Regions of the world. The need and principles of dividing the world into regions

The first states appeared in the southern regions of our planet, where there were the most favorable natural and geographical conditions for this. They originated around the same period, about five thousand years ago.

What is the reason for the emergence of a new type of social relations?

When and why the first states appeared, that is, their origin, is one of the controversial issues in science. According to the version of the famous German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the state arises in the process of increasing the role of property and the emergence of a class of wealthy people. They, in turn, need a special apparatus to protect their interests and maintain influence over their fellow tribesmen. Undoubtedly, this phenomenon took place, but it was not the only thing that contributed to the emergence of the state. There is also a theory according to which a new type of organization of society was a consequence of the need to control and distribute resources, a kind of supreme manager of economic objects, in order to effectively develop them; this method of organizing the state is most applicable to Ancient Egypt, where the irrigation system was the main economic object.

Criteria for their appearance

When and why did the first natural process arise, which occurred everywhere, but in different periods. In ancient times, the basis of life for all people was agriculture and cattle breeding. In order for it to develop successfully, appropriate natural and climatic conditions were necessary. Therefore, they settled mainly along the banks of large rivers, which made it possible to fully satisfy people's needs for this important resource. The location of the water source was of particular importance: the further south it is, the warmer the climate and, accordingly, more favorable opportunities for agriculture. Here you can harvest not just once, as in most of the world, but several times a year. This gave the peoples living in these regions an undoubted advantage in developing methods of livelihood and obtaining surplus product.

The most ancient regions of state building

Mesopotamia, or Mesopotamia, is a very favorable region for agriculture, a mild, warm climate, excellent location and the presence of two large rivers of Western Asia - the Tigris and Euphrates - provided the necessary amount of water for the development of the irrigation system and irrigation method of land use. The people inhabiting these lands were less dependent on the vagaries of the weather than others, so they could receive stable and rich harvests. Approximately the same situation developed in the valley of the largest river in Africa - the Nile. But in order to build complexes, it was necessary to organize the collective work of a large number of people, otherwise it was simply impossible to create effective agriculture. This is how the first prototypes originated and this is where the first states appeared, but these, strictly speaking, were not yet completely state formations. These were their embryos, from which they subsequently formed

The vicissitudes of socio-economic and political components in ancient countries

The city-states emerging in these territories begin to control a strictly defined area. Relations between neighbors were always tense and often led to conflicts. Many independent associations hampered the economic development of this region and the stronger rulers realized this, so they gradually try to subjugate a large territory to their power, where they establish uniform orders. It is according to this scheme that two strong and large kingdoms appear in the Nile Valley - Northern, or Upper, Egypt and Southern, or Lower, Egypt. The rulers of both kingdoms had fairly strong power and an army. However, luck smiled on the king of Upper Egypt, in a fierce struggle he defeated his southern rival, and around 3118 he conquered the kingdom of Lower Egypt, and Mina became the first pharaoh of a united Egypt and the founder of the state, which is when and why the first states appeared.

Egypt - the first state

Now all the fruitful resources of the Nile were concentrated in the hands of one ruler, all the conditions appeared for the development of a unified state system of irrigated agriculture, and now the one who controlled it had significant material resources. The fragmentation that was weakening the country was replaced by a strong, unified state, and the further development of Egypt perfectly demonstrates all the positive aspects of this process. For many years, this country dominated the entire Middle East region. Another favorable region of the Earth, Mesopotamia, could not overcome the centrifugal forces; the city-states that existed here could not unite under the rule of a single monarch. Therefore, constant conflicts destabilized the political and economic situation, which made it possible for Egypt to get ahead, and soon the Sumerian states fell into the sphere of influence of the Egyptian state, and then other powerful states in the region. But it is not possible to say which state appeared first with chronological accuracy, so Egypt is considered the first state on the planet.

Theories of the genesis of political entities

The most objective theory on the question of when and why the first states appeared is the one according to which a fairly stable social structure of society has already been formed, and the state that is formed as a result of these processes and phenomena is only a pattern designed to ensure the necessary stability of the entire social system. That's when and why the first states appeared. This path applies to all power relations in human history. But much more, it can also be a hostile environment, which contributes to the consolidation of society, strengthening the role of the individual, which is the ruler. Borrowings from surrounding more developed nations also play an important role. The religious and ideological component also contributes to this; it is enough to recall Muhammad, the founder of the new religion of Islam, and the importance it played in the formation. Therefore, the first states appeared as a result of a set of conditions, but the main criterion was still the level of economic development.

