History Main / MajorWorldCities

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* MajorWorldCities
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The major cities of the world and their appearances in fiction. This page is based on the 2020 classifications and rankings of the [[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/ Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC)]] think tank group from Loughborough University in England, the earliest group to attempt such a categorization from way back in 1998. Expect some of these to show up in a WorldTour.

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* '''UsefulNotes/{{London}}, England, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Largest city in Europe outside Russia and Turkey, and a center of finance, culture and politics, as well as a hotspot of diversity. It is also the most visited city in the world in terms of international arrivals and the first to host the UsefulNotes/OlympicGames thrice (1908, 1948 and 2012).
* '''UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' The largest city in the state of New York and of the United States, as well as arguably the reigning cultural and financial capital of the world and home of the General Assembly of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations. Its position on one of the world's largest natural harbors made an excellent point-of-entry for traders and immigrants throughout the centuries.
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* '''UsefulNotes/{{Beijing}} (Peking), UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' The centuries-old capital of the People's Republic of China, second-largest city after Shanghai, and center of education, politics and culture. Best-known for its imperial complex, long closed to outsiders until the early 20th century.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Dubai}} (Dubayy), Emirate of Dubai, UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates:''' Largest city of the UAE. Once a dusty little emirate capital, the discovery of oil propelled Dubai into a ''massive'' facelift, one that was briefly interrupted by the financial meltdown of 2008 but has since been making rebounds.
* '''UsefulNotes/HongKong (Xianggang), UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' The largest economic powerhouse in the Far East. Formerly a part of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire until 1997, Hong Kong remains an enclave of capitalism in an otherwise communist state (an example followed by Macau two years later), while the British experience bequeathed the island-city with a unique culture and government system.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}, Île-de-France, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Capital and largest city of France, and a global leader in culture and business. Its historical experiences also shaped the modern world from its establishment as seat of the French Empire to the UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution. Today it is home to some of the most visited museums and landmarks in the world, as well as the second city to host the Olympics thrice (1900, 1924 and 2024).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Shanghai}}, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Most populous city in China and its financial powerhouse. Strategically located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai was among the first Chinese cities opened to foreign trade, enjoying a period of prosperity before going into a slump when trade was limited to other communist countries, then made a resurgent comeback during the Deng Xiaoping years.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} (Singapura):''' The powerhouse of Southeast Asia, the modern island-city-state of Singapore was founded by the British in 1819 as a trading post for the East India Company and later grew as a center of commerce and multiculturalism under a conservative democracy.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Capital and largest city of Japan, and center of the world's most populous metropolitan area (at 37.8 million), as well as a center of business and culture. Arguably the [[TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse center of the universe]].
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* '''[[FreestateAmsterdam Amsterdam]], North Holland, UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands:''' Capital and largest city of the Netherlands, as well as its commercial and cultural hub, famous for its canal-lined city center and a very liberal atmosphere.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Brussels}} (Bruxelles), UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}:''' Capital and largest city of Belgium, strategically located between its two major cultural regions of Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia, and the seat of many an international political organization, most prominent of which are UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion and UsefulNotes/{{NATO}}.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, UsefulNotes/{{Illinois}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Third-largest city in the USA and the urban heart of the Midwest. Built on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan, the city grew into a major transportation hub, with more roads and railroads leading into it than any other city in America. Besides being a commercial center, it is also a heavyweight in American gastronomy and music.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Frankfurt}} [am Main], Hesse, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' The financial heartland of continental Europe, fifth-largest city of Germany, and home of the hot dog. It is also distinct from other German cities by its abundance of skyscrapers and autobahn interchanges.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Jakarta}}, Jakarta Province, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Indonesia, founded 1600 years ago as seat of the Sunda Kingdom and expanded its influence under the Dutch. Today it is a bustling metropolis of 9.6 million people, and kind of notorious of being dubbed as the city with the worst traffic jams in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/KualaLumpur, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Malaysia (with nearby Putrajaya now serving as seat of the federal executive and judiciary, while the legislative and royal seats remain in this city). This little metropolis on the Klang Valley grew from a frontier town built by Chinese tin miners to the heart of the Malay Peninsula, culminating in an economic boom best symbolized by the Petronas Towers, the tallest twin buildings in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city in California and second-largest in the USA and a hotbed of multicultural diversity. The city is both a powerhouse of West Coast finance and as well as arguably the biggest television and film industry in the world, usually named after the neighborhood of Hollywood where some early major motion-picture companies were established, as well as a powerful sporting city, hosting several successful professional sports teams as well as the third city to host the Olympics thrice (1932, 1984 and 2028).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Madrid}}, Autonomous Community of Madrid, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' Capital and largest city of Spain, as well as the geographic, political, economic and cultural center of the Iberian Peninsula.
* '''UsefulNotes/MexicoCity, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' Capital of Mexico, largest city in North America, and the oldest capital city in the New World, built by the Spanish over what was Tenochtitlan, seat of the Aztec Empire. Formerly a federal district like Washington, DC, but now a ''sui generis'' federal entity with the same powers as a state.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Milan}} (Milano), Lombardy, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Regional capital of Lombardy and second-largest city in Italy, as well as the financial and industrial heart of the north. Milan is also the world's fashion and design capital and is home to two of the world's most successful football clubs (AC Milan and FC Internazionale).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Moscow}} (Moskva), UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Russia, as well as the northernmost and coldest metropolis in the world. Moscow is, for centuries, both the heart of Russian culture and politics, from the imperial to the communist and into the federal periods.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Mumbai}} (Bombay), Maharashtra, UsefulNotes/{{India}}:''' Largest city of India and its unofficial second capital. Also known as the "Pearl of the Arabian Sea" and patched together from seven islands by a British reclamation project, Mumbai grew into the financial heart of Southern Asia, and is also the center of [[UsefulNotes/{{Bollywood}} India's largest entertainment industry]].
* '''UsefulNotes/SaoPaulo, São Paulo State, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' Largest city in the Americas, a financial powerhouse in South America, and land of capricious weather. It is famous for its culinary delights, the largest fleet of helicopters in the world, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick its insane traffic jams]].[[note]]Said traffic jams are the main reason the city has such a huge fleet of choppers—they're literally the only way high-powered businesspeople can move within the city. It's gotten to the point that helicopter ''taxis'' now serve the city.[[/note]]
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Sydney}}, New South Wales, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' The largest city in Oceania and the oldest colonial settlement in Australia, originally founded on a natural harbor as a penal colony before transforming into the premier financial center of the Asia Pacific region.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}}, Ontario, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' The largest city of Canada and a hotspot of ethnic diversity, with almost half of its 2.6 million residents coming from outside Canada.
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* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bangkok}} (Krung Thep Maha Nakhon), UsefulNotes/{{Thailand}}:''' Capital and largest city of Thailand as well as the most visited city in Southeast Asia, as well as an economic power in the region's mainland half. It is well known for its street life, cultural landmarks, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick its red-light district]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bangalore}} (Bengaluru), Karnataka, India:''' State capital of Karnataka, dubbed the "Silicon Valley of India" for its leading role in India's IT industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Boston}}, Massachusetts, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital of Massachusetts and largest city in the New England region. Boston is also one of the oldest colonial-era settlements in America, played a prominent role in the UsefulNotes/AmericanRevolution, and is also home to several prestigious educational institutions, including Harvard University, the oldest institute of higher learning in America.
* '''UsefulNotes/BuenosAires, UsefulNotes/{{Argentina}}:''' Capital and largest city of Argentina and second-largest in South America. Known as the "Paris of the South", Buenos Aires is also a center of commerce and culture.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Dublin}} (Baile Átha Cliath), UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}}:''' Capital of the Republic of Ireland and largest city in the entire island, as well as a center of education, arts, commerce and industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Guangzhou}} (Canton), Guangdong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Guangdong and third-largest city in China. The city grew into one of China's most important trade posts, and during the post-Mao years also became a financial hub.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Istanbul}}, Istanbul Province, UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}}:''' Largest city in Turkey, straddling Asia and Europe, divided by the Bosphorus strait. The city's long history as capital of four empires (Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman) and a major stopover of the Silk Road left a legacy of multiculturalism felt even until the present.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Johannesburg}} ([=eGoli=]), Gauteng, UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica:''' Largest city in South Africa and the economic powerhouse of Sub-Saharan Africa, built near some of the largest gold and diamond mines in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lisbon}} (Lisboa), Lisbon District, UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}}:''' Capital and largest city of Portugal, situated on the northern side of the mouth of the Tagus River, as well as the oldest capital city in Western Europe.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Luxembourg}} Luxembourg City]], Luxembourg District, Luxembourg:''' Capital and largest city of the tiny Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, as well as the financial seat of both the country and the European Union.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Manila}} (Maynilà), UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}:''' Capital and largest city of the Philippines, located at the crossroads of several Pacific trade routes, and one of the most densely-populated cities in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Melbourne}}, Victoria, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' State capital of Victoria and second-largest city in Australia, as well as Sydney's long-time rival and the first capital of Australia immediately upon independence. Melbourne is also Australia's cultural capital, being the birthplace of its local dance and film industries.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Montreal}}, UsefulNotes/{{Quebec}}, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' Second-largest city of Canada and second-largest Francophone city in the world after Paris, as well as, until TheSeventies, the chief commercial center of the country.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Munich}} (München), Bavaria, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' State capital of Bavaria and third-largest city in Germany. Famous for its architecture, a highly-successful football team (Bayern Munich FC) and the original (and largest) Oktoberfest.
* '''UsefulNotes/NewDelhi (Naī Dillī), National Capital Territory, UsefulNotes/{{India}}''' Capital of India and its largest metropolitan region, built near the historic capital of several Indian empires.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Prague}} (Praha), UsefulNotes/CzechRepublic:''' Capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. The city waxed and waned together with the Holy Roman Empire, and the city center largely escaped the ravages of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, which makes for good sightseeing. [[HeyItsThatPlace And filming]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Riyadh}} ('ar-Riyāḍ), Riyadh Region, UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia:''' Capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia and second-largest in the Arab World. Despite its location in the middle of the desert, Riyadh evolved from a trade post by way of being the ancestral home of the kingdom's ruling family.
* '''UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' The cultural and financial hub of northern California, located at the mouth of the Golden Gate. The "City by the Bay" is well-known for its streetcars and its liberal atmosphere, with a history of hippie counterculture and LGBT activism.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Santiago}}, Santiago Metropolitan Region, UsefulNotes/{{Chile}}:''' Capital and largest city of Chile, known for a well-preserved city center and the vineyards located in its outskirts.
* '''{{UsefulNotes/Seoul}}, Seoul National Capital Area, UsefulNotes/SouthKorea:''' The 2,000-year-old heart of the Korean Peninsula and capital and largest city of the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Following the devastation of the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar, Seoul experienced a massive economic boom, culminating in hosting the 1988 Summer Olympics, and is also the birthplace of the [[KoreanPopMusic Korean music craze]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Shenzhen}} (Sham Chun), Guangdong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Second-largest city of Guangzhou, established as China's first Special Economic Zone during TheSeventies (and directly to the north of the then-British territory of Hong Kong) in its efforts to open up to the world during the Deng Xiaoping years.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Stockholm}}, Södermanland/Uppland, UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}}:''' Capital of Sweden and the largest city in Nordic Europe. Stockholm is the home to Swedish culture, media and economy, and is the venue for the UsefulNotes/NobelPrize awarding ceremonies (save the Peace Prize, which is handed in Oslo).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Taipei}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}:''' Capital and largest city of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the beating financial and cultural heart of the island.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Vienna}} (Wien), UsefulNotes/{{Austria}}:''' Capital and largest city of Austria, home to a fifth of the country's population, and second-largest Germanophone city in the world after Berlin. The city, also one of Austria's nine states, is best-known for its palaces and centuries of musical heritage.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Warsaw}} (Warszawa), Masovian Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Capital and largest city of Poland, majority of which was built from scratch after it was near-totally flattened by the Nazis during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Much of the city's income comes from heavy industries, a legacy of Soviet influence.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Zurich}} Zürich]], Canton of Zürich, UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}}:''' Largest city in Switzerland, established by the Romans over what used to be a group of prehistoric settlements. It is also home to many of the world's largest banking institutions.
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* '''UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, UsefulNotes/{{Georgia|USA}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and largest city of Georgia, as well as the unofficial capital of the "New South", being a center of racial diversity (as well as a hotspot of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement, where UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, was born, served as a local Baptist pastor for the last years of his life, and buried), a liberal hotspot in the otherwise conservative region, and an economic boomtown, spurred on by hosting the centenary Olympic Games in 1996. Home to the world's busiest airport.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Auckland}} (Tāmaki Makaurau), Auckland Region, UsefulNotes/NewZealand:''' Largest city of New Zealand as well as the largest Polynesian city, as well as a favorite destination for East Asian migrants.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Barcelona}}, Catalonia, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' State capital of Catalonia and second-largest city in Spain, famous for its avant-garde architecture and hosting the memorable 1992 Summer Olympics.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Beirut}} (Bayrūt), Beirut Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Lebanon}}:''' Capital and largest city of Lebanon. Built on the Mediterranean shore, Beirut once thrived as a major seaport until it was devastated during the UsefulNotes/LebaneseCivilWar, but has since rebounded and regained its prosperity.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}}, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Capital and largest city of Germany, and like Hamburg a city-state in its own right. Long the seat of several empires, the city fell into ruin at the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and later literally divided by a concrete wall throughout the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, but after the fall of the wall in 1989 and reunification a year later, rebounded as a center of culture, politics, media and science.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Bogota}} Bogotá]], Distrito Capital, UsefulNotes/{{Colombia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Colombia, known as the "Athens of South America" for its abundance of universities.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Brisbane}}, Queensland, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' State capital and largest city of northeastern Australia, as well as the third-largest nationwide. Besides playing a role as an Allied Forces HQ during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, Brisbane is otherwise a pretty peaceful metropolis.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bucharest}} (București), UsefulNotes/{{Romania}}:''' The "Little Paris" of Eastern Europe, capital and largest city of Romania. The city is notable for its eclectic mix of classical, socialist and modern architectural styles at the city center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Budapest}}, UsefulNotes/{{Hungary}}:''' Capital and largest city of Hungary, being a regional capital since Roman times. It is also one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, with its dramatic setting on the Danube River, as well as host to several hot springs.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cairo}} (al-Qāhirah), Cairo Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Egypt}}:''' Capital of Egypt and largest city in Northern Africa and the Arab World. Cairo is a center of Islamic learning and worship, and is also the oldest entertainment exporter in the Arab world, as well as home to the Pyramids and Sphinx of the Giza Plateau to the southwest, among the oldest surviving manmade structures in the world.
* '''Chengdu (Chengtu), Sichuan, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Sichuan and largest city in western China, as well as the region's historic, economic and cultural center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Copenhagen}} (København), Hovedstaden, UsefulNotes/{{Denmark}}:''' Capital and largest city of Denmark, as well as the second largest city in Nordic Europe and the cultural, political and economic center of the country.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/DFWMetroplex Dallas]], [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Third-largest city in Texas, having grown on the back of its cotton and oil industries. Together with its twin city of Fort Worth and a smaller cities and towns, the DFW Metroplex forms the largest urban area in the South, and one of the few major conservative-leaning urban areas.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Doha}} (ad-Dawḥa), UsefulNotes/{{Qatar}}:''' Capital and largest city of Qatar. Besides being a center of government, Doha is also a bustling economic and educational giant in the Persian Gulf.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Dusseldorf}} Düsseldorf]], North Rhine-Westphalia, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''': State capital of North Rhine-Westphalia and center of the Ruhr Valley metropolitan area, which was the heart of the German industrial renaissance, now a center of the arts.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Hamburg}}, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Second-largest city in Germany and a city-state in its own right, as well as a mercantile power back in the days of the Hanseatic League and still home to the largest port in Germany.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Houston}}, [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city in Texas, largely fueled by its several railroad and ship connections, further bolstered by the discovery of oil. It is also home to NASA's control center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lima}}, UsefulNotes/{{Peru}}:''' Capital and largest city in Peru, founded by the Spanish to also serve as capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru. It is also home to the National University of San Marcos, the oldest functioning university in the New World.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Miami}}, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' The most populous metropolis in the southeastern USA and home to the largest concentration of banks in the Union and the second-largest Hispanophone majority (after El Paso, Texas), most of which were descended from Cubans fleeing its communist government.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Rome}} (Roma), Lazio, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Capital and largest city of Italy. For centuries it served as the heart of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire, and is currently the seat of both the Italian government and the Roman Catholic Church, within the enclave of UsefulNotes/VaticanCity, a remnant of UsefulNotes/ThePapalStates that once controlled central Italy.
* '''UsefulNotes/TelAviv, Tel Aviv District, UsefulNotes/{{Israel}}:''' Second-largest city of Israel as well as its economic center, boasting the largest Middle Eastern economy outside Dubai, as well as a bastion of liberal politics and culture.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}, British Columbia, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' Provincial capital of British Columbia and largest city in western Canada, which thrived both as a port city and a center of forestry and tourism, as well as one of the largest film production centers in North America. Its dramatic location between the sea and the Pacific Cascades mountains also made it the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC Washington, District of Columbia]], UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Capital of the United States, established in 1791 on the banks of the Potomac River. Besides serving as home to the USA's three branches of government, Washington also plays host to several other international organizations, and boasts a wide array of landmarks, many of which are located on the National Mall, an axis of greenery from the eastern banks of the Potomac to Capitol Hill.
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* '''UsefulNotes/AbuDhabi (Abū Ẓaby), Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates:''' Capital and second-largest city of the UAE. Once a small fishing village, the discovery of oil propelled Abu Dhabi to unprecedented riches, but nevertheless has a more laid-back atmosphere than Dubai to the east.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Athens}} (Athína), Attica, UsefulNotes/{{Greece}}:''' Capital and largest city of Greece, as well as the birthplace of democracy and classical culture, as well as host to the largest passenger port in Europe in nearby Piraeus. It is also a historic city, with such landmarks as the Parthenon (temple to Athena, the city's namesake patron goddess), and hosted both the inaugural Olympic Games in 1896 and its homecoming in 2004.
* '''UsefulNotes/CapeTown (Kaapstad/[=iKapa;=]), Western Cape, South Africa:''' Second-largest city in South Africa and the legislative capital. Situated at the Cape Bay, the city was the very first European settlement in Southern Africa, and later grew into a multicultural haven.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Casablanca}} (ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ), Grand Casablanca, UsefulNotes/{{Morocco}}:''' Largest city of Morocco and the nation's economic and cultural heart, as well as the home to the largest port in northern Africa and the setting of [[Film/{{Casablanca}} an unforgettable 1940s romance film]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Chennai}} (Madras), Tamil Nadu, India:''' State capital of Tamil Nadu, largest city of southern India, fourth-largest throughout India, and a thriving center of the automotive and health industries, as well as a hotspot of ethnic diversity.
* '''Chongqing (Chungking), China:''' One of China's four directly-administered municipalities (the others being Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin) and a historic center of economy in southwest China as well as the upstream region of the Yangtze River.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Denver}}, Colorado, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and largest city of Colorado, sitting roughly at one mile (1.609 kilometers) above sea level (thus the nickname "Mile High City"). Founded as a gold rush town, Denver continued to flourish long after the mines dried up as an important crossroads between the Midwest and the Rockies.
* '''Hangzhou (Hangchow), Zhejiang, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Zhejiang and a historically important center, being the easternmost end of the Grand Canal which once served as the major maritime route to Beijing and is still the longest artificial waterway in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Hanoi}}, Vietnam:''' Capital and second-largest city of Vietnam, as well as the political heart of the region for a thousand years, and features a mix of ancient and modern lifestyles.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Helsinki}}, Uusimaa, UsefulNotes/{{Finland}}:''' Capital and largest city of Finland, as well as the country's center of government, culture and finance.
* '''UsefulNotes/HoChiMinhCity (Saigon), UsefulNotes/{{Vietnam}}:''' Largest city of Vietnam, thriving both as a Khmer and French port city, which continues even after the emergence of Hanoi to the north.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Karachi}} (Karācī), Sindh, UsefulNotes/{{Pakistan}}:''' State capital of Sindh and largest city of Pakistan, as well as its economic center and erstwhile national capital. Despite the government's move inland, Karachi remains one of South Asia's largest economies, and is one of the most diverse places in Pakistan.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Kiev}} (Kyiv), UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}:''' Capital and largest city of Ukraine, as well as the heartland of Ukrainian culture since Russian times. The city is also the most pro-European part of the deeply politically-divided country.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Manama}} (al-Manāma), Capital Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Bahrain}}:''' Capital and largest city of the island-state of Bahrain, as well as a strategic financial center, being located at the middle of the Persian Gulf.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Montevideo}}, Montevideo Department, UsefulNotes/{{Uruguay}}:''' Capital and largest city of Uruguay, established on the northeastern banks of the Río de la Plata as a Spanish fort amidst the Spanish-Portuguese race for lands in South America.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Nairobi}}, Nairobi County, UsefulNotes/{{Kenya}}:''' Capital of Kenya and largest city in eastern Africa, founded by the British as a trading post between Uganda and the Indian Ocean coast.
* '''Nanjing (Nanking), Jiangsu, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Jiangsu. Seated on the banks of the mighty Yangtze River, Nanjing has, as late as 1949, served as imperial and republican capital for several centuries, and is a major educational center in modern China.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Oslo}}, Oslo County, UsefulNotes/{{Norway}}:''' Capital and largest city of Norway, as well as the fastest-growing in Europe. Besides being a center of government and commerce, Oslo is also a major maritime power, as well as a center of arts and tourism.
* '''UsefulNotes/PanamaCity, Panamá District, UsefulNotes/{{Panama}}:''' Capital and largest city of Panama as well as the most cosmopolitan in Central America. Founded by the Spanish as the Pacific end of an inland trade route, the city prospered even further with the construction of the Panama Canal.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Perth}}, Western Australia, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' State capital and largest city, as well as reputedly one of the most isolated cities in the world. Despite its location, the city thrives largely on the state's mining industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Pennsylvania}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city in Pennsylvania, a center of arts and culture, and once the largest city in America by the 1770s. The city also played a role in the UsefulNotes/AmericanRevolution, when American independence was signed there on July 4, 1776.
* '''UsefulNotes/RioDeJaneiro, Rio de Janeiro State, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' Second-largest city of Brazil and the nation's undisputed cultural and tourist capital, as well as the long-time capital of Brazil before the government moved to centrally-located, purpose-built Brasília. Famed for its beaches, an iconic statue of Jesus with his arms outstretched, its samba and carnival cultures, and a major sporting city in South America, culminating in it hosting the first Olympic Games in the continent in 2016.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}}, Washington, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Washington state. Founded in the 1850s, Seattle made brief trysts with fame as the main stop for the gold rush of the 1890s and host of the 1962 World's Fair, before making a full bloom as home of grunge rock and such global corporate icons as Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks and Amazon.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tianjin}} (Tientsin), UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Fourth-largest city in China and the chief port of entry for maritime trade going into Beijing.
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* '''UsefulNotes/{{Almaty}} (Alma-Ata), UsefulNotes/{{Kazakhstan}}:''' Largest city of Kazakhstan and former capital until the government moved inward to more geographically-centralized Astana (later renamed Nur-Sultan). Despite this, Almaty remained the country's leading economic and cultural hub.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Amman}} (ʻAmmān), Capital Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Jordan}}:''' Capital and largest city of Jordan, as well as one of the world's oldest continually-populated cities. In contrast to most major Middle Eastern cities, Amman is a pocket of modernity (having been made capital as late as the early 20th century) and one of the fastest-growing economies in the Arab world.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/OtherCitiesInTexas Austin]], [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and fourth-largest city of Texas, as well as a hotbed of liberal politics (centered around a major university) in an otherwise conservative state.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Belgrade}} (Beograd), UsefulNotes/{{Serbia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Serbia. Strategically located between the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula, and sitting on the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers, it features a unique combination of Slavic, Ottoman, socialist and modern sensibilities.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bratislava}}, Bratislava Region, UsefulNotes/{{Slovakia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Slovakia. Besides being a political, financial and cultural hub, Bratislava for centuries was the crossroads of many empires and races.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Calgary}}, Alberta, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' Largest city of Alberta and a business giant in central Canada, as well as home to the Calgary Stampede, one of the world's largest rodeo festivals and the self-proclaimed "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth".
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Caracas}}, Venezuelan Capital District, UsefulNotes/{{Venezuela}}:''' Capital and largest city of Venezuela, thriving largely on the country's oil industry.
* '''Changsha, Hunan, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Hunan and an important industrial as well as historic city, famous for being the city where UsefulNotes/MaoZedong started his political career.
* '''Dalian, Liaoning, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Largest city of Liaoning and a major seaport for northeastern Asia, having seen a history of foreign trade and occupation.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}}, UsefulNotes/{{Michigan}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Michigan. Once a thriving industrial center, the city fell into a long economic decline despite remaining the automotive capital of America, a void now being slowly filled with the entertainment business.
* '''Dhaka (Dacca), Dhaka Division, UsefulNotes/{{Bangladesh}}:''' Capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the fourth most densely-populated city in the world and a microcosm of the diversity of the entire nation.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Edinburgh}} (Dùn Èideann), UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Capital and second-largest city of Scotland, as well as a noted educational center with a well-preserved city center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Geneva}} (Genève), Canton of Geneva, UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}}:''' Second-largest city of Switzerland, situated on the shores of the same-named lake, known for its thriving businesses and being the home of several branches of the United Nations and UsefulNotes/TheRedCross.
* '''UsefulNotes/GeorgeTown, UsefulNotes/CaymanIslands:''' Capital of the Cayman Islands and largest city of the British Overseas Territories, and center of the islands' status as offshore financial havens.
* '''UsefulNotes/GuatemalaCity, Guatemala Department, UsefulNotes/{{Guatemala}}:''' Capital and largest city of Guatemala and the most populous in Central America.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Hyderabad}}, Telangana, India:''' State capital of Telangana and fourth-largest city in India, known for its melding of Muslim and Hindu cultures, as well as a historic pearl trade and an IT industry on the upsurge.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Jeddah}} (Jidda), Makkah Region, UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia:''' Second-largest city of Saudi Arabia, as well as the largest port in the Red Sea and the principal gateway to Mecca (Makkah), the HolyCity of Islam 70 kilometers (43 miles) to the east, as well as Medina (Madinah), the second-holiest city.
* '''Jinan (Tsinan), Shandong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Shandong and one of the oldest cities in China, famed for its dozens of artesian springs.
* '''Kampala, Kampala District, UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}}:''' Capital and largest city of Uganda and a rapidly-developing powerhouse in East Africa.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Kuwait}} City, Al Asima Governorate, Kuwait:''' Capital and largest city of Kuwait. Long a prosperous trading post between the Middle East and southern Asia, Kuwait City experienced a massive surge of relevance after the discovery of oil, and continues to thrive even after suffering the brunt of the UsefulNotes/GulfWar.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lagos}}, Lagos State, UsefulNotes/{{Nigeria}}:''' Largest city of Nigeria and all of Africa, as well as a thriving business hub, having largely prospered on the back of the country's oil industry, and a center of the arts.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lahore}}, Punjab, UsefulNotes/{{Pakistan}}:''' Provincial capital of Punjab and second-largest city in Pakistan, as well as a center of culture in the nation, having been a crossroads of various kingdoms throughout the centuries.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lyon}}, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Regional capital of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and second-largest city of France. Lyon is known for its well-preserved city center, a once-thriving silk industry, and home to some of France's best dining scenes.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/FootballPopMusicAndFlatCaps Manchester]], England, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Second largest city of England and the United Kingdom. The city suddenly grew in prominence during the UsefulNotes/IndustrialRevolution, and even long after the industries have gone, it thrives as a center of culture and business, as well as home to two of England's most successful football teams (historically prominent Manchester United and 2010s powerhouse Manchester City).
* '''[[UsefulNotes/TwinCities Minneapolis]], Minnesota, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Minnesota and, together with the state capital Saint Paul, the fourteenth-largest metropolis in America and largest on the Midwestern prairie. Once the world's largest flour manufacturer, the Twin Cities continues to thrive as a lumber center and a trade post between Seattle and Chicago.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Monterrey}}, Nuevo León, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' State capital of Nuevo León and third-largest city of Mexico, as well as the richest and most Americanized in the northern half of the country.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Muscat}} (Masqaṭ), Muscat Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Oman}}:''' Capital and largest city of Oman, famous for its cityscape which strives to preserve its traditional look.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Nicosia}} (Lefkosía/Lefkoşa), UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}}:''' Capital and largest city of Cyprus, bordered by a series of walls that exist to this day and still divided into Greek and Turkish sectors, a legacy of the two countries' feud.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Osaka}}, Osaka Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Third-largest city and second-largest urban center of Japan, as well as the heart of the Kansai region, famous for its unique cultural identity and being a center of Japanese gastronomy.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Quito}}, Pichincha, UsefulNotes/{{Ecuador}}:''' Capital and second-largest city of Ecuador, as well as the highest capital in the world. Besides being a financial and political hub, the city boasts one of the best-preserved Spanish-era cities in the world.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/TheCityFormerlyKnownAs Saint Petersburg]] (Sankt-Peterburg), UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}:''' Second-largest city of Russia and northernmost city with over 1 million people, founded in 1703 as seaside imperial capital, thus accounting for its more European atmosphere compared to the rest of Russia.
* '''UsefulNotes/SanDiego, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Second-largest city of California, sitting near the Mexican border. Built as the first Catholic mission in California, San Diego once thrived as the command center for the Pacific fleet during World War II, and it still serves that purpose to the present day. However, it has since diversified in various ways, including a center of biotechnology, a craft beer hub, and a beach paradise. The city is known for having one of the most desirable climates in the world.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/SanJoseCostaRica San José]], San José Province, UsefulNotes/CostaRica:''' Capital and largest city of Costa Rica, as well as one of the most European-like cities in Central America.
* '''UsefulNotes/SanSalvador, San Salvador Department, UsefulNotes/ElSalvador:''' Capital and largest city of El Salvador and a major Central American financial center.
* '''Shenyang (Fengtian/Mukden), Liaoning, China:''' Provincial capital of Liaoning and largest city in northeastern China, as well as a historic seat of the Manchu-dominated Qin dynasty.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Sofia}} (Sofiya), UsefulNotes/{{Bulgaria}}:''' Capital and largest city of Bulgaria. Founded by Thracians some 3,000 years ago, the city thrived under the Romans as regional center, and has since slipped into quietude until it was reestablished as national capital in 1879.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Stuttgart}}, Baden-Württemberg, Germany:''' State capital of Baden-Württemberg and sixth-largest city in Germany, as well as the heart of the Swabian peoples of southwestern Germany.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tampa}}, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Third-largest city of Florida and a major financial center at the west coast of the peninsula-state.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tunis}}, Tunis Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Tunisia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Tunisia, built near where the once-mighty city of Carthage stood.
* '''Wuhan, Hubei, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Hubei and largest city in central China. Gained international notoriety in the early 2020s as the city where [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic a deadly, fast-spreading strain of the coronavirus was first identified, and which has since become a global pandemic]].
* '''Xiamen (Amoy), Fujian, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' A historically important seaport in southeast China, as well as the point of departure of millions of Chinese immigrants now established all over Southeast Asia.
* '''Xi'an (Sian), Shaanxi, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Shaanxi and a major center for scientific research. Also historically famous as the eastern terminus of the fabled Silk Road and home to an army of terracotta soldiers guarding the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Zagreb}}, UsefulNotes/{{Croatia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Croatia. Founded in the Roman era, the city flourished throughout the medieval period, and bloomed into a powerful city in the 19th century.
* '''Zhengzhou, Henan, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Henan, famed as the birthplace of the Yellow Emperor, a semi-mythical culture-bringer, and currently home to several railway lines to Europe.
[[/folder]]
!!Gamma+, Gamma and Gamma-
[[folder:Gamma+]]
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Adelaide}}, South Australia, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' State capital of South Australia and fifth-largest city in Australia, and one of the few colonies that never had penal settlements, as well as a city of many festivals.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Ahmedabad}} (Amdavad), Gujarat, UsefulNotes/{{India}}:''' Largest city of Gujarat and home to the second-largest cotton industry and second-oldest stock market in India, as well as a center of UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi's peaceful resistance movement.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Algiers}} (Dzayer/Alger), Algiers Province, UsefulNotes/{{Algeria}}:''' Capital and largest city of Algeria, known for its glimmering seaside vista capped by an imposing ''kasbah'' (Islamic citadel).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Antwerp}} (Antwerpen), Flanders, UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}:''' Second-largest city of Belgium and de facto capital of the Dutch-speaking Flanders region, as well as home to the country's largest port.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Baku}} (Bakı), UsefulNotes/{{Azerbaijan}}:''' Capital of Azerbaijan and largest city among the states of the southern Caucasus and a growing economic and cultural center, also known for its harsh winter winds. Its location on the shore of the Caspian Sea also makes it the world's largest city that stands below sea level.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Baltimore}}, Maryland, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Maryland, famous as the birthplace of the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Belfast}}, UsefulNotes/NorthernIreland, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. Once a major shipbuilding city on the island of Ireland, the city saw much violence throughout UsefulNotes/TheTroubles, but has since been seeing rejuvenation.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Charlotte}}, UsefulNotes/NorthCarolina, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of North Carolina, second-largest in the southeastern USA, and sixteenth-largest overall, as well as the second-largest banking city after New York City.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cologne}} (Köln), North Rhine-Westphalia, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia and fourth-largest in Germany, as well as a major cultural center of the Rhineland and a historic trade crossroads.
* '''UsefulNotes/DarEsSalaam, UsefulNotes/{{Tanzania}}:''' Largest city of Tanzania and a major economic center in eastern Africa, as well as former capital until the government moved inland to Dodoma in 1996.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Glasgow}} (Glesca), UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Largest city of Scotland and once a major seaport and industrial center, as well as a leading shipbuilding city.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Guadalajara}}, Jalisco, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' State capital of Jalisco and second-largest city in Mexico, an industrial center, and home to mariachi music.
* '''Hefei, Anhui, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Anhui. Historically a trading center for the southern part of the Yangtze Plain, currently it hosts an experimental magnetic energy reactor.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Islamabad}}, Islamabad Capital Territory, UsefulNotes/{{Pakistan}}:''' Capital of Pakistan and, together with nearby Rawalpindi, the third-largest urban area in the country. Having been built up from scratch during TheSixties as a more centralized, more protected alternative to coastal Karachi, the city also grew into the national center of education.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Kolkata}} (Calcutta), West Bengal, UsefulNotes/{{India}}:''' State capital of West Bengal, third-largest city of India and the last capital of the British Raj, as well as host to the largest port in India. Once the economic, cultural, scientific and political jewel of India, Kolkata fell into decay (one lampshaded through the charity work of Albanian-born nun Mother Teresa) before making a comeback in the 2000s.
* '''Kunming (Yunnan-Fu), Yunnan, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Yunnan, as well as a strategic city in southern China, serving as a major transport hub to nearby Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Ljubljana}}, City Municipality of Ljubljana, UsefulNotes/{{Slovenia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Slovenia, located at the center of the country, known for its environmentally-minded policies.
* '''Medellín, Antioquia Department, UsefulNotes/{{Colombia}}:''' Second-largest city of Colombia and departmental capital of Antioquia, as well as a former gold exporting center before turning to the coffee industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Orlando}}, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Fifth-largest city of Florida and the largest completely inland, thriving largely on tourism generated by some of the best-known theme parks in the world.
* '''Phnom Penh, UsefulNotes/{{Cambodia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Cambodia, and one of the most beautiful French-built cities in Indochina.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Phoenix}}, UsefulNotes/{{Arizona}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and largest city of Arizona, as well as the most populous state capital in the USA. Founded between two rivers in the middle of the desert, Phoenix thrived as a farming community, then an industrial hub after World War II.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Porto}} (Oporto), Portugal:''' Second-largest city of Portugal and one of its oldest cities, whose city center is a well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Pune}} (Poona), Maharashtra, UsefulNotes/{{India}}:''' Second-largest city in Maharashtra and eight-largest urban area in India, and former seat of the Maratha Empire.
* '''Qingdao (Tsingtao), Shandong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Largest city of Shandong and a major seaport, as well as home to the revered Tsingtao beer created by German immigrants in the early 20th century.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Riga}}, UsefulNotes/{{Latvia}}:''' Capital of Latvia and largest city of the Baltic States, renowned for its abundance of Art Noveau works.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Rotterdam}}, South Holland, UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands:''' Second-largest city of the Netherlands and home to the largest port in Europe. After being flattened at the end of World War II, Rotterdam banked on its port to help regenerate the city and turn it into a hotspot of diversity.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/SanJoseCalifornia San Jose]], UsefulNotes/{{California}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Third-largest city of California and the oldest civilian Spanish town of the state, and unofficial capital of Silicon Valley, home to many of the world's largest technology companies.
* '''UsefulNotes/StLouis, Missouri, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Second-largest city in Missouri and once a major port town on the banks of the Mississippi River. Best known as the cradle of jazz and blues, as well as the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which opened up the West to the USA (commemorated with an iconic steel arch).
* '''Suzhou (Soochow), Jiangsu, China:''' Second-largest city of Jiangsu, lying directly between Nanjing and Shanghai on the southern banks of the Yangtze River, and a historic and economic powerhouse.
* '''Tbilisi, UsefulNotes/{{Georgia|Europe}}:''' Capital and largest city of Georgia, as well as a former political powerhouse on the Caucasus region since the 5th century, as well as a hotspot of diversity in the region.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Gamma]]
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Ankara}}, Ankara Province, UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}}:''' Capital and second-largest city of Turkey, built over an old settlement and chosen because of its centralized location in the Asian half.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bristol}}, England, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Eighth-largest city of England and the heart of southwestern England. Once an industrial city, Bristol has since reinvented itself as center of technology-based industries, as well as a cultural leader in the region.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Colombo}} (Kolamba), Western Province, UsefulNotes/SriLanka:''' De facto capital and largest city of Sri Lanka, established as early as 2,000 years ago as a major crossroads of the Indian Ocean maritime routes and later established as capital of the island by the British.
