What are cities?

Question 1

What is a city?

Answer 1

A defined urban area within a country.

Question 2

What are some characteristics of cities that make them unique?

Answer 2

• Large population size
• High population density
• Built-up area
• Range of functions

Question 3

Large population size

What do cities have?

Answer 3

Many people who live and work in them, i.e a large population size compared to other locations in the country.

Question 4

What is one guideline cities around the world use to identify their cities?

What is the minimum population size that is widely used by most countries?
Why do different countries use different minimum population sizes?

Answer 4

Minimum population size

Question 5

High population density

What does population density measure?

Answer 5

The number of people living in a unit area of land.

Cities typically have a high population density as compared to other are

Question 6

How is population density calculated?

Answer 6

Population density = Number of people living in an area / land area

Question 7

What does ‘town’ refer to?

Answer 7

A smaller urban area as compared to a city.

Do page 8 of textbook, Questions for understanding

Question 8

Population density = Number of people living in an area / land area

Calculate population density of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Population size (people): 14,970,000
Land area (square km): 203
Population density (people/ sq km) = ?

Answer 8

73,743.8424
i.e. about 74,000 people per square kilometre

Question 9

Population density = Number of people living in an area / land area

Calculate population density of Seoul, South Korea
Population size (people): 9,963,000
Land area (square km): 605
Population density (people/ sq km) = ?

Answer 9

16,467.7686
i.e. about 16,500 people per square kilometre

Question 10

Calculate population density of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Population size (people): 8,140,000
Land area (square km): 2061
Population density (people/ sq km) = ?

Answer 10

3,949.54
i.e. about 3,950 people per square kilometre

Question 11

Calculate population density of Singapore, Singapore
Population size (people): 5,685,000
Land area (square km): 725.7
Population density (people/ sq km) = ?

Answer 11

7,833.82
i.e. about 7,833.82 people per square kilometre

Question 12

Built up area

What do cities have?

Answer 12

Built up areas
Extensive infrastructure

Question 13

What does ‘built up areas’ mean?

Answer 13

It means that the land surface is mostly covered by buildings.

Question 14

What does ‘infrastructure’ mean?

Answer 14

A system of buildings and equipment to provide services such as water, electricity, sanitation,telecommunications and transport for its residents.

Question 15

Range of functions

What do cities serve?

Answer 15

A range of functions or activities, e.g. administrative functions and commercial and educational activities.

Question 16

What important function does the city of Jakarta, Indonesia play?

Answer 16

1. Important administrative function: Office of the President and the highest court of law are located in Jakarta.
2. Key economic function in the country: It has many manufacturing industries that produce and sell a variety of products including iron, paper and cars.

Question 17

How do businesses benefit from a city’s modern infrastructure?

Answer 17

1. making use of the telecommunication systems to communicate efficiently with suppliers, customers and across offices in other locations.
2. utilizing the well-connected transport systems to move goods around the city and country, and even for export to other countries.