Summing up

The first states were mainly based on force; power always presupposes submission. And in the conditions of the ancient world, it was the only way to preserve vast territories, often inhabited by very different and dissimilar tribes. Therefore, many states arose as unique organizations for fruitful development, but did not interfere in local affairs, demanding only the fulfillment of certain duties and obedience. Often it was of a formal nature, because of this the first states were extremely unstable.

CITY GEOGRAPHY

- Hypotheses of the emergence of cities.
- Legal and actual boundaries of the city. Limits to urban growth.
- Agglomerations. Megalopolises. The largest cities of our time.
- Regional differences in the share of urban population. Features of urbanization in industrialized and developing countries.
- City and environment.

Urbanization (from the Latin urbs - city) is the historical process of the emergence, growth of population and the number of cities, and the concentration of economic potential in them. Urbanization is accompanied by an increasing role of cities in the life of society, the spread of an urban lifestyle and the formation of settlement systems. By the end of the 20th century, urban problems acquired global status; they concern representatives of many scientific disciplines - economists, sociologists, ecologists.

Geographers are primarily interested in the spatial aspects of urbanization - patterns of city location, settlement systems, organization of urban space.

WHAT SETTLEMENT IS CALLED A CITY?

The main factors that distinguish an urban settlement from a rural one are the significant population size and its predominantly employed outside agriculture. In addition, the city has a different character of residential development compared to rural areas and a higher population density.

There are no uniform criteria for identifying cities in the world. Thus, in the USA, settlements that reach 2.5 thousand people are considered cities. inhabitants, in Russia and the Netherlands - 20 thousand people, in Iceland - 200 people. In some countries, in addition to the population indicator, population density, the availability of urban amenities, and the employment structure are taken into account. In Russia, a city is considered a settlement with at least 20 thousand people, and more than 85% of the inhabitants must be workers, employees and members of their families (that is, the non-agricultural population).

In some countries, cities include all administrative centers, regardless of the size of the population living in them.

Therefore, national statistics on urban population and number of cities are often not comparable.

HYPOTHESES ABOUT THE EMERGENCE OF CITIES.

THE LARGEST CITIES OF ANCIENTITY AND MODERNITY

Before our era, the largest urban cultures of antiquity, where most of the world's population lived, including urban ones, were located in Asia.

The first large cities arose about 4 thousand years ago in the densely populated agricultural areas of Mesopotamia, in the valley of the Nile, Indus (in western India), and Yellow River (in northern China). The emergence of cities is associated with economic progress - the emergence of surplus food necessary to provide for the non-agricultural population. Cities arose both as residences of rulers (for example, in Ancient Egypt - as residences of pharaohs and priests), as fortresses, the main function of which was defense. In this case, they were located in the most strategically advantageous places.

In the Middle Ages, the largest cities in the world were Nanjing (470 thousand people), Cairo (450 thousand people), Vijavanagar (350 thousand people), Beijing (320 thousand people). The largest city in Europe was Paris (275 thousand), Milan and Venice were almost half behind it, and the population of London, which by the beginning of the 19th century had become the largest city in the world with a population of 870 thousand people, barely reached 50 thousand people.

One of the largest cities in the world was Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztecs, destroyed by the conquistadors in the early 19th century.

At the beginning of the 18th century, it is estimated that no more than 10% of the world's population lived in cities. Some of the largest cities of the Middle Ages still exist today, the development of others has slowed down, and they have turned into small provincial centers, and some have disappeared altogether.

The development of large modern cities as economic, political and commercial centers is associated with the emergence of manufacturing and factory production. The concentration of population in cities became possible primarily due to the development of energy: the development of technologies for the extraction, use and transportation of coal, and later oil. The most important functions of cities since the beginning of the industrial revolution have become: production of goods and services, management and inter-district exchange.

Only in the twentieth century. URBANIZATION has become the main factor in economic development and changes in the territorial organization of society in most countries of the world. During the 20th century, the number of city dwellers increased sharply, and the number of cities, especially large ones, increased.

The urban population grew mainly due to migration from rural areas (this factor is the most important in the initial stages of urbanization), natural population growth and urbanization of rural areas - the reclassification of rural settlements into urban ones.

If at the beginning of the 20th century. only 14% of the world's population lived in cities and there were 16 millionaire cities, then by 1950 the share of the urbanized population increased more than 2 times, and the number of millionaire cities - almost 5. It is expected that by 2000. Half of the Earth's inhabitants will be city dwellers, and the number of millionaire cities will be 440.