* '''Dakar (Ndakaaru), Dakar Region, UsefulNotes/{{Senegal}}:''' Capital and largest city of Senegal, as well as the westernmost city in Africa and the Old World.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Durban}} ([=eThekwini=]), [=KwaZulu=]-Natal, UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica:''' Largest city of [=KwaZulu-Natal=] and third-largest city in South Africa, as well as the country's second-largest manufacturing hub after Johannesburg, as well as home to the largest Indian population outside India.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Gothenburg}} (Göteborg), Västergötland/Bohuslän, Sweden:''' Provincial capital of Västergötland and second-largest city of Sweden, as well as home to both the largest port in the Nordic countries and some of Sweden's most important festivals.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Guayaquil}} (Wayakil), Guayas, UsefulNotes/{{Ecuador}}:''' Largest city of Ecuador and its commercial hub, fueled by the country's largest port.
* '''Haikou, Hainan, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Capital and largest city of the island-province of Hainan, the southernmost province of China and a major trading port city.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/LaPaz [Nuestra Señora de] La Paz]] (Chuqi Yapu), La Paz Department, UsefulNotes/{{Bolivia}}:''' Third-largest city and de facto capital of Bolivia, as well as the highest national capital in the world at around 3,650 meters (11,975 feet) above sea level.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Malmo}} Malmö]], Scania, UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}}:''' Regional capital and largest city of Scania and third-largest in Sweden, as well as a and a hotspot of diversity, symbolized by a bridge connecting Sweden and Denmark. It is also home to the tallest skyscraper in the Nordic countries.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Managua}}, Managua Department, UsefulNotes/{{Nicaragua}}:''' Capital and largest city of Nicaragua, as well as the second most-populous city in Central America after Guatemala City.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Nantes}} (Naoned), Pays de la Loire, France:''' Sixth-largest city of France, and the de facto capital of the historic Brittany region. Once a shipbuilding center, Nantes is also the home of the first bus transit.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Nashville}}, Tennessee, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and main cultural center of Tennessee. Most notable as the epicenter of the [[CountryMusic country music]] industry, and also a major center for religious publishing, though in recent decades it's developed a much more diversified economy.
* '''Ottawa, Ontario, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' Capital and fourth-largest city of Canada, strategically located between Anglophone Toronto and Francophone Montreal, and a major center of education.
* '''UsefulNotes/SanJuan, UsefulNotes/PuertoRico:''' Capital and largest city of Puerto Rico and the second-oldest colonial settlement in the New World (after Santo Domingo), and home to half of the island's population.
* '''UsefulNotes/SantoDomingo, National District, UsefulNotes/DominicanRepublic:''' Capital of the Dominican Republic and largest city of the Caribbean islands. It is also the oldest colonial settlement in the Americas and seat of the first Spanish dominion in the New World.
* '''Taichung, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}:''' Second-largest city of Taiwan island and a major cultural center.
* '''Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, UsefulNotes/{{Honduras}}:''' Capital and largest city of Honduras, as well as the former capital of the post-colonial Central American Republic which once included Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
* '''Tirana (Tiranë), Tirana County, UsefulNotes/{{Albania}}:''' Capital and largest city of Albania, albeit a 17th-century creation amidst the historically populated region of Illyria.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Turin}} (Torino), Piedmont, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Regional capital of Piedmont and fourth-largest city in Italy, an Alpine city best-known as the birthplace and first capital of a united Italy, as well as home to some of Italy's automotive giants, highly-successful football teams such as Juventus and Torino FC, the reputed burial shroud of Jesus used after his crucifixion, and centerpiece of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Valencia}}, Valencian Community, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' Regional capital of the Valencian Community and third-largest city of Spain and one of the oldest, founded by the Romans in 138 BCE.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Vilnius}}, Vilnius County, UsefulNotes/{{Lithuania}}:''' Capital of Lithuania and second-largest city in the Baltic States, known for its well-preserved old city.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Wellington}} (Te Whanganui-a-Tara), Wellington Region, UsefulNotes/NewZealand:''' Capital and second-largest city of New Zealand, as well as the nation's major cultural center.
* '''Wrocław (Breslau), Lower Silesian Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and largest city in western Poland and a multicultural centre as historic capital of the Silesia region.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Gamma-]]
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Accra}}, Greater Accra Region, UsefulNotes/{{Ghana}}:''' Capital and largest city of Ghana, having grown from a suburb of the colonial city of Victoriaborg into the heart of the eleventh-largest metropolitan area in Africa.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Asuncion}} Asunción]], UsefulNotes/{{Paraguay}}:''' Capital and largest city of Paraguay, as well as the country's center of commerce and industry.
* '''Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' State capital of Minas Gerais and sixth-largest city in Brazil, as well as the country's first planned modern city.
* '''Bilbao (Bilbo), Basque Country, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' Largest city of the Basque Country and tenth-largest in Spain, as well as a hotbed of the Basque culture very unique amongst its Romance neighbours.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cleveland}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Second-largest city of Ohio. Once a mighty industrial port city by the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland fell into disrepute for its financial woes and a river once so polluted it even caught fire (''thirteen times'' between 1868 and 1969), but has since made great rebounds, among which is housing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Columbus|Ohio}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and largest city of Ohio, a major economic and cultural force in the state, and home to one of the largest college student bodies in the United States.
* '''Douala, Littoral Region, UsefulNotes/{{Cameroon}}:''' Largest city and economic capital of Cameroon and the busiest transport hub in Central Africa, as well as the first city in the region with a piped natural gas supply.
* '''Edmonton, Alberta, Canada:''' Provincial capital of Alberta and northernmost city in North America with a population of over 1 million, famous for its many festivals and the largest shopping mall in North America.
* '''Fuzhou (Foochow), Fujian, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Fujian and home to the Min ethnic minority group.
* '''George Town, Penang, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}:''' Capital of Penang, a small but historically important state known for its ethnic diversity and a booming industrial center.
* '''Harare (Salisbury), Harare Province, UsefulNotes/{{Zimbabwe}}:''' Capital and largest city of Zimbabwe, founded by British settlers near one of the oldest gold mines in the world.
* '''Harbin, Heilongjiang, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Heilongjiang, known for its immigrant population from the old Russian Empire and its famous festival of ice sculptures.
* '''Kaohsiung, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}:''' Third-largest city of Taiwan and a major center in the southern part of the island-state.
* '''UsefulNotes/KansasCity, Missouri, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Missouri, sitting across the Missouri River next to the ''state'' of Kansas and ''another'' Kansas City within its borders. The city is known for its brand of jazz, blues and barbecue, and was also the city where Creator/WaltDisney got his start.
* '''Katowice, Silesian Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Regional capital of Silesia and eleventh-largest city in Poland. Having grown on the back of mining and steelworks industries in the eighteenth century, the city now establishes itself as a music capital of Poland.
* '''Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}}:''' Fourth-largest city of Switzerland and headquarters to several international sport governing bodies, most prominently the International Olympic Committee, which governs the UsefulNotes/OlympicGames.
* '''Limassol (Lemesós), Limassol District, UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}}:''' Second-largest city of Cyprus and a major tourist destination.
* '''Luanda, Luanda Province, UsefulNotes/{{Angola}}:''' Capital and largest city of Angola as well as the third-largest Lusophone city in the world after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
* '''Málaga, Andalusia, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' Second-largest city of Andalusia and a hub of the Costa del Sol, a coastal tourist destination, and birthplace of Creator/PabloPicasso.
* '''Maputo (Lourenço Marques), UsefulNotes/{{Mozambique}}:''' Capital and largest city of Mozambique, notable for its vibrant culture and eclectic architecture.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Milwaukee}}, Wisconsin, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Wisconsin, famous for its brewing industry and the home of Harley-Davidson.
* '''Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Prefectural capital of Aichi, fourth-largest city of Japan and largest of the Chūbu region and a major manufacturing city, among whose most famous products are the Toyota automobiles.
* '''Nassau, [[UsefulNotes/TheBahamas Bahamas]]:''' Capital of the archipelago-nation of the Bahamas and a major financial hub in the Caribbean islands.
* '''UsefulNotes/PortLouis, Port Louis District, UsefulNotes/{{Mauritius}}:''' Capital and largest city of Mauritius, as well as a mercantile center and the financial heart of southeastern Africa.
* '''Poznań (Posen), Central Poland Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Fourth-largest metropolitan area in Poland and one of its oldest.
* '''Querétaro City, Querétaro, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' State capital and largest city of Querétaro and a business powerhouse, as well as one of the most pleasant places to live in Mexico.
* '''Sacramento, California, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and sixth-largest city of California, as well as the most culturally diverse city in the state.
* '''Salt Lake City, UsefulNotes/{{Utah}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and largest city of Utah, famous as the worldwide headquarters of the [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)]], as well as the industrial banking center of the USA.
* '''Taiyuan, Shanxi, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Shanxi as well as a historical capital for several imperial dynasties, and currently a bustling economic center.
[[/folder]]
!!Highly Self-Sufficient and Self-Sufficient
[[folder:Highly Self-Sufficient]]
* '''Abidjan, UsefulNotes/CoteDIvoire:''' Largest city of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and one of the largest Francophone cities in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as an important seaport and still home to most diplomatic missions to the country long after the capital was moved inland to Yamoussoukro in 1983 (which so happened to be the hometown of then-president Félix Houphouët-Boigny).
* '''Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, UsefulNotes/{{Nigeria}}:''' Capital of Nigeria, strategically located between the Muslim north and Christian south, and currently one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/TheWestMidlands Birmingham]], England, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Second-largest city of the United Kingdom and an industrial powerhouse, having tried for almost every trade available at the time of the Industrial Revolution, before turning its attention to the services sector during the last quarter of the 20th century.
* '''Brasília, Federal District, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' Capital and third-largest city of Brazil; built from the ground up in the late 1950s to serve as the country's capital, much like Washington and Canberra before it and Abuja after it. Known for its modern architecture. Although not officially founded until 1960, by 2000 the metro area had close to 3 million people, making it the world's largest city that did not exist in 1900 (an honor claimed by Abuja just a few years later).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cincinnati}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Third-largest city of Ohio, former boomtown, and the first major US city founded after the American Revolution. Generally conservative-leaning in the suburbs.
* '''Curitiba, Paraná, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' State capital and largest city of Paraná, renowned as one of the most peaceful cities in Brazil and point of arrival for millions of European immigrants in the 1850s.
* '''Dammam (ad-Dammām), Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia:''' Largest city of Saudi Arabia's Persian Gulf coast and a center of its oil industry.
* '''Hartford, Connecticut, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital of Connecticut, famed for its concentration of insurance companies and as the adopted hometown of Creator/MarkTwain.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Indianapolis}}, Indiana, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and largest city of Indiana and second-largest of the American Midwest (after Chicago), and a major transport hub, servicing 70% of the national population, as well as home to a famous motor speedway.
* '''Johor Bahru, Johor, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}:''' State capital of Johor and third-largest city in Malaysia, as well as the southernmost in the peninsular half and a major crossing point to Singapore.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Cracow}} Kraków]] (Cracow), Lesser Poland Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Regional capital of Lesser Poland, second-largest city of Poland and one of its oldest as well as its former capital, originating as a hilltop hamlet and best known for its historic city center and the center of ministry of a certain Archbishop Karol Cardinal Wojtyła before he became Pope (now Saint) John Paul II.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Leeds}}, England, United Kingdom:''' Third-largest city of the United Kingdom and the cultural, financial and industrial heart of the Yorkshire region, which once thrived as a milling town.
* '''Lusaka, Lusaka Province, UsefulNotes/{{Zambia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Zambia and one of the fastest developing cities in southern Africa.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Macau}} (Aomen), UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' A former Portuguese colony handed over to China in 1999, it's now a major resort area, as well as the world's leading gambling center, supplanting Las Vegas in that role. Notably the only city in China where casino gambling is legal.
* '''Ningbo (Ningpo), Zhejiang, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Third-largest city of Zhejiang and one of the busiest port cities in China, with a history stretching back thousands of years.
* '''Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' State capital and largest city of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as the southernmost state capital in Brazil.
* '''Port of Spain, UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago:''' Capital of Trinidad and Tobago and home to the Caribbean islands' largest stock market.
* '''Puebla City, Puebla, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' State capital and largest city of Puebla and one of the most important business cities in central Mexico.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Raleigh}}, North Carolina, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital of North Carolina and an early example of American urban planning, as well as part of a "triangle" of educational institutions with the nearby cities of Durham and Chapel Hill. Like Austin, it's very liberal for a conservative state (although less so than the other cities in the "triangle").
* '''[[UsefulNotes/OtherCitiesInTexas San Antonio]], [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Second-largest city of Texas (and the South) and seventh-largest in the USA, and a famous center of tourism.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Seville}} (Sevilla), Andalusia, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' State capital and largest city of Andalusia and fourth-largest in Spain, as well as its only inland port and a former economic power during its imperial days, famed as the site of the beginning and end of a three-year expedition led by Portuguese-born explorer Ferdinand Magellan (and later Sebastian Elcano after his death) which became the first recorded circumnavigation of the world.
* '''Strasbourg, Grand-Est, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Regional capital and largest city of Grand-Est, ninth-largest city in France, as well as ''de facto'' capital of the historic Alsace region which, with nearby Lorraine (also currently in Grand-Est) constantly exchanged hands between France and Germany for centuries, and is currently home to the European Parliament.
* '''The Hague (Den Haag), South Holland, UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands:''' Provincial capital of South Holland, seat of government and third-largest city of the Netherlands. Home to most of the country's foreign embassies and about 150 international organizations, most notably the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court.
* '''Tijuana, Baja California, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' Largest city of Baja California as well as the sixth-largest and westernmost city of Mexico, lying just south of the border with the United States.
* '''Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator), UsefulNotes/{{Mongolia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Mongolia, and a major crossroads between Russia and China.
* '''Yangon (Rangoon), Yangon Region, UsefulNotes/{{Myanmar}}:''' Largest city of Myanmar (Burma), and former capital until the military government moved inwards in 2006 to purpose-built Naypyidaw. Famous for its well-preserved historical city center and the sprawling Shwedagon Pagoda, the country's most important Buddhist pilgrimage destination.
* '''Yerevan (Erevan), UsefulNotes/{{Armenia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Armenia, and one of the oldest cities in the world as well as one of the oldest to formally adopt Christianity.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Self-Sufficient]]
* '''Aarhus (Århus), Central Jutland, UsefulNotes/{{Denmark}}:''' Second-largest city of Denmark and largest in the Jutland Peninsula, as well as a major center of business and education in the region.
* '''Aberdeen (Aiberdeen), UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Third-largest city of Scotland, historically renowned for the silver-like glow of its city center thanks to most of its buildings built using local granite, and currently the hub of Europe's oil industry on the North Sea.
* '''Aguascalientes City, Aguascalientes, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' Capital of the same-named city-state thriving on wine-making and a former powerhouse in the textiles industry, as well as home to the largest fair in Mexico.
* '''Alexandria (al-ʾIskandariyya), Alexandria Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Egypt}}:''' Second-largest city of Egypt and largest of all the coastal cities of the Mediterranean Sea. Founded by and named after UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat, the city was the capital of Egypt during the Greek and Roman periods and rapidly became a center of learning, epitomized by its library said to have, at one point, the largest collection of books in the ancient world, as well as one of the earliest centers of Christianity, being the seat of the Coptic Church.
* '''Baghdad, Baghdad Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}}:''' Capital and largest city of Iraq and third-largest in the Arab World. Historically the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate extending from modern-day Pakistan to Tunisia, the city had a reputation as a center of learning in the Arab World, a feat tragically overshadowed nowadays by the destruction wrought upon it during the UsefulNotes/WarOnTerror for most of the early 21st century.
* '''Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei Town), Brunei-Muara District, UsefulNotes/{{Brunei}}:''' Capital and largest city of the tiny, oil-rich Sultanate of Brunei.
* '''Barranquilla, Atlántico, UsefulNotes/{{Colombia}}:''' Departmental capital of Atlántico and fourth-largest city in Colombia and a hotspot of diversity, having become a haven of refugees from Europe fleeing both World Wars.
* '''Basel, Canton of Basel-Stadt, UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}}:''' Third-largest city of Switzerland and a major commercial hub, strategically located both along the Rhine River and near the tri-nation boundary with Germany and France, and currently home to a few international pharmaceutical giants.
* '''Bergen, Vestland County, UsefulNotes/{{Norway}}:''' Second-largest city of Norway and a historical port city since Viking times, as well as former capital.
* '''Bern, Canton of Bern, UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}}:''' Capital and fifth-largest city of Switzerland, famed for its well-preserved city center.
* '''Birmingham, Alabama, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Alabama and formerly the industrial heart of the South, diversifying in the mid-20th century to become one of the USA's largest banking centers.
* '''Bishkek (Pishpek/Frunze), UsefulNotes/{{Kyrgyzstan}}:''' Capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan, built as a fortress city in the 1820s and since rebuilt according to Soviet architecture.
* '''Blantyre, Southern Region, UsefulNotes/{{Malawi}}:''' Second-largest city of Malawi and its financial center.
* '''Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Regional capital and largest city of Emilia-Romagna, as well as the seventh-largest in Italy, famous as the home of the oldest university in the world as well as its world-renowned cuisine. Also the heartland of Italy's "supercar valley" (Lamborghini and Pagani both come from this city).
* '''Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Fifth-largest city of France, a historic port city famous as a powerhouse in the global winemaking industry.
* '''Brazzaville, UsefulNotes/RepublicOfTheCongo:''' Capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo, famed for its music scene.
* '''Bremen, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Eleventh-largest city of Germany and another city-state, with its inland port the second-largest in Germany after Hamburg, as well as a major center for scientific research.
* '''Buffalo, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Second-largest city of the state of New York and largest in its western half. Historically a trading post along the Great Lakes region and inwards towards the Midwest, it has since reinvented itself as a center of healthcare and higher learning.
* '''Bursa, Bursa Province, UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}}:''' Fourth-largest city of Turkey and second-largest on the area of the Sea of Marmara after Istanbul, as well as an interesting combination of well-preserved Ottoman relics and Turkey's largest automotive production center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Busan}} (Pusan), UsefulNotes/SouthKorea:''' Second-largest city of South Korea and de facto head of the historic Yeongnam region on the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula, as well as home to the country's busiest seaport (and fifth-busiest in the world) and a frequent host of international conventions.
* '''Cali, Valle del Cauca Department, UsefulNotes/{{Colombia}}:''' Departmental capital of Valle del Cauca and most populous city in southwestern Colombia, as well as the only major seaport facing the Pacific Ocean.
* '''Campinas, São Paulo State, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' Third-largest city of São Paulo State and fourteenth-largest in Brazil and a center of Brazil's petrochemical industry.
* '''Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' Capital and eighth-largest city of Australia, as well as its largest inland city. Built from the ground up to serve as the national capital, much like Washington before it and Brasília after it, and as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne.
* '''Cardiff (Caerdydd), UsefulNotes/{{Wales}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Capital of Wales and eleventh-largest city in the United Kingdom, which grew in the early 19th century as a port city connected to Wales's then-burgeoning coal mining industry.
* '''Cebu City, Cebu, UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}:''' Capital and largest city of the island-province of Cebu and second-largest metropolitan area of the Philippines, as well as the oldest city in the nation and its first capital.
* '''Changchun, Jilin, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Jilin and one of the largest cities in northeastern China, renowned for being a center of the Chinese automotive industry.
* '''Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' Capital of the same-named state, known as one of the safest cities in Mexico as well as an industrial hotspot.
* '''Chisinau (Kishinev), UsefulNotes/{{Moldova}}:''' Capital and largest city of the former Soviet republic of Moldova, and home to 25% of the nation's population.
* '''Christchurch (Ōtautahi), Canterbury Region, UsefulNotes/NewZealand:''' Third-largest city of New Zealand and largest on the South Island, as well as an agricultural and economic center, and one of the main departure points for Antarctica, currently in a process of rebuilding following a series of devastating earthquakes in the early 2010s.
* '''Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' Largest city of Chihuahua, lying on the border with the USA and directly next to El Paso, Texas, as well as a growing industrial center.
* '''Córdoba, Córdoba Province, UsefulNotes/{{Argentina}}:''' Capital of the same-named province and second-largest city in Argentina and a major educational center.
* '''Des Moines, Iowa, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and largest city of Iowa, and a major financial center of the Midwest.
* '''Dortmund (Düörpm), North Rhine-Westphalia, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Third-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia, eighth-largest in Germany, and largest in the Ruhr Valley, a historical trading route and industrial region.
* '''Dresden (Drježdźany), Saxony, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Second-largest city of Saxony and a political and cultural center of the country, famous for its medieval architecture, many of which had to be reconstructed following an infamous Allied bombing campaign during the closing days of World War II.
* '''Dushanbe, UsefulNotes/{{Tajikistan}}:''' Capital and largest city of Tajikistan and a Soviet-era center of silk production.
* '''Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia and second-largest city of the historic Ruhr Valley industrial region. Formerly defined by its mining industry, the city has since reinvented itself as a cultural and environmental center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Florence}} (Firenze), Tuscany, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' State capital of Tuscany and eighth-largest city in Italy. Once one of Europe's richest cities in the Middle Ages under the watch of the Medici family, it remains a cultural and fashion heavyweight throughout the country.
* '''Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Capital of the same-named prefecture, sixth-largest city in Japan, and largest city of Kyushu island, as well as a major trade route towards the rest of East Asia.
* '''Gaborone, UsefulNotes/{{Botswana}}:''' Capital and largest city of Botswana, famous for being located near several major wildlife reserves.
* '''Genoa (Genova), Liguria, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Sixth-largest city in Italy, the country's main port city and birthplace of UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus.
* '''Goiânia, Goiás, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' State capital and largest city of Goiás, eleventh-largest city in Brazil, and second-largest in inner Brazil after Brasília.
* '''Graz, Styria, UsefulNotes/{{Austria}}:''' State capital of Styria and second-largest city in Austria and a major educational center.
* '''Grenoble (Grenoblo), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Second-largest city of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and self-proclaimed "Capital of the Alps" for its economic growth in the last three centuries.
* '''Guiyang, Guizhou, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Guizhou and an economic hub of southern China, as well as home to the Miao and Bouyei ethnic minorities.
* '''Haifa, Haifa District, UsefulNotes/{{Israel}}:''' Capital of the same-named district and third-largest city of Israel and a major seaport, famed for Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range known for its biodiversity and its prominent role in Judaism and Christianity, as well as the spiritual center of the Baháʼí, a universalist faith encompassing the teachings of all the world's major religions.
* '''Halifax, Nova Scotia, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' The capital of Nova Scotia and largest metropolis of Atlantic Canada.
* '''Hamilton, UsefulNotes/{{Bermuda}}:''' Capital of the British island-territory of Bermuda a North Atlantic financial haven.
* '''Hanover (Hannover), Lower Saxony, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' State capital and largest city of Lower Saxony and thirteenth-largest in Germany. Historically the capital of small kingdoms named after itself, the city is now a major transportation crossroads.
* '''Harrisburg, UsefulNotes/{{Pennsylvania}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and fourth-largest metropolitan area of Pennsylvania. Once one of the most industrialized cities in the USA, today it is famed for the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest free indoor agricultural exposition in the USA, as well as one of the best cities to raise a family.
* '''Hobart, Tasmania, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' Capital and largest city of the island-state of Tasmania and second-oldest capital city of Australia after Sydney, as well as a major home port of ships to and from Antarctica.
* '''Hohhot (Kweisui), Inner Mongolia, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region with a Mongol minority population even bigger than that of the independent UsefulNotes/{{Mongolia}} to the north.
* '''Honolulu, UsefulNotes/{{Hawaii}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and largest city of Hawai'i as well as the largest city of the Pacific islands, one of the most visited cities in the world, and one of the most livable and safest cities in the USA.
* '''Hsinchu, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}:''' Seventh-largest city of Taiwan and a windy coastal city as well as a major industrial and cultural center.
* '''İzmir, İzmir Province, UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}}:''' Third-largest city of Turkey and second-largest urban area on the Aegean Sea after Athens, as well as one of the oldest continually-inhabited cities in the world, with a history dating back 3,000 years.
* '''Jacksonville, Florida, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Florida and a major port of call for military and civilian ships. Its metro area is heavily dominated by the city proper and has few suburbs of note.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Jerusalem}} (Yerushaláyim/al-Quds), Jerusalem District/Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Israel}}/UsefulNotes/{{Palestine}}:''' ''The'' HolyCity of Judaism, Christianity (alongside Rome, at least for Roman Catholics) and Islam (albeit third in importance behind Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia), with a history stretching back 6,000 years, and hotly-contested ''de jure'' capital of both the State of Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
* '''Kabul, Kabul Province, UsefulNotes/{{Afghanistan}}:''' Capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Historically a crossroads to many empires, Kabul has experience explosive growth and, in recent years, recovery following civil war in the 1990s and UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror in the 2000s.
* '''Kazan, Tatarstan, UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}:''' Capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, home to the Volga Tatars, the largest ethnic minority group in Russia, and sixth-largest city of Russia, as well as its self-proclaimed "third capital", famed for being an intersection of European and Asian influences.
* '''Kigali, UsefulNotes/{{Rwanda}}:''' Capital and largest city of Rwanda. Founded in the early 20th century by Belgian colonists, the city grew as a regional hub and has been undergoing recovery and development following a terrible civil war and genocide in the 1990s.
* '''Kingston, Kingston & Saint Andrew Parishes, UsefulNotes/{{Jamaica}}:''' Capital and largest city of Jamaica and a hotbed of the island-nation's famed musical culture.
* '''Kinshasa, UsefulNotes/DemocraticRepublicOfTheCongo:''' Capital and largest city of the DR Congo, third-largest in Africa, and largest Francophone city in the world (surpassing even Paris).
* '''Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Prefectural capital of Hyōgo and seventh-largest city, as well as a major container port city of the Osaka metropolitan area even after suffering badly from the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake and home to Arima Onsen, one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts.
* '''Kochi (Cochin), Kerala, UsefulNotes/{{India}}:''' Largest city of Kerala and a major trading and naval port-of-call since the 14th century.
* '''Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Capital of the same-named prefecture and cultural capital of Japan, as well as its former, centuries-long imperial seat before the court moved to Tokyo during the UsefulNotes/MeijiRestoration. Having been spared from large-scale destruction during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, Kyoto is a popular tourist destination for its dozens of temples, palaces and gardens.
* '''Lanzhou, Gansu, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Gansu. Historically a link city of the Silk Road, currently it is a major player in China's heavy and petrochemical industries.
* '''UsefulNotes/LasVegas, Nevada, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Nevada and 28th-largest in the USA. Historically a resort town, now one of the major metropolises of the desert southwest. Most famous as the main gambling mecca of the USA, as well as a major center for live entertainment (much of it linked to the casinos). Has grown explosively in the last few decades--at the turn of the 21st century, it was the nation's largest city that had been founded in the 20th (1905 to be exact).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Leipzig}}, Saxony, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' A trade city since the age of the Holy Roman Empire, Leipzig once flourished as a center of music and culture in Saxony, and late in the 20th century made headlines as the origin of the peaceful demonstrations that accelerated the fall of East Germany.
* '''León, Guanajuato, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' Largest city of Guanajuato and seventh-largest in Mexico, famed for its leatherworks industry.
* '''Libreville, Estuaire, UsefulNotes/{{Gabon}}:''' Capital and largest city of Gabon, as well as former chief port of French Equatorial Africa.
* '''Liège, Wallonia, UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}:''' Third-largest city of Belgium and largest city of the French-speaking Wallonia region.
* '''Lille, Hauts-de-France, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Regional capital of Hauts-de-France and northernmost major city in France, as well as a historic seat of the French Flanders region.
* '''Linz, Upper Austria, UsefulNotes/{{Austria}}:''' State capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria, with a history of major contributions to the arts and is curently a technological powerhouse.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Liverpool}}, England, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Fifth-largest metropolitan area in the UK and a historically important seaport, having seen off millions of British and Irish emigrants to the United States in the 19th century, as well as a major exporter of British music epitomized by Music/TheBeatles.
* '''Łódź, Łódź Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Capital of the same-named region and third-largest city in Poland, as well as a giant in the textiles industry before reinventing itself as a center of the arts.
* '''Lomé, Maritime Region, UsefulNotes/{{Togo}}:''' Capital and largest city of Togo, as well as an industrial center and chief port for the country's agricultural exports.
* '''Louisville, Kentucky, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' More than just the Kentucky Derby and bourbon, Kentucky's largest city has developed a quite diversified economy, with health care and transportation being especially prominent nowadays.
* '''Malacca City (Melaka), Malacca, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}:''' Capital and largest city of the same-named state and the oldest city on the Straits of Malacca, famed for being an intersection of Malay, Portuguese, Dutch and British influences evidenced by its city center.
* '''Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Second-largest city of Baden-Württemberg and a home to major corporations as well as a cultural center, famed for its unusual grid layout for a German city.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Marseille}} (Marseilles), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Regional capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, second-largest city in France and third-largest urban area (after Paris and Lyon). Marseille once thrived as the main trade post of France, and was also the birthplace of the French National Anthem, named in its honor.
* '''Memphis, UsefulNotes/{{Tennessee}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Second-largest city of Tennesse and the largest along the Mississippi River, famed as the launching pad for many American musicians, such as Music/ElvisPresley, Music/JohnnyCash and Music/JustinTimberlake.
* '''Mérida, Yucatán, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' State capital and largest city of Yucatán and the city with the largest proportion of indigenous peoples in Mexico, with the Maya still making up 60% of the total population.
* '''Mexicali, Baja California, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' State capital and second-largest city of Baja California, located on the border with California, and home to dozens of ''maquiladoras'' (duty-free factories for goods sold in the USA).
* '''Minsk, Minsk Region, UsefulNotes/{{Belarus}}:''' Capital and largest city of Belarus, as well as home of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a coalition of the fifteen former components of the Soviet Union.
* '''Montpellier, Occitanie, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Second-largest city of Occitanie and a prosperous university city.
* '''Nanchang, Jiangxi, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Jiangxi, famed as the birthplace of the People's Liberation Army.
* '''Nanning, Guangxi, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Guangxi, an autonomous province designated as the home of the Zhuang ethnic minority.
* '''Naples (Napoli/Napule), Campania, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Regional capital of Campania and third-largest city in Italy, and the capital of the now-defunct Kingdom of the Two Sicilies that existed before Italian unification, known for its massive shipping harbors, their trademark "canzone napoletana", the first train station in Italy, and being the birthplace of pizza.
* '''UsefulNotes/NewOrleans, Louisiana, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Louisiana, renowned for its multicultural (primarily French) heritage and easygoing life despite being in a state of continuous recovery following the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
* '''Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' A university city, most populous in northeastern England, and a major seaport.
* '''Nice (Niça), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Second-largest city of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and seventh-largest in France and a famously picturesque coastal city.
* '''Nottingham, England, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Largest urban area in the East Midlands of England, famed as the center of activity of mythical bandit and folk hero Myth/RobinHood, as well as home to several sports centers in England.
* '''Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk Oblast, UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}:''' Capital and largest city of the same-named oblast, third-largest city in Russia, and largest city in Siberia.
* '''Nur-Sultan (Astana), UsefulNotes/{{Kazakhstan}}:''' Capital and second-largest city of Kazakhstan, founded as "Akmola" in 1830 before being rebuilt in the late 1990s to serve as the country's new, geographically central capital.
* '''Nuremberg (Nürnberg), Bavaria, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Second-largest city of Bavaria and fourteenth-largest in Germany, as well as the unofficial capital of the Franconia region, famous for its market but also infamous for Nazi rallies that signaled its rise during the 1930s, as well as host to war crimes trials at the end of World War II.
* '''Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Capital and largest city of the same-named state, largest city of the Great Plains region, and home to one of the world's largest livestock markets, as well as a hub for the American petroleum industry.
* '''Omaha, Nebraska, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Nebraska and second-largest city of the Great Plains region. Once a frontier city west of the Missouri River, today it is home to several large companies and conglomerates.
* '''Palermo (Palermu), Sicily, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Capital and largest city of the island-region of Sicily, a historically strategic gateway between North Africa and Southern Europe as well as famed for its culture, architecture and gastronomy.
* '''Palo Alto, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Part of the San Francisco Bay Area, mostly famous for Stanford University and the high-tech and venture capital businesses it helped to spawn as part of the Silicon Valley region.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}}, UsefulNotes/{{Pennsylvania}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Second-largest city of Pennsylvania and largest in the Ohio Valley. Once famed for its massive steelworks industry, in the 1980s the city has reinvented itself as a medical, educational, and technological hub.
* '''Podgorica, Podgorica Municipality, UsefulNotes/{{Montenegro}}:''' Capital and largest city of Montenegro and the economic, cultural and educational focus of the country.
* '''Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Bay/[=iBhayi=]/Die Baai), Eastern Cape, UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica:''' Largest city of Eastern Cape and sixth-largest in South Africa and a gateway city for industries and tourism.
* '''Port Harcourt, Rivers State, UsefulNotes/{{Nigeria}}:''' Capital and largest city of River State, which grew on the back of oil deposits discovered during the 1950s.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Portland}}, UsefulNotes/{{Oregon}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of Oregon and a pocket of liberal politics in an otherwise conservative state (unlike Austin it's dominant enough to swing statewide elections Democratic), being a center of cultural diversity and a hotspot of outdoor activities.
* '''Port Moresby, National Capital District, UsefulNotes/PapuaNewGuinea:''' Capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea, as well as largest city of the South Pacific islands outside Australia and New Zealand as well as a trade center dating back from the late nineteenth century.
* '''Pretoria ([=ePitoli=]), Gauteng, UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica:''' Executive capital of South Africa and a major center for education in the country.
* '''Quebec City, Quebec, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' The provincial capital is a significant business center as well as a major tourist attraction, thanks to its historic city center. Also the site of a key battle in the UsefulNotes/SevenYearsWar that led to British control over all of Canada.
* '''Recife, Pernambuco, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' State capital and largest city of Pernambuco, as well as the largest city in northeastern Brazil and a cultural powerhouse.
* '''Reykjavík, Capital Region, UsefulNotes/{{Iceland}}:''' Capital and largest city of Iceland and the northernmost national capital in the world.
* '''Richmond, Virginia, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital of Virginia, which played a role in both the American Revolution and the Civil War.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Rochester}}, {{UsefulNotes/New York|State}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Third-largest city of New York and one of the first boomtowns of the USA, as well as the birthplace of several socio-political movements such as those for the abolition of slavery and adovcacy of women's rights.
* '''Rosario, Santa Fe, UsefulNotes/{{Argentina}}:''' Largest city of the province of Santa Fe and thirdt-largest in Argentina and a major fluvial port city.
* '''Salvador, Bahia, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' State capital and largest city of Bahia, as well as the largest city in northeastern Brazil and fourth-largest overall, as well as one of the oldest cities in the Americas, founded by the Portuguese in 1549. As a former port of arrival for millions of African slaves, the city has since become a hotbed of the country's Afro-Brazilian culture.
* '''San Luis Potosí City, San Luis Potosí, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' Capital and largest city of the same-named state, originally founded on the back of silver and gold mining in nearby towns, and is currently a prolific manufacturing center.
* '''San Pedro Sula, Cortés Department, UsefulNotes/{{Honduras}}:''' Departmental capital of Cortés and second-largest city in Honduras, but by far the country's main economic center.
* '''Sanaa, Sanaa Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Yemen}}:''' Largest city of Yemen and erstwhile capital before it was temporarily moved to Aden in 2015 due to political troubles.
* '''Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz Department, UsefulNotes/{{Bolivia}}:''' Departmental capital of Santa Cruz and largest city in Bolivia as well as its principal business center.
* '''Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Capital and largest city of the island-prefecture-region of Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's "Home Islands" and home of the Ainu, an indigenous people which once inhabited as far as northern Honshū before the northward expansion of the Japanese people during the nineteenth century, as well as a cultural, economic and political center.
* '''Sarajevo, [[UsefulNotes/{{Bosnia}} Bosnia and Herzegovina]]:''' Capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a hotspot of cultural and religious diversity in the Balkans, which saw itself at the center of many historical events, from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria which helped trigger UsefulNotes/WorldWarI to being devastated during UsefulNotes/TheYugoslavWars, from which it quickly recovered.
* '''Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' Largest city of Saskatchewan and cultural center of the central part of the province.
* '''Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Prefectural capital and largest city of Miyagi, as well as the largest city of the Tōhoku region of northeastern Honshū. Founded in 1600 by the famed samurai UsefulNotes/DateMasamune, the city is home to the largest UsefulNotes/{{Tanabata}} festival in Japan, even as it continues to rebuild following the devastation of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
* '''Sheffield, England, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' The major city of the South Yorkshire region, formerly renowned for its massive steelworks industry and home to the oldest football club in the world (Sheffield F.C.).
* '''Shijiazhuang, Hebei, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of China, and twelfth-largest city in China and a major industrial center.
* '''Skopje, Greater Skopje, UsefulNotes/NorthMacedonia:''' Capital and largest city of the newly renamed North Macedonia, inhabited since at least 4000 BC but not defined as a city until Roman times as "Scupi".
* '''Southampton, England, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Largest city in the Hampshire region and a major port city, having been the departure point of the ill-fated maiden voyage of the ''RMS Titanic'' and among the starting points of D-Day during the closing months of World War II.
* '''Surabaya, East Java, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}:''' Provincial capital of East Java and second-largest city in Indonesia and a historic trading center, as well as one of the birthplaces of the modern state of Indonesia.
* '''Suva, UsefulNotes/{{Fiji}}:''' Capital and largest city of Fiji, as well as the economic and cultural capital of the South Pacific Islands.
* '''Tainan, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}:''' Oldest city of Taiwan, initially founded by the Dutch East India Company in the seventeenth century and for centuries the seat of the island's government before it moved northward to Taipei.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tallinn}}, Harju County, UsefulNotes/{{Estonia}}:''' Capital of Estonia and a center of culture in the Baltic States.
* '''Tashkent, UsefulNotes/{{Uzbekistan}}:''' Capital and largest city of Uzbekistan, as well as the most populous in Central Asia and one of the most diverse, encouraged by its location along the Silk Road.
* '''Toulouse (Tolosa), Occitanie, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Regional capital and largest city of Occitanie and fourth-largest city in France, as well as home to one of the oldest universities in Europe and center of the European aerospace industry.
* '''Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Regional capital and largest city of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and a major port along the Adriatic Sea. For centuries the principal port city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it currently enjoys prestige as a hotspot of diversity and education.
* '''Tulsa, Oklahoma, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Second-largest city of Oklahoma and a former oil boomtown before diversifying its economy and becoming the cultural center of the state.
* '''Ürümqi (Wulumuqi), UsefulNotes/{{Xinjiang}}, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Xinjiang, the designated home of the Uyghurs, a Muslim-majority Turkic people, and a historically strategic trade city along the Silk Road.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Utrecht}}, Utrecht Province, [[UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands Netherlands]]:''' Capital and largest city of the same-named province and fourth-largest in the Netherlands, once the most important city in medieval Netherlands and remains the religious capital of the nation.
* '''Valencia, Carabobo, UsefulNotes/{{Venezuela}}:''' State capital of Carabobo and third-largest city of Venezuela, and home to the nation's top industries and manufacturers.
* '''Valparaíso, Valparaíso Region, UsefulNotes/{{Chile}}:''' Capital of the same-named region and second-largest city of Chile, as well as its principal seaport and home of the national legislature, and a powehouse of the region, being the home to Latin America's first stock exchange and the longest-running Spanish-language newspaper in the world.
* '''Victoria, Labuan, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}:''' Capital of the small island-state of Labuan, a major offshore financial center and support center for the oil industries of the nearby state of Sabah on Borneo Island (shared with Indonesia and Brunei).
* '''Vientiane, Vientiane Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Laos}}:''' Capital and largest city of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, lying on the northern banks of the Mekong River and near the boundary with eastern Thailand.
* '''Windhoek, Khomas Region, UsefulNotes/{{Namibia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Namibia and a center of economic activity in the country.
* '''Winnipeg, Manitoba, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Manitoba and seventh-largest in Canada, as well as a historical trading post.
* '''Wuxi, Jiangsu, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Third-largest city of Jiangsu and a historic economic center which once exported rice, silk and textiles, and is currently a major technological center.
* '''Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Prefectural capital of Kanagawa and second-largest city of Japan, as well as the country's largest port city by way of its proximity to Tokyo.
* '''Zhuhai, Guangdong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Ninth-largest city of Guangdong and one of the earliest Special Economic Zones of China established in the late 1970s, specifically located north of the then-Portuguese territory of Macau.
[[/folder]]

