Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Metropolis

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

A metropolis is a very large and important city.

Jakarta Panorama
Jakarta Panorama

It is much more than just a place with many people. These cities act as major centers for money, politics, and culture. They also serve as hubs for travel and news. A metropolis helps connect a whole region to the rest of the world. It is often the most important center for commerce and communication.

Shanghai skyline 2018(cropped)
Shanghai skyline 2018(cropped)

How a city becomes a metropolis can change over time. In the past, one single city usually led its area. Today, many large urban areas are "polycentric." This means they have many centers working together. For example, the Tokyo–Osaka corridor and southern California are seen as modern metropolises. These regions include many different cities instead of just one. They all work together to help the economy grow.

The word has a very old history. It comes from two Greek words. One word means "mother" and the other means "city."

London Skyline (125508655)
London Skyline (125508655)

In ancient times, a "mother city" sent settlers to new lands. The term was used in religious ways in sixth-century Canterbury. Later, it began to describe large secular cities like London. By the 16th century, London was a famous example of a metropolis.

Warsaw skyline Świętokrzyski Bridge
Warsaw skyline Świętokrzyski Bridge

Many different countries have rules for what counts as a metropolis. In the United States, a place with 50,000 people can be one. New York is the largest metropolis in the U.S.

View of Empire State Building from Rockefeller Center New York City dllu (cropped)
View of Empire State Building from Rockefeller Center New York City dllu (cropped)

In Brazil, São Paulo is a huge metropolis with over 21 million people. People often move to cities like Rio de Janeiro to find work. This can lead to the growth of favelas, which are large slums.

Top of Rock Cropped
Top of Rock Cropped

Metropolises are found all over the globe. In China, there are 60 megacities, including Shanghai.

Shanghai skyline 2018(cropped)
Shanghai skyline 2018(cropped)

Japan has one special designation for Tokyo.

In France, the word can also mean the mainland part of the country. Paris is the most populated urban area in the European Union.

Eiffel Tower and La Défense from Tour Montparnasse
Eiffel Tower and La Défense from Tour Montparnasse

These cities are the busy hearts of our modern world.

325 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (11)
File:View of Empire State Building from Rockefeller Center New York City dllu (cropped).jpg
View of Empire State Building from...
File:Jakarta Panorama.jpg
Jakarta Panorama.jpg
File:London Skyline (125508655).jpeg
London Skyline (125508655).jpeg
File:Top of Rock Cropped.jpg
Top of Rock Cropped.jpg
File:Shanghai skyline 2018(cropped).jpg
Shanghai skyline 2018(cropped).jpg
File:Blue Hour over Tokyo (11753289395).jpg
Blue Hour over Tokyo (11753289395).jpg
File:Ortigas Tonight.jpg
Ortigas Tonight.jpg
File:Eiffel Tower and La Défense from Tour Montparnasse.jpg
Eiffel Tower and La Défense from Tour...
File:Warsaw skyline Świętokrzyski Bridge.jpg
Warsaw skyline Świętokrzyski Bridge.jpg
File:Maslak kerembarut.jpg
Maslak kerembarut.jpg
File:City of London skyline from London City Hall - Oct 2008.jpg
City of London skyline from London City...
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.