Top 10 Largest Cities in the World
Researchers sometimes disagree about which cities are the largest, depending on how they measure the population. Should they include people living in suburbs or outlying towns? Below are some of the largest cities most researchers agree on.
- Tokyo, Japan, which has a population of 35.1 million people was once just a small fishing village. Today it is a bustling center of world finance and technology.
- Sitting near the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, Chongqing, China is a city with almost 29 million people.
- Jakarta is the largest city in Indonesia with a population of 28 million. It is one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
- Half the people living in South Korea – 25.2 million – live in Seoul. This prosperous city sits in the same place as an ancient city, Wirye-Seong, which was established over 2,000 years ago.
- In northern India sits Delhi, a city built by British colonists in the 1930s. The city is the biggest in India, with a population of 22.2 million people.
- Manila in the Philippines is really made up of 16 cities in one crowded area. Over 21 million people live here.
- Aztecs were the original builders of Mexico City, which was destroyed and rebuilt by the Spanish in the 16th century. Today, 21.2 million people live here.
- Established over 1,000 years ago, Shanghai, China has 20.8 million people.
- Founded by the Portuguese in 1532, Sao Paulo, Brazil is the largest city in South America with almost 20 million people.
- Founded in 960 A.D., Cairo is the largest city in Africa with over 19 million people.
Top 10 Largest Cities in the World Facts for Kids
- Being the largest city in Africa is hardly Cairo’s only claim to fame. The al-Azhar University, the world’s second-oldest institution of higher learning is found there. It is also home to the Arab world’s largest and oldest film and music industries making it the Arabic version of Hollywood, Nashville and Detroit all rolled into one.
- Sao Paulo started out the same way as many South American colonies settled by Europeans, as a mission. The first building was a Jesuit college built to house the priests while they strove to teach the natives about Christianity.
- Smog is one of the downfalls of most big cities. It can become a major health hazard. In December of 2013 the Municipal Education Commission of Shanghai had orders to suspend all student outdoor activities due to the dense wave of smog that was making its way through the area. The amount of smog in the air set records for air pollution.
- Often when an area or city was conquered it was renamed. Sometimes for the explorer or conqueror to find it and others just because the old name was too hard for non-natives to say. Tenochtitlan was one of these cities. It makes the top 10 list under the more recent and much easier to pronounce name of Mexico City.
- Transportation within a large city is often difficult. Many urban areas now use various forms of public transportation. Manila was the first city in Southeast Asia to install and use a light rail transport system.
- Education world-wide is important and many cities host prominent universities, though few have as much of a focus on getting their children into those institutions of higher learning as Seoul, Korea. That city boasts specials high schools to support their youth; specifically 235 college-preparatory, 3 science and 6 foreign language in addition to 80 vocational schools, 377 middle schools and 33 special education schools.
- The largest city on our list is not even technically a city. Tokyo is officially known as a “metropolitan prefecture”. There are 23 Special Wards of Tokyo and each of those is governed as an individual city. The original city of Tokyo merged with all these Wards, or mini-cities, in 1943.
Top 10 Largest Cities in the World Vocabulary
- Bustling: Excitedly active; a stir
- Suburbs: Area on the edge of a city or large town
- Institution: Established organization
- Conqueror: Someone who defeats another in combat or subjugates another
- Govern: To administer the public policy
- Mission: Settlement serving as a base for people to travel and teach a religion
- Industry: Goods producing businesses
- Downfall: Cause of decline or a critical error
- Prefecture: District governed by a commander
All About the Top 10 Largest Cities in the World Video
Check out this cool video all about the Top 10 Largest Cities in the World for kids:
A video all about the top 10 largest cities in the world with metropolitan populations.
Top 10 Largest Cities in the World Q&A
Question: What are the 10 largest cities in the U.S.?
Answer: The 10 largest cities in the United States are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas and San Jose.
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