6.1 KiB
| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conurbation | 1/4 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conurbation | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T08:05:58.190531+00:00 | kb-cron |
A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most cases, a conurbation is a polycentric urbanised area in which transportation has developed to link areas. They create a single urban labour market or travel to work area. Conurbations often emerged in coal-mining regions during the period of the Industrial Revolution. Patrick Geddes coined the term in his book Cities in Evolution (1915). He drew attention to the ability of the new technology at the time of electric power and motorised transport to allow cities to spread and agglomerate together, and gave as examples "Midlandton" in England, the Ruhr in Germany, Randstad in the Netherlands, and the Northeastern Seaboard in the United States. For census purposes, the term as described is used in Britain, whereas in the United States a related concept of metropolitan area is used instead. Each polycentric "metropolitan area" may have its own common designation such as San Francisco Bay Area or the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Internationally the term "urban agglomeration" is often used to convey a similar meaning to "conurbation". A conurbation is different from a megalopolis in that the urban areas of a megalopolis are close but not physically contiguous, and labor markets have not yet merged. The region structure should also be contrasted with a megacity, as a megacity is hierarchical with a dominant urban core, whereas a conurbation is polycentric and no single urban centre has the dominant role over all other centres.
== Africa ==
=== Congo-Democratic Republic of Congo === The capital cities of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo form a conurbation.
=== Morocco === In Rabat-Salé-Kénitra administrative region, the capital city of Rabat and the city of Salé, both located at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg, form a conurbation.
=== Nigeria === Lagos is a conurbation formed through the merged development of the initial Lagos city area with other cities and towns including Ikeja and Ojo. Also various suburban communities such as Agege, Alimosho, Ifako-Ijaiye, Kosofe, Mushin, Oshodi, and Shomolu are included in the area.
=== South Africa === Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni (East Rand), and Tshwane (greater Pretoria) merged to form a region that has a population of 14.6 million.
== Asia ==
=== Bangladesh ===
The city of Dhaka is linked with Narayanganj and Gazipur; there are no gaps between Dhaka and the two cities. This conurbation which consists of the areas of the city of Dhaka and its surrounding cities and towns is collectively knowns as the Greater Dhaka City. The city of Dhaka is the core city of the conurbation and has a population of about 10 million. The satellite cities of the conurbation include Narayanganj, Gazipur, Tongi, Fatullah, Keraniganj, Tarabo, and Kaliganj.
=== China === There are 3 well-known conurbations in China.
The Yangtze River Delta consisting of Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Ningbo houses 150 million people and in 2016 it generated $2.76 trillion, 20 percent of China's national GDP. It is responsible for one-third of China's imports and exports. The Jingjinji, consisting of Tianjin, Beijing, Tangshan, and Qinhuangdao houses an estimated 130 million people and is responsible for a GDP of $1.1 trillion. The Pearl River Delta including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Hong Kong, and Macau houses 60 million people and is responsible for a GDP of $1.5 trillion, 9% of China's national GDP.
=== Indonesia === Greater Jakarta or Jabodetabek comprises the largest urban area in Indonesia and the second-largest in the world with a population of around 30 million. The center and national capital, Jakarta, has a population of 10.3 million within its borders. The second-most populated city in Indonesia, Surabaya, also forms a conurbation known as Gerbangkertosusila with a metropolitan population of about 10 million compared to the city proper of 3 million. Conurbations are also present around Bandung and Medan.
=== India === The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) consists of Mumbai and its satellite towns. Developing over a period of about 20 years, it consists of seven municipal corporations and fifteen smaller municipal councils. The region has an area of 4,355 km2 and with a population of 20.5 million, and is among the top ten most populated urban agglomerations in the world. It is linked together through the Mumbai Suburban Railway system and a large network of roads. The National Capital Region (NCR) is a name for the coordinated planning region which encompasses the entire National Capital Territory of Delhi as well as several surrounding districts in the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. However, the conurbation of Delhi is actually limited to the NCT of Delhi and the neighbouring contiguous urban areas comprising Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad. The area is officially known as the Central National Capital Region (CNCR), a small part of overall NCR. The population of this conurbation was estimated 21.7 million in 2011. It is the world's third most populous urban agglomeration. The Amaravati Metropolitan Region (AMR) of Andhra Pradesh is a conurbation of three cities, namely Vijayawada, Eluru and Guntur and 11 other towns which include Mangalagiri, Tadepalle, Tenali, Ponnuru, Chilakaluripeta, Narasaraopeta, Sattenapally, Nandigama, Jaggayyapeta, Nuzividu, Gudivada and Vuyyuru. The new capital city of the state, Amaravati, is being developed between the cities of Vijayawada and Guntur at the center of the conurbation. The region holds a total population of 58 lakhs. The Jamshedpur Metropolitan Area has Greater Jamshedpur and it contains the area and city of Adityapur, Maango, and Jugsalai.
== Europe ==