!!Other Cities
[[folder:Other Cities]]
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Albuquerque}}, New Mexico, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Largest city of New Mexico and a major crossroads city as well as a cultural center of the state.
* '''Antananarivo, Analamanga, UsefulNotes/{{Madagascar}}:''' Capital and largest city of the ecologically diverse island-nation of Madagascar and seat of the Merina Kingdom, the last dominant power of the island before its colonization by France.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bonn}}, North Rhine-Westphalia, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' A small city noted as one of the oldest cities in the country, the birthplace of Music/LudwigVanBeethoven and as the "temporary" capital of West Germany throughout the UsefulNotes/ColdWar before the reunification of the two German republics in 1990.
* '''Kathmandu, Bagmati Pradesh, UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}:''' Capital and largest city of the Himalayan nation of Nepal and principal gateway for tourists to the Himalayas.
* '''Leicester, England, UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom:''' Largest city of the East Midlands of England and thirteenth-largest city of the United Kingdom, as well as a major hub for Indian and Pakistani immigrants.
* '''Madison, Wisconsin, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital of Wisconsin; basically a miniature version of Columbus, Ohio in that it's a midwestern state capital that's also home to its state's largest university; the two universities are even members of the same sports conference.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Mecca}} (Makkah), Mecca Province, UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia:''' The HolyCity of Islam, birthplace of UsefulNotes/TheProphetMuhammad, and third-largest city of Saudi Arabia, to which Muslims are obligated to, at least once in their lifetimes, make a pilgrimage.
* '''Nantong, Jiangsu, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Sixth-largest city of Jiangsu and a historic port city on the northern banks of the Yangtze River.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Oakland}}, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Eighth-largest city of California and third-largest in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as a busy industryal city.
* '''UsefulNotes/SantaFe, New Mexico, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' State capital and fourth-largest city of New Mexico and one of the world's great art cities with its abundance of art galleries and installations.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tehran}}, Tehran Province, UsefulNotes/{{Iran}}:''' Capital and largest city of Tehran and the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo. Though existing for centuries, it was only chosen as a national capital in the late eighteenth century as a forward capital to reach Persia's Caucasian territories.
* '''UsefulNotes/ToledoOhio, UsefulNotes/UnitedStates:''' Fourth-largest city of Ohio and a major trading center of the Midwest.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Venice}} (Venezia/Venesia), Veneto, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Regional capital of Veneto, built on a series of small islands and a historical trading center on the end of the Adriatic Sea, as well as one of the most visited cities in Italy.
* '''Weifang, Shandong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Sixth-largest city of Shandong and a historic city known as the birthplace of kites.
* '''Xining, Qinghai, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Qinghai and largest city on the Tibetan Plateau, as well as a cultural and commercial hub along the northern sector of the Silk Road and gateway to the cultures of western China such as the Tibetans and Uyghurs.
[[/folder]]
[[/index]]
----

