Travel is opening, this is acquaintance with new people and a new culture, this is communication and cognition - cognition of the world and oneself. Someone appreciates peace and solitude, going to protected corners of wilderness, while others like the bustle of megacities, the pulse of highways and the lights of big cities.
The largest cities in the world
When it comes to the largest city, one can single out several settlements... If one city can be considered the largest in terms of population, then another - in terms of its length.
Millions of cities
Currently, there are almost in every country... But there are countries that include 10 or more such cities, for example, China, India, Russia, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, South Korea.
- Largest city by population - Tokyo - the capital of Japan, a city of historical monuments and skyscrapers. The population is 37.5 million people.
Shanghai - "eastern capital". The Opium Wars, British and Japanese occupations, and fierce battles during the years of the revolution and the rule of the Triads happened to Shanghai.
The city withstood all the tests with honor, turning into a huge modern metropolis.
The first settlements on the site of Shanghai appeared at the beginning of the 8th century, but it received the status of a city only in 1553 and remained in the shadows until the 19th century, which is associated with a relatively small number of historical sights in modern Shanghai. However, it has something to surprise visitors - being actually the largest city in the world (more 24.2 million inhabitants), it plays the role of an important economic, transport, industrial and cultural center of China and the world.
Karachi - the heart of the East. An amazing tropical climate, crystal waters of the Arabian Sea, ancient forts, ruins of medieval settlements and, at the same time, modern financial corporations, the largest industrial enterprises and the best education system in the Islamic world - all this is the city of Karachi, located in the south of Pakistan.
The population of the city exceeds 23.5 million people... The city abounds in historical, cultural and religious monuments, with many parks, beaches and hotels. Thanks to this, Karachi is one of the most attractive tourist centers in the East.
Beijing - the modern capital of the PRC (21.7 million inhabitants) - one of the most ancient cities.
The legendary city of Ji, once located on the site of modern Beijing, was founded at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, and in 473 BC. became the capital of the Yan kingdom. That is why Beijing is now not only a political, but also an educational, scientific, cultural center of China, annually attracting millions of tourists and thousands of foreign students.
Read about the world's most beautiful and famous landmarks.
The four leaders are followed by:
- Delhi - the capital, population 16.5 million;
- Lagos - the largest city in Nigeria and Africa, more than 16 million inhabitants;
- Tianjin - the third largest city in China, population - 15.2 million;
- - the capital, the largest industrial and cultural center of Turkey, 14.2 million people;
- Guangzhou - a metropolis in the south of China, with a population of 13.1 million;
- - the capital and largest city of Russia, the 1st most populous city in Europe and 10th - in the world, more than 12.3 million inhabitants.
The largest by area
A less common way of comparing the size of cities is by area.
Among all cities in the world, the championship in terms of area belongs to the Chinese city. Chongqing - 82.4 thousand sq. km.
It is followed by two more Chinese megacities: Hangzhou and Beijing... Their area is 16.8 and 16.4 thousand square meters, respectively. km.
They are followed by:
- Brisbane, Australia - 15.8 thousand square kilometers;
- Asmara, Eritrea - 15.1 thousand sq. Km;
- Chengdu, China - 12.4 thousand sq. Km;
- , Australia - 12.3 thousand sq. Km;
- Tianjin, China - 11.9 thousand sq. Km;
- Melbourne, Australia - 10.0 thousand sq. Km;
- Kinshasa, Congo - 10.0 thousand sq. Km.
The longest
The classification of cities by length, or by the greatest geometrical distance from one edge to another, is used extremely rarely and indicates not so much the size of the city as the features of its layout. Usually extended cities are located along the coastline, in mountainous or hilly areas, in areas with deposits of natural resources.
The longest city in the world is the capital. The city is surrounded by mountains on all sides. With an area of \u200b\u200b1.5 thousand square meters. km length from the northern to the southern edge is 200 km.
The second place is taken by the longest city in Russia stretching along the Black Sea coast - the length of the city from the Shepsi River to the border with is 148 km.
"Bronze" gets Krivoy Roglocated in the south of Ukraine. With an average width of 20 km, its length is 126 km.
A large length can also boast:
- Beijing, China - 107 km;
- Tokyo, Japan - 92 km;
- Volgograd, - 90 km;
- Canberra, - 90 km.
Do you know how the largest mountains in the world were formed? Read about their education and location in.
Major tourist centers
Today tourism occupies one of the leading positions in the world economy.
More popular
According to official statistics, most often it becomes a tourist destination. The capital receives up to 20 million foreign tourists annually, and the city's tourism revenue exceeds 15 billion US dollars.
They go to London for historical, architectural and religious sights, mass cultural events.
The second place is taken by the capital and the largest city - Bangkok, which annually attracts up to 19 million tourists. Bangkok is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, both geographically and economically.
