Our look at demography gone mad resumes as we round out the top 25 most explosive urban areas in the world. In terms of population growth of course, not actual explosions. The great fun with trend observations, of which this is certainly one, is to speculate on what is going to shape our world over the next generation. What nations are on the rise? Where will the new economic powers come from? What new spheres of influence and social forces will emerge?
A quick glance at this list in a vacuum will lead to several inferences. India for one, is a country to watch. As continents, Africa and South America may have the most potential for change and growth over the next century. Conspicuous in their absence are urban areas in Europe and North America. With population growth not exactly a harbinger of stability, what will that spell for their collective fate? All worthy of consideration as we plunge ahead with our top 25.
13. Kampala, Uganda
With a population of 1.2 million, the capital city of Uganda will grow so long as conditions outside of the urban vicinity lag. Most residents still identify with tribal roots above other considerations, as the city reconciles with a role as one of the most important financial capitals on the continent.
Although a drop in the bucket next to big brother Kinshasa, Congo’s second city is on the move. This development comes in the wake of the genocidal conflict that plunged the country into despair at the end of the last century. The fact remains that Lubumbashi is a critical juncture of commerce and industry in Africa.
11. Toluca, Mexico
When it comes to nations on the rise, with a surfeit of potential, Mexico seldom earns consideration. The rise of Toluca should help change the neglect to respect, as the city grows beyond a metro population of 1.6 million and assumes a position as one of the most vital economic hubs in Latin America.
Bangladesh, despite being a magnet for epic natural disasters, is in full construction boom. As the main seaport of the country, Chittagong has been the recipient of waves of capital investment. In turn, the metro population is going to soar past the 4 million level in the near future.
Although no longer the political capital, Dar es Salaam nonetheless remains the preeminent city in Tanzania. With a population close to 3 million, the city is one of the most cosmopolitan in Africa. Tourism is on the rise here, thanks in no small measure to the tropical equatorial climate and proximity to the Indian Ocean.
A city at once ancient and modern, as a recent benefactor of India’s race to industrialize at warp speed, Faridabad’s population was at last count, just over 2 million. Bet on that to rise dramatically, as this northern city in the state of Haryana attracts more of the country’s educated masses to high profile jobs.
Africa’s supreme city in terms of population, Lagos is a behemoth. The skyline of the metropolis looms large and the urban area swells with over 8 million people. As the economy of Nigeria develops into more of a global player, the concentration of wealth in Lagos will make the city one of the best in which to work and live in Africa.
6. Bamako, Mali
On the banks of the indispensable Niger River, the growth clip of the capital of Mali is without precedent in Africa. In 1960 the city’s population was a paltry 160,000. Today Bamako has ten times that many people in a metropolitan area that has known human inhabitants since the Paleolithic Age.
With a rich cultural heritage, the recent history of Kabul is tragic. War, civil unrest, poverty and Taliban rule has put the city front and center in world headlines for all the wrong reasons. Still, in spite of the sad reality, there is a steely determination to modernize and as such, the population of 3 million is in a growth spurt.
4. Surat, India
Another boom city in the state of Gujurat, Surat has what amounts to a small population in India at 4.5 million people. To the outside world however, the size of the city is impressive because until recently, few outside of the diamond industy - incredibly, 92% of them are cut here - knew of this hectic port city between the Tapti River and Gulf of Cambay.
In relative terms, Sana’a has come out of nowhere. A century ago, the city had a mere 20,000 people. Today, with a population of 2 million and a growth rate still off the charts, the UNESCO World Heritage city with roots that trace back to the 6th century BC has become a foremost capital of Islam.
A new dynamo on the map of India, the city of 1 million people in the state of Uttar Pradesh is on the verge of greatness, most notably in the realms of commerce and industry. Recent excavation work done near the vital Hindon River has shown evidence in Ghaziabad of a cultural heritage that dates back over 4,000 years.
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In stark comparison to China’s other prominent urban areas on the rise, Beihai is blessed with auspicious geography. With sublime seaside scenery on the Beibu Gulf, the city is in close proximity to Hong Kong, Macau and Vietnam and consistently ranks as one of the most livable in Asia. Since the adoption of capitalism and the tsunami of industrialization, those who hold sway in Beijing have made Beihai a focal point of further tourist development and a model in which to showcase the face of New China.
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