* '''UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' The largest city in the state of New York and of the United States, as well as arguably the reigning cultural and financial capital of the world and home of the General Assembly of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations. Its position on one of the world's largest natural harbors made an excellent point-of-entry for traders and immigrants throughout the centuries.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, UsefulNotes/{{Illinois}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Third-largest city in the USA and the urban heart of the Midwest. Built on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan, the city grew into a major transportation hub, with more roads and railroads leading into it than any other city in America. Besides being a commercial center, it is also a heavyweight in American gastronomy and music.

* '''UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city in California and second-largest in the USA and a hotbed of multicultural diversity. The city is both a powerhouse of West Coast finance and as well as arguably the biggest television and film industry in the world, usually named after the neighborhood of Hollywood where some early major motion-picture companies were established, as well as a powerful sporting city, hosting several successful professional sports teams as well as the third city to host the Olympics thrice (1932, 1984 and 2028).

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Boston}}, Massachusetts, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital of Massachusetts and largest city in the New England region. Boston is also one of the oldest colonial-era settlements in America, played a prominent role in the UsefulNotes/AmericanRevolution, and is also home to several prestigious educational institutions, including Harvard University, the oldest institute of higher learning in America.

* '''UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' The cultural and financial hub of northern California, located at the mouth of the Golden Gate. The "City by the Bay" is well-known for its streetcars and its liberal atmosphere, with a history of hippie counterculture and LGBT activism.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, UsefulNotes/{{Georgia|USA}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Georgia, as well as the unofficial capital of the "New South", being a center of racial diversity (as well as a hotspot of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement, where UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, was born, served as a local Baptist pastor for the last years of his life, and buried), a liberal hotspot in the otherwise conservative region, and an economic boomtown, spurred on by hosting the centenary Olympic Games in 1996. Home to the world's busiest airport.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/DFWMetroplex Dallas]], [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Third-largest city in Texas, having grown on the back of its cotton and oil industries. Together with its twin city of Fort Worth and a smaller cities and towns, the DFW Metroplex forms the largest urban area in the South, and one of the few major conservative-leaning urban areas.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Houston}}, [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city in Texas, largely fueled by its several railroad and ship connections, further bolstered by the discovery of oil. It is also home to NASA's control center.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Miami}}, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' The most populous metropolis in the southeastern USA and home to the largest concentration of banks in the Union and the second-largest Hispanophone majority (after El Paso, Texas), most of which were descended from Cubans fleeing its communist government.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC Washington, District of Columbia]], [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Capital of the United States, established in 1791 on the banks of the Potomac River. Besides serving as home to the USA's three branches of government, Washington also plays host to several other international organizations, and boasts a wide array of landmarks, many of which are located on the National Mall, an axis of greenery from the eastern banks of the Potomac to Capitol Hill.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Denver}}, Colorado, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Colorado, sitting roughly at one mile (1.609 kilometers) above sea level (thus the nickname "Mile High City"). Founded as a gold rush town, Denver continued to flourish long after the mines dried up as an important crossroads between the Midwest and the Rockies.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Pennsylvania}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city in Pennsylvania, a center of arts and culture, and once the largest city in America by the 1770s. The city also played a role in the UsefulNotes/AmericanRevolution, when American independence was signed there on July 4, 1776.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}}, Washington, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Washington state. Founded in the 1850s, Seattle made brief trysts with fame as the main stop for the gold rush of the 1890s and host of the 1962 World's Fair, before making a full bloom as home of grunge rock and such global corporate icons as Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks and Amazon.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/OtherCitiesInTexas Austin]], [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and fourth-largest city of Texas, as well as a hotbed of liberal politics (centered around a major university) in an otherwise conservative state.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}}, UsefulNotes/{{Michigan}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Michigan. Once a thriving industrial center, the city fell into a long economic decline despite remaining the automotive capital of America, a void now being slowly filled with the entertainment business.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/TwinCities Minneapolis]], Minnesota, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Minnesota and, together with the state capital Saint Paul, the fourteenth-largest metropolis in America and largest on the Midwestern prairie. Once the world's largest flour manufacturer, the Twin Cities continues to thrive as a lumber center and a trade post between Seattle and Chicago.

* '''UsefulNotes/SanDiego, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of California, sitting near the Mexican border. Built as the first Catholic mission in California, San Diego once thrived as the command center for the Pacific fleet during World War II, and it still serves that purpose to the present day. However, it has since diversified in various ways, including a center of biotechnology, a craft beer hub, and a beach paradise. The city is known for having one of the most desirable climates in the world.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tampa}}, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Third-largest city of Florida and a major financial center at the west coast of the peninsula-state.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Baltimore}}, Maryland, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Maryland, famous as the birthplace of the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Charlotte}}, UsefulNotes/NorthCarolina, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of North Carolina, second-largest in the southeastern USA, and sixteenth-largest overall, as well as the second-largest banking city after New York City.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Orlando}}, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Fifth-largest city of Florida and the largest completely inland, thriving largely on tourism generated by some of the best-known theme parks in the world.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Phoenix}}, UsefulNotes/{{Arizona}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Arizona, as well as the most populous state capital in the USA. Founded between two rivers in the middle of the desert, Phoenix thrived as a farming community, then an industrial hub after World War II.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/SanJoseCalifornia San Jose]], UsefulNotes/{{California}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Third-largest city of California and the oldest civilian Spanish town of the state, and unofficial capital of Silicon Valley, home to many of the world's largest technology companies.
* '''UsefulNotes/StLouis, Missouri, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city in Missouri and once a major port town on the banks of the Mississippi River. Best known as the cradle of jazz and blues, as well as the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which opened up the West to the USA (commemorated with an iconic steel arch).

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Nashville}}, Tennessee, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and main cultural center of Tennessee. Most notable as the epicenter of the [[CountryMusic country music]] industry, and also a major center for religious publishing, though in recent decades it's developed a much more diversified economy.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cleveland}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of Ohio. Once a mighty industrial port city by the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland fell into disrepute for its financial woes and a river once so polluted it even caught fire (''thirteen times'' between 1868 and 1969), but has since made great rebounds, among which is housing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Columbus|Ohio}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Ohio, a major economic and cultural force in the state, and home to one of the largest college student bodies in the United States.

* '''UsefulNotes/KansasCity, Missouri, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Missouri, sitting across the Missouri River next to the ''state'' of Kansas and ''another'' Kansas City within its borders. The city is known for its brand of jazz, blues and barbecue, and was also the city where Creator/WaltDisney got his start.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Milwaukee}}, Wisconsin, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Wisconsin, famous for its brewing industry and the home of Harley-Davidson.

* '''Sacramento, California, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and sixth-largest city of California, as well as the most culturally diverse city in the state.
* '''Salt Lake City, UsefulNotes/{{Utah}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Utah, famous as the worldwide headquarters of the [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)]], as well as the industrial banking center of the USA.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cincinnati}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Third-largest city of Ohio, former boomtown, and the first major US city founded after the American Revolution. Generally conservative-leaning in the suburbs.

* '''Hartford, Connecticut, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital of Connecticut, famed for its concentration of insurance companies and as the adopted hometown of Creator/MarkTwain.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Indianapolis}}, Indiana, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Indiana and second-largest of the American Midwest (after Chicago), and a major transport hub, servicing 70% of the national population, as well as home to a famous motor speedway.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Raleigh}}, North Carolina, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital of North Carolina and an early example of American urban planning, as well as part of a "triangle" of educational institutions with the nearby cities of Durham and Chapel Hill. Like Austin, it's very liberal for a conservative state (although less so than the other cities in the "triangle").
* '''[[UsefulNotes/OtherCitiesInTexas San Antonio]], [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of Texas (and the South) and seventh-largest in the USA, and a famous center of tourism.

