Megacities (College Board AP® Human Geography)
Study Guide
Written by: Kristin Tassin
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
What are Megacities?
Megacities are cities with 10 million inhabitants or more. Examples of megacities are:
Cairo
Mumbai
Beijing
Dhaka
Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto
Metacities are cities with 20 million inhabitants or more. Examples of metacities are:
Tokyo
Delhi
Shanghai
São Paulo
Mexico City
Location of Megacities
Factors driving the growth of megacities and metacities are:
rapid industrialization
Urban centers grow as hubs for manufacturing, trade, and services
urbanization
Rural-to-urban migration increases urban populations as people move to cities in search of great job and educational opportunities, and more access to services, such as healthcare
globalization
Economic globalization creates opportunities and demand for labor in urban areas
The majority of megacities and metacities are located in LDCs
particularly in the global periphery and semi-periphery.
In LDCs, megacities are often characterized by:
informal housing (slums)
inadequate infrastructure
economic inequality
These challenges are due to rapid urbanization, with population growth occurring faster than infrastructure and government services can accommodate
Megacities are characterized by:
extremely high population densities
putting a strain on available housing, transportation, and resources
government services like sanitation, electricity, and water
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Just as you need to make sure you read the entire prompt, read each potential answer in its entirety for multiple-choice questions. An answer may be partially correct, but contain incorrect or less correct information at the end. For this reason, it’s important to read all the way through each answer. Similarly, one answer may be correct but another may be MORE correct and offer the BEST response. For this reason, it is important to read through every single answer choice before making your selection.
Last updated:
You've read 0 of your 5 free study guides this week
Sign up now. It’s free!
Did this page help you?
