If you’re living in a nice, spread-out city that’s not too populated, then you should really consider yourself lucky. Not having any traffic to deal with that you could get stuck in for hours on end is something to be thankful about, but bad traffic isn’t the only problem that jam-packed cities have to deal with. The pollution that exists in such cities is almost overwhelming and pretty much certain due to the traffic itself. Also, such cities are usually low on funds which doesn’t help at all. Such behemoths are too huge to hold themselves up and except for a few factors, are really good places to live in. This isn’t to say that those cities are horrible, of course, since a lot of people choose to live in them regardless, but they’re definitely more difficult to live in than cities like, say, Copenhagen.
Beijing, China – 21 Million
It’s funny to think how populated the capital of China is because 21 million is more people than the population of most countries. Surprisingly, it isn’t even the most populous city in China, with the top one being Chongqing with roughly 30 million residents which is absolutely mindblowing! Beijing happens to be the third most populated city in China, but since it’s the most famous, we’ve opted to include it in our list today. Also known as Peking, Beijing is probably the most important city in China as it holds multiple places of culture and significance when it comes to politics. It’s been really important to the country since emperors ruled over it from the Forbidden City, and it is still the center of every relevant event in modern times. It also has one of the most important locations for the development of technology in the country, known as Zhongguancun, which is also called the Silicon Valley of China!
Istanbul, Turkey – 15 Million
Though significantly lower than the population of Beijing, the 15 million people of Istanbul is still no laughing matter. Istanbul is one of the most important cities in the world from a historical perspective and has been eyed by many dynasties in the past due to its strategic location on the map. A lot of battles were fought over it, most famous of which caused the fall of Constantinople. Today, Istanbul is a favorite tourist location due to the rich culture that it offers, and although it’s pretty jam-packed, it still has a lot of amazing tourist destinations, breathtaking architecture, and unique dishes that visitors from around the world can explore, marvel at, and try. It has a lot of historical buildings like the Blue Mosque, which is so beautiful that it’s highly appreciated around the world. It’s the largest city in all of Europe which is quite a record to hold.
Dhaka, Bangladesh – 14.4 Million
At 14.4 million, Dhaka has almost just as many people as Istanbul does, although it’s far more densely populated. While Istanbul houses it’s 15 million residents in an area of around 5,343 square kilometers, Dhaka manages a similar feat in half the area! You can just imagine how packed the city must be. Dhaka is one of the most significant cities in Bangladesh, and that’s not just due to the vast amount of people that resides in this grand city. It’s also one of the most powerful and historic locations in Bangladesh and has a lot of history behind it in the last few centuries, especially since this is where the Portuguese first started trading with 18th-century India!
Moscow, Russia – 13.2 Million
Moscow doesn’t exactly do justice to the number of people it houses as compared to the area it provides, but it’s doing far better than cities like Kinshasa which have a similar amount of people in an area that is much smaller! Moscow, as you probably know, is the capital of Russia and is a widely recognized city. It’s obviously very important, historically speaking, and has played a huge role during the previous century – as it still does! During the Second World War and the Cold War, Moscow was where Russia operated from. It’s also a city of great beauty when it comes to architecture, especially due to the buildings that have been around for a huge time, like the Grand Kremlin Palace, which is so gorgeous that people from around the world fly over to see it.
These have been some of the most populated cities in the world, and it’s a wonder they can manage themselves with so many people!