Bangkok's visitors are attracted by the city's rich historical and religious heritage, museums and Buddhist temples. In addition, the developed entertainment industry, restaurant and hotel business are supported by the authorities for the highest level, which also has a positive effect on the influx of foreign tourists.
"City of Love" - \u200b\u200blocated in, took the third place in this ranking with a traffic of 16 million people. Paris is famous for masterpieces of architecture from various historical periods, museums and art galleries, gardens and parks.
Modern megacities
The most technologically advanced city in the world can be safely called Seoul, the capital. A city of skyscrapers, a city that brings together dozens of the largest industrial corporations working in the field of modern technologies, and thousands of small firms. And at the same time he managed to remain environmentally friendly and comfortable for its residents.
Future technologies are integrated not only in business and industrial centers, but also in educational institutions, residential areas, even on city streets. These include ubiquitous free wireless technologies, intelligent lighting and video surveillance systems, entertainment technologies and much more.
In second place - Tokyo, a city where ancient traditions and futuristic ambitions of the Japanese people coexist in an amazing way. Odaibo, the scientific and technical center of Tokyo, is a completely man-made island with multi-tiered bridges, huge ultra-modern buildings and a unique street lighting system.
In Tokyo, bullet trains run, fully robotized factories operate, and the latest electronic devices and software are developed.
The third place belongs to Dubai - a city in, which has become a real oasis in the sun-scorched Arabian desert. famous not only for its huge skyscrapers, this city has its own special harmony, unity with nature, a person here is not a consumer, but a creator. The city has thrived on renewable energy resources, robotic buildings and vehicles.
The world's only unmanned passenger bus route operates in Dubai.
Where is the warmest?
- In second place - Puerto del Rosario, "Port of Roses", which is located on the island of Fuerteventura as part of. This is a small resort town that is perfect for lovers of a quiet, measured beach holiday. Summer temperature in Puerto del Rosario is + 32 ... + 39 degrees, in winter it drops to + 17 ... + 25.
- The third place rightfully belongs to the resort Safagalocated on the Egyptian coast. Safaga is the most important sea passenger port, a renowned center for surfing and windsurfing. The city has many beaches, hotels, health centers, and Safaga restaurants, offering exquisite delicacies from rare seafood, attract gourmets from all over the world. The temperature is within + 30 ... + 44 degrees in summer and + 16 ... + 23 - in winter.
In the rating "the warmest cities in the world" we awarded the first place to the resort Alanya in, located on the Mediterranean coast, surrounded by the Taurus Mountains. The mountains protect Alanya from northern winds, which, in combination with the subtropical climate, keeps the average temperature within + 37 ... + 42 degrees in summer and 23-26 degrees in winter.
The ancient history of the city, its fortresses and towers will appeal to lovers of antiquity, and Alanya offers vacationers developed industry services and entertainment.
Less in demand places
And small towns are popular with tourists. Fans of measured rest travel precisely to small towns filled with an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.
Small towns
- The second place belongs to the Czech city with a difficult to pronounce name - Rabstein nad Strzela, built in 1337 c. Surrounded by picturesque forests, the town preserves the ruins of a medieval fortress, an old stone bridge, a mill and in the Baroque style, in which, according to legend, ghosts live. The population of the city is 25 people.
- Small town in third place Melniklocated in the southwest. The city is built on the slopes of chalk cliffs, there are more than 100 monuments of culture and architecture of the Middle Ages: monasteries, fortresses, churches, bridges, residential buildings and baths. Melnik was founded in the 12th century and has changed little since then. As a result, the city has become the home of many ethnic festivals, which attract tourists from all over the world. Melnik has a population of 390.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the status of the smallest city in the world belongs to walled city Humlocated in. The town was erected on the top of a hill back in the 11th century and at its best had a capacity of 400-450 inhabitants, but now only 23 people live in it.
Despite the tiny size of the city, it has preserved rich cultural heritage... Tourists are attracted by temples with ancient frescoes, a museum and the fortifications of Hum. You can stay in a small city hotel.
Especially interesting is the famous restaurant serving strong homemade herbal liqueur, the recipe of which, according to local residents, is more than two thousand years old.
Northern points
The title of the northernmost city belongs to Longyearbyen, which is located in the Spitsbergen archipelago. The population of this city, located just 1300 km from the North Pole, is 2040 people. Longyearbyen was founded in 1905 as a coal mining center, but has lost its significance as a source of coal over time.
Now the city attracts explorers and tourists with its harsh arctic climate and beautiful landscapes - it is surrounded by mountains, hills and fjords.
Barrow, a small town in the very north of Alaska, ranks second on this list. The distance to the North Pole is 2100 km, and the average annual temperature in the city is -11.3 degrees, in summer it rises to + 2 ... + 8. Barrow has a population of 4,212. The city is an important scientific center in the United States, where the nature of the tundra and the Arctic Ocean is being studied.
