Are Most Major Cities in the East? No—Global Urbanization Is Everywhere

False. Major cities are distributed across every continent and hemisphere. The "East" bias comes from:

  • Historical Eurocentrism: Early urbanization in Mesopotamia, Nile, Indus, Yellow River valleys (all "East" of Europe).
  • US perspective: East Coast cities (NYC, Boston, Philly) founded first; West Coast boomed later.
  • Asia dominance: 60% of world's 30+ megacities (>10M) are in Asia — but that's "East" only from a Greenwich view.

Reality Check: Major Cities by Region (2024 metro >5M)

What "East" Even Means

Prime Meridian (0°) is arbitrary. Tokyo is "Far East" from London, but "West" from Honolulu. Urbanization follows water, trade, resources, governance — not compass roses.

Bottom line: Cities cluster where geography and history allow. Everywhere.

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RegionExamples
East AsiaTokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, Osaka, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Taipei
South AsiaDelhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Dhaka, Karachi, Lahore, Bangalore, Chennai
Southeast AsiaJakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur
EuropeLondon, Paris, Moscow, Istanbul, Madrid, Milan, Ruhr, Barcelona
North AmericaNYC, LA, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Toronto, Mexico City, Miami, DC, Philly
South AmericaSão Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio, Bogotá, Lima, Santiago
AfricaCairo, Lagos, Kinshasa, Luanda, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Abidjan
OceaniaSydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland