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___ Famous Cities of the World

Old Havana with El Capitolio, Cuba
Havana, Cuba's capital city.
Image: Anna Rydin
 

For a virtual city-hopping, this is the gateway to cosmopolitan cities around the World.


Big City or Metropolis
Metropolis


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The cities and metropolises listed below are the cultural, intellectual, and economic centers of a country or a tourist magnet with exceptional attractions and often the seat of the national or a regional government. These cities are social melting pots and main places for trade and innovations.

On the list below the city's link will lead you to information about a city with satellite views and maps and links to official city sites or the official visitors sites. The country links will open the country profile page.

keywords: world famous cities, mega cities, global cities, major municipalities, world major city, great world city, cities around the world, cities of the world

Amsterdam
The largest city and national capital of the Netherlands (Holland), famous for its 17th-century buildings and canals (grachten) and its museums with their collections of Dutch paintings by famous artists like Vermeer, van Gogh, Brueghel, Hieronymus Bosch, Frans Hals, and Rembrandt.
 




Ankara
Formerly known as Angora, second largest city and the national capital of Turkey, situated in the Anatolia region. The city is not only Turkey's center for political power but also known for its performing arts, home to several national theater companies, the Turkish State orchestra, and the State Opera and Ballet.
 
Athens (Athína)
One of the oldest cities in the world, named after the Greek goddess Athena, today the municipality of Athens is the national capital of Greece. Inhabited since unknown times, in Ancient Greece (508–322 BC) it was one of Greece's major urban centers and a city-state (polis).
 
Atlantic City
Resort city and gaming mecca on America's East Coast, home of the Miss America Pageant, site of the world famous Boardwalk in the State of New Jersey. For over a century it was one of America’s most prominent holiday destinations on the East Coast. It is the city that inspired the American version of the board game Monopoly.
 
Baltimore
Largest city in Maryland, USA.
 
Bangkok (Krung Thep)
Thailand's national capital, its largest city and the country's main cultural center.
 
Beijing (Peking)
The national capital and second largest city of China.
 
Berlin
The largest city and national capital of Germany (Deutschland).
 
Berne (Bern)
The national capital city of Switzerland with an UNESCO recognized medieval city center.
 
Brussels (Stad Brussel, Bruxelles, Brüssel)
The national capital of Belgium, sometimes called the European capital because the city houses main institutions of the European Union and is also the political seat of the NATO.
 
Budapest
Hungary's capital city, comprises of the hilly Buda on the west and the flat Pest on the east bank of the Danube river.
 
Buenos Aires (Ciudad de Buenos Aires, city of "Good Airs" in Spanish)
The former (1536) Ciudad del Espíritu Santo y Puerto Santa María del Buen Ayre is the largest city and the national capital of Argentina.
 
Cairo
Located on the banks and islands of the Nile River in northeast Egypt, Cairo is the largest city in both Africa and the Middle East, the national capital of Egypt and a cultural center of the Arab world.
 
Canberra
Australia's planned capital city, founded in 1908, some years after the federation of Australian states into the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
 
Cannes
Famous city at the French Riviera, the Côte d'Azur in France, tourist attraction and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival.
 
Cape Town (Sasekapa, Kaapstad)
Since some years the city is a popular tourist destination in South Africa; Cape Town is the legislative center of the country and capital city of the Western Cape Province.
 
Chicago
The City of Chicago is the third largest city in the United States located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Illinois.
 
Cologne (Stadt Köln)
Cologne is the oldest cities in Germany. The name Cologne stems from Agrippina, the Cologne-born wife of the Roman Emperor Claudius, who proclaimed the city "Colonia" in the year 50 AD.
 
Copenhagen (København)
The capital city of Denmark, the city houses the national parliament, the government, and the Danish monarchy.
 
Damascus
Visit Damascus one of the oldest city in the world and the national capital of Syria.
 
Delhi
The North Indian city is together with New Delhi the "National Capital Territory", second largest city and capital city of India.
 
Dubai City
Main city of the emirate Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, the city will host the first Dubai International Film Festival in December 2004.
 
Dublin
Bhaile Átha Cliath is the capital and largest city of Ireland
 
Florence (Italian: Firenze)
Historical city and capital city of the region Tuscany (Toscana) in Italy.
 
Genève (Genf, Genève, Geneva), Switzerland
Cosmopolitan Swiss city at the Lake Geneva, today home to around 190 international organizations, both governmental and non-governmental.
 
Hague, The (Den Haag)
Netherlands seat of the Dutch government and as one of the capitals of the United Nations it hosts, beside other institutions of the UN, the International Court of Justice.
 