* '''Birmingham, Alabama, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Alabama and formerly the industrial heart of the South, diversifying in the mid-20th century to become one of the USA's largest banking centers.

* '''Buffalo, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of the state of New York and largest in its western half. Historically a trading post along the Great Lakes region and inwards towards the Midwest, it has since reinvented itself as a center of healthcare and higher learning.

* '''Des Moines, Iowa, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Iowa, and a major financial center of the Midwest.

* '''Harrisburg, UsefulNotes/{{Pennsylvania}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and fourth-largest metropolitan area of Pennsylvania. Once one of the most industrialized cities in the USA, today it is famed for the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest free indoor agricultural exposition in the USA, as well as one of the best cities to raise a family.

* '''Honolulu, UsefulNotes/{{Hawaii}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Hawai'i as well as the largest city of the Pacific islands, one of the most visited cities in the world, and one of the most livable and safest cities in the USA.

* '''Jacksonville, Florida, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Florida and a major port of call for military and civilian ships. Its metro area is heavily dominated by the city proper and has few suburbs of note.

* '''UsefulNotes/LasVegas, Nevada, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Nevada and 28th-largest in the USA. Historically a resort town, now one of the major metropolises of the desert southwest. Most famous as the main gambling mecca of the USA, as well as a major center for live entertainment (much of it linked to the casinos). Has grown explosively in the last few decades--at the turn of the 21st century, it was the nation's largest city that had been founded in the 20th (1905 to be exact).

* '''Louisville, Kentucky, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' More than just the Kentucky Derby and bourbon, Kentucky's largest city has developed a quite diversified economy, with health care and transportation being especially prominent nowadays.

* '''Memphis, UsefulNotes/{{Tennessee}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of Tennesse and the largest along the Mississippi River, famed as the launching pad for many American musicians, such as Music/ElvisPresley, Music/JohnnyCash and Music/JustinTimberlake.

* '''UsefulNotes/NewOrleans, Louisiana, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Louisiana, renowned for its multicultural (primarily French) heritage and easygoing life despite being in a state of continuous recovery following the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

* '''Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Capital and largest city of the same-named state, largest city of the Great Plains region, and home to one of the world's largest livestock markets, as well as a hub for the American petroleum industry.
* '''Omaha, Nebraska, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Nebraska and second-largest city of the Great Plains region. Once a frontier city west of the Missouri River, today it is home to several large companies and conglomerates.

* '''Palo Alto, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Part of the San Francisco Bay Area, mostly famous for Stanford University and the high-tech and venture capital businesses it helped to spawn as part of the Silicon Valley region.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}}, UsefulNotes/{{Pennsylvania}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of Pennsylvania and largest in the Ohio Valley. Once famed for its massive steelworks industry, in the 1980s the city has reinvented itself as a medical, educational, and technological hub.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Portland}}, UsefulNotes/{{Oregon}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Oregon and a pocket of liberal politics in an otherwise conservative state (unlike Austin it's dominant enough to swing statewide elections Democratic), being a center of cultural diversity and a hotspot of outdoor activities.

* '''Richmond, Virginia, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital of Virginia, which played a role in both the American Revolution and the Civil War.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Rochester}}, {{UsefulNotes/New York|State}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Third-largest city of New York and one of the first boomtowns of the USA, as well as the birthplace of several socio-political movements such as those for the abolition of slavery and adovcacy of women's rights.

* '''Tulsa, Oklahoma, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of Oklahoma and a former oil boomtown before diversifying its economy and becoming the cultural center of the state.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Albuquerque}}, New Mexico, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of New Mexico and a major crossroads city as well as a cultural center of the state.

* '''Madison, Wisconsin, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital of Wisconsin; basically a miniature version of Columbus, Ohio in that it's a midwestern state capital that's also home to its state's largest university; the two universities are even members of the same sports conference.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Oakland}}, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Eighth-largest city of California and third-largest in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as a busy industryal city.
* '''UsefulNotes/SantaFe, New Mexico, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and fourth-largest city of New Mexico and one of the world's great art cities with its abundance of art galleries and installations.

* '''UsefulNotes/ToledoOhio, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Fourth-largest city of Ohio and a major trading center of the Midwest.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{London}}, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Largest city in Europe outside Russia and Turkey, and a center of finance, culture and politics, as well as a hotspot of diversity. It is also the most visited city in the world in terms of international arrivals and the first to host the UsefulNotes/OlympicGames thrice (1908, 1948 and 2012).

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Edinburgh}} (Dùn Èideann), UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Capital and second-largest city of Scotland, as well as a noted educational center with a well-preserved city center.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/FootballPopMusicAndFlatCaps Manchester]], England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Second largest city of England and the United Kingdom. The city suddenly grew in prominence during the UsefulNotes/IndustrialRevolution, and even long after the industries have gone, it thrives as a center of culture and business, as well as home to two of England's most successful football teams (historically prominent Manchester United and 2010s powerhouse Manchester City).

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Belfast}}, UsefulNotes/NorthernIreland, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. Once a major shipbuilding city on the island of Ireland, the city saw much violence throughout UsefulNotes/TheTroubles, but has since been seeing rejuvenation.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Glasgow}} (Glesca), UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Largest city of Scotland and once a major seaport and industrial center, as well as a leading shipbuilding city.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bristol}}, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Eighth-largest city of England and the heart of southwestern England. Once an industrial city, Bristol has since reinvented itself as center of technology-based industries, as well as a cultural leader in the region.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/TheWestMidlands Birmingham]], England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Second-largest city of the United Kingdom and an industrial powerhouse, having tried for almost every trade available at the time of the Industrial Revolution, before turning its attention to the services sector during the last quarter of the 20th century.

* '''Aberdeen (Aiberdeen), UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Third-largest city of Scotland, historically renowned for the silver-like glow of its city center thanks to most of its buildings built using local granite, and currently the hub of Europe's oil industry on the North Sea.

* '''Cardiff (Caerdydd), UsefulNotes/{{Wales}}, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Capital of Wales and eleventh-largest city in the United Kingdom, which grew in the early 19th century as a port city connected to Wales's then-burgeoning coal mining industry.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Liverpool}}, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Fifth-largest metropolitan area in the UK and a historically important seaport, having seen off millions of British and Irish emigrants to the United States in the 19th century, as well as a major exporter of British music epitomized by Music/TheBeatles.

* '''Newcastle upon Tyne, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' A university city, most populous in northeastern England, and a major seaport.

* '''Nottingham, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Largest urban area in the East Midlands of England, famed as the center of activity of mythical bandit and folk hero Myth/RobinHood, as well as home to several sports centers in England.

* '''Sheffield, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' The major city of the South Yorkshire region, formerly renowned for its massive steelworks industry and home to the oldest football club in the world (Sheffield F.C.).

* '''Southampton, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Largest city in the Hampshire region and a major port city, having been the departure point of the ill-fated maiden voyage of the ''RMS Titanic'' and among the starting points of D-Day during the closing months of World War II.

* '''Leicester, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Largest city of the East Midlands of England and thirteenth-largest city of the United Kingdom, as well as a major hub for Indian and Pakistani immigrants.

* '''Yangon (Rangoon), Yangon Region, [[UsefulNotes/ThatSouthEastAsianCountry Myanmar]]:''' Largest city of Myanmar (Burma), and former capital until the military government moved inwards in 2006 to purpose-built Naypyidaw. Famous for its well-preserved historical city center and the sprawling Shwedagon Pagoda, the country's most important Buddhist pilgrimage destination.

The major cities of the world and their appearances in fiction. This page is based on the 2018 classifications and rankings of the [[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/ Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC)]] think tank group from Loughborough University in England, the earliest group to attempt such a categorization from way back in 1998. Expect some of these to show up in a WorldTour.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{London}}, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Largest city in Europe outside Russia and Turkey, and a center of finance, culture, politics etc. in the Old World, as well as a hotspot of diversity. It is also the most visited city in the world in terms of international arrivals and the first to host the UsefulNotes/OlympicGames thrice (1908, 1948 and 2012).
* '''UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity, UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' The BigApplesauce itself, the largest city in the United States, London's counterpart in the New World, and arguably the reigning cultural and financial capital of the world, as well as home of the General Assembly of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations. Its position on one of the world's largest natural harbors made an excellent point-of-entry for traders and immigrants alike.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Beijing}}, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Capital of China for 800 years, second-largest city after Shanghai, and center of education, politics and culture. Best-known for its imperial complex, long closed to outsiders until the early 20th century.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Dubai}}, Emirate of Dubai, UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates:''' Largest city of the UAE. Once a dusty little emirate capital, the discovery of oil propelled Dubai into a ''massive'' facelift, one that was briefly interrupted by the financial meltdown of 2008 but has since been making rebounds.
* '''UsefulNotes/HongKong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' The largest economic powerhouse in the Far East. Formerly a part of UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire until 1997, Hong Kong remains an enclave of capitalism in an otherwise communist state (an example followed by Macau two years later), while the British experience bequeathed the island-city with a unique culture and government system.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}, Île-de-France, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Capital and largest city of France, and a global leader in culture and business. Its historical experiences also shaped the modern world through such events as UsefulNotes/TheEnlightenment and UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution. Today it is home to some of the most visited museums and landmarks in the world, as well as the second city to host the Olympics thrice (1900, 1924 and 2024).

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}}:''' The powerhouse of Southeast Asia, the modern island-city-state of Singapore was founded by the British in 1819 as a trading post for the East India Company and later grew as a center of commerce and multiculturalism under a conservative democracy.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Sydney}}, New South Wales, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' The largest city in Oceania and the oldest colonial settlement in Australia, originally founded on a natural harbor as a penal colony before transforming into the premier financial center of the Asia Pacific region.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Arguably the [[TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse center of the universe]], capital and largest city of Japan, and center of the world's most populous metropolitan area (at 37.8 million), as well as a center of business and culture.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bangkok}}, UsefulNotes/{{Thailand}}:''' Capital and largest city of Thailand as well as the most visited city in Southeast Asia, as well as an economic power in the region's mainland half. It is well known for its street life, cultural landmarks, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick its red-light district]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Brussels}}, UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}:''' Capital and largest city of Belgium, directly located in between its two major cultural regions of Flanders and Wallonia, and the seat of many an international political organization, most prominent of which are the UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion and UsefulNotes/{{NATO}}.
* '''UsefulNotes/BuenosAires, UsefulNotes/{{Argentina}}:''' Capital and largest city of Argentina and second-largest in South America. Known as the "Paris of the South", Buenos Aires is also known as a center of commerce and culture.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Guangzhou}}, Guangdong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Guangdong and third-largest city in China. The city grew into one of China's most important trade posts, and during the post-Mao years also became a financial hub.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Istanbul}}, Istanbul Province, UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}}:''' Largest city in Turkey, straddling Asia and Europe, divided by the Bosphorus strait. The city's long history as capital of four empires (Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman) and a major stopover of the Silk Road left a legacy of multiculturalism felt even until the present.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Jakarta}}, Jakarta Province, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Indonesia, founded 1600 years ago as seat of the Sunda Kingdom and expanded its influence under the Dutch. Today it is a bustling metropolis of 9.6 million people, and kind of notorious of being dubbed as the city with the worst traffic jam in the world.

* '''UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city in California and second-largest in the USA and a hotbed of multicultural diversity. The city is both a powerhouse of West Coast finance and as well as arguably the biggest television and film industry in the world, usually named after the neighborhood of Hollywood where some early major motion-picture companies were established, as well as a powerful sporting city, hosting several successful professional sports leagues as well as the third city to host the Olympics thrice (1932, 1984 and 2028).

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Melbourne}}, Victoria, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' State capital of Victoria and second-largest city in Australia, and Sydney's long-time rival, as well as the first capital of Australia immediately upon independence. Melbourne is also Australia's cultural capital, being the birthplace of its local dance and film industries.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Miami}}, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' The most populous metropolis in the southeastern USA and home to the largest concentration of banks in the Union and the second-largest Hispanophone majority (after El Paso, Texas), most of which were descended from Cubans fleeing its communist government.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Milan}}, Lombardy, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Regional capital of Lombardy and second-largest city in Italy, as well as the financial and industrial heart of the north. Milan is also the world's fashion and design capital and is home to two of the world's most successful football clubs (AC Milan and FC Internazionale).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Moscow}}, UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Russia, as well as the northernmost and coldest metropolis in the world. Moscow is, for centuries, both the heart of Russian culture and politics, from the imperial to the communist and into the federal periods.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Mumbai}} (Bombay), Maharashtra, UsefulNotes/{{India}}:''' The "Pearl of the Arabian Sea", the largest city in India and its unofficial second capital. Patched together from seven islands by a British reclamation project, Mumbai grew into the financial heart of Southern Asia, and is also the center of [[UsefulNotes/{{Bollywood}} India's largest entertainment industry]].

* '''{{UsefulNotes/Seoul}}, Seoul National Capital Area, UsefulNotes/SouthKorea:''' The 2,000-year-old heart of the Korean Peninsula and capital and largest city of the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Following the devastation of the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar, Seoul experienced a massive economic boom, culminating in hosting the 1988 Summer Olympics, and is also the birthplace of the [[KoreanPopMusic Korean music craze]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Taipei}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}:''' Capital and largest city of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the beating financial and cultural heart of the island.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Warsaw}}, Masovian Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Capital and largest city of Poland, majority of which was built from scratch after it was near-totally flattened by the Nazis during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Much of the city's income comes from heavy industries, a legacy of Soviet influence.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Zurich}} Zürich]], Canton of Zürich, UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}}:''' Largest city in Switzerland, established by the Romans over what used to be a group of prehistoric settlements. It is also home to many of the world's largest banking institutions.

* '''[[FreestateAmsterdam Amsterdam]], North Holland, UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands:''' Capital and largest city of the Netherlands, as well as its commercial and cultural hub, famous for its canal-lined city center and a very liberal atmosphere.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Barcelona}}, Catalonia, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' State capital of Catalonia and second-largest city in Spain, famous for its avant-garde architecture and hosting the memorable 1992 Summer Olympics.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Bogota}} Bogotá]], Distrito Capital, UsefulNotes/{{Colombia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Colombia, known as the "Athens of South America" for its abundance of universities.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Budapest}}, UsefulNotes/{{Hungary}}:''' Capital and largest city of Hungary, being a regional capital since Roman times. It is also one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, with its dramatic setting on the Danube River, as well as host to several hot springs.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Dublin}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}}:''' Capital of the Republic of Ireland and largest city in the entire island, as well as a center of education, arts, commerce and industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Houston}}, [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city in Texas, largely fueled by its several railroad and ship connections, further bolstered by the discovery of oil. It is also home to NASA's control center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Johannesburg}}, Gauteng, UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica:''' Largest city in South Africa and the economic powerhouse of Sub-Saharan Africa, built near some of the largest gold and diamond mines in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lisbon}}, Lisbon District, UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}}:''' Capital and largest city of Portugal, situated on the northern side of the mouth of the Tagus River, as well as the oldest capital city in Western Europe.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Manila}}, UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}:''' Capital and largest city of the Philippines, located at the crossroads of several Pacific trade routes. It is actually composed of sixteen cities and one municipality, all centered around the eponymous Spanish-era city, said to be the most densely-populated in the world.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Munich}}, Bavaria, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' State capital of Bavaria and third-largest city in Germany. Famous for its architecture, a highly-successful football team (Bayern Munich FC) and the original (and largest) Oktoberfest.
* '''UsefulNotes/NewDelhi, National Capital Territory, UsefulNotes/{{India}}''' Capital of India and its largest metropolitan region, built near the historic capital of several Indian empires.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Prague}}, UsefulNotes/CzechRepublic:''' Capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. The city waxed and waned together with the Holy Roman Empire, and the city center largely escaped the ravages of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, which makes for good sightseeing. [[HeyItsThatPlace And filming]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Riyadh}}, Riyadh Region, UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia:''' Capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia and second-largest in the Arab World. Despite its location in the middle of the desert, Riyadh evolved from a trade post by way of being the ancestral home of the kingdom's ruling family.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Rome}}, Lazio, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' The "Eternal City", capital and largest city of Italy. For centuries it served as the beating heart of the Roman Empire, and is currently the seat of both the Italian government and the Roman Catholic Church, within the enclave of UsefulNotes/VaticanCity, a remnant of UsefulNotes/ThePapalStates that once controlled central Italy.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Shenzhen}}, Guangdong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Second-largest city of Guangzhou, established as China's first Special Economic Zone during TheSeventies (and directly to the north of the then-British territory of Hong Kong) in its efforts to open up to the world during the Deng Xiaoping years.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Vienna}}, UsefulNotes/{{Austria}}:''' Capital and largest city of Austria, home to a fifth of the country's population, and second-largest Germanophone city in the world after Berlin. The city, also one of Austria's nine states, is best-known for its palaces and centuries of musical heritage.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC Washington, District of Columbia]], [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Capital of the United States, established in 1791 on the banks of the Potomac River. Besides serving as home to the USA's three branches of government, Washington also plays host to several other international organizations, and boasts a wide array of landmarks, many of which are located on the National Mall, an axis of greenery from the eastern banks of the Potomac to Capitol Hill.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Athens}}, Attica, UsefulNotes/{{Greece}}:''' Capital and largest city of Greece, as well as the birthplace of democracy and classical culture, as well as host to the largest passenger port in Europe in nearby Piraeus. It is also a historic city, with such landmarks as the Parthenon (temple to Athena, the city's namesake patron goddess), and hosted both the inaugural Olympic Games in 1896 and its homecoming in 2004.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, UsefulNotes/{{Georgia|USA}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Georgia, as well as the unofficial capital of the "New South", being a center of racial diversity (as well as a hotspot of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement, being the hometown of UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, who also served as a local Baptist pastor for the last years of his life), a liberal hotspot in the otherwise conservative region, and an economic boomtown, spurred on by hosting the centenary Olympic Games in 1996. Home to the world's busiest airport.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Auckland}}, Auckland Region, UsefulNotes/NewZealand:''' Largest city of New Zealand as well as the largest Polynesian city, as well as a favorite destination for East Asian migrants.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bangalore}} (Bengaluru), Karnataka, India:''' State capital of Karnataka, dubbed the "Silicon Valley of India" for its leading role in India's IT industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Boston}}, Massachusetts, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital of Massachusetts and largest city in the New England region. Boston is also one of the oldest colonial-era settlements in America, played a prominent role in the UsefulNotes/AmericanRevolution, and is also home to several prestigious educational institutions, including Harvard University, the oldest institute of higher learning in America.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bucharest}}, UsefulNotes/{{Romania}}:''' The "Little Paris" of Eastern Europe, capital and largest city of Romania. The city is notable for its eclectic mix of classical, socialist and modern architectural styles at the city center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cairo}}, Cairo Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Egypt}}:''' Capital of Egypt and largest city in Northern Africa and the Arab World. Cairo is a center of Islamic learning and worship, and is also the oldest entertainment exporter in the Arab world, as well as home to the Pyramids and Sphinx of the Giza Plateau to the southwest, among the oldest manmade structures in the world.
* '''Chengdu, Sichuan, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Sichuan and largest city in western China, as well as the region's historic, economic and cultural center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Copenhagen}}, Hovedstaden, UsefulNotes/{{Denmark}}:''' Capital and largest city of Denmark, as well as the second largest city in Nordic Europe and the cultural, political and economic center of the country.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/DFWMetroplex Dallas]], [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Third-largest city in Texas, having grown on the back of its cotton and oil industries. Together with the slightly smaller city of Fort Worth and a few other cities and towns, Dallas forms the largest urban area in the South, and one of the few major conservative-leaning urban areas.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Doha}}, UsefulNotes/{{Qatar}}:''' Capital and largest city of Qatar. Besides being a center of government, Doha is also a bustling economic and educational giant in the Persian Gulf.

* '''Hangzhou, Zhejiang, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Zhejiang and a historically important center, being the easternmost end of the Grand Canal which once served as the major maritime route to Beijing and is still the longest artificial waterway in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Hanoi}}, Vietnam:''' Capital and second-largest city of Vietnam, as well as the political heart of the region for a thousand years, and features a mix of ancient and modern lifestyles.
* '''UsefulNotes/HoChiMinhCity, UsefulNotes/{{Vietnam}}:''' Largest city of Vietnam, known as Saigon until after UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar. The city thrives both as a Khmer and French port city, which continues even after the emergence of Hanoi to the north.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Perth}}, Western Australia, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' State capital and largest city, as well as reputedly one of the most isolated cities in the world. Despite its location, the city thrives largely on the state's mining industry.

* '''UsefulNotes/AbuDhabi, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates:''' Capital and second-largest city of the UAE. Once a small fishing village, the discovery of oil propelled Abu Dhabi to unprecedented riches, but nevertheless has a more laid-back atmosphere than Dubai to the east.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Beirut}}, Beirut Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Lebanon}}:''' Capital and largest city of Lebanon. Built on the Mediterranean shore, Beirut once thrived as a major seaport until it was devastated during the UsefulNotes/LebaneseCivilWar, but has since rebounded and regained its prosperity.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}}, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Capital and largest city of Germany, and like Hamburg a city-state in its own right. Long the seat of several empires, the city fell into ruin at the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and later literally divided by a concrete wall throughout the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, but after the fall of the wall in 1989 and reunification a year later, rebounded as a center of culture, politics, media and science.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Brisbane}}, Queensland, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' State capital and largest city of northeastern Australia, as well as the third-largest nationwide. Besides playing a role as an Allied Forces HQ during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, Brisbane is otherwise a pretty peaceful metropolis.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Calgary}}, Alberta, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' Largest city of Alberta and a business giant in central Canada, as well as home to the Calgary Stampede, one of the world's largest rodeo festivals and the self-proclaimed "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth".
* '''UsefulNotes/CapeTown, Western Cape, South Africa:''' Second-largest city in South Africa and the legislative capital. Situated at the Cape Bay, the city was the very first European settlement in Southern Africa, and later grew into a multicultural haven.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Caracas}}, Venezuelan Capital District, UsefulNotes/{{Venezuela}}:''' Capital and largest city of Venezuela, thriving largely on the country's oil industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Casablanca}}, Grand Casablanca, UsefulNotes/{{Morocco}}:''' Largest city of Morocco and the nation's economic and cultural heart, as well as the home to the largest port in northern Africa and the setting of [[Film/{{Casablanca}} an unforgettable 1940s romance film]].