The third place is occupied by another northern Norwegian city - Honningsvag, its population is 2436 people, and the distance to the pole is 2110 km. The city has a museum and an old wooden church, and because of the magnificent scenery, it often hosts cruise ships.
Where is it cheaper?
Tourists who want to save a significant amount of money choose the cheapest cities for their vacation:
- Experts called the cheapest city in the world Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The city is surrounded by mountains and forests, there are many gardens, parks, boulevards, historical and religious sites;
- Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, ranked second among the cheapest cities. It is famous for monuments of architecture in the neo-Gothic style, preserved from the time of German rule, as well as for modern economic, cultural and educational institutions, which equated the city in terms of development with many European cities;
- Town Karachi, which we wrote about as the second most populous city in the world, ranks third among the cheapest cities. In part, it is the cheapness that explains the popularity of Karachi among tourists.
Save on travels with us! Read about where to go for an inexpensive vacation.
Whatever you expect from travel, it is always will surprise you, will always bring something new and unusual.
See video about the largest city in the world by population:
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 over 20 million people and 16 cities with a population of over 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, excluding the suburbs.
Cities by population
| # | Town | Population (people) | City area (km 2) | Population density (people / km 2) | 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 | United Kingdom United Kingdom |
| 24 | New York | 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 | St. 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
Excerpt characterizing List of cities in the world by populationNapoleon enters Moscow after a brilliant victory de la Moskowa; there can be no doubt of victory, since the battlefield remains with the French. The Russians retreat and surrender 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, did not make a single attack during the month. Napoleon's position is the most brilliant. In order to pounce on the remnants of the Russian army with double forces and destroy it, in order to pronounce a favorable peace or, in case of refusal, to make a threatening movement to Petersburg, in order even, in case of failure, to return to Smolensk or Vilna , or stay in Moscow - in a word, in order to maintain the brilliant position in which the French army was at that time, it would seem, no special genius is needed. To do this, it was necessary to do the simplest and easiest thing: to prevent the troops from plundering, to prepare winter clothes that would be enough for the entire army in Moscow, and correctly collect the provisions that were in Moscow for more than six months (according to the testimony of French historians) for the entire army. Napoleon, this most brilliant of geniuses and who had the power to control the army, according to historians, did nothing of this.He not only did nothing of this, but, on the contrary, used his power to choose from all the paths of activity presented to him that was the stupidest and most pernicious of all. Of all that Napoleon could do: winter in Moscow, go to Petersburg, go to Nizhny Novgorod, go back, north or south, the way that Kutuzov went later - well, whatever you think of is stupider and more destructive 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 leave the garrison, leave Moscow, approach Kutuzov, do not start the battle, go to the right, reach Maly Yaroslavets, again without experiencing an accident to break through , to go not along the road that Kutuzov took, but to go back to Mozhaisk and along the devastated Smolensk road - nothing more stupid, more destructive for the army could be thought of, 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 the French army, like what Napoleon did. The genius Napoleon did it. But to say that Napoleon ruined his army because he wanted to, 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 therefore that he was very clever and brilliant. In both cases, his personal activity, which did not have more power than the personal activity of each soldier, only coincided with the laws by which the phenomenon took place. It is completely false (only because the consequences did not justify Napoleon's activities) that historians present to us Napoleon's strength as weakened in Moscow. He, just as before, as well as after, in the 13th year, used all his skill and strength to do the best for himself and his army. Napoleon's activities during this time are no less amazing than in Egypt, Italy, Austria and Prussia. We do not know for sure about the extent to which Napoleon's genius was real in Egypt, where they looked at his greatness for forty centuries, because all these great deeds 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 a siege should persuade 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 paid to have the right to simply and directly look at the case, and we will not give up this right. His work in Moscow is as amazing and brilliant as elsewhere. Orders after orders and plans after plans come from him from the time of his entry into Moscow until his exit from it. The absence of residents and the deputation and the very fire of Moscow do not bother him. He does not lose sight of neither the good of his army, nor the actions of the enemy, nor the good of the peoples of Russia, nor the management of the valleys of Paris, nor diplomatic considerations about the upcoming conditions of peace. Militarily, immediately upon entering Moscow, Napoleon strictly orders General Sebastiani to monitor the movements of the Russian army, sends corps along different roads and orders Murat 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. With regard to the diplomatic, Napoleon summons to himself the robbed and ragged captain Yakovlev, who does not know how to get out of Moscow, expounds to him in detail all his policies and his generosity and, writing a letter to the Emperor Alexander, in which he considers it his duty to inform his friend and brother that Rostopchin made a bad order in Moscow, he sent Yakovlev to Petersburg. Having set out in the same detail his views and generosity before Tutolmin, he sends this old man to Petersburg for negotiations. |
Do you know what is the largest city in the world?