The concentration of population, economic and political life in large cities observed during the 20th century led to the formation of an idea of ​​​​a world economy concentrated exclusively in cities, each of which is surrounded by a “heart-shaped” region with maximum changes in natural landscapes, a transition zone and a vast, little affected by the achievements of modern civilizations on the periphery.

Cities and agglomerations, connected by transport routes, become the supporting framework of settlement.

CITY BORDERS: LEGAL AND ACTUAL

Every city has LEGAL BORDER, or city limits within which the urban population itself lives. For example, the legal border of Moscow is a 109 km long ring road. As the population grows, urban development begins to overcome the legal border of the city, first along the main radial roads, and then to fill the gaps between them. Thus, ACTUAL BOUNDARY of the city goes far beyond the administrative limits. The discrepancy between these boundaries complicates urban management. The city administration is forced to provide food, transport, and services not only to city residents within its administrative boundaries (i.e., real taxpayers at the expense of whom the city budget is formed), but also to the so-called “commuting” migrants - people living in the suburbs, but every day coming to work in the city. A solution to this problem can be found in two ways: by joint participation in city expenses by residents of the city and suburbs or by expanding the administrative boundary of the city to the level of actual urban development.

If it is impossible to expand the legal border of a city (for example, due to the existence of private land ownership), the growing city begins to absorb surrounding villages and merge with suburbs and satellite cities. This is how the city is formed AGGLOMERATION(from Latin agglomerare - to annex, concentrate) - a cluster of closely located settlements that have a continuous, common transport infrastructure and close industrial ties. At the same time, the legal boundaries of each of the settlements exist only on paper, and the real border of the agglomeration is determined by the end points of pendulum migrations.

For these reasons, data on the population of large cities and agglomerations often differ depending on the boundaries within which they are given.

LIMITS TO CITY GROWTH.

The growth and development of modern cities are associated primarily with economic benefits - the so-called agglomeration economy: the concentration of producers and consumers in a limited area in itself becomes a source of additional income due to a reduction in production costs per unit of output (the possibility of creating production facilities of optimal size) and reduction transport costs (proximity of buyers and sellers, creation of common infrastructure).

However, the economic gain from the growth of the area and population of the city increases only to certain limits - as long as the increasing transport costs for transporting goods, raw materials and passengers are beneficial for the given production costs.

The aggravation of environmental problems in large urban agglomerations, the development of personal transport and modern means of communication lead to an outflow of the population to suburban areas of suburbanization. This phenomenon is largely facilitated by cheaper prices for land plots outside cities and the movement of knowledge-intensive industries to suburban industrial parks, for which the significance of the agglomeration effect is small.

When agglomerations “accrete”, they form MEGALOPOLIS huge areas of continuous urban development in terms of area and economic potential. The largest of them are the Tokaido megalopolis on the “front” side of Japan with the largest agglomerations of Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe; The northeastern metropolis of the USA Bos-Wash, consisting of almost 40 agglomerations, stretching almost 1000 km from Boston to Washington; metropolis of Chig Pits on the southern coast of the Great Lakes - from Chicago to Pittsburgh.

In Europe, English is distinguished (the agglomeration of London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool), and Rhine, which includes the cities of Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium in the lower and middle reaches of the Rhine, megalopolises.

Cities of the world with a population of over 10 million people

№	Cities of the world	A country	Region	Number of people in 2005
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Megalopolis was the name given to a city that actually existed in Ancient Greece - the center of the union of Arcadian cities, which arose in 370 BC. as a result of the merger of more than 35 settlements.

GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF URBANIZATION

The most important indicators that make it possible to quantify the level of urbanization include : SHARE OF URBAN POPULATION IN THE COUNTRY'S POPULATION, And SHARE OF THE URBAN POPULATION LIVING IN THE LARGEST CITIES. These indicators are closely related to the level of socio-economic development.

An indicator of urbanization as a spatial process is FORMATION OF SETTLEMENT SYSTEMS: the existence in a certain territory of a large city performing various functions, but closely interconnected by production, social ties and a unified transport network - as the supporting frame of the settlement system, medium and small cities.

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN URBANIZATION

In the 1990s. 43% of the world's inhabitants lived in a city. The world's maximum share of city dwellers, more than 70%, was observed in economically developed regions (Europe, North America, Australia), where the growth and development of cities as centers of modern industry began during the industrial revolution. The highest rate of urban population growth here occurred at the beginning of the 20th century.

