Largest cities in AIN

This article ranks the world's largest cities, in population or land area, using a variety of ranking methods. The question of determining the world's largest cities does not allow a single, simple answer. It depends on which definitions of "city" and "size" are used, and how those definitions are applied. Complex political/cultural/social situations, sometimes controversial or disputed, further confuse the discussion. Debate on this field is highly vulnerable to bias or manipulation, as people tend to prefer whichever definition most flatters their own city. The "size" of a city can refer to either its land area or, more typically, its population. Below are the most favored ranking types and a historical record of the largest cities in AIN.

Metropolitan Area
One concept which measures the world's largest cities is that of the metropolitan area, which is based on the concept of a labor market area and is typically defined as an employment core (an area with a high density of available jobs) and the surrounding areas that have strong commuting ties to the core. There is currently no generally accepted, globally consistent definition of exactly what constitutes a metropolitan area, thus making comparisons between cities in different countries especially difficult.

National Capitals are in bold.


 * Nations missing from this list due to lack of data include: Calaré, Freiga, Hiigara, Marquette, Rio Grande do Sul and Torainn.

Density
These cities must require a population greater then one million

Largest AIN Cities in History
This list shows the largest cities in AIN in history, these cities must have reached a peak population before 1900 C.E