Let those who do not know try to guess, and those who know - I will give you a separate answer - "I will not guess, I know!"
What is the largest city in the WORLD?
9 (5.0 % )
2 (1.1 % )
28 (15.5 % )
7 (3.9 % )
25 (13.8 % )
Buenos Aires
6 (3.3 % )
2 (1.1 % )
10 (5.5 % )
81 (44.8 % )
I won't guess, I KNOW!
11 (6.1 % )
Now let's find out the history of the largest city in the world ...
Tokyo is a city that everyone who comes to Japan wants to see first. A huge metropolis with a population of 12 million people, it is one of the youngest of all major Japanese cities.
The word "Tokyo" translated from Japanese means "Eastern Capital". The city that bears this name is the capital of Japan and is an agglomeration located in the Kanto region, in the east of the main Japanese island of Honshu. It includes 23 districts on the territory of the former independent administrative unit - tokyo city... In 1943, the city of Tokyo was abolished as an administrative division. Now these counties, together with the cities and municipalities of the western region of Tama, as well as the southern islands of Izu and Ogasawara, form Tokyo Prefecture.
Archaeological excavations indicate that the place where the capital of Japan is now located was inhabited by ancient tribes in the Stone Age. The early inhabitants of the Jomon period (10,000 BC) were fishermen, hunters, and farmers. This valley of abundance has now been swallowed up by a huge city on the shores of Tokyo Bay.
By 300, Japan was already a more or less united nation. The main life was concentrated in the Kansai region, where the cities of Kyoto, Nara, Osaka are currently located. The eastern region of Kanto remained a distant quiet backwater forgotten by gods and men. Only in the 12th century a small village of Edo was built on this site. The people who lived in these places were mainly engaged in fishing and actually lived on subsistence farming.
In 1457, on the site where the Eastern Garden of the Imperial Palace is now located, Ota Dokan began building a castle on the site of an old fort near a small bay of Khibiya. Ten years later, a devastating Onin war raged on the streets of the capital city of Kyoto. Many aristocrats left the capital and took refuge in the distant eastern domains of Dokan. Even then, all the prerequisites were created to turn the poor village of Edo into a city, but Ota Dokan was killed, and his contribution to the development of the region was wasted.
But Tokyo 50s
h ttp: // master ok.zhzh.rf on Yandex.Photos
In 1543, Portuguese missionaries and traders first set foot on Japanese soil. By that time, the feudal lords (daimyo) had turned the country into a patchwork quilt of independent provinces. One of the most powerful daimyos, Oda Nobunaga of Chubu province, where Nagoya is now located, quickly realized that the Portuguese could serve his ambitious plans for power. A new religion - Christianity could be used in the fight against the power of Buddhist monks, in addition, Nobunaga found widespread use of firearms that the Portuguese brought with them. In 1581, Oda was killed, but by that time he had managed to unite most of central Japan under his influence.
The case of Nobunaga was continued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but he did not look so favorably on the spread of Christianity, organizing a persecution of its representatives.
The power of Toyotomi tried to challenge Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was the son of a daimyo who served the Oda clan, however, after an unsuccessful attempt, concluded a truce with Toyotomi, for which he received eight provinces in the eastern region, including the entire Kanto region with the town of Edo. Toyotomi thus tried to weaken the influence of Tokugawa, excommunicating him from his native lands of the Chubu province, but Tokugawa took this gift as an opportunity to strengthen his power and decided to turn Edo into a real city.
After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1598, power passed to his son, Toyotomi Hideyori. The Tokugawa, having overthrown the heir and his followers in the legendary Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, seized real power. In 1603, the emperor conferred on him the title of shogun (military ruler). Tokugawa chose Edo as its capital, beginning the two hundred and fifty-year history of the Tokugawa clan, known in Japanese history as the "Edo period" (1603-1868).
Under the Tokugawa shoguns, Edo developed at an unprecedented pace. Edo-jo Castle, which was fully completed in 1637, became the largest castle in the world during Ieyasu's lifetime. The Tokugawa seized power in the country for a long time. However, they wanted to be completely sure that no daimyo (as the rich feudal princes of that time were called) in a remote province would be able to gain a foothold and become rich enough to usurp power. After all, this is what Tokugawa Ieyasu himself did in his time. The sankin kotai system was established, according to which each daimyo was ordered to reside in Edo for a certain number of months in the year "in front of" the shogun. Further more. When the feudal lord left for his province to put his personal affairs in order, he was obliged to leave his family in the capital, in fact, a hostage.
