Top 10 Largest Cities in the World

Tokyo is an endless sea of concrete and neon lights. It is not only the largest city, it is also the richest urban region in the world (with an economy larger than all of Spain). What's special about Tokyo is its efficiency; despite the millions of people, the trains run to the second and the streets are clean.

India's capital is growing explosively and will probably overtake Tokyo as number one within a few years. It is a city of extreme contrasts: centuries-old monuments stand next to modern metros and chaotic markets. The city struggles with severe air pollution, a downside of its rapid growth.

Shanghai is China's financial heart. The skyline of the Pudong district, with the famous Oriental Pearl Tower, looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. The city has the longest metro network in the world. Once a fishing village, it is now one of the most important ports on Earth.

Dhaka is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is growing rapidly as people move here from the countryside to work in the textile industry. The traffic is notorious; thousands of rickshaws, buses and cars are often stuck for hours in colorful chaos.

The largest city in the Southern Hemisphere and in all of the Americas (bigger than New York or Mexico City). São Paulo is a forest of skyscrapers as far as the eye can see. Because ground traffic is often gridlocked, this city has one of the largest fleets of private helicopters in the world; wealthy businesspeople fly from rooftop to rooftop.

The largest city in Africa. Cairo is a mix of ancient history (the pyramids of Giza lie on the edge of the city) and modern bustle. Because the city is bursting at the seams, the government is currently building an entirely new capital (the “New Administrative Capital”) about 45 kilometers away in the desert.

This city lies at more than 2,200 meters above sea level. It was built on the bed of a dried-up lake, which causes problems: the city sinks a little every year. The historic center is beautiful, but the city is also known for its sprawling suburbs creeping up the mountainsides.

The mighty capital of China. This is where you'll find the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Beijing is more tightly planned and organized than Shanghai. The government is now trying to curb its growth; for example, you can't just move there without the right papers (hukou).

Formerly known as Bombay. This is the home of Bollywood and the financial center of India. Nowhere is the gap between rich and poor so visible: next to the most expensive private home in the world (the Antilia tower) lies Dharavi, one of the largest slums in Asia.

We end where we started: in Japan. The Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto region (Keihanshin) forms one gigantic metropolis. Osaka is known as the culinary capital of Japan (“The nation's kitchen”). The atmosphere here is a bit looser and more direct than in formal Tokyo.