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Karachi}}, Sindh, UsefulNotes/{{Pakistan}}:''' State capital of Sindh and largest city of Pakistan, as well as its economic center and erstwhile national capital. Despite the government's move inland, Karachi remains one of South Asia's largest economies, and is one of the most diverse places in Pakistan.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Kiev}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}:''' Capital and largest city of Ukraine, as well as the heartland of Ukrainian culture since Russian times. The city is also the most pro-European part of the deeply politically-divided country.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Kuwait}} City, Al Asima Governorate, Kuwait:''' Capital and largest city of Kuwait. Long a prosperous trading post between the Middle East and southern Asia, Kuwait City experienced a massive surge of relevance after the discovery of oil, and continues to thrive even after suffering the brunt of the UsefulNotes/GulfWar.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lagos}}, Lagos State, UsefulNotes/{{Nigeria}}:''' Largest city of Nigeria and all of Africa, as well as a thriving business hub, having largely prospered on the back of the country's oil industry, and a center of the arts.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Manama}}, Capital Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Bahrain}}:''' Capital and largest city of the island-state of Bahrain, as well as a strategic financial center, being located at the middle of the Persian Gulf.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/TwinCities Minneapolis]], Minnesota, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Minnesota and, together with the smaller state capital Saint Paul, the fourteenth-largest metropolis in America and largest on the Midwestern prairie. Once the world's largest flour manufacturer, the Twin Cities continues to thrive as a lumber center and a trade post between Seattle and Chicago.

* '''Nanjing, Jiangsu, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Jiangsu. Seated on the banks of the mighty Yangtze River, Nanjing has, as late as 1949, served as imperial and republican capital for several centuries, and is a major educational center in modern China.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Sofia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Bulgaria}}:''' Capital and largest city of Bulgaria. Founded by Thracians some 3,000 years ago, the city thrived under the Romans as regional center, and has since slipped into quietude until it was reestablished as national capital in 1879.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tianjin}}, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Fourth-largest city in China and the chief port of entry for maritime trade going into Beijing.
* '''Wuhan, Hubei, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Hubei and largest city in central China. Gained international notoriety in the early 2020s as the city where [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic a deadly, fast-spreading strain of the coronavirus was first identified, and which has since become a global pandemic]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Zagreb}}, UsefulNotes/{{Croatia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Croatia. Founded in the Roman era, the city flourished throughout the medieval period, and bloomed into a powerful city in the 19th century.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Almaty}}, UsefulNotes/{{Kazakhstan}}:''' Largest city of Kazakhstan and former capital until the government moved inward to more geographically-centralized Astana (later renamed Nur-Sultan). Despite this, Almaty remained the country's leading economic and cultural hub.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Antwerp}}, Flanders, UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}:''' Second-largest city of Belgium and de facto capital of the Dutch-speaking Flanders region, as well as home to the country's largest port.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Belgrade}}, UsefulNotes/{{Serbia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Serbia. Strategically located between the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula, and sitting on the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers, it features a unique combination of Slavic, Ottoman, socialist and modern sensibilities.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/TheWestMidlands Birmingham]], England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Second-largest city of the United Kingdom and an industrial powerhouse, having tried for almost every trade available at the time of the Industrial Revolution, before turning its attention to the services sector during the last quarter of the 20th century.

* '''Chongqing, China:''' One of China's four directly-administered municipalities (the others being Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin) and a historic center of economy in southwest China as well as the upstream region of the Yangtze River.

* '''Dhaka, Dhaka Division, UsefulNotes/{{Bangladesh}}:''' Capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the fourth most densely-populated city in the world and a microcosm of the diversity of the entire nation.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Edinburgh}}, UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Capital and second-largest city of Scotland, as well as a noted educational center with a well-preserved city center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Geneva}}, Canton of Geneva, UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}}:''' Second-largest city of Switzerland, situated on the shores of the same-named lake, known for its thriving businesses and being the home of several branches of the United Nations and UsefulNotes/TheRedCross.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Helsinki}}, Uusimaa, UsefulNotes/{{Finland}}:''' Capital and largest city of Finland, as well as the country's center of government, culture and finance.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Jeddah}}, Makkah Region, UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia:''' Second-largest city of Saudi Arabia, as well as the largest port in the Red Sea and the principal gateway to Mecca (Makkah), the HolyCity of Islam 70 kilometers (43 miles) to the east, as well as Medina, the second-holiest city.
* '''Jinan, Shandong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Shandong and one of the oldest cities in China, famed for its dozens of artesian springs.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Nicosia}} (Lefkosia), UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}}:''' Capital and largest city of Cyprus, bordered by a series of walls that exist to this day and still divided into Greek and Turkish sectors, a legacy of the two countries' feud.
* '''UsefulNotes/PanamaCity, Panamá District, UsefulNotes/{{Panama}}:''' Capital and largest city of Panama as well as the most cosmopolitan in Central America. Founded by the Spanish as the Pacific end of an inland trade route, the city prospered even further with the construction of the Panama Canal.
* '''UsefulNotes/PortLouis, Port Louis District, UsefulNotes/{{Mauritius}}:''' Capital and largest city of Mauritius, as well as a mercantile center and the financial heart of southeastern Africa.
* '''Qingdao, Shandong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Largest city of Shandong and a major seaport, as well as home to the revered Tsingtao beer created by German immigrants in the early 20th century.

* '''UsefulNotes/SanJuan, UsefulNotes/PuertoRico:''' Capital and largest city of Puerto Rico and the second-oldest colonial settlement in the New World (after Santo Domingo), and home to half of the island's population.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}}, Washington, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Washington state. Founded in the 1850s, Seattle made brief trysts with fame as the main stop for the gold rush of the 1890s and host of the 1962 World's Fair, before making a full bloom as home of grunge rock and such global corporate icons as Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks and Amazon.
* '''Shenyang, Liaoning, China:''' Provincial capital of Liaoning and largest city in northeastern China, as well as a historic seat of the Manchu-dominated Qin dynasty.

* '''Suzhou, Jiangsu, China:''' Second-largest city of Jiangsu, lying directly between Nanjing and Shanghai on the southern banks of the Yangtze River, and a historic and economic powerhouse.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Valencia}}, Valencian Community, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' Regional capital of the Valencian Community and third-largest city of Spain and one of the oldest, founded by the Romans in 138 BCE.
* '''Xiamen, Fujian, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' A historically important seaport in southeast China, as well as the point of departure of millions of Chinese immigrants now established all over Southeast Asia.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Accra}}, Greater Accra Region, UsefulNotes/{{Ghana}}:''' Capital and largest city of Ghana, having grown from a suburb of the colonial city of Victoriaborg into the heart of the eleventh-largest metropolitan area in Africa.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cleveland}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of Ohio. Once a mighty industrial port city by the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland fell into disrepute for its financial woes and a river once so polluted it even caught fire (''thirteen times'' between 1868 and 1969), but has since made great rebounds, among which is housing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Colombo}}, Western Province, UsefulNotes/SriLanka:''' De facto capital and largest city of Sri Lanka, established as early as 2,000 years ago as a major crossroads of the Indian Ocean maritime routes and later established as capital of the island by the British.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}}, UsefulNotes/{{Michigan}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Michigan. Once a thriving industrial center, the city fell into a long economic decline despite remaining the automotive capital of America, a void now being slowly filled with the entertainment business.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Glasgow}}, UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Largest city of Scotland and once a major seaport and industrial center, as well as a leading shipbuilding city.
* '''UsefulNotes/GuatemalaCity, Guatemala Department, UsefulNotes/{{Guatemala}}:''' Capital and largest city of Guatemala and the most populous in Central America.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Guayaquil}}, Guayas, UsefulNotes/{{Ecuador}}:''' Largest city of Ecuador and its commercial hub, fueled by the country's largest port.
* '''Harare, Harare Province, UsefulNotes/{{Zimbabwe}}:''' Capital and largest city of Zimbabwe, founded by British settlers near one of the oldest gold mines in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Hyderabad}}, Telangana, India:''' State capital of Telangana and fourth-largest city in India, known for its melding of Muslim and Hindu cultures, as well as a historic pearl trade and an IT industry on the upsurge.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lahore}}, Punjab, UsefulNotes/{{Pakistan}}:''' Provincial capital of Punjab and second-largest city in Pakistan, as well as a center of culture in the nation, having been a crossroads of various kingdoms throughout the centuries.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Muscat}}, Muscat Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Oman}}:''' Capital and largest city of Oman, famous for its cityscape which strives to preserve its traditional look.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Osaka}}, Osaka Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Third-largest city of Japan (after Tokyo and its twin port city of Yokohama) and second-largest urban center, as well as the heart of the Kansai region, famous for being a center of Japanese gastronomy.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Pune}}, Maharashtra, UsefulNotes/{{India}}:''' Second-largest city in Maharashtra and eight-largest urban area in India, and former seat of the Maratha Empire.

* '''Xi'an, Shaanxi, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Shaanxi and a major center for scientific research. Also historically famous as the eastern terminus of the fabled Silk Road and home to an army of terracotta soldiers guarding the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China.
* '''Zhengzhou, Henan, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Henan, famed as the birthplace of the Yellow Emperor, a semi-mythical culture-bringer, and currently home to several railway lines to Europe.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Ahmedabad}}, Gujarat, UsefulNotes/{{India}}:''' Largest city of Gujarat and home to the second-largest cotton industry and second-oldest stock market in India, as well as a center of UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi's peaceful resistance movement.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Algiers}}, Algiers Province, UsefulNotes/{{Algeria}}:''' Capital and largest city of Algeria, known for its glimmering seaside vista capped by an imposing ''kasbah'' (Islamic citadel).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Amman}}, Capital Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Jordan}}:''' Capital and largest city of Jordan, as well as one of the world's oldest continually-populated cities. In contrast to most major Middle Eastern cities, Amman is a pocket of modernity (having been made capital as late as the early 20th century) and one of the fastest-growing economies in the Arab world.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Asuncion}} Asunción]], UsefulNotes/{{Paraguay}}:''' Capital and largest city of Paraguay, as well as the country's center of commerce and industry.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/OtherCitiesInTexas Austin]], [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and fourth-largest city of Texas, as well as a hotbed of liberal politics (centered around a major university) in an otherwise conservative state.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Baku}}, UsefulNotes/{{Azerbaijan}}:''' Capital of Azerbaijan and largest city among the states of the southern Caucasus and a growing economic and cultural center, also known for its harsh winter winds. Its location on the shore of the Caspian Sea also makes it the world's largest city that stands below sea level.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Baltimore}}, Maryland, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Maryland, famous as the birthplace of the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Belfast}}, UsefulNotes/NorthernIreland, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. Once a major shipbuilding city on the island of Ireland, the city saw much violence throughout UsefulNotes/TheTroubles, but has since been seeing rejuvenation.
* '''Bilbao, Basque Country, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' Largest city of the Basque Country and tenth-largest in Spain, as well as a hotbed of the Basque culture very unique amongst its Romance neighbours.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Charlotte}}, UsefulNotes/NorthCarolina, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of North Carolina, second-largest in the southeastern USA, and sixteenth-largest overall, as well as the second-largest banking city after New York City.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Guadalajara}}, Jalisco, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' State capital of Jalisco and second-largest city in Mexico, an industrial center, and home to mariachi music.
* '''Hefei, Anhui, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Anhui. Historically a trading center for the southern part of the Yangtze Plain, currently it hosts an experimental magnetic energy reactor.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Islamabad}}, Islamabad Capital Territory, UsefulNotes/{{Pakistan}}:''' Capital of Pakistan and, together with nearby Rawalpindi, the third-largest urban area in the country. Having been built up from scratch during TheSixties as a more centralized, more protected alternative to coastal Karachi, the city also grew into the national center of education.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Kolkata}} (Calcutta), West Bengal, UsefulNotes/{{India}}:''' State capital of West Bengal, third-largest city of India and the last capital of the British Raj, as well as host to the largest port in India. Once the economic, cultural, scientific and political jewel of India, Kolkata fell into decay (one lampshaded through the charity work of Albanian-born nun Mother Teresa) before making a comeback in the 2000s.
* '''Kunming, Yunnan, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Yunnan, as well as a strategic city in southern China, serving as a major transport hub to nearby Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
* '''UsefulNotes/LaPaz, La Paz Department, UsefulNotes/{{Bolivia}}:''' Third-largest city and de facto capital of Bolivia, as well as the highest national capital in the world at around 3,650 meters (11,975 feet) above sea level.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Ljubljana}}, City Municipality of Ljubljana, UsefulNotes/{{Slovenia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Slovenia, located at the center of the country, known for its environmentally-minded policies.
* '''Luanda, Luanda Province, UsefulNotes/{{Angola}}:''' Capital and largest city of Angola as well as the third-largest Lusophone city in the world after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
* '''Lusaka, Lusaka Province, UsefulNotes/{{Zambia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Zambia and one of the fastest developing cities in southern Africa.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Phoenix}}, UsefulNotes/{{Arizona}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Arizona, as well as the most populous state capital in the USA. Founded between two rivers in the middle of the desert, Phoenix thrived as a farming community, then an industrial hub after World War II.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Porto}}, Portugal:''' Second-largest city of Portugal and one of its oldest cities, whose city center is a well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/TheCityFormerlyKnownAs Saint Petersburg]], UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}:''' Second-largest city of Russia and northernmost city with over 1 million people, founded in 1703 as seaside imperial capital, thus accounting for its more European atmosphere compared to the rest of Russia.
* '''UsefulNotes/SanDiego, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of California, sitting near the Mexican border. Built as the first Catholic mission in California, San Diego once thrived as the command center for the Pacific fleet during World War II, and it still serves that purpose to the present day. However, it has since diversified in various ways, including a center of biotechnology, a craft beer hub, and a beach paradise. The city is known for having one of the most desirable climates in the world.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/SanJoseCalifornia San Jose]], UsefulNotes/{{California}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Third-largest city of California and the oldest civilian Spanish town of the state, and unofficial capital of Silicon Valley, home to many of the world's largest technology companies.

* '''UsefulNotes/StLouis, Missouri, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city in Missouri and once a major port town on the banks of the Mississippi River. Best known as the cradle of jazz and blues, as well as the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which opened up the West to the USA (commemorated with an iconic steel arch).
* '''Taiyuan, Shanxi, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Shanxi as well as a historical capital for several imperial dynasties, and currently a bustling economic center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tallinn}}, Harju County, UsefulNotes/{{Estonia}}:''' Capital of Estonia and a center of culture in the Baltic States.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tampa}}, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Third-largest city of Florida and a major financial center at the west coast of the peninsula-state.
* '''Tbilisi, UsefulNotes/{{Georgia|Europe}}:''' Capital and largest city of Georgia, as well as a former political powerhouse on the Caucasus region since the 5th century, as well as a hotspot of diversity in the region.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Turin}}, Piedmont, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Regional capital of Piedmont and fourth-largest city in Italy, an Alpine city best-known as the birthplace and first capital of a united Italy, as well as home to some of Italy's automotive giants, highly-successful football teams such as Juventus and Torino FC, the reputed burial shroud of Jesus used after his crucifixion, and centerpiece of the 2006 Winter Olympics.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Wellington}}, Wellington Region, UsefulNotes/NewZealand:''' Capital and second-largest city of New Zealand, as well as the nation's major cultural center.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cologne}}, North Rhine-Westphalia, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia and fourth-largest in Germany, as well as a major cultural center of the Rhineland and a historic trade crossroads.
* '''Curitiba, Paraná, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' State capital and largest city of Paraná, renowned as one of the safest cities in Brazil and point of arrival for millions of European immigrants in the 1850s.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Durban}}, [=KwaZulu=]-Natal, UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica:''' Largest city of [=KwaZulu-Natal=] and third-largest city in South Africa, as well as the country's second-largest manufacturing hub after Johannesburg, as well as home to the largest Indian population outside India.
* '''Fuzhou, Fujian, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Fujian and home to the Min ethnic minority group.

* '''Johor Bahru, Johor, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}:''' State capital of Johor and third-largest city in Malaysia, as well as the southernmost in the peninsular half and a major crossing point to Singapore.
* '''Maputo, UsefulNotes/{{Mozambique}}:''' Capital and largest city of Mozambique, notable for its vibrant culture and eclectic architecture.
* '''Medellín, Antioquia Department, UsefulNotes/{{Colombia}}:''' Second-largest city of Colombia and departmental capital of Antioquia, as well as a former gold exporting center before turning to the coffee industry.

* '''Minsk, Minsk Region, UsefulNotes/{{Belarus}}:''' Capital and largest city of Belarus, as well as home of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a coalition of the fifteen former components of the Soviet Union.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Nantes}}, Pays de la Loire, France:''' Sixth-largest city of France, and the de facto capital of the historic Brittany region. Once a shipbuilding center, Nantes is also the home of the first bus transit.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Nashville}}, Tennessee, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and main cultural center of Tennessee. Most notable as the epicenter of the [[CountryMusic country music]] industry, and also a major center for religious publishing, though in recent decades it's developed a much more diversified economy.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Orlando}}, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Fifth-largest city of Florida and the largest completely inland, thriving largely on tourism generated by some of the best-known theme parks in the world.
* '''Ottawa, Ontario, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' Capital and fourth-largest city of Canada, strategically located between Anglophone Toronto and Francophone Montreal, and a major center of education.
* '''Phnom Penh, UsefulNotes/{{Cambodia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Cambodia, and one of the most beautiful French-built cities in Indochina.
* '''Poznań, Central Poland Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Fourth-largest metropolitan area in Poland and one of its oldest.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/OtherCitiesInTexas San Antonio]], [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of Texas (and the South) and seventh-largest in the USA, and a famous center of tourism.
* '''Tirana, Tirana County, UsefulNotes/{{Albania}}:''' Capital and largest city of Albania, albeit a 17th-century creation amidst the historically populated region of Illyria.
* '''Wrocław, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and largest city in western Poland and a multicultural centre as historic capital of the Silesia region.
* '''Yangon, Yangon Region, [[UsefulNotes/ThatSouthEastAsianCountry Myanmar]]:''' Largest city of Myanmar, and former capital until the military government moved inwards in 2006 to purpose-built Naypyidaw. Famous for its well-preserved historical city center and the sprawling Shwedagon Pagoda, the country's most important Buddhist pilgrimage destination.

* '''Abidjan, UsefulNotes/CoteDIvoire:''' Largest city of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and one of the largest Francophone cities in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as an important seaport and still home to most diplomatic missions to the country long after the capital was moved inland to Yamoussoukro in 1983 (if only because it is the hometown of long-serving president Félix Houphouët-Boigny).

* '''Dakar, Dakar Region, UsefulNotes/{{Senegal}}:''' Capital and largest city of Senegal, as well as the westernmost city in Africa and the Old World.
* '''Douala, Littoral Region, UsefulNotes/{{Cameroon}}:''' Largest city and economic capital of Cameroon and the busiest transport hub in Central Africa, as well as the first city in the region with a piped natural gas supply.
* '''Edmonton, Alberta, Canada:''' Provincial capital of Alberta and northernmost city in North America with a population of over 1 million, famous for its many festivals and the largest shopping mall in North America.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Florence}}, Tuscany, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' State capital of Tuscany and eighth-largest city in Italy. It used to be one of Europe's richest cities in the Middle Ages under the watch of the Medici family, it remains a cultural and fashion heavyweight throughout the country.
* '''Gaborone, UsefulNotes/{{Botswana}}:''' Capital and largest city of Botswana, famous for being located near several major wildlife reserves.

* '''İzmir, İzmir Province, UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}}:''' Third-largest city of Turkey and second-largest urban area on the Aegean Sea after Athens, as well as one of the oldest continually-inhabited cities in the world, with a history dating back 3,000 years.
* '''UsefulNotes/KansasCity, Missouri, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Missouri, sitting across the Missouri River next to the ''state'' of Kansas and ''another'' Kansas City within its borders. The city is known for its brand of jazz, blues and barbecue, and was also the city where Creator/WaltDisney got his start.
* '''Kaohsiung, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}:''' Third-largest city of Taiwan and a major center in the southern part of the island-state.
* '''UsefulNotes/LasVegas, Nevada, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Largest city of Nevada and 28th-largest in the USA. Historically a resort town, now one of the major metropolises of the desert southwest. Most famous as the main gambling mecca of the USA, as well as a major center for live entertainment (much of it linked to the casinos). Has grown explosively in the last few decades--at the turn of the 21st century, it was the nation's largest city that had been founded in the 20th (1905 to be exact).
* '''Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}}:''' Fourth-largest city of Switzerland and headquarters to several international sport governing bodies, most prominently the International Olympic Committee, which governs the UsefulNotes/OlympicGames.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Managua}}, Managua Department, UsefulNotes/{{Nicaragua}}:''' Capital and largest city of Nicaragua, as well as the second most-populous city in Central America after Guatemala City.
* '''Nassau, [[UsefulNotes/TheBahamas Bahamas]]:''' Capital of the archipelago-nation of the Bahamas and a major financial hub in the Caribbean islands.
* '''Ningbo, Zhejiang, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Third-largest city of Zhejiang and one of the busiest port cities in China, with a history stretching back thousands of years.

* '''Querétaro City, Querétaro, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' State capital and largest city of Querétaro and a business powerhouse, as well as one of the most pleasant places to live in Mexico.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Raleigh}}, North Carolina, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital of North Carolina and an early example of American urban planning, as well as part of a "triangle" of educational institutions with the nearby cities of Durham and Chapel Hill. Like Austin, it's very liberal for a conservative state (although less so than Durham and Chapel Hill).
* '''Skopje, Greater Skopje, UsefulNotes/NorthMacedonia:''' Capital and largest city of the newly renamed North Macedonia, inhabited since at least 4000 BC but not defined as a city until Roman times as "Scupi".
* '''Southampton, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Largest city in the Hampshire region and a major port city, having been the departure point of the ill-fated maiden voyage of the ''RMS Titanic'' and among the starting points of D-Day during the closing months of World War II.
* '''Surabaya, East Java, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}:''' Provincial capital of East Java and second-largest city in Indonesia and a historic trading center, as well as one of the birthplaces of the modern state of Indonesia.
* '''Victoria, Labuan, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}:''' Capital of the small island-state of Labuan, a major offshore financial center and support center for the oil industries of the nearby state of Sabah on Borneo Island (shared with Indonesia and Brunei).