In the 17th century, there were 270 daimyos in Japan, each holding several houses in Edo for family and retinue, the opulent homes complemented by elaborate and unusually expensive landscaped gardens. Naturally, spending a huge amount of time and money traveling back and forth, maintaining luxurious residences in both the provinces and Edo, it was difficult for the daimyo to plot against the shogun.
To satisfy the needs of all this crowd of princes, samurai, their servants, led by the shogun, merchants and artisans from all over Japan rushed to the new capital. To resettle them all, hills were torn down, and this land was covered with swampy areas, forming what are now called Ginza, Shimbashi and Nihombashi. By 1787, the population had grown to 1.3 million and Edo had become one of the largest cities on earth.
The shogunate government considered it dangerous to spread "free" ideas coming from the West, and in the first place - Christianity. In addition, international trade has been able to enrich some daimyo uncontrollably. In 1633, the Tokugawa shogunate adopted a policy of total isolation, slamming the country's doors to the outside world for more than 200 years. Foreigners were prohibited from entering the country, and the Japanese were prohibited from leaving it. Anyone who violated this regulation was facing the death penalty. The only exceptions were a colony of tightly controlled Chinese traders in Nagasaki, and a handful of Dutchmen, for whom a small trading outlet was set aside on a tiny island in Nagasaki.
The Edo period (1603-1867) was characterized by political stability, the country was completely controlled by the shogunate. Japanese society was divided into four classes: samurai, farmers, artisans, and merchants. The manner of dressing, quarters for residence and even turns of speech were strictly regulated, and transitions from class to class were prohibited.
METRO scheme
The city was divided into two parts: the Upper City (Yamanote) and the Lower City (Shitamachi). In Yamanote, which means “hand of the mountains”, the rich daimyo and their samurai settled, while the lower strata of society, which included merchants and artisans, settled in the “lower city” of Shitamachi. Inhabitants of Shitamachi and neighboring neighborhoods lived in filthy, beggarly, tightly pressed plywood buildings with earthen floors.
Since Edo was mostly made of wood, needless to say, the fires, which the locals bitterly called Edo-no-hana (Edo flowers), were a constant threat. In fact, it was difficult to find someone who did not lose their home several times during their life. During the period 1603-1867, almost 100 major fires passed through the city, not counting countless local fires. One of the most tragic fires happened in 1657 after a three-month heat wave without a single rain. Picked up by a strong wind, the flames consumed one after another the wooden buildings with thatched roofs. The fire raged for three days and destroyed three quarters of the city. More than 100,000 people died then.
Despite their unenviable social position, the wealth of the merchants grew steadily. They were forbidden to show off their wealth, to join the joys of life, available only to samurai. In particular, they were not allowed to use the services of geisha. However, the money had to be spent somewhere. New types of luxury goods and new entertainment began to appear. The Kabuki theater quickly gained extraordinary popularity, a new type of painting on wooden plates, Ukiyo-e prints, expensive porcelain dishes, silk brocade for luxurious kimonos, lacquerware - all this was raised to the level of sublime art.
One of the hallmarks of that time was the entertainment quarters where samurai could find wine and women forbidden in Yamanote. The most legendary area was the Yoshiwara quarter, northeast of the lower Asakusa area. Here the rich spent their time with beautiful courtesans. During the Edo period, prostitution was legalized and, like everything else in feudal Japan, was strictly controlled by the Tokugawa shogunate. Red-light districts sprang up in various parts of Edo, but none could compete with Yoshiwara. Opened in 1657 in the midst of rice paddies, far beyond the city gates, Yoshiwara was a true "entertainment factory": about 3,000 courtesans worked here. They say they were so skillful that men stayed with them for several days and, having lost their heads, often left here whole fortunes.
Many of these women, such as the famous courtesan named Tayu, were beautiful in their sumptuous attire, which weighed about 20 kg, including a huge obi (belt) tied at the front. Of course, not all of them voluntarily embarked on this path in the hope of enriching themselves: many were sold to brothels at an early age. To prevent the escape of these unfortunates, the area was surrounded by a moat of water, and it was possible to get there or leave only through a guarded gate. Courtesans were allowed to leave the area only once a year during the autumn festival. These "prisoners" were released only in 1900. The Yoshiwara area itself ceased to exist in 1957, when prostitution was prohibited in the country.
Another feature of Edo that has left its mark on today's Tokyo was the division of the big city into machi districts by occupation. Even today, it is possible to stumble upon small enclaves with a specific specialization. The most famous of these are Jimbocho, the bookstore district; Kappabashi, which sells kitchen utensils, and Akihabara, which now sells electronics and manga comics, and was previously a small retail and shipping area.
By the middle of the 19th century, it became clear that the feudal system had outlived its usefulness. By that time, economic power was concentrated in the hands of traders, gradually more and more money entered into circulation, along with rice. Many samurai clans went bankrupt and were dissatisfied with the policies of the shogunate.