Over the past 30 years, the share of these regions in the world's urban population has decreased from 45 to 26%, while in the rest of the world the number of urban residents has increased from 400 million to 1.6 billion people. In recent decades, in economically developed regions there has been a process of so-called counter-urbanization - a flight from big cities to the suburbs, largely associated with the process of industrial decentralization.

In Latin America, about 65% of the population lives in cities; the largest urban agglomerations in the world are located here - Mexico City and Sao Paulo.

The highest rates of urbanization have been observed in regions where the share of the urban population is still relatively small. The proportion of the urban population in Asia as a whole is small at 34%. The highest rates of urbanization, exceeding the rate of population growth, are observed in Southeast Asia, where the share of the urban population is only 29%. In the countries of East Asia - Japan, Taiwan, the DPRK and the Republic of Korea, the urban population predominates (about 70%). The urban population in China is only 32%; This is due both to the strict regulation of internal migration before 1978, and to the nature of the economic reforms of the 80s, aimed at prioritizing the growth of well-being in agricultural areas, which also restrained migration to cities.

The world's lowest share of the urban population, and at the same time the highest rates of its growth, have been noted in recent decades in Africa.

FEATURES OF URBANIZATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

In most developing countries that are at the initial stage of industrial development, modern urbanization began recently and is proceeding at a very high pace.

As a rule, the uncontrolled growth of the urban population and urban area in one or two of the country's largest cities outstrips the capabilities of the urban economy and lags significantly behind the development of their production base, with a disproportionate increase in the service sector. This type of urbanization is often called "false".

The concentration of the country's urban residents, economic and political life in one city, usually a capital city, where all modern industry and higher educational institutions are concentrated, leads to its autonomous and isolated development from the rest of the country.

High growth rates of the urban population are associated mainly with high birth rates and rural-urban migration, which provide up to half of the increase in the number of urban residents.

As a rule, economic reasons for migration are the main ones, but socio-psychological motives are also important - the prestige of life in the city, the opportunity to receive an education. However, due to general economic backwardness and lack of jobs, people from rural areas without any qualifications join the ranks of the urban unemployed.

Most of the townspeople are employed in the informal sector, small handicraft enterprises in the service sector.

Significant areas in cities are used for agricultural purposes. The established areas of residence of people from the same area in cities, closely connected with their tribes and communities, attract new migrants heading in search of work and a better life.

Labor migration to cities deprives the agricultural sector of its main labor force. This leads to a reduction in food production and the need to increase food imports to feed the rapidly growing urban population.

High rates of urbanization lead to aggravation of socio-economic problems in large cities. Most city residents do not have basic city amenities. Thus, about 40% of the housing stock of African cities does not have running water, more than half does not have electricity, and a little more than 1/3 of the dwellings are provided with sewerage. High land costs and low incomes mean that most families are unable to buy or rent housing. Thus, in cities, often in their central parts, areas of spontaneous chaotic development, huge in area and population density, appear - slums, where houses are built from scrap materials. These areas are the main sources of social instability, crime, unsanitary conditions and epidemics, but governments do not have the means to improve the lives of their inhabitants.

As a rule, wood is used as fuel for cooking, so vast areas in the vicinity of cities are degraded lands.

Taking into account the leading role of the capital city in the economy, its ability to “attract” investments and industrial enterprises, projects have been undertaken in a number of developing countries to move former colonial capitals to the geographical center of the country. It was believed that a change in the geographical location of the capital would contribute to the accelerated development of the inner regions, and new cities built according to a single project would not be burdened by “old” problems. A new capital was built in Brazil; it is planned to move the capital in Tanzania, Argentina and a number of other countries. But it is not only economic interests that drive national governments. Thus, in Nigeria, the location of the new capital - Abuja - was chosen so that none of the country's warring tribes - Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa - would receive the political advantages that living in the capital region provides. In Côte d'Ivoire, the capital was moved to the president's homeland - Yamosoukro.

CITY AND ENVIRONMENT

Cities - due to the huge concentration of people, industrial enterprises, and transport in them - are the largest consumers of all types of natural resources - territorial, energy, food and the most important sources of environmental pollution. The load on the natural environment is increasing sharply not only in the cities themselves, but also outside the city limits.

The expansion of urban areas leads to a reduction in valuable agricultural land, which in developing countries further aggravates the food situation.

Cities in a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa are surrounded for many tens of kilometers by lifeless lands. These so-called “badlands” were formed due to the cutting down of woody vegetation for fuel and grazing in the vicinity of the cities of numerous herds belonging to the nomads who settled in the city.

