DK - WOW! The Visual Encyclopedia of Everything

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Cities have existed since ancient times, when they

functioned as trading hubs, often at the heart of sprawling

empires. By the early 20th century, one in 10 people lived

in a city. Industrialization has led to massive urbanization,

and more than half the world’s population are now

city-dwellers. Modern cities are centres of

commerce, culture, and government.

CITIES

▼ CITY-STATE

In Ancient Greece, it was common

for cities to establish themselves

as independent states, with their

own political systems. By the 5th

century

bce, there were hundreds

of city-states, and Athens was

one of the most important.

Today, Athens is the

Greek capital.

HIGH-RISE

▶

The first high-rise buildings, now

known as “skyscrapers”, were

constructed in the 1880s. With

limited space in city centres,

building upwards became the

solution. Today, more than

7,000 skyscrapers tower

above the city of Hong Kong.

▲ RELIGIOUS CENTRE

Some cities are important religious

sites. Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is sacred

to Muslims as the birthplace of the

prophet Muhammad. All Muslims

should make a pilgrimage to Mecca

once in their lifetime.

CONURBATION

▶

When a city expands to

merge with neighbouring

towns, it becomes one

huge urban area called a

conurbation. The world’s

largest conurbation is

Tokyo, Japan, with

currently 37 million

inhabitants.

Modern Athens was built

around the ruins of the

ancient city-state

The Palace of Westminster

is home to the British

parliament

RIVER LIVING

▶

Towns and cities were often built

next to rivers, to take advantage

of the trading opportunities and

transport links they offered.

Founded by the Romans, the

city of London now spreads

far and wide on both sides

of the River Thames.

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