Transforming Edo from a medieval city to a world-class capital city required a push from outside. This push came in 1854 with the American Black Squadron under the command of Matthew Perry. This military expedition arrived in Edo-wan (Tokyo Bay) on behalf of the President of the United States, demanding the opening of Japan to international trade after centuries of isolation. Other Western countries soon followed. Western influence was taken advantage of by forces dissatisfied with the regime of the Tokugawa dynasty. In 1868, the 15th shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty was forced to abdicate in favor of Emperor Mutsuhito (Meiji). The new Meiji government moved the capital from Kyoto to Edo Castle, changing the city to Tokyo (Eastern Capital).
This event was called the Meiji Restoration, since power again passed from the military to the emperor, and the country again received a single capital. Emperor Mutsuhito completely changed state policy, welcoming the export of ideas and technologies from the West.
The Meiji Restoration is not a peaceful transfer of power. In Edo, about 2,000 Tokugawa regime adherents tried to resist the Imperial Guard forces in the short battle of Ueno. The battle took place in the vicinity of the picturesque Kanei-ji temple, which with Zojo-ji attire was one of two family temples of the Tokugawa clan.
The Meiji word means "enlightenment," and Japan's new rulers set out to industrialize and militarize society. In a relatively short time known as the Meiji period (1868-1911), the country quickly moved from a feudal society of samurai and peasants to an industrial state. Samurai lost their power and privileges, they were no longer allowed to carry swords. A cabinet of government was created, headed by a prime minister, a new constitution was drawn up (1889) and a parliament (Diet) was elected. The first railways were built (1872). At the invitation of the government, more than 10,000 specialists from England, the USA, Germany and France came to Tokyo to transform the country into a modern society.
A modernization boom began in Tokyo. Everything changed: fashion, architecture, food, shops. For a while, everything Japanese was completely forgotten and pushed aside.
In a record short time, Japan won the first military victories over China (1894-95) and Russia (1904-05) and, embarked on the path of Western empires with the annexation of Taiwan (1895), Korea (1910) and Micronesia (1914).
Following the path of nationalism, Japan turned Shinto into a chauvinistic state religion. Buddhism was persecuted at that time by the state, many priceless artifacts and temples were destroyed.
During the Meiji period and the subsequent Taisho period, the changes taking place throughout the country were most noticeable in the new capital. The rapid industrialization of Tokyo, consolidating around the emerging huge industrial and trade conglomerate (zaibatsu), attracted job seekers from all over Japan, leading to rapid population growth. Electricity was introduced to Tokyo in the 1880s. The former dirty neighborhoods turned into fashionable districts, such as Ginza, where new brick buildings were being built for the country. In 1904, Mitsukoshi, the first Japanese department store in the western style, appeared, and the department store building in the Nihonbashi area (1914) was named the most grandiose building east of the Suez Canal.
However, while the Meiji Restoration sounded like a death knell for the former Edo, there were two more events ahead, obliterating the remaining traces of the old city. In the first half of the 20th century, Tokyo was almost completely destroyed twice: in 1923, a powerful earthquake (about 8 on the Richter scale) hit the city, known as the Great Kanto Earthquake. Even more terrible than the tremors themselves was the fire that followed the earthquake, which lasted 40 hours and devastated the city, destroying about 300,000 houses. The disaster left 142,000 victims behind. Grim reminders of this event can be seen in the Kanto Earthquake Memorial Museum.
The rebuilding of the city began almost immediately, following the wisdom that any business that did not resume activity within three days of the collapse has no future.
The second time a terrible disaster befell Tokyo at the end of World War II: Allied bombs wiped out half of the city, killing another 100,000 people.
Since the beginning of the reign of Emperor Hirohito (Showa Tenno) in 1926, Japanese society has been characterized by a rising wave of nationalist fervor. In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, and in 1937 took the path of open confrontation with China. In 1940, a trilateral agreement was signed with Germany and Italy and a new order for the Asian region was formulated: the Great East Asian Sphere of Mutual Prosperity. The project was based on the desire to create "a bloc of Asian peoples, led by Japan, and free from Western powers." On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, thus declaring war on the United States, their principal enemy in the Asia-Pacific region.
Despite initial successes, the war was disastrous for Japan. On April 18, 1942, the first bombs fell on Tokyo. On the night of March 9-10, 1944, the city underwent an unprecedented raid, during which 2/5 of the capital was destroyed, almost the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe "lower city" Shitamachi "turned into ruins. About 80,000 people died that night. Bombs later killed the Sensoji Buddhist Temple in Asakusa and the Meji Jingu Shrine. On August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito made a historic statement to the Japanese people about the surrender of Japan. By this time, Tokyo was practically destroyed.
