Inspired by the game about countries. Write three things about the city in question that you know. While definition of city varies, lets use this list.
Please don’t write “biggest city in XYX”, we;ll get nothing else otherwise. Unlike countries game, do look em up.
I’ll give it a go –
Pakistan’s financial centre, and main seaport.
Was capital of Pakistan until the early 1960s, when that role was transferred to Rawalpindi / Islamabad.
According to Wiki, Karachi is known locally as the “City of Lights”, and “the city which never sleeps”, because of its vibrant night life – not the sort of thing which one tends to associate with Pakistan these days !
3. Lagos
Former Nigerian Capital
Built on a series of Islands.
Lagos means "Lakes’.
4 Delhi.
Capital of India: became capital of British India, superseding Calcutta, in 1931 (as New Delhi – basically the government quarter within Delhi city proper).
Much gory fighting in and around Delhi in the Indian Mutiny of 1857.
5. Istanbul
Istanbul: Historically known as Constantinople and Byzantium, is the most populous Turkish city and the country’s premiere economic, cultural and historical center. However Istanbul is not Turkey’s capital. It’s located in Turkey’s northwest, between the Sea of Marmara and Black Sea.
Next: Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan’s capital city(since 1603), hence the seat of government and the Emperor. Tokyo’s metropolitan area is the largest in the world. It has hosted 1964 Summer Olympics and will do so again 2020. It’s metropolitan economy is the largest of any investment the world. The Japanese capital was ranked first in terms Fortune 500 companies(51).
Next: Mumbai
7.Mumbai
One of many locations whose name has suffered multiple transcriptions; in this case, the other common one is Bombay.
Which by the way is the name of a gin (does that count?) which has Queen Victoria on the label.
A coastal city, and one of the main ports for the Portuguese and British colonies in India.
Next, Moscow.
City’s name in Russian is “Moskva”.
Moscow’s central square is Red Square – a name which long predates the Communist period.
9. Sao Paulo
Pele was born nearby.
Name means “St Paul”
Rivalry with Rio
Shenzhen.
10: Shenzhen
In the far south of China, just north of the border with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Financial and technological powerhouse, with close links with Hong Kong – development of said links began, before Hong Kong came back under Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
City’s name means, translated, “Deep drains (in the paddy fields)”.
11: Jakarta
Damn it, I like Indonesia – so I’ll do Jakarta too.
At risk of overstepping guidelines set down in OP: capital and biggest city of Indonesia, on the country’s most prominent and populous island of Java.
Under Dutch colonial rule, the city was called Batavia.
Jakarta’s nearby seaport, is Tanjung Priok (perpetual temptation to my inner 8-year-old, to substitute a C for the O).
12: Seoul
Seoul: A rising global city with the fourth largest metropolitan economy surpassed by only Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles. Fortune 500 companies such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai are based in the city. Seoul is ranked as the most wired city in the world, with a technology readiness unmatched. It is home to half of South Koreans, has the largest subway system in the world.
Next: Guangzhou
13: Guangzhou
Probably the most historically prominent city in south China: “not a million miles” from #10 in the list, Shenzhen.
Was long known in the world at large, by the name of Canton.
Located at the upper end of the Pearl River estuary.
14: Kinshasa
Capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the big Congo).
Founded by Henry Morton “Dr-Livingston-I-presume” Stanley.
Formerly called Leopoldville.
15. There is no city 15.
16: Cairo
Convenient “jumping-off point” for the Pyramids and the Sphinx.
Features in much World-War-II-set fiction, in its role as seat of headquarters for Britain’s campaigns in North Africa and the Middle East.
Reputedly suffers from pretty much the world’s worst traffic congestion.
17: Lahore
Lahore
Capital of the Pakistani province of the Punjab
Named for a Hindu god, no one is exactly sure which
Known as the city of gardens
Mexico City.
18: Mexico City
Pre-Conquest, the same site was occupied by the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán.
Has long had severe air-pollution problems.
The volcano Popocatépetl, 43 miles south-east of Mexico City, can at times be seen from the city (atmospheric conditions as above, permitting).
19: Lima
Not pronounced the same as Lima Bean
Never rains in Lima (almost). Sometimes a whole year without rain.
Suburbs are within the natural range of some penguins, but Lima is not on the coast.
#20 – London
The entity with about 8.5 million inhabitants is Greater London. The City of London, strictly defined, is an area of a little more than one square mile with a population of less than 10,000 people. It’s more or less synonymous with the financial district.
The world’s first subway line, the Metropolitan Railway, opened there in 1863
“Big Ben” is not the tower. It is the name of the largest bell inside. The tower is Elizabeth Tower, formerly Clock Tower.
#21. New York
#21: New York
For its first approx. half-century as a European settlement, was a Dutch possession, called Nieuw Amsterdam. Came under English control and was renamed New York, in 1664.
New York City comprises five Boroughs, only one of which – the Bronx – is on the North American mainland. The others are on various islands.
I gather that New York City is the only place in the USA, where very many inhabitants don’t own cars – parking is a great problem, and getting around by public transport is easier. If a New Yorker wants to drive somewhere out of town, they rent a car.
#22: Bengaluru