* '''Aarhus, Central Jutland, UsefulNotes/{{Denmark}}:''' Second-largest city of Denmark and largest in the Jutland Peninsula, as well as a major center of business and education in the region.
* '''Aberdeen, UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Third-largest city of Scotland, historically renowned for the silver-like glow of its city center thanks to most of its buildings built using local granite, and currently the hub of Europe's oil industry on the North Sea.

* '''Alexandria, Alexandria Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Egypt}}:''' Second-largest city of Egypt and largest of all the coastal cities of the Mediterranean Sea. Founded by and named after UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat, the city was the capital of Egypt during the Greek and Roman periods and rapidly became a center of learning, epitomized by its library said to have, at one point, the largest collection of books in the ancient world, as well as one of the earliest centers of Christianity, being the seat of the Coptic Church.
* '''Antananarivo, Analamanga, UsefulNotes/{{Madagascar}}:''' Capital and largest city of the ecologically diverse island-nation of Madagascar and seat of the Merina Kingdom, the last dominant power of the island before its colonization by France.

* '''Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei-Muara District, UsefulNotes/{{Brunei}}:''' Capital and largest city of the tiny, oil-rich Sultanate of Brunei.

* '''Brasília, Federal District, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' Capital and third-largest city of Brazil; built from the ground up in the late 1950s to serve as the country's capital, much like Washington and Canberra before it and Abuja after it. Known for its modern architecture. Although not officially founded until 1960, by 2000 the metro area had close to 3 million people, making it the world's largest city that did not exist in 1900 (an honor claimed by Abuja just a few years later).

* '''Cardiff, UsefulNotes/{{Wales}}, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Capital of Wales and eleventh-largest city in the United Kingdom, which grew in the early 19th century as a port city connected to Wales's then-burgeoning coal mining industry.

* '''Chisinau, UsefulNotes/{{Moldova}}:''' Capital and largest city of the former Soviet republic of Moldova, and home to 25% of the nation's population.
* '''Christchurch, Canterbury Region, UsefulNotes/NewZealand:''' Third-largest city of New Zealand and largest on the South Island, as well as an agricultural and economic center, and one of the main departure points for Antarctica, currently in a process of rebuilding following a series of devastating earthquakes in the early 2010s.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cincinnati}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Third-largest city of Ohio, former boomtown, and the first major US city founded after the American Revolution. Generally conservative-leaning in the suburbs.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Columbus|Ohio}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Ohio, a major economic and cultural force in the state, and home to one of the largest college student bodies in the United States.

* '''Dammam, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia:''' Largest city of Saudi Arabia's Persian Gulf coast and a center of its oil industry.

* '''Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Third-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia, eighth-largest in Germany, and largest in the Ruhr Valley, a historical trading route and industrial region.
* '''Dresden, Saxony, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Second-largest city of Saxony and a political and cultural center of the country, famous for its medieval architecture, many of which had to be reconstructed following an infamous Allied bombing campaign during the closing days of World War II.

* '''Genoa, Liguria, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Sixth-largest city in Italy, the country's main harbor town and birthplace of UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Gothenburg}}, Västergötland/Bohuslän, Sweden:''' Provincial capital of Västergötland and second-largest city of Sweden, as well as home to both the largest port in the Nordic countries and some of Sweden's most important festivals.

* '''Grenoble, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Second-largest city of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and self-proclaimed "Capital of the Alps" for its economic growth in the last three centuries.

* '''The Hague, South Holland, UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands:''' Provincial capital of South Holland, seat of government and third-largest city of the Netherlands. Home to most of the country's foreign embassies and about 150 international organizations, most notably the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court.
* '''Haikou, Hainan, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Capital and largest city of the island-province of Hainan, the southernmost province of China and a major trading port city.

* '''Hanover, Lower Saxony, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' State capital and largest city of Lower Saxony and thirteenth-largest in Germany. Historically the capital of small kingdoms named after itself, the city is now a major transportation crossroads.
* '''Harbin, Heilongjiang, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Heilongjiang, known for its immigrant population from the old Russian Empire and its famous festival of ice sculptures.
* '''Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region with a Mongol minority population even bigger than that of the independent UsefulNotes/{{Mongolia}} to the north.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Indianapolis}}, Indiana, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Indiana and second-largest of the American Midwest (after Chicago), and a major transport hub, servicing 70% of the national population, as well as home to a famous motor speedway.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Jerusalem}}, Jerusalem District, UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} / Jerusalem Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Palestine}}:''' ''The'' HolyCity of Judaism, Christianity (alongside Rome, at least for Roman Catholics) and Islam (albeit third in importance behind Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia), with a history stretching back 3,000 years, and hotly-contested ''de jure'' capital of both Israel and Palestine.

* '''Kathmandu, Bagmati Pradesh, UsefulNotes/{{Nepal}}:''' Capital and largest city of the Himalayan nation of Nepal and principal gateway for tourists to the Himalayas.
* '''Katowice, Silesian Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Regional capital of Silesia and eleventh-largest city in Poland. Having grown on the back of mining and steelworks industries in the eighteenth century, the city now establishes itself as a music capital of Poland.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Cracow}} Kraków]], Lesser Poland Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Regional capital of Lesser Poland, second-largest city of Poland and one of its oldest as well as its former capital, originating as a hilltop hamlet and best known for its historic city center and the center of ministry of a certain Archbishop Karol Cardinal Wojtyła before he became Pope (now Saint) John Paul II.

* '''Leicester, England, [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]:''' Largest city of the East Midlands of England and thirteenth-largest city of the United Kingdom, as well as a major hub for Indian and Pakistani immigrants,

* '''Limassol, Limassol District, UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}}:''' Second-largest city of Cyprus and a major tourist destination.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Macau}}, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' A former Portuguese colony handed over to China in 1999, it's now a major resort area, as well as the world's leading gambling center, supplanting Las Vegas in that role. Notably the only location in China where casino gambling is legal.
* '''Madison, Wisconsin, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital of Wisconsin; basically a miniature version of Columbus, Ohio in that it's a midwestern state capital that's also home to its state's largest university; the two universities are even members of the same sports conference.
* '''Málaga, Andalusia, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' Second-largest city of Andalusia and a hub of the Costa del Sol, a coastal tourist destination, and birthplace of Creator/PabloPicasso.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Malmo}} Malmö]], Scania, UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}}:''' Regional capital and largest city of Scania and third-largest in Sweden, as well as a and a hotspot of diversity, symbolized by a bridge connecting Sweden and Denmark. It is also home to the tallest skyscraper in the Nordic countries.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Marseille}}, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Regional capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, second-largest city in France and third-largest urban area (after Paris and Lyon). Marseille once thrived as the main trade post of France, and was also the birthplace of the French National Anthem, named in its honor.

* '''Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}:''' Prefectural capital of Aichi, fourth-largest city of Japan and largest of the Chūbu region and a major manufacturing city, among whose most famous products are the Toyota automobiles.

* '''Nantong, Jiangsu, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Sixth-largest city of Jiangsu and a historic port city on the northern banks of the Yangtze River.
* '''Naples, Campania, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Regional capital of Campania and third-largest city in Italy, and the capital of the now-defunct Kingdom of the Two Sicilies that existed before Italian unification, known for its massive shipping harbors, their trademark "canzone napoletana", the first train station in Italy, and obviously, being the birthplace of pizza.

* '''Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Second-largest city of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and seventh-largest in France and a famously picturesque coastal city.

* '''Nuremberg, Bavaria, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' Second-largest city of Bavaria and fourteenth-largest in Germany, as well as the unofficial capital of the Franconia region, famous for its market but also infamous for being the birthplace of the Nazis as well as host to war crimes trials at the end of World War II.

* '''Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Capital and largest city of the same-named state and home to one of the world's largest livestock markets, as well as a hub for the American petroleum industry.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}}, Pennsylvania, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Second-largest city of Pennsylvania and largest in the Ohio Valley, famous for its once-massive steelworks industry. After the decline of the industry in the 1970s and 1980s, it has reinvented itself as a medical, educational, and technological hub.

* '''Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica:''' Largest city of Eastern Cape and sixth-largest in South Africa and a gateway city for industries and tourism.

* '''Port of Spain, UsefulNotes/TrinidadAndTobago:''' Capital of Trinidad and Tobago and home to the Caribbean islands' largest stock market.

* '''Pretoria, Gauteng, UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica:''' Executive capital of South Africa and a major center for education in the country.
* '''Puebla City, Puebla, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' State capital and largest city of Puebla and one of the most important business cities in central Mexico.

* '''Salt Lake City, UsefulNotes/{{Utah}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' State capital and largest city of Utah, famous as the worldwide headquarters of the [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)]], as well as the industrial banking center of the USA.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Seville}}, Andalusia, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' State capital and largest city of Andalusia and fourth-largest in Spain, as well as its only inland port and a former economic power during its imperial days, having been the starting point of an expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan to find a westward route to Asia in 1519, and to which it returned after three years (and a year after Magellan died in the Philippines) to complete the first recorded circumnavigation of the world.

* '''Strasbourg, Grand-Est, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Regional capital and largest city of Grand-Est, ninth-largest city in France, as well as ''de facto'' capital of the historic Alsace region which, with nearby Lorraine (also currently in Grand-Est) constantly exchanged hands between France and Germany for centuries, and is currently home to the European Parliament.
* '''Taichung, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}:''' Second-largest city of Taiwan island and a major cultural center.

* '''Tijuana, Baja California, UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}:''' Largest city of Baja California as well as the sixth-largest and westernmost city of Mexico, lying just south of the border with the United States.
* '''Toulouse, Occitanie, UsefulNotes/{{France}}:''' Regional capital and largest city of Occitanie and fourth-largest city in France, as well as home to one of the oldest universities in Europe and center of the European aerospace industry.

* '''Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator), UsefulNotes/{{Mongolia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Mongolia, and a major crossroads between Russia and China.
* '''Ürümqi, UsefulNotes/{{Xinjiang}}, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Xinjiang, the designated home of the Uyghurs, a Muslim-majority Turkic people, and a historically strategic trade city along the Silk Road.

* '''Weifang, Shandong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Sixth-largest city of Shandong and a historic city known as the birthplace of kites.

* '''Xining, Qinghai, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' Provincial capital of Qinghai and largest city on the Tibetan Plateau, as well as a cultural and commercial hub along the northern sector of the Silk Road and gateway to the cultures of western China such as the Tibetans and Uyghurs.
* '''Yerevan, UsefulNotes/{{Armenia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Armenia, and one of the oldest cities in the world as well as one of the oldest to formally adopt Christianity.

* UsefulNotes/{{Albuquerque}}, New Mexico, United States
* UsefulNotes/{{Busan}}, South Korea
* UsefulNotes/{{Bonn}}, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
* UsefulNotes/{{Mecca}}, Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia
* UsefulNotes/{{Oakland}}, California, United States
* UsefulNotes/SantaFe, New Mexico, United States
* UsefulNotes/{{Tehran}}, Tehran Province, Iran
* UsefulNotes/ToledoOhio, United States
* UsefulNotes/{{Venice}}, Veneto, Italy

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tehran}}, Tehran Province, UsefulNotes/{{Iran}}:''' Capital and largest city of Iran, and the second largest city proper and metropolitan area in the Middle East after Istanbul and Cairo respectively. Home to the largest shopping mall in the world, Iran Mall, and the largest stadium in Western Asia, Azadi Stadium.

* '''Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}}:''' A major city in northern Iraq and home to a sizable Kurdish population, as well as historic capital of the Assyrian Empire under its old name Nineveh. Also known for its once-bustling population of Iraqi Christians and a brief occupation by ISIS militants from 2014 to 2017.
* '''Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil:''' State capital and largest city of Rio Grande do Norte, as well as the easternmost state capital of Brazil and a major tourist center.
* Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
* Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
* Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States
* Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
* Bishkek, UsefulNotes/{{Kyrgyzstan}}
* Omaha, Nebraska, United States
* Haifa, Haifa District, Israel
* Nashik, Maharashtra, India
* Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
* Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico
* Bern, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
* Valencia, Carabobo State, Venezuela
* Tripoli, Tripoli District, UsefulNotes/{{Libya}}
* Providence, Rhode Island, United States
* Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
* Honolulu, UsefulNotes/{{Hawaii}}, United States
* Lomé, Maritime Region, UsefulNotes/{{Togo}}
* Salvador, Bahía, Brazil
* Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India%%

* Birmingham, Alabama, United States

* Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
* Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

* Sheffield, England, United Kingdom

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Athens}}, Attica, UsefulNotes/{{Greece}}:''' Capital and the largest city of Greece. Has a history that dates back to 3,700 BC. Often referred as "the Cradle of Western Civilization" and "the birthplace of Democracy".

[[folder:Alpha++, Alpha+, Alpha and Alpha-]]
!!Alpha++

!!Alpha+

!!Alpha

* '''UsefulNotes/KualaLumpur, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Malaysia (though nearby Putrajaya is now home to the federal executive and judiciary, while KL remains the legislative and royal seat). This little metropolis on the Klang Valley grew from a frontier town built by Chinese tin miners to the heart of the Malay Peninsula, culminating in an economic boom best symbolized by the Petronas Towers, the tallest twin buildings in the world.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Madrid}}, Autonomous Community of Madrid, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' Capital and largest city of Spain, as well as the political, economic, cultural and even geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula.

* '''{{UsefulNotes/Seoul}}, Seoul National Capital Area, UsefulNotes/SouthKorea:''' The 2,000-year-old heart of the Korean Peninsula and capital and largest city of the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Following the devastation of the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar, Seoul experienced a massive economic boom, culminating in hosting the 1988 Summer Olympics, and is also the birthplace of the [[Main/{{KoreanPopMusic}} Korean music craze]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Taipei}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}:''' Capital and largest city of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the beating financial and cultural heart of Taiwan island.

!!Alpha-

* '''UsefulNotes/NewDelhi, National Capital Territory, India:''' Capital of India and its largest metropolitan region, built near the historic capital of several Indian empires.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Rome}}, Lazio, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' The "Eternal City", capital and largest city of Italy. For centuries it served as the beating heart of the Roman Empire, and is currently the seat of both the Italian government and the Roman Catholic Church, within the enclave of UsefulNotes/VaticanCity, a remnant of the old UsefulNotes/PapalStates that once controlled central Italy.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Shenzhen}}, Guangdong, UsefulNotes/{{China}}:''' The city directly to the north of Hong Kong, Shenzhen rapidly grew from a small village to the place where China's economic resurgence got off to a good start.

[[folder:Beta+, Beta and Beta-]]
!!Beta+

!!Beta

* '''[[UsefulNotes/TwinCities Minneapolis]], Minnesota, United States:''' Largest city of Minnesota and, together with the smaller state capital Saint Paul, the fourteenth-largest metropolis in America and largest on the Midwestern prairie. Once the world's largest flour manufacturer, the Twin Cities continues to thrive as a lumber center and a trade post between Seattle and Chicago.

!!Beta-

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Geneva}}, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland:''' Second-largest city of Switzerland, situated on the shores of the same-named lake, known for its thriving businesses and being the home of several branches of the United Nations and UsefulNotes/TheRedCross.
* '''UsefulNotes/GeorgeTown, [[UsefulNotes/BritishWestIndies Cayman Islands]]:''' Capital of the Cayman Islands and largest city of the British Overseas Territories, and center of the islands' status as offshore financial havens.

[[folder:Gamma+, Gamma and Gamma-]]
!!Gamma+

!!Gamma

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Ankara}}, Ankara Province, Turkey:''' Capital and second-largest city of Turkey, built over an old settlement and chosen because of its centralized location in the Asian half.

!!Gamma-

[[folder:Highly Self-Sufficient and Self-Sufficient]]
!!Highly Self-Sufficient

* '''Querétaro City, Querétaro, Mexico:''' State capital and largest city of Querétaro and a business powerhouse, as well as one of the most pleasant places to live in Mexico.

* '''Southampton, England, United Kingdom:''' Largest city in the Hampshire region and a major port city, having been the departure point of the ill-fated maiden voyage of the ''RMS Titanic'' and among the starting points of D-Day during the closing months of World War II.

!!Self-Sufficient

* '''Palo Alto, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:''' Part of the San Francisco Bay Area, mostly famous for Stanford University and the high-tech and venture capital businesses it helped to spawn.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Rochester}}, {{UsefulNotes/New York|State}}, [[UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates United States]]:'''

%%----
Argentina Rosario
United States Salt Lake City
Mexico San Luis Potosí[i]
Honduras San Pedro Sula
Yemen Sanaʽa
Bolivia Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo
Spain Seville
China Shijiazhuang[i]
France Strasbourg
Taiwan Taichung
Uzbekistan Tashkent
Mexico Tijuana
France Toulouse
Italy Trieste[i]
United States Tulsa
Mongolia Ulaanbaatar
China Ürümqi
Netherlands Utrecht
Venezuela Valencia
Chile Valparaíso
Laos Vientiane[i]
China Weifang[i]
Namibia Windhoek
Canada Winnipeg
China Wuxi[i]
China Xining[i]
Armenia Yerevan
China Zhuhai[i]


----
[[LIMBO]]
----
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Hanoi}}, Vietnam:''' Capital and second-largest city of Vietnam, as well as the nation's political heart for a thousand years, and features a mix of ancient and modern lifestyles.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Glasgow}}, Scotland, United Kingdom:''' Largest city of Scotland and once a major seaport and industrial center, as well as a leading shipbuilding city.
* '''Chongqing, China:''' One of China's four directly-administered municipalities (the others being Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin) and a historic center of economy in southwest China as well as the upstream region of the Yangtze River.
* '''Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}}:''' A major city in northern Iraq and home to a sizable Kurdish population, as well as historic capital of the Assyrian Empire under its old name Nineveh. Also known for its once-bustling population of Iraqi Christians and a brief occupation by ISIS militants from 2014 to 2017.
* '''Taichung, Taiwan:''' Major economic and cultural center of western Taiwan, as well as home to several major national art museums.
* '''Suzhou, Jiangsu, China:''' A historical and economic powerhouse in Jiangsu Province and one of the most prosperous cities in China.
* '''Strasbourg, Grand Est, France:''' Regional capital and largest city of Grand Est as well as ''de facto'' capital of the Alsace region, which historically changed hands between France and Germany, as well as the home of the European Parliament.
* '''Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico:''' Largest city of Baja California and westernmost city of Mexico, lying just south of the border with the United States.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Utrecht}}, Utrecht Province, The Netherlands:''' Capital and largest city of the same-named province and fourth-largest in the Netherlands, once the most important city in medieval Netherlands and remains the religious capital of the nation.
* '''Salt Lake City, UsefulNotes/{{Utah}}, United States:''' State capital and largest city of Utah, famous as the worldwide headquarters of the [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)]].

* '''Yerevan, UsefulNotes/{{Armenia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Armenia, and one of the oldest cities in the world as well as one of the oldest to formally adopt Christianity.

----
[[/LIMBO]]
----
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Seville}}, Andalusia, Spain:''' State capital and largest city of Andalusia and fourth-largest in Spain. Its inland fluvial port once launched Spain's imperial pursuits during the 16th century.
* Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator), UsefulNotes/{{Mongolia}}
* Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

* Sarajevo, [[UsefulNotes/{{Bosnia}} Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
* '''San Pedro Sula, Cortés Department, Honduras:''' Second-largest city in Honduras, but by far the country's main economic center.

* Toulouse, Occitanie, France

* Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
* Valparaíso, Valparaíso Region, Chile

* Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
* Sana'a, UsefulNotes/{{Yemen}}

[[/folder]]

!!Other

The major cities of the world and their appearances in fiction. This page is based on the 2016 classifications and rankings of the [[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/ Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC)]] think tank group from Loughborough University in England, the earliest group to attempt such a categorization from way back in 1998. Expect some of these to show up in a WorldTour.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}}:''' The powerhouse of Southeast Asia, the modern island-city-state of Singapore was founded by the British in 1819 as a trading post for the East India Company and later grew as a center of commerce and multiculturalism under a conservative democracy.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Beijing}}, China:''' Capital of China for 800 years, second-largest city after Shanghai, and center of education, politics and culture. Best-known for its imperial complex, long closed to outsiders until the early 20th century.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Dubai}}, Emirate of Dubai, UsefulNotes/UnitedArabEmirates:''' Largest city of the UAE. Once a dusty little emirate capital, the discovery of oil propelled Dubai into a ''massive'' facelift, one that was briefly interrupted by the financial meltdown of 2008 but has since been making rebounds.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Shanghai}}, China:''' Most populous city in the People's Republic of China and its financial powerhouse. Strategically located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai was among the first Chinese cities opened to foreign trade, enjoying a period of prosperity before going into a slump when trade was limited to other communist countries, then made a resurgent comeback during the Deng Xiaoping years.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Sydney}}, New South Wales, UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}:''' The largest city in Oceania and the oldest colonial settlement in Australia, originally founded on a natural harbor as a penal colony before transforming into the premier financial center of the Asia Pacific region.