In 1943, the city of Tokyo was abolished as an administrative division. During World War II, on November 24, 1944, the United States began bombing Tokyo. On February 25 and March 10, 1945, American bombers launched heavy bombing strikes on the city. Whole parts of the city with traditional wooden architecture were destroyed and burned, over 100 thousand people died. The historic imperial palace was also destroyed.
From September 1945 to April 1952, the city was occupied by American troops. Opposite the imperial palace was the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur, who, as commander-in-chief of the Allied forces, led the occupation authorities. Then Tokyo entered a period of rapid recovery and economic growth, which became especially intense after the outbreak of the Korean War.
Rebuilding the Japanese capital from the ashes of World War II seemed like a miracle. True, Tokyo residents again, like after the Great Kanto earthquake, did not take advantage of the opportunity for global reconstruction of the city to make avenues and streets wider and more elegant, as happened, for example, in Nagoya, but they built new houses on the site of old buildings.
During the American occupation in the early postwar years, Tokyo was like a huge, cheap nightclub. Today's respectable neighborhoods such as Yurakucho have been filled with so-called pan-pan girls (prostitutes), and the Ikebukuro and Ueno neighborhoods have become black market zones. A reminder of this can still be found at the Ameyoko Arcade in Ueno, where there is still something like a cheap bazaar.
Tokyo was recovering at an unprecedented pace, especially in the central regions. The 1964 Summer Olympics were a special pride of the Tokyo people. During the preparation period, the city was engulfed in construction unprecedented before. Many Japanese view this time as a turning point in the history of the nation, when Japan fully recovered from the devastation of World War II, becoming a full member of the modern world economy.
Construction and upgrades continued at a breakneck pace throughout the 70s, peaking in the late 1980s, with property prices soaring. The cost of land in Tokyo by that time exceeded the value of the entire United States, and Japanese companies, enriched by real estate speculation, began to buy up many well-known global entertainment brands, including the famous Pebble Beach Golf Course, Rockefeller Center, Columbia film studio Pictures. By the early 1990s, the bubble burst and the Japanese economy experienced a prolonged recession for over 15 years.
The main problem of Tokyo and all of Japan is a decrease in the birth rate and a high concentration of the population. According to a published report for 2011, the birth rate has dropped again, falling to the lowest since the Second World War, and in the capital it is even less than the national average. The difference between mortality and fertility has exceeded the 200,000 mark. at the same time, the percentage of the population of retirement age is growing steadily, which increases the burden of the social insurance and pension system. According to the Ministry of National Affairs of Japan, in 2011, pensioners for the first time made up 23.3% of the total population of the country. There are 21 million Japanese over 70 and 8.66 million over 80.
Despite the existing difficulties, Tokyo continues to develop dynamically. New subway lines and new megacomplexes such as Tokyo Midtown are springing up. Modern Tokyo is a huge metropolis of glass, concrete and steel, like all major cities in the world, like a huge anthill. A person who first came here is involuntarily lost in this stone labyrinth. And yet Tokyo can be incredibly cozy if you turn around the avenues crowded with cars and find yourself in one of the many gardens or parks, sandwiched by closely huddled houses.
They say Tokyo has no face. And maybe this is his appeal: he can be different, changing at every step. History and modernity, traditions and Western innovations live here side by side, without interfering, but on the contrary, complementing each other and making this city unusually interesting and original.
With the latest history tokyo city one tragic event is connected: on March 20, 1995, members of the Aum Shinrikyo sect committed a terrorist act using sarin in the Tokyo subway. At the same time, 13 people died and over 6200 people were injured.
According to the 2009 list of the most expensive cities to live in, which was published by the American financial and economic magazine Forbes, Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world.
Usually cities are measured by two parameters: the number of inhabitants and the area. Most people live in the capital of Japan, Tokyo - 34 million. In second place is Mexico City (Mexico). And on the third - New York (USA). But this ranking is compiled taking into account the people who live in the suburbs and satellite cities. Apart from them, the picture changes. In this case, the largest city becomes the South Korean city of Seoul (10 million 231 thousand people), followed by Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Bombay (India). As for the territory occupied by the city, London is in the lead here. Its area is 1580 square meters. In second place is Mexico City. Its area is 1547 square kilometers. This represents 0.5% of the area of \u200b\u200ball Mexico. And on the third - Los Angeles (1206 square kilometers). The largest city in Russia is Moscow. Its area is 931 square kilometers, and the population is 10 million people.
Tokyo is the largest city in the world, the capital of Japan, the only giant city in the world with over 40% of the country's population. The population continues to grow. The average population density is 800-1000 people. for 1 sq. km. According to the forecasts of the Revision of World Urbanization Prospects (2007), this largest metropolis, as the most populous metropolitan city, will continue to be Number One.
