Not all inhabitants of the Earth realize that the largest agglomerations in the world accommodate the population more than some countries. That is why all people should know before traveling to these settlements interesting information about them. If a person lives in a small town or village, then the information about these agglomerations can seem really incredible.
Unchanging Leader
For six years now, the list of the largest agglomerations in the world has been headed by the capital of Japan, Tokyo. Its population in 2010 was more than thirty-seven million people. This huge metropolis has a density of 4,400 people per square kilometer.
In the Land of the Rising Sun, it is divided into different areas and is a city of many possibilities. It is worth noting that the port city of Yokohama, with a population of more than three million, is included in the metropolitan area with Tokyo, but even without it, the Japanese capital would take first place.
Second place
Continues the list of the largest metropolitan areas of the world, the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta. Its population by the beginning of 2017 is almost 32 million people. But the population density is twice as high as in Tokyo, and amounts to 9,600 people per square kilometer.
This, by the way, indicates a low standard of living. This agglomeration is located in the north-west of the island of Java, right on the seashore. This is one of its problems, because in the rainy season, many lowlands are flooded.
Despite the fact that Jakarta is located in the delta of two rivers, they are all heavily polluted. About 70% of the water is completely unsuitable for use, another 20% is in average condition, and only ten percent have light pollution.
The history of this metropolis begins back in 39 AD, when a local king founded his capital under the name Sunda Pura on the site of Jakarta. The official founding date is June 22, 1527, when the Portuguese took the settlement and renamed it.
Third and fourth place
In third place in the ranking of the largest agglomerations in the world in 2017 is the capital of India, Delhi. It is smaller than Mumbai, if you measure a megalopolis, but with the surrounding territories its population is larger.
Delhi lags behind the first two places with an indicator of 26 and a half million people. The population density is 12 thousand people per square kilometer. It is worth noting that in the XXI century the population of this agglomeration doubled and continues to grow. People from all over the country come here in search of a better life.
The fourth place in the list of the largest urban agglomerations in the world was assigned to the Philippine capital Manila. It would seem that there cannot be such a large metropolis on an island state, but recent studies confirm the opposite. The population density here is even higher at 13.6 thousand per square kilometer, and the total population is just over 24 million.
The city is located on the island of Luzon, the climate is warm all year round. In addition, many sea and railway junctions intersect here.
List middle
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is in fifth place among the largest agglomerations in the world. The agglomeration along with this metropolis also includes Incheon, which is considered the port of the country's main city in the Yellow Sea.
The population of the agglomeration of Seoul is only 150 thousand less than in Manila. Its density is 8,800 people per square kilometer, which is a rather large indicator.
Seoul is a high-tech center of the country, most people live in skyscrapers, and therefore there are so many people per unit area.
In sixth place is the port city of Karachi, located in southern Pakistan. With adjacent territories, the metropolis includes 23.5 million people, crowded together over 1,010 square kilometers of area, which explains the high density indicator - 23 thousand.
Karachi is the country's largest port, which was founded at the end of the eighteenth century.
Seventh and eighth place
Shanghai could not be excluded from the list of the largest agglomerations and cities of the world. This huge city of the People's Republic of China is located in the Yangtze River Delta.
23.39 million people live in this cultural and commercial center of the country. The metropolis spreads over an area of almost 4,000 square kilometers, and therefore the population density here is only six thousand.
The climate here is mild, with warm winters; the geography of the location is favorable. Shanghai is not in vain a financial center, because there are a lot of all kinds of corporations and research centers.
The eighth place in the list went to the metropolis of Mumbai, which is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea in India. In the top ten, this agglomeration has the largest population density (26 thousand) and covers an area of only 881 square kilometers.
Recent agglomerations in the top ten
In ninth place in the category "The largest agglomerations and megacities of the world" is the city that all the inhabitants of the Earth dream of, New York. Its territory with surrounding lands covers 11 875 km². Thanks to this, 21.5 million people settled freely in this part of the world. The population density is only 1.7 thousand, which is the most favorable indicator.
New York is the cultural, tourist and financial center of the United States.
The list closes with São Paulo, a city in southeast Brazil. Its population with suburbs is 20.8 million people in 2017. Density - 6.9 thousand people, which is not the worst indicator in the ranking.
All data is taken from fresh topographic materials and satellite images. Population, density and area are indicated from information on the agglomerations of the cities mentioned.