known for its mountainous terrain and natural beauty. Chongqing is surrounded by tall mountains and hills. Chongqing is a perfect amalgamation of royal history and modern lifestyle.
- It has the Baiheliang Underwater Museum, which is an underwater museum located in Fuling District. Built around the White Crane Ridge, this museum is the first underwater museum in China.
Sermersooq Municipality in Greenland
Sermersooq is a municipality in Greenland, an inland country that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. When people try to check ‘which is the largest city in World?’, one of the probable answers that they get is Sermersooq. The reason behind the same is the area of Sermersooq municipality. The area of this municipality is 5,31,900 square kilometers.
Having a population of around 23,000 people, the municipality of Sermersooq is the most populous municipality in Denmark. Sermersooq is located in south-central and eastern Greenland. It includes former municipalities of eastern and southwestern Greenland.
Thus, it can be seen that different cities can be termed the largest cities in the world. Whenever you wish to visit the largest city in the world, you can visit any of these cities. You should conduct a significant amount of research and plan your itinerary well before traveling to any city.
Conclusion
We hope that you would have enjoyed reading this blog post. We also hope that all your doubts regarding the largest cities must have been resolved.
