When it comes to city populations, most of the big names out there are readily familiar. Tokyo, Mumbai, Seoul, Cairo, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Shanghai, Karachi, Dhaka and a host of others, most likely in Asia, if not China and India, promptly come to mind to anyone with a cursory knowledge of world demography.
Hyper growth however, is not the exclusive domain of these notorious populaces. Over the next 25 years in fact, the most awesome leaps in urban population numbers will occur in such farflung regions as Yemen, Bolivia and Guinea. To be sure and without much astonishment, the nations with the most rapid growth will remain China and India, whose collective denizens could one day comprise half of our planet’s population.
Outside of the notorious pair however, major strides in growth will occur in Africa and the Middle East over the next few decades. While shut out of the top 25, Brazil is also on the rise in terms of population expansion, as Sao Paulo swells to the limit and other urban areas in the country ebb and flow with the economy.
Here then are the top 25 urban areas slated to bear the most rapid growth over the next 25 years.
The capital of Mozambique is a bustling harbour town on the banks of the Indian Ocean, where a myriad of cultures - Portuguese, Chinese, Arab, Indian and African - conspire to make this city of over 1.6 million one of the most diverse on the continent.
24. Jaipur, India
With over 5 million people, Jaipur is a small cousin to Mumbai and Delhi. The tidy and attractive Pink City of Rajasthan is on the rise however, with an influx of capital investment from the IT community and one of the best infrastructures in India.
23. Conakry, Guinea
A major port city on the Atlantic Ocean, Conakry subsumes at least 25% of Guinea’s population. As Africa grows in global economic importance, Conakry will play a major role, with strong links to France, if not Europe, and wealthy expat community.
22. Rajkot, India
The state of Gujurat has undergone a population explosion whose effects will endure for decades. Rajkot is a perfect example of this hyper growth and with a proud history that dates back over 400 years and a population that now exceeds 1.5 million, the city will play a crucial role in India’s future development.
21. Patna, India
With almost 2 million people, Patna is one of those major urban areas in India that gets lost in the shuffle of Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. The mystical city on the Ganges however, is one of the most ancient on Earth, with a history that dates back more than two thousand years.
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Cut off long ago from the subcontinent and indeed, from the rest of the world, Madagascar is one of the most curious places on the planet. Long famous for unique flora and fauna, the capital city has a rich heritage that dates back before colonial occupation and is now in a veritable boom period.
With a metro population of over 12 million, the capital of Bangladesh is one of the most populous and dense in the world. Rapid growth here however, is still underway. Of critical importance in the Muslim world, Dhaka is known as the Mosque City and faces enormous infrastructure challenges as the populace swells.
18. Nairobi, Kenya
With just under 4 million people, Nairobi is one of the premier capitals of Africa. Despite recent social unrest and allegations of politcal corruption, the population growth perseveres. If the bad press dissipates and conditions improve for the poor, look for tourism to explode here as well.
17. Kinshasa, Congo
On the banks of the mighty Congo River, Kinshasa is a vast metropolis, with over 7 million inhabitants. Like many urban areas in Africa, rows of shanty towns compete for space with districts of relative affluence. If Africa is to emerge as a global superpower, Kinshasa will have to be front and center.
16. Nashik, India
As India develops beyond technology and industry and into other areas to incite tourism, Nashik will play a vital role. The city of almost 1.5 million in the state of Maharashtra is ideally located between the Western Ghats mountain range on the shores of the Godavari River and as such, is India’s wine production capital.
15. Luanda, Angola
The trend of African port towns in the midst of explosive population growth resumes with Angola’s capital city. On the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda, with a metro area of 5 million people, is critical to the trade economy of the continent. Recent troubles with warfare and social unrest in the interior have led to the rapid growth of the city.
Santa Cruz’s current growth spurt has drawn attention to other notable attributes in Bolivia besides guerilla militias and Che Guevara. If political stability and social equality are to be the future hallmarks of Latin America as a whole, this historic city of over 1.5 million people will become a formidable world capital.
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August 16th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
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