The ratings of the most-most are compiled according to many criteria: beauty, height of buildings, population, history of foundation, etc. However, we decided to compare all the major cities of the world in size and head the list: "The largest cities in the world by area." Of course, agglomerations and districts will not be taken into account here.
First Place: Sydney
The first on our list, oddly enough, is Sydney, whose area covers 12,144 square kilometers. It is the largest city in Australia, although a relatively small number of people live in it - only 4.5 million. The city was founded in 1788, as the first European settlement on the mainland, and was named after Lord Sydney, who at that time held the post of Minister for Colonial Affairs. Residential quarters occupy a relatively small area here - 1.7 square meters. km, and the rest of the space is parks, reserves, gardens and the Blue Mountains. The city is famous for its swan-like opera house, Harbor Bridge and beaches.
Second Place: Kinshasa
Kinshasa is next in the ranking of the largest cities in the world by area, with 10,550 square kilometers in assets. This is the capital of the African Democratic Republic of the Congo, located on the river of the same name. There are almost twice as many people here as in Sydney - 9,464 thousand, only 40% of the city. In addition, Kinshasa ranks second among all African cities in terms of population and is a silver medalist in the list of French-speaking cities in terms of population. According to statisticians, it is likely that Kinshasa will become the most populated city on the planet by 2075.
Third Place: Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is also in the top three, with 4,000 square kilometers in reserve. The list of the largest cities in the world by area could not ignore this beautiful and ancient settlement of Europeans in South America. The name of the capital has been preserved since the seventeenth century, and before that, since 1536, it was referred to as the City of the Holy Trinity and the Port of our Lady Holy Mother of Good Winds. But it was too long for both local and visitors, so it was reduced to the modern version. Another curiosity is the double foundation of the city. For the first time - in 1536, but five years later the Indians burned it to the ground. In 1580, the Spaniards rebuilt it again, joining their empire. And only in 1776, when the vice-kingdom of Rio de la Plata was formed, he became the new capital.
Fourth place: Karachi
Another former capital takes an honorable fourth place - this is Karachi. Its size is 3,530 square kilometers, and until 1958, it served as the capital of Pakistan. But the population here is noticeably higher than the previous nominees - 18 million people. The city is the main industrial, cultural and financial center of the country, and also occupies a leading position in the field of providing higher education in South Asia and throughout the Islamic world. Now the capital has been moved to Rawalpindi, but life continues to rage in this huge city, which remains a constantly beating heart for hundreds of thousands of people living in it.
Fifth place: Alexandria
Alexandria, once established by Alexander the Great during his conquests, and became the cultural and religious center for millions of people who lived in antiquity, took fifth place.The list of the 10 largest cities in the world by area could not but include this pearl of Egypt, given that its size is 2680 square kilometers. It stretches along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea from the north and is washed by the green waters of the Nile from the south and east. Truly a magnificent sight. Now it is a major tourist center, annually hosting pilgrims eager to touch history and see the world through the eyes of ancient people.
Sixth place: Ankara
Ankara, with an area of 2500 square kilometers, confidently stops in sixth place. The capital of Turkey has a population of 4.9 million people and is one of the oldest Asian cities. It has been known since the seventh century BC, as it was at the crossroads of important economic routes between the West and the East. The city became the capital only in 1919, when the government and the residence of the Sultan settled there.
Seventh place: Istanbul
And here is the second (more correctly, the first) large city in Turkey - Istanbul, which occupies 2,106 square kilometers. The top largest cities in the world in terms of area simply could not do without it. It is located on the shores of the Bosphorus and has one of the most ancient stories. At first it was known as Constantinople - the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Here the wars began and ended, questions were resolved about redrawing the political map of the world, a new religion was born, in the end. At one time, a very long time ago, there was not a single event that one way or another would not affect this place.
Eighth Place: Tehran
The largest cities in the world by area gradually fill our Top-10. There are only three places left in it, and on the eighth step is Tehran, the capital of Iran, a major financial and political center. Its area is 1881 square kilometers, and it includes both plains and mountainous areas, and from the south the edge of the city approaches the Cairo desert. This place is stretched along the mountain range, which explains its large area, and the dense population of the capital determines the difficult living conditions next to different climatic zones.
Ninth place: Bogotá
On the honorable, last but one place, Bogota is located, occupying 1590 square kilometers. It is located more than two thousand meters above sea level, and if you look at the map, the red line of the equator passes just above this place. Despite this, the air temperature here does not rise above 15 degrees Celsius, and frequent earthquakes remind residents of how high they climbed in search of the best place to settle.
Tenth place: London
The list with the title "The largest cities in the world by area" closes London, the capital of Great Britain. Its size is 1580 square kilometers. It is the largest city on Foggy Albion and the entire European continent, with a population of over 8 million people. It is located on the prime meridian, and it is from him that the countdown of time goes across the planet.
It's a funny fact, but if you add up the space occupied by these cities, you get about 1 percent of the entire land surface on our planet. The largest cities in the world by area are important cultural, political and financial centers around the world, which makes their role even more important in the history of the world.