Ha Noi
The national capital of Viet Nam, a must see is the Old Quarter of Hanoi, the oldest continuously developed area of Viet Nam with its narrow streets of houses, still occupied by guilds of tradespeople, a legacy of Hanoi's ancient past, but the area is challenged by rapid changes since Viet Nam's policy of economic openness, so hurry.
 
Havana (San Cristóbal de La Habana)
Once, Great Britain has seized the city in 1762, and then exchanged it for Florida the following year. Havana is the capital of Cuba and the largest city in the Caribbean.
 
Helsinki
Largest city and the capital city of Finland.
 
Hong Kong (Xianggang, Hsiang Kang, the Fragrant Harbor)
The city was a former British dependency that was returned to China in 1997, now it is formally a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China situated at the South China Sea, by population the fourth largest metropolitan area of the PRC.
 
Honolulu (the place of shelter)
Most populous city, principal port and capital of Hawaii, a state of the USA. The city is located along the southeast coast of the island of Oahu.
 
Istanbul
Formerly Constantinople, the only city in the world that is located on two continents, largest city and seaport in  Turkey.
 
Jakarta
Formerly (until 1949) Batavia, (from 1949-72) Djakarta, located on the island of Java, is the largest city and the national capital of Indonesia.
 
Jerusalem
The capital city of the State of Israel, also claimed by the Palestinians as the capital of Palestine; the ancient Middle Eastern city is of key importance to the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
 
Kansas City
State of Missouri, often abbreviated KCMO, a trading post in 1821, today Kansas City is the center of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and a center for night life and music.
 
Kathmandu
Kathmandu Metropolitan City is the cultural and religious center and the capital city of Nepal, famous for its Buddhist and Hindu temples and palaces.
 
Kuala Lumpur
It is the largest city and the national capital of Malaysia well known by its landmark the Petronas Twin Towers, one of the tallest buildings in the world.
 
Lisbon
Largest city, cultural and educational center and the national capital of Portugal located in the west of the country on the Atlantic coast.
 
London
Largest metropolitan area and the capital city of both, the United Kingdom and of England, a polycentric city with many core districts and no clear hierarchy among them, Londinium was founded by the Romans in the 1st century AD.
 
Los Angeles (LA)
The City of Los Angeles is a very large urban sprawl in south California, in the west of the USA, it's the second most populous city of the country and famous for its movie and television productions (Hollywood). By the way, nobody walks in LA.
 
Luxembourg (Luxemburg, Lëtzebuerg)
Originated from a castle called Lucilinburhuc and its surrounding settlement, today the city is the national capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and one of the capitals of banking in Europe.
 
Madrid
Proclaimed official capital of the Kingdom of Spain in 1561, Spain's largest city and the national center of arts and industry.
 
Manila
The pre-Hispanic village called Maynila is today the Capital City of the Philippines.
 
Melbourne
Second largest city (by population) of Australia, a trendy metropolis with everything you expect from a big city.
 
Mexico City
In ancient times the pre-Columbian city Tenochtitlán, today the national capital of Mexico, the oldest capital in the New World, founded in 1525 by the Spaniards.
 
Milan (Milano, Mailand)
North Italian City, the capital of the Lombardy (Lombardia) region and so-called the economic capital of Italy, famous for fashion Italian style.
 
Montreal (Montréal)
Largest city in the province of Québec, in Canada, the world's second largest francophone city after Paris is a major center of business, economy, culture, and world affairs.
 
Moscow (Moskvá)
The center of power and the capital of the Russian Federation, well known are its landmarks the Kremlin, the Red Square and the Saint Basil's Cathedral, and famous for the Russian ballet and the performing arts.
 
Mumbai
Formerly known as Bombay, Mumbai is one of the most populous cities in the world, capital of the state of Maharashtra, India.
 
Munich (München)
Third largest city of Germany and state capital of Bavaria, founded in 1158; the city is famous for its rural fashion, its beers and as the host of the annual Oktoberfest - the biggest public festival of the world; and in Munich is the headquarters of BMW.
 
Nazareth
The city of the Annunciation, In the New Testament, the city is described as the childhood home of Jesus,. The ancient town in northern Israel is the capital of the Northern District of the country, and the largest Arab city in Israel.
 
New York
New York City, the Big Apple, the most populous city of the USA, in the state of New York, the city is seat of the United Nations headquarters.
 
Nice (ital.: Nizza)
Birthplace of Yves Klein, a relatively small but famous city at the French Riviera, one of the tourist attractions of the Côte d'Azur in France.
 
Osaka
The business and industrial city, part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area, is located on the main island of Honshu, at the mouth of the Yodo River. Osaka used to be called the city of "eight hundred eight bridges", and it's one of the oldest cities in Japan.
 