Large cities are the largest consumers of food and, as a rule, the surrounding rural areas are unable to supply it.

The most important problems of our time include the provision of water to citizens and industrial enterprises and the disposal of wastewater. Garbage removal and disposal of human waste are considered serious problems.

However, the impact of large cities on the environment is not limited to the local level; they not only disrupt the hydrological regime of vast territories, climate and atmospheric circulation, but also affect the lithosphere, causing deflections of the earth's crust due to the weight of buildings and structures.

A special microclimate is formed in the cities themselves. Residential development reduces wind speed, and stagnant air contributes to the concentration of highly toxic industrial pollutants. Smog - a mixture of smoke, dust and fog, reducing the amount of sunlight, causes serious illness in people. The air temperature in cities is always slightly higher than the average temperature of the area. “Heating” of the urban atmosphere occurs due to the combustion of automobile fuel, heating of buildings and their subsequent cooling, and from the release of radiation heat from all urban objects. In cities at temperate latitudes, the snow melts earlier and the plants turn green. Often in winter, birds that usually winter in other regions do not fly away from cities; Simplified communities of fauna and flora are formed in cities.

Cities grow and develop, territories expand, new buildings and structures appear. People are still interested in learning something new and discovering the unknown. New knowledge and information in our age are more valuable than ever. But you shouldn’t stop only at numbers and letters; it’s better to see everything with your own eyes.

Rest has a different meaning for everyone. Choosing a location is another matter. After all, one city can combine entertainment, attractions and centuries-old culture. Today we will talk about the ten largest cities in the world, their features and a little history.

List of the 10 largest cities in the world and their numbers:

1. – 24.1 million inhabitants.
2. Karachi – 23.5 million population.
3. Beijing - 21.2 million
4. Delhi – 17.8 million
5. Lagos – 17 million population.
6. – 14.2 million
7. Guangzhou – 12.7 million
8. Mumbai - 12.65 million
9. Moscow – 12.1 million
10. Dhaka – 12 million inhabitants.

The first three largest millionaires

The first place is occupied by Shanghai, which is the financial center of China. The population is around 24 million. The city is located in the Yangtze River Delta, and therefore has the most famous port in the world. Shanghai is not only a financial and commercial center, it is also filled with architectural attractions. Buildings are taking on new shapes and styles, and authorities are developing more and more green areas and parks, taking care of the population.

The second place is occupied by Karachi, the country. It also has a seaport, which allowed the fishing village to grow into a major economic center of the country. In the 50s, due to the large number of immigrants, the population increased sharply. With a population of 23 million, the city has no subway and the surrounding area is littered with garbage. All the houses are lined with bars on the windows and balconies, and many people sleep on the streets. This picture scares more than it attracts tourists.

The third largest city is again in China and this is Beijing. The tourism and cultural center combines ancient Chinese culture and innovation. Many attractions attract tourists from all over the world. The Great Wall of China and the Temple of Heaven are considered the most popular. A large percentage of the city's population are foreigners, mainly businessmen and students.

Cities with populations from 18 to 12 million inhabitants

On the list 10 largest cities in the world there are “representatives” of countries such as Turkey, Russia, Nigeria, Pakistan. Another city that is located in China and is included in the top ten is called Guangzhou. What first catches your eye is the close interweaving of slums and large shopping centers. Parks, restaurants, high-rise hotels and all in a Chinese-modern style.

Two cities on the list are in India. First comes Delhi with a population of 17.8 million people, and then Mumbai with 12.65 million inhabitants. Moreover, Mumbai, or its more famous name Bombay, is half the size. At the same time, the city is filled with modern dynamics and art. It is in this city that the famous Bollywood, the center of the entire Indian film industry, is located. Delhi is distinguished by its liveliness, movement and contrasts. Centuries-old temples, filled with majesty, coexist with slums and dirt. And poverty and general bustle allow you to look at the city from a different perspective.

Istanbul ranks sixth in the ranking. The number of its inhabitants is increasing due to the migration of rural residents. The city is growing: new streets are appearing and residential areas are being actively built. Tourism, industry and trade relations are actively developed. For the latter, the presence of a port is an important factor.

Last on the list 10 largest cities in the world stands Dhaka, a country with a population of 12 million people. The area is close to Mumbai. The city has a river port and is famous for water tourism. There are a large number of mosques, and architectural structures, steeped in time, are more reminiscent of Babylon.

It is worth noting that a common feature of many cities is the presence of ports and access to the sea. This allows trade, actively developing tourism and strengthening political and economic components.