World's Biggest Megacities - December, 2012

City of the Wandering Spirit
Artist: Tatiana Iliina - Oil Painting

Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Urban Area Population (Est.): 13.5 million people
City Area Population (Est.): 2.9 million people
URBAN DETAIL: Buenos Aires is known for its European style architecture and culture, a legacy of the
Spanish and Italian origins of most of the population. It has the highest concentration of theatres in
Latin America and is the birthplace of Tango music and dance.
(Source: Reuters)

Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
Coordinates:
Latitude: 34 37’ South
Longitude: 58 23’ West
According to the 2012 edition of Demographia's
World Urban Areas index, the capital of Argentina is
the second largest urban area in South America after
Sao Paulo. Its per capita income is among the highest
in Latin America and its quality of life is ranked
number one in the region, although some estimates
say that 4 million people in the area live in poverty.
It is also reportedly the most visited city in Latin
America.

Karachi, PAKISTAN
URBAN DETAIL: After Pakistan won independence from the British and separated from India Karachi’s
population increased hugely as hundreds of thousands of Muslim migrants from India settled
there, transforming its demographics and economy.
(Source: Reuters)

Coordinates:
Latitude: 24 51’ North
Longitude: 67 02’ East
Students attend a rooftop evening class in a private
school in a slum area in Karachi, the largest city, main
seaport and financial centre of Pakistan.
Karachi is the second largest city proper in the world
after Shanghai and accounts for about 20 per cent of
Pakistan’s GDP.
It is growing rapidly due to rural-urban migration.
Karachi, PAKISTAN

Kolkata (Calcutta), INDIA
URBAN DETAIL: Much of the city was originally wetland and swamp. The land was reclaimed over the
centuries to accommodate the rapidly increasing population. Kolkata is where Mother Teresa began her
work caring for the poor and the sick.
(Source: Reuters)

Kolkata (Calcutta), INDIA
Coordinates:
Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, sits on the banks of the
River Hooghly which empties into the Bay of Bengal.
The city is India’s oldest port and the commercial and
cultural capital of East India, with the third largest
economy in South Asia after Mumbai and Delhi.
Here Kolkata students smear each other with
coloured powder during Holi, the Indian festival of
colours heralding the beginning of Spring.

Los Angeles, USA
URBAN DETAIL: Los Angeles is home to the largest Mexican, Guatemalan, and Korean populations
outside of those countries. Almost 40 per cent of the city’s population was born outside the United
States.
(Source: Reuters)

Los Angeles, USA
Coordinates:
Los Angeles is the second biggest city in the United
States by land size.
An extensive grid of freeways, boulevards, and
smaller neighbourhood roads spans the city.

Dhaka, BANGLADESH
URBAN DETAIL: Dhaka is known as the rickshaw capital of the world as most people get around using
cycle rickshaws or auto-rickshaws.
(Source: Reuters)

Dhaka, BANGLADESH
Coordinates:
One of the fastest growing cities in the world, Dhaka
has attracted economic migrants from all over
Bangladesh.
As many as one quarter of Dhaka’s residents live in
crowded slums, according to the World Bank.

Moscow, RUSSIA
URBAN DETAIL: With more passengers than New York City and London combined, Moscow has the
world’s second busiest metro system after Tokyo. It serves more than nine million people a day, has 182
stations, and 301 kilometres (187 miles) of routes.
(Source: Reuters)

Moscow, RUSSIA
Coordinates:
By far Europe's biggest city, Moscow has been
swelled by rising numbers of migrants from other
parts of Russia and the former Soviet states, attracted
by higher living standards.
Russia’s expanding economy has attracted people to
the capital which is becoming richer.

Guangzhou-Foshan, CHINA
URBAN DETAIL: Ahead of the Asian Games in 2010 many buildings were demolished to make way for
more modern developments as property prices soared and developers poured billions into real estate.
(Source: Reuters)

Guangzhou-Foshan, CHINA
Coordinates:
Historically known as Canton, Guangzhou is China’s
third largest city and located on the Pearl River in
southern China about 120 kilometres northwest of
Hong Kong.
It is a critical trading port and capital of China’s
industrial and manufacturing province of
Guangdong, which has been one of the fastest
urbanizing areas of the world for many years.

Mumbai, INDIA
URBAN DETAIL: Over half of the city’s population lives in slums. Poor infrastructure and widespread
poverty make it very difficult to meet the demands of an ever-growing population.
(Source: Reuters)

Mumbai, INDIA
Coordinates:
Mumbai – called Bombay until the name was
changed in 1995 – is the commercial and movie
capital of India and has attracted millions of migrants
from the countryside.
With high birth rates and the continued influx of
migrants, Mumbai’s population is expected to grow
rapidly in the future.

Keihanshin (Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto), Japan
City Area Population (Est.): N/A million people
URBAN DETAIL: Large parts of the city of Kobe were destroyed in the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995
which claimed over 6000 lives and caused about 100 billion dollars in damages. The disaster was widely
seen as a major wake up call for the Japanese emergency services and led to improvements in
construction that paid dividends during the massive 2011 earthquake.
(Source: Reuters)

Keihanshin (Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto), Japan
City Area Population (Est.): N/A million people
Coordinates:
Made up of the commercial and industrial city of
Osaka, the port of Kobe, and the ancient cultural
capital of Kyoto, the Kansai megacity encompasses all
aspects of Japanese life from the neon lit Dotonbori
shopping district in Osaka pictured here to the Zen
gardens and geisha houses of Kyoto.
It is home to about 15 per cent of Japan’s population.