The Metropolitan Prefecture of Tokyo, which is 23 administrative districts, 26 cities, 7 towns and 8 villages, as well as the Ogasawara and Izu islands, is located on the Kanto plain of the Pacific coast of the island of Honshu.
Of course, the title of the largest city is very shaky - it depends on how you count. There are many different ratings and options on the Internet. But I stopped for example here at this
Recently, more and more people prefer to live in an urban environment. The largest city in the world by area Chongqing has a 2010 population of about 28 million.According to various estimates, about half of the world's population now lives in cities. At the same time, the total area of \u200b\u200bcities in the world 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 population, but also by the growth of cities and the formation of large agglomerations. This leads to the fact that modern megacities are becoming colossal in size, which is confirmed when you consider the largest cities.
The largest cities in the world
There may be several answers to the question of what 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 generally accepted record holder is the Chinese Chongqing, which stretches for 82,400 km 2, which is comparable to the area of \u200b\u200bAustria. On the site of this city, people began to settle, according to local archaeologists, 3000 years ago.
It is not surprising, because it is in this place that the Jialingjiang River flows into the Yangtze, and to the west of the city stretches the Red Basin - the granary of China. Among other things, the city, like a fortress wall, is surrounded by three mountain ranges: 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 a city, while most of it is in suburban and rural areas. That is why the population is not even included in the top twenty largest cities on the planet.
Recently, China has begun to actively develop. 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, ahead of Tokyo in its growth. The largest city is also located in this country and is its capital.
Beijing stretches for 16,800 km 2 and, unlike Chongqing, is highly urbanized and constantly expanding. In early 2005, the government adopted a plan to stop the city from sprawling in all directions, concentrating it in two semicircular stripes to the west and east of the city center. The negative aspects of growth and increasing urbanization are clearly visible on the example of Beijing: traffic jams, air pollution, violation and destruction of architectural monuments.
The famous Beijing smog has become the hallmark of the city along with the Forbidden City. Beijing traffic jams are no longer inferior to Moscow ones, despite the fact that the number of cars in relation to the population there is much smaller. The city is also not saved by the constant expansion of highways, the construction of new roads and the introduction of stricter rules for parking and travel to various urban areas.
China in the future has every chance of becoming a leading country in urban development. IN last years the PRC government speaks of 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, ahead of its 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 there are being built ahead of schedule. This has led to the largest ghost town in the world located in 1.5 billion China.
New Ordos is the largest city with high-rise buildings and developed infrastructure, but no population. It stretches over 355 km 2 and is designed for over 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 a tourist office from working fully. All this is here and even functions, that's perhaps not for anyone.
But local officials do not despair and are gradually moving people from surrounding villages to city apartments, revitalizing the city. This is generally typical for Chinese ghost towns: they are gradually filling up with people, because every year about 10 million people move to cities. The most typical example is 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 and shopping centers.
It is customary to calculate the urban population both with and without the suburbs. Excluding the suburbs, the palm belongs to Chinese Shanghai. This city is located in the Yangtze River Delta. At the moment, it is home to more than 24 million inhabitants.
The Turkish city of Istanbul is in second position. It is noteworthy that one part of it is geographically located in the Old World, and the other in Asia. Istanbul is home to 13.8 million people.
The three leaders are closed by Mumbai, which is located on the coast of the Indian Ocean. Its population is 13.7 million.
The Russian capital Moscow is on the ninth line of the ranking of the largest cities in the world with an indicator of 12 million people.
The largest city including the suburbs is Japanese Tokyo, which has a third of the country's total population - 13.2 million people. Further in this ranking are the capital of Mexico - Mexico City and the American New York. The latter has 8.3 million, and Mexico City has 8.8 million.
The largest city in the world by area
The leader in this rating is the British capital - London, which is considered the largest city in the British Isles and the entire European continent. The area of \u200b\u200bthe City of Mists is almost 1600 square kilometers. Apart from its large size, the British capital boasts of being on the prime meridian.The capital of Mexico - Mexico City - has an area of \u200b\u200b1490 square kilometers and ranks second. Los Angeles is on the third line. The area of \u200b\u200bthis American city is about 1300 square kilometers.
The largest city in the world by length
In the lead as the longest city on the planet is the Mexican capital Mexico City. Its length is about 200 kilometers.The Indian city of Mumbai, with a length of about 140 kilometers, is in second place. The third line of the rating is occupied by the Russian Sochi. Its length is 148 kilometers. This makes the capital of the 2014 Games also the longest city in Europe.
At the moment, the population of the Earth is just over 7.1 billion people. The most populous continent on the planet is Asia. It is home to 4.8 billion people. Africa is inhabited by 1.1 billion, Europe - 760 million, South America - 606 million, North America - 352 million. The rating is closed by Australia and Oceania,