Megacity

A megacity is a very large city metropolitan area, typically with a population of more than 10 million people. Precise definitions vary: the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its 2014 'World Urbanization Prospects' report counted urban agglomerations having over 10 million inhabitants. A University of Bonn report held that they are 'usually defined as metropolitan areas with a total population of 10 million or more people'. Others list cities satisfying criteria of either 5 or 8 million and also have a population density of 2,000 per square kilometre. A megacity can be a single metropolitan area or two or more metropolitan areas that converge due to close proximity. The terms conurbation, metropolis, and metroplex are also applied to the latter. A megacity is a very large city metropolitan area, typically with a population of more than 10 million people. Precise definitions vary: the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its 2014 'World Urbanization Prospects' report counted urban agglomerations having over 10 million inhabitants. A University of Bonn report held that they are 'usually defined as metropolitan areas with a total population of 10 million or more people'. Others list cities satisfying criteria of either 5 or 8 million and also have a population density of 2,000 per square kilometre. A megacity can be a single metropolitan area or two or more metropolitan areas that converge due to close proximity. The terms conurbation, metropolis, and metroplex are also applied to the latter. As of 2017, there are 47 megacities in existence. Most of these urban agglomerations are in China and other countries of Asia. The largest are the metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Shanghai, and Jakarta, each having over 30 million inhabitants. China alone has 15 megacities, India has five, and Japan has three. Other countries with multiple megacities include the United States, Brazil and Pakistan, each with two. African megacities are also present in Nigeria, Egypt and the DRC.