Ottawa
Considered as one of the world's most beautiful capitals, a cosmopolitan North American city with an European flair, located in the eastern part of the province of Ontario. Ottawa is the national capital of Canada.
 
Oslo
Situated in the southern part of the country at the head of Oslo Fjord, surrounded by forested hills and mountains. Oslo is the cultural center and the capital city of Norway
 
Paris
The city takes its name from the Parisii, Celtic Iron Age people who lived on the banks of the Seine river. Today the city is the cultural center, largest city and the national capital of a still more or less central orientated French Republic. Paris is situated at the center of the Île-de-France region on the Seine river. The city was held by the Romans for some times, who called it Lutetia and later by the Merovingians, a Salian Frankish dynasty. Paris has been, and still is, the center of power of France.
 
Philadelphia
The largest city in Pennsylvania and one of the oldest cities in the USA, Established as a Quaker colony by William Penn and others in 1681, it was the site in 1776 of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and in 1787 of the adoption of the Constitution of the U.S. and last but not least the birthplace of the Philly Sound, Philadelphia' soul music.
 
Phnom Penh
The national capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia, situated in the south-west of the country at the confluence of the three rivers Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac. A city with many cultural and historical attractions like the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum. The city takes its name from the present Wat Phnom or Hill Temple, by the way, an Elephant ride is available there.
 
Prague (Praha)
The city takes its name from praga, which means "ford", in history many settlements gathered around such a shallow crossing on a river. Prague is the capital of Czech Republic.
 
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, second most populous city and the national capital of Ecuador. The city lies at an altitude of 2,850 m (9,350 ft), making it the second highest capital in the world only surpassed only by La Paz in Bolivia.
 
Reykjavik
The capital city of Iceland. In the ninth century, the first Vikings settled in the area where the city would later rise. They named the place Reykjavik, it means "smoky bay" because of the hot steam rising from the abundant geothermal springs.
 
Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" in Portuguese)
Famous City in southeastern Brazil and former capital of the country from 1764 to 1960.
 
San Francisco (Frisco)
One of the most cosmopolitan cities in the United States.
 
Santa Fe
America's oldest capital city; New Mexico, USA. Founded in 1607 by Spanish explorers.
 
Santiago
The capital city of Chile. Founded 1541, by Pedro de Valdivia.
 
São Paulo
Brazil's largest city and probably its richest. The most populous city in Latin America is home to more than 12 million people. The multi-cultural metropolis is an alpha global city and a melting pot, home to large Arab, Italian, Jewish, and Japanese diasporas.
 
Shanghai
Harbor city at the mouth of the Yangtze River and the largest city in China, traditionally always in rivalry with Beijing.
 
Singapore City
Singapore is a phenomenon, it is a country, an island and a city, all by itself. The capital city of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore. The city has a wild mix of culture and traditions with ingredients from China, Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Western-style business and shopping behavior.
 
Stockholm
Largest city and the capital of Sweden, built on 17 islands. It is the largest, most populous city in Scandinavia, more than 2 million people live in its metropolitan area. Sweden's primate city is the cultural, political, and economic center of the country and the Swedish media hub.
 
Saint Petersburg
2003 marked the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg in 1703. Russia's second-largest city has a population of more than with five million people, it is known as the cultural capital of the Russian Federation. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 
Seoul
Seoul was the capital of the Korean Yi dynasty from the late 14th century until 1910. Today it is the capital of South Korea with a population of more than 10 million people. It is one of East Asia’s most livable cities, famous for its palaces and temples, its endless shopping options, and for its traditional Korean food.
 
Sydney
Most populous Australian City with an international atmosphere, Australia.
 
Taipei
The capital city and the political, economic, and educational center of Taiwan.
 
Tokyo
The "Eastern Capital", formerly Edo (until 1868), the capital and largest city of Japan.
 
Toronto
largest city and the cultural and entertainment capital of Canada.
 
Venice (Venezia)
The famous Italian lagoon city, the city of canals is the capital of the Veneto region of Italy.
 
Vienna (Wien)
The capital city of Austria has long been a center of the arts, particularly for music. Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, and the Strauss family were among the composers who lived and worked in the city.
 
Washington
The capital city of the United States of America. Washington, DC was founded in 1791 as the world's first planned capital city, USA.
 
Zürich
International Swiss City and the largest city in Switzerland.
 
More International Cities
Lists of the worlds capitals by continent:

Capital Cities of Africa

Capital Cities of the Americas

Capital Cities of Asia

Capital Cities of Australia and Oceania

Capital Cities of Europe

Capital Cities of the World by States

Really BIG Cities!
The most populated cities of the world

The most populated countries of the world
 
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