Metropolis
From Free net encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Metropolis (disambiguation).
A metropolis (in Greek metera = mother and polis = city/town) is a major city (in most cases with a population of at least one million), which is a significant economical and cultural center for some country or larger region, and usually an important hub for international connections and communications.
The word comes from the Greek metropolis ("mother city") (pl. metropoleis) which is how the Greek colonies of antiquity referred to their original cities, with whom they retained cultic and political-cultural connections. The word was used in post-classical Latin for the chief city of a province, the seat of the government, and in particular ecclesiastically for the seat or see of a metropolitan bishop to whom suffragan bishops were responsible. This usage equates the province with the diocese or episcopal see.
In modern usage the word is also used for a metropolitan area, a set of adjacent and interconnected cities clustered around a major urban center. In this sense "metropolitan" usually means "spanning the whole metropolis" (as in "metropolitan administration"); or "proper of a metropolis" (as in "metropolitan life", and opposed to "provincial" or "rural").
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Global/World city
The concept of Global city (or World city) means a city that has a direct and tangible effect on global affairs through socioeconomic, cultural, and/or political means. The term has become increasingly familiar, because of the rise of globalization (i.e., global finance, communications, and travel). An attempt to define and categorise world cities by financial criteria was made by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network (GaWC), based primarily at Loughborough University in England. The study ranked cities based on their provision of "advanced producer services" such as accountancy, advertising, finance and law. The Inventory identifies three levels of world cities and several sub-ranks (See World cities ranking).
A metropolis isn't necessarily a global city, or being one, it could not be among the top ranking due to its poor standards of living, development, and lack of infrastructures.
India
In India, the Census Commission defines a metropolitan city as one having a population of over 4 million. [1]. Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai are the five cities that qualify. Residents of these cities are also entitled to a higher House rent allowance. The figure only applies to the city region and not the connurbation.
United States
In the United States an incorporated area or group of areas having a population more than 50,000 is required to have a metropolitan planning organization in order to facilitate major infrastructure projects and to ensure financial solubility. Thus, a population of 50,000 or greater has been used as a de facto standard in the United States to define a metropolis. A similar definition is used by the United States Census Bureau. They define a metropolitan statistical area as at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more inhabitants.
United Kingdom
Various conurbations in the United Kingdom are considered to be metropolitan areas (see metropolitan county and List of conurbations of the United Kingdom). The term 'Metropolis' itself is rarely used. London is archaically referred to as 'the Metropolis'.
Metropole
see also Metropole
Like in the UK, in French and Portuguese language, the cognate word métropole (Fr.) / metrópole (Port.), designates the part of a country near or on the European continent; in the case of France, this would mean France without its overseas departments; for Portugal during the Portuguese Empire period, it used to be common to designate Portugal except its colonies (the Ultramar).
Metropoleis today
According to the main definition at the top of this article, worldwide examples of modern-day metropoleis are:
Africa
Asia
Europe
Oceania
The Americas
Note: Some of the examples shown here must be considered as a metropolis due to its role as a major center for a large metropolitan area which could include several satellite cities and towns in its vicinities, and not just for the main city itself.
See also
External links
de:Metropolis fr:Métropole it:Metropoli ja:メトロポリス pt:Metrópole sv:Metropolis uk:Метрополія