21 Interesting Facts About Cities Around the World

All cities around the world are interesting, amazing, and curious in their own ways. Well, maybe not all, but many of them are. Given the cultural differences across various parts of the globe, it’s often surprising to see just how differently people have designed the places they consider comfortable. But many cities are truly unique, and despite attempts to replicate their success, no one has yet succeeded, and it’s unlikely anyone ever will.

Facts About Cities Around the World:

1. In 2009, for the first time, the number of urban dwellers worldwide equaled the number of rural residents. Since then, the proportion of city dwellers has continued to increase.
2. The most visited city by tourists globally is Paris, the capital of France.
3. Different countries have different standards for what constitutes a large city. For example, in Norway, a city is considered large if it has more than 20,000 inhabitants.
4. The most densely populated city in the world is Manila, the capital of the Philippines, with a population density exceeding 43,000 people per square kilometer.
5. The city with the largest population is Shanghai, China, with about 25 million people.
6. The opposite of Shanghai is the Croatian town of Hum, where only about 20 people permanently reside.
7. The Greek city of Argos is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, having been established around 5,000 years ago.
8. The oldest capital city in Europe is Athens, Greece, which is even older than Rome.
9. The debate over which city is the oldest in the world continues to this day. Many are over 10,000 years old, but determining their exact age is extremely difficult. For example, people lived in Damascus 10,000–12,000 years ago.
10. The most expensive city for foreigners in the world is Luanda, the capital of Angola. Despite being a very poor country, the influx of foreign investment has led to a rapid increase in living costs, surpassing even Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Singapore.
11. The shortest street in the world, Ebenezer Place, is located in Wick, Scotland. It is only 206 centimeters long.
12. Three cities in the world are independent states: Singapore, Vatican City, and Monaco.
13. The least visited city by foreigners is Funafuti, the capital of the Pacific nation of Tuvalu, which receives about 2,000 foreign visitors a year on average.
14. Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is the only capital city in the world that borders two neighboring countries, Hungary and Austria.
15. The longest street in the world, Avenida Rivadavia, stretches for 14.6 kilometers and is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
16. The widest street in the world, July 9 Avenue, is also in Buenos Aires. It has 12 lanes for vehicles and is 140 meters wide.
17. In the United States, many cities are named after European capitals. There are numerous towns with names like London, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, or Paris.
18. Elista, the capital of Kalmykia, is the only capital in Europe (although not of an independent state) where the majority of the population practices Buddhism.
19. Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is the only divided capital in the world. Part of it belongs to the Republic of Cyprus, and part to the partially recognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Nicosia serves as the capital for both.
20. The city with the most bridges in the world is not Venice but Hamburg, Germany, which has 2,376 bridges.
21. The city with the longest metro system in the world is Shanghai, with metro lines extending approximately 600 kilometers.