Beijing, CHINA
URBAN DETAIL: Bicycles are a common means of transportation for most people in Beijing. But the
number of cars is increasing by an estimated 15,000 every day.
(Source: Reuters)

Beijing, CHINA
Coordinates:
China’s capital hosted a spectacular if controversial
Olympic Games in 2008.
Despite spending billions to clean the city's air,
average air pollution levels remain five times above
WHO (World Health Organisation) safety standards.
WHO - Air Quality and Health Standards - Fact Sheet

Cairo, EGYPT
URBAN DETAIL: The city is also known by the name “Al-Qahirah”, “The Triumphant” in Arabic. It is
home to the oldest and biggest music and film industry in the Arab world .
(Source: Reuters)

Cairo, EGYPT
Coordinates:
Located on the banks of the Nile River, Cairo is the
biggest urban area in Africa and in the Arab world.
Bustling bazaars and narrow lanes, the smells of
spices and pipe smoke, the call to prayer five times a
day and the cacophony of horns – this is Cairo.

Mexico City, MEXICO
URBAN DETAIL: Security, air pollution, and traffic congestion are prime concerns in Mexico City. These
problems result from poor resource management and unstructured growth.
(Source: Reuters)

Mexico City, MEXICO
Coordinates:
Mexico City is ten times the size it was in 1940.
The Mexican capital generates a quarter of the
country's wealth. However, with low population
growth, the number of people in retirement is
expected to rise rapidly.

São Paulo, BRAZIL
URBAN DETAIL: São Paulo is a very young and ethnically diverse city. More than half of its population is
under twenty years old, and it is home to the largest Japanese community outside Japan.
(Source: Shutterstock)

São Paulo, BRAZIL
Coordinates:
São Paulo is Brazil’s richest city and the most
important financial centre in Latin America.
Poverty and crime, however, remain a problem. An
average of 6,000 people are murdered annually in
Sao Paulo.

New York, USA
URBAN DETAIL: New York has been a gateway to America ever since the first immigrants came to the
U.S. Over 170 languages are spoken there today. No single nationality or ethnicity dominates the city’s
culturally diverse population.
(Source: Reuters)

New York, USA
Coordinates:
New York City, especially Manhattan, is a role model
for balancing dense development with good public
transport and access to open spaces.
New York is the only American city where most
households do not own a car.

Shanghai, CHINA
URBAN DETAIL: Shanghai has one of the world's most remarkable skylines. Thirty five structures are
taller than 200 metres, including two over 450 metres, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Shanghai
World Financial Centre.
(Source: Reuters)

Shanghai, CHINA
Coordinates:
Shanghai has become China's financial and
commercial centre and is ranked as the planet's
largest city proper.
It has one of the world’s busiest ports and the world’s
most extensive bus system with more than one
thousand lines.

Manila, PHILIPPINES
URBAN DETAIL: More than 3 million people in Manila live in slums without electricity, sanitation, and
access to drinking water. Population density is extremely high, in some areas more than 100,000 people
live on one square kilometre.
(Source: Reuters)

Manila, PHILIPPINES
Coordinates:
Manila's colonial past is reflected in its architecture.
Intramuros, the historic centre, is surrounded by a
massive wall built by the Spanish in the 16th century.
Its parks and historic buildings have become a major
tourist attraction.

Delhi, INDIA
URBAN DETAIL: Twenty languages are spoken in Delhi. The official and most widely spoken language is
Hindi, followed by Punjabi. English is used for business and other official purposes. Urdu is common
among the Muslim community.
(Source: Shutterstock)

Delhi, INDIA
Coordinates:
Delhi is India’s capital and recently overtook Mumbai
as the biggest city by population size. It’s a place of
striking contrasts. Mosques, bazaars, and narrow
lanes mark the old town.
New Delhi, the capital, features grand
boulevards, business centres, and shopping malls.

Seoul-Incheon, SOUTH KOREA
URBAN DETAIL: Seoul is located 50 kilometres south of the heavily armed border with North Korea. The
city is in range of North Korean artillery. Plans to move the capital further south have already caused
much debate.
(Source: Reuters)

Seoul-Incheon, SOUTH KOREA
Coordinates:
Seoul has grown rapidly since the Korean War (1950-
53). Today, nearly half of the country’s population
lives in and around Seoul.
Seoul has made remarkable progress in combating air
pollution and is one of the cleanest cities in Asia.

Jakarta, INDONESIA
URBAN DETAIL: Despite many wide roads, Jakarta suffers from terrible traffic congestion. To reduce
traffic jams, some major roads have a 'three in one' rule during rush hours, prohibiting fewer than three
passengers per car.
(Source: Reuters)

Jakarta, INDONESIA
Coordinates:
Jakarta has been booming since 2005 after suffering
economic crises and disasters like floods and
earthquakes in recent decades.
Jakarta's economy has boosted Indonesia’s economy
to a growth rate of 6 per cent.

Tokyo-Yokohama, JAPAN
URBAN DETAIL: Tokyo Bay has been gradually filled up to create more living space. Odaiba, an island
made from waste, has become one of Tokyo’s most interesting tourist spots and destinations for day
trippers.
(Source: Miki Yokoyama)

Tokyo, JAPAN
Coordinates:
Greater Tokyo is the largest urban agglomeration in
the world, swallowing up the neighbouring cities of
Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Chiba.
Despite its size, Tokyo has very efficient public
transportation, which accounts for almost 80 per cent
of all journeys.

Future Megacities
Future Megacities
Kids Encyclopedia - Britannica
Megacities and the Developing World
The World's Biggest Megacities - allianz.com
World Health Organization - Homepage
Worldclocks, Coordinates, Locations

World's Biggest Megacities - December, 2012

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