Megacities – An urban area with a total population in excess of ten million people

NOTE: We link the number 10, which we have to remember here, with ten pin bowling.

To remember the meaning of the term Megacities, use the following mnemonic:

There is a mega star in the city (megacity) who can take out ten people (ten million) at once.

There are more than 30 megacities in the world. China has the most megacities, with five: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Tianjin.

The Japanese capital, Tokyo, is the largest megacity by population with 37,800,000 people.

The very high population levels in megacities can lead to major problems such as insufficient food supplies, shortages of drinking water and shortcomings in power supplies.

There may also be concerns about sanitation and disposal of sewage and waste.

Some cities have insufficient living space for incoming residents, which may lead to an increase in informal settlements and slums.

Residents travel around by bus, truck or motorised bicycle, causing chaos on the streets and high levels of CO₂ emissions.

On the plus side, megacities have the potential to reduce poverty and improve living conditions for a large proportion of the population if they are managed properly and make the most of their advantages.