* '''UsefulNotes/SaoPaulo, São Paulo State, UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}:''' Largest city in the Americas, a financial powerhouse in South America, and land of capricious weather. It is famous for its culinary delights, the largest fleet of helicopters in the world, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick its insane traffic jams]].[[note]]Said traffic jams are the main reason the city has such a huge fleet of choppers—they're literally the only way high-powered businesspeople can move within the city. It's gotten to the point that helicopter ''taxis'' now serve the city.[[/note]]
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Milan}}, Lombardy, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}:''' Second-largest city in Italy, as well as the financial and industrial heart of northern Italy. Milan is also the world's fashion and design capital and is home to two of the world's most successful football clubs: AC Milan and FC Internazionale.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, Illinois, United States:''' Third-largest city in the USA and the urban heart of the Midwest. Built on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan, the city grew into a major transportation hub, with more roads and railroads leading into it than any other city in America. Besides being a commercial center, it is also a heavyweight in American gastronomy and music.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Moscow}}, UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}:''' Capital and largest city in Russia, as well as the northernmost and coldest metropolis in the world. Moscow is, for centuries, both the heart of Russian culture and politics, from the imperial to the communist and into the federal periods.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Frankfurt}} (am Main), Hesse, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}:''' The financial heartland of continental Europe, fifth-largest city of Germany, and home of the hot dog. It is also distinct from other German cities by its abundance of skyscrapers and autobahn interchanges.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Madrid}}, Autonomous Community of Madrid, UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}:''' Capital and largest city of Spain, as well as the political, economic, cultural and even geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Warsaw}}, Masovian Voivodeship, UsefulNotes/{{Poland}}:''' Capital (and largest city) of Poland, majority of which was built from scratch after it was near-totally flattened by the Nazis during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Much of the city's income comes from heavy industries, a legacy of Soviet influence.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}}, Ontario, UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}:''' The largest city in Canada and, surprisingly for a city in the interior, a hotspot of ethnic diversity, with almost half of its 2.6 million residents coming from outside Canada.
* '''{{UsefulNotes/Seoul}}, Seoul National Capital Area, UsefulNotes/SouthKorea:''' The 2000-year-old heart of the Korean Peninsula and capital and largest city of the South. Following the devastation of the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar, Seoul experienced a massive economic boom, culminating in hosting the 1988 Summer Olympics, and is also the birthplace of the [[Main/{{KoreanPopMusic}} Korean music craze]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Istanbul}}, Istanbul Province, UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}}:''' Largest city in Turkey, straddling Asia and Europe, divided by the Bosphorus strait. The city's long history as capital of four empires (Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman) and a major stopover of the Silk Road left a legacy of multiculturalism felt even until the present.
* '''UsefulNotes/KualaLumpur, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Malaysia (though nearby Putrajaya is now home to the federal executive and judiciary, while KL remains the legislative and royal seat). This little metropolis on the Klang Valley grew from a frontier town built by Chinese tin miners to the heart of the Malay Peninsula, culminating in an economic boom best symbolized by the Petronas Towers, the tallest twin buildings in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Jakarta}}, Jakarta Province, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Indonesia, founded 1600 years ago as seat of the Sunda Kingdom and expanded its influence under the Dutch. Today it is a bustling metropolis of 9.6 million people, and kind of notorious of being dubbed as the city with the worst traffic jam in the world.
* '''[[FreestateAmsterdam Amsterdam]], North Holland, UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands:''' Capital (formal; The Hague serves as the seat of government) and largest city in the Netherlands, as well as its commercial and cultural center, famous for a city center lined with canals and a liberal atmosphere which features legalized prostitution and marijuana consumption.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Brussels}}, UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}:''' Capital and largest city of Belgium, the home of sprouts, peeing boys, and the seat of many an international political organization, most prominent of which are the UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion and UsefulNotes/{{NATO}}.
* '''UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, UsefulNotes/{{California}}, United States:''' Second-largest city in the USA and a hotbed of multicultural diversity. The city is both a powerhouse of West Coast finance and as well as arguably the biggest television and film industry in the world, usually named after the neighborhood of Hollywood where some early major motion-picture companies were established, as well as a powerful sporting city, hosting several successful professional sports leagues as well as the third city to host the Olympics thrice (1932, 1984 and 2028).

!!Alpha-
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Dublin}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}}:''' Capital of the Republic of Ireland and largest city in the entire island, as well as a center of education, arts, commerce and industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Melbourne}}, Victoria, Australia:''' Second-largest city in Australia, capital of Victoria state, and Sydney's long-time rival, as well as the first capital of Australia immediately upon independence. Melbourne is also Australia's cultural capital, being the birthplace of Australian dance and film industry.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC Washington, District of Columbia]], United States:''' Capital of the United States, established in 1791 on the banks of the Potomac River. Besides serving as home to the USA's three branches of government, Washington also plays host to several other international organizations, and boasts a wide array of landmarks, many of which are located on the National Mall, an axis of greenery from the Potomac to the Capitol.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bangkok}}, UsefulNotes/{{Thailand}}:''' Capital and largest city of Thailand as well as the most visited city in Southeast Asia, as well as an economic power in the region's mainland half. It is well known for its street life, cultural landmarks, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick its red-light district]].
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Zurich}} Zürich]], Canton of Zürich, UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}}:''' Largest city in Switzerland, established by the Romans over what used to be a group of prehistoric settlements. It is also home to many of the world's largest banking institutions.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Montreal}}, UsefulNotes/{{Quebec}}, Canada:''' Second-largest city of Canada and second-largest Francophone city in the world after Paris, as well as, until TheSeventies, the chief commercial center of the country.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Taipei}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}:''' Capital and largest city of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the beating financial and cultural heart of Taiwan island.
* '''UsefulNotes/BuenosAires, UsefulNotes/{{Argentina}}:''' Capital and largest city of Argentina and second-largest in South America. Known as the "Paris of the South", Buenos Aires is also known as a center of commerce and culture.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Stockholm}}, Södermanland/Uppland, UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}}:''' Capital of Sweden and the largest city in Nordic Europe. Stockholm is the home to Swedish culture, media and economy, and is the venue for the UsefulNotes/NobelPrize awarding ceremonies (save the Peace Prize, which is handed in Oslo).
* '''UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco, California, United States:''' The cultural and financial hub of northern California, located at the mouth of the Golden Gate. The "City by the Bay" is well-known for its streetcars and its liberal atmosphere, with a history of hippie counterculture and LGBT activism.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Guangzhou}} (Canton), Guangdong, China:''' Provincial capital of Guangdong and third-largest city in China. The city grew into one of China's most important trade posts, and during the post-Mao years also became a financial hub.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Manila}}, UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}:''' Capital and largest city of the Philippines, located at the crossroads of several Pacific trade routes. It is actually composed of sixteen cities and one municipality, all centered around the eponymous Spanish-era city, said to be the most densely-populated in the world.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Bogota}} Bogotá]], Distrito Capital, UsefulNotes/{{Colombia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Colombia, known as the "Athens of South America" for its abundance of universities.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Miami}}, UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}, United States:''' The most populous metropolis in the southeastern USA and home to the largest concentration of banks in the Union and the second-largest Hispanophone majority (after El Paso, Texas), most of which were descended from Cubans fleeing Fidel Castro.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Luxembourg}} Luxembourg City]], Luxembourg District, Luxembourg:''' Capital and largest city of the tiny Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, as well as the financial seat of both the country and the European Union.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Riyadh}}, Riyadh Region, UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia:''' Capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. Despite its location in the middle of the desert, Riyadh evolved from a trade post by way of being the ancestral home of the kingdom's ruling family.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Santiago}}, Santiago Metropolitan Region, UsefulNotes/{{Chile}}:''' Capital and largest city of Chile, known for a well-preserved city center and the vineyards located in its outskirts.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Barcelona}}, Catalonia, Spain:''' Second-largest city in Spain and capital of the Catalonia region, famous for its avant-garde architecture and hosting the memorable 1992 Summer Olympics.
* '''UsefulNotes/TelAviv, Tel Aviv District, UsefulNotes/{{Israel}}:''' Second-largest city of Israel as well as its economic center, boasting the largest Middle Eastern economy outside Dubai, as well as a bastion of liberal politics and culture.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lisbon}}, Lisbon District'''[=/=]'''Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region'''[=/=]'''Lisbon NUTS II and Metropolitan Area'''[=/=]'''Estremadura'''[[note]]Not E''x''tremadura, that's in Spain [[/note]]''' Province'''[[note]]Portugal has no set first-level administrative divisions on the Continent[[/note]]''', UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}}:''' Capital and largest city of Portugal, situated on the northern side of the mouth of the Tagus River, as well as the oldest capital city in Western Europe.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Prague}}, UsefulNotes/CzechRepublic:''' Capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. The city waxed and waned together with the Holy Roman Empire, and the city center largely escaped the ravages of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, which makes for good sightseeing. [[HeyItsThatPlace And filming]].
* '''UsefulNotes/HoChiMinhCity, UsefulNotes/{{Vietnam}}:''' Largest city of Vietnam, known as Saigon until after UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar. The city thrives both as a Khmer and French port city, which continues even after the emergence of Hanoi to the north.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Boston}}, Massachusetts, United States:''' State capital of Massachusetts and largest city in the New England region. Boston is also one of the oldest colonial-era settlements in America, played a prominent role in the UsefulNotes/AmericanRevolution, and is also home to several prestigious educational institutions, including Harvard University, the oldest institute of higher learning in America.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Copenhagen}}, Hovedstaden, UsefulNotes/{{Denmark}}:''' Capital and largest city of Denmark, as well as the second largest city in Scandinavia and cultural, political and economic center of the country.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Dusseldorf}} Düsseldorf]], North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:''': Capital of the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen and center of the Ruhr Valley metropolitan area, which was the heart of the German industrial renaissance, now a center of the arts.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Athens}}, Attica, UsefulNotes/{{Greece}}:''' Capital and largest city of Greece, as well as the birthplace of democracy and classical culture, as well as host to the largest passenger port in Europe. It is also a historic city, with such landmarks as the Parthenon (temple to Athena, the city's namesake patron goddess), and hosted both the inaugural Olympic Games in 1896 and its homecoming in 2004.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Munich}}, Bavaria, Germany:''' State capital of Bavaria and third-largest city in Germany. Famous for its architecture, a highly-successful football team (Bayern Munich FC) and the original (and largest) Oktoberfest.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, UsefulNotes/{{Georgia|USA}}, United States:''' State capital and largest city in Georgia, as well as the unofficial capital of the "New South", being a center of racial diversity (as well as a hotspot of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement, being the hometown of UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, who also served as a local Baptist pastor throughout his life), being quite liberal for a southern city, and the South's economic blooming, spurred on by hosting the centennial Olympic Games in 1996. Home to the world's busiest airport.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Helsinki}}, Uusimaa, UsefulNotes/{{Finland}}:''' Capital and largest city of Finland, as well as the country's center of government, culture and finance.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Budapest}}, UsefulNotes/{{Hungary}}:''' Capital and largest city in Hungary, being a regional capital since Roman times. It is also one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, with its dramatic setting on the Danube River, as well as host to several hot springs.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Kiev}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}:''' Capital and largest city of Ukraine, as well as the heartland of Ukrainian culture since Russian times. The city is also the most pro-European part of the deeply politically-divided country.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Hamburg}}, Germany:''' Second-largest city in Germany and a city-state in its own right, as well as a mercantile power back in the days of the Hanseatic League and remains the largest port in Germany.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bangalore}} (Bengaluru), Karnataka, India:''' Capital of Karnataka state, dubbed the "Silicon Valley of India" for its leading role in India's IT industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Rome}}, Lazio, Italy:''' The "Eternal City", capital and largest city of Italy. For centuries it served as the beating heart of the Roman Empire, and is now both home to the Italian government and the Roman Catholic Church (within the confines of the UsefulNotes/VaticanCity).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Oslo}}, Oslo County, UsefulNotes/{{Norway}}:''' Capital and largest city of Norway, as well as the fastest-growing in Europe. Besides being a center of government and commerce, Oslo is also a major maritime power, as well as a center of arts and tourism.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/DFWMetroplex Dallas]], [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]], United States:''' Third-largest city in Texas, having grown on the back of its cotton and oil industries. Together with the slightly smaller city of Fort Worth and a few other cities and towns, Dallas forms the largest urban area in the South, and one of the few major conservative-leaning urban areas.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cairo}}, Cairo Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Egypt}}:''' Capital of Egypt and largest city in Northern Africa. Cairo is a center of Islamic learning and worship, and is also the oldest entertainment exporter in the Arab world, as well as home to the legendary Pyramids and Sphinx of the Giza Plateau to the southwest.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Houston}}, Texas, United States:''' Largest city in Texas, largely fueled by its several railroad and ship connections, further bolstered by the discovery of oil. It is also home to NASA's control center.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lagos}}, Lagos State, UsefulNotes/{{Nigeria}}:''' Largest city of Nigeria and all of Africa, as well as a thriving business hub, having largely prospered on the back of the country's oil industry, and a center of the arts.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Vancouver}}, British Columbia, Canada:''' Largest city of western Canada, which thrived both as a port city and a center of forestry and tourism, as well as one of the largest film production centers in North America. Its dramatic location between the sea and the Pacific Cascades mountains also made it the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Caracas}}, Venezuelan Capital District, UsefulNotes/{{Venezuela}}:''' Capital and largest city of Venezuela, thriving largely on the country's oil industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Auckland}}, Auckland Region, UsefulNotes/NewZealand:''' Largest city of New Zealand as well as the largest Polynesian city, as well as a favorite destination for East Asian migrants.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Shenzhen}}, Guangdong, China:''' The city directly to the north of Hong Kong, Shenzhen rapidly grew from a small village to the place where China's economic resurgence got off to a good start.
* '''UsefulNotes/CapeTown, Western Cape, South Africa:''' Second-largest city in South Africa and the legislative capital. Situated at the Cape Bay, the city was the very first European settlement in Southern Africa, and later grew into a multicultural haven.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Doha}}, UsefulNotes/{{Qatar}}:''' Capital and largest city of Qatar. Besides being a center of government, Doha is also a bustling economic and educational giant in the Persian Gulf.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Nicosia}} (Lefkosia), UsefulNotes/{{Cyprus}}:''' Capital and largest city of Cyprus, bordered by a series of walls that exist to this day and still divided into Greek and Turkish sectors, a legacy of the two countries' feud.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Geneva}}, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland:''' Second-largest city of Switzerland, situated on the shores of the same-named lake, known for its thriving businesses and being the home of several branches of the United Nations and UsefulNotes/TheRedCross.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}}, Germany:''' Capital and largest city of Germany, and like Hamburg a city-state in its own right. Long the seat of several empires, the city fell into ruin at the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and later literally divided by a concrete wall throughout the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, but after the fall of the wall in 1989 and reunification a year later, rebounded as a center of culture, politics, media and science.
* '''UsefulNotes/AbuDhabi, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:''' Capital and second-largest city of the UAE. Once a small fishing village, the discovery of oil propelled Abu Dhabi to unprecedented riches, but nevertheless has a more laid-back atmosphere than Dubai to the east.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Casablanca}}, Grand Casablanca, UsefulNotes/{{Morocco}}:''' Largest city of Morocco and the nation's economic and cultural heart, as well as the home to the largest port in northern Africa and the setting of [[Film/{{Casablanca}} an unforgettable 1940s romance film]].
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Pennsylvania}}, United States:''' Largest city in Pennsylvania, a center of arts and culture, and once the largest city in America by the 1770s. The city also played a role in the UsefulNotes/AmericanRevolution, when American independence was signed there on July 4, 1776.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Perth}}, Western Australia, Australia:''' State capital and largest city, as well as reputedly one of the most isolated cities in the world. Despite its location, the city thrives largely on the state's mining industry.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Hanoi}}, Vietnam:''' Capital and second-largest city of Vietnam, as well as the nation's political heart for a thousand years, and features a mix of ancient and modern lifestyles.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Beirut}}, Beirut Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Lebanon}}:''' Capital and largest city of Lebanon. Built on the Mediterranean shore, Beirut once thrived as a major seaport until it was devastated during the UsefulNotes/LebaneseCivilWar, but has since rebounded and regained its prosperity.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Brisbane}}, Queensland, Australia:''' State capital and largest city of northeastern Australia, as well as the third-largest nationwide. Besides playing a role as an Allied Forces HQ during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, Brisbane is otherwise a pretty peaceful metropolis.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bratislava}}, Bratislava Region, UsefulNotes/{{Slovakia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Slovakia. Besides being a political, financial and cultural hub, Bratislava for centuries was the crossroads of many empires and races.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Manama}}, Capital Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Bahrain}}:''' Capital and largest city of the island-state of Bahrain, as well as a strategic financial center, being located at the middle of the Persian Gulf.

* '''[[UsefulNotes/TwinCities Minneapolis]], Minnesota, United States:''' Largest city of Minnesota and, together with the smaller state capital Saint Paul, the fourteenth-largest metropolis in America and largest on the Midwestern prairie. Once the world's largest flour manufacturer, the Twin Cities continues to thrive as a lumber center and a trade post between Seattle and Chicago.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Chennai}} (Madras), Tamil Nadu, India:''' Largest city of southern India and a thriving automotive center.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Stuttgart}}, Baden-Württemberg, Germany:''' State capital of Baden-Württemberg and sixth-largest city of Germany, as well as the heart of the Swabian peoples of southwestern Germany.
* '''UsefulNotes/SantoDomingo, National District, UsefulNotes/DominicanRepublic:''' Capital of the Dominican Republic and largest city of the Caribbean islands. It is also the oldest colonial settlement in the Americas and seat of the first Spanish dominion in the New World.
* '''UsefulNotes/RioDeJaneiro, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil:''' Second-largest city of Brazil and the nation's undisputed cultural and tourist capital, and host of the first Olympic Games in South America in 2016.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Kuwait}} City, Al Asima Governorate, Kuwait:''' Capital and largest city of Kuwait. Long a prosperous trading post between the Middle East and southern Asia, Kuwait City experienced a massive surge of relevance after the discovery of oil, and continues to thrive even after suffering the brunt of the UsefulNotes/GulfWar.
* '''Chengdu, Sichuan, China:''' Provincial capital of Sichuan and largest city in western China, as well as the region's historic, economic and cultural center.
* '''UsefulNotes/PanamaCity, Panamá District, UsefulNotes/{{Panama}}:''' Capital and largest city of Panama as well as the most cosmopolitan in Central America. Founded by the Spanish as the Pacific end of an inland trade route, the city prospered even further with the construction of the Panama Canal.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Denver}}, Colorado, United States:''' Capital and largest city of Colorado, sitting roughly at one mile (1.609 kilometers) above sea level (thus the nickname "Mile High City"). Founded as a gold rush town, Denver continued to flourish long after the mines dried up as an important crossroads between the Midwest and the Rockies.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lahore}}, Punjab, Pakistan:''' Provincial capital of Punjab and second-largest city of Pakistan, as well as a center of culture in the nation, having been a crossroads of various kingdoms throughout the centuries.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Jeddah}}, Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia:''' Second-largest city of Saudi Arabia, as well as the largest port in the Red Sea and the principal gateway to Mecca (Makkah), Islam's holiest city, 70 kilometers (43 miles) to the east.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tunis}}, Tunis Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Tunisia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Tunisia, built near where the once-mighty city of Carthage stood.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Belgrade}}, UsefulNotes/{{Serbia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Serbia, featuring a unique combination of Slavic, Ottoman, socialist and modern sensibilities.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}}, Washington, United States:''' Largest city of Washington state. Founded in the 1850s, Seattle made brief trysts with fame as the main stop for the gold rush of the 1890s and host of the 1962 World's Fair, before making a full bloom as home of grunge rock and such global corporate icons as Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks and Amazon.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/FootballPopMusicAndFlatCaps Manchester]], England, United Kingdom:''' Second largest city of England and the United Kingdom. The city suddenly grew in prominence during the UsefulNotes/IndustrialRevolution, and even long after the industries have gone, it thrives as a center of culture and business.
* '''UsefulNotes/GuatemalaCity, Guatemala Department, UsefulNotes/{{Guatemala}}:''' Capital and largest city of Guatemala and the most populous in Central America.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Lyon}}, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France:''' Regional capital of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and second-largest city of France. Lyon is known for its well-preserved city center, a once-thriving silk industry, and home to some of France's best dining experiences.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tianjin}}, China:''' Fourth-largest city in China and the chief port of entry for maritime trade going into Beijing.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Calgary}}, Alberta, Canada:''' Largest city of Alberta and a business giant in central Canada, as well as home to the Calgary Stampede, one of the world's largest rodeo festivals and the self-proclaimed "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth".
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Amman}}, Capital Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Jordan}}:''' Capital and largest city of Jordan, as well as one of the world's oldest continually-populated cities. In contrast to most major Middle Eastern cities, Amman is a pocket of modernity (having been made capital as late as the early 20th century) and one of the fastest-growing economies in the Arab world.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Antwerp}}, Flanders, Belgium:''' Second-largest city of Belgium, de facto capital of Flanders, and home to the country's largest port.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Zagreb}}, UsefulNotes/{{Croatia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Croatia. Founded in the Roman era, the city flourished throughout the medieval period, and bloomed into a powerful city in the 19th century.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Kolkata}} (Calcutta), West Bengal, India:''' State capital of West Bengal, third-largest city of India and the last capital of the British Raj, as well as host to the largest port in India. Once the economic, cultural, scientific and political jewel of India, Kolkata fell into decay (one lampshaded through the charity work of Albanian-born nun Mother Teresa) before making a comeback in the 2000s.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tallinn}}, Harju County, UsefulNotes/{{Estonia}}:''' Capital of Estonia and a center of culture in the Baltic States.
* '''UsefulNotes/StLouis, Missouri, United States:''' Second-largest city in Missouri and once a major port town on the banks of the Mississippi River. Best known as the cradle of jazz and blues, as well as the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which opened up the West to the USA (commemorated with an iconic steel arch).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Monterrey}}, Nuevo León, Mexico:''' State capital of Nuevo León and third-largest city of Mexico, as well as the richest and most Americanized in the northern half of the country.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Hyderabad}}, Telangana, India:''' State capital of Telangana and fourth-largest city of India, known for its melding of Muslim and Hindu cultures, as well as a historic pearl trade and an IT industry on the upsurge.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Edinburgh}}, Scotland, United Kingdom:''' Capital and second-largest city of Scotland, as well as a noted educational center with a well-preserved city center.
* '''UsefulNotes/SanDiego, California, United States:''' Second-largest city of California, sitting on the Mexican border (though downtown is about 15 road miles from the crossing). Built as the first Catholic mission in California, San Diego once thrived as the command center for the Pacific fleet during World War II, and it still serves that purpose to the present day. However, it has since diversified in various ways, including a center of biotechnology, a craft beer hub, and a beach paradise. The city is known for having one of the most desirable climates in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cologne}}, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany:''' Fourth-largest city of Germany and largest in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and a major cultural center of the Rhineland, as well as a trade crossroads for centuries.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Rotterdam}}, South Holland, The Netherlands:''' Second-largest city of the Netherlands and home to the largest port in Europe. After being flattened at the end of World War II, Rotterdam banked on its port to help regenerate the city and turn it into a hotspot of diversity.
* '''Dhaka, Dhaka Division, UsefulNotes/{{Bangladesh}}:''' Capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the fourth most densely-populated city in the world and a microcosm of the diversity of the entire nation.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Islamabad}}, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan:''' Capital of Pakistan and, together with nearby Rawalpindi, the third-largest urban area in the country. Having been built up from scratch during TheSixties as a more centralized, more protected alternative to coastal Karachi, the city also grew into the national center of education.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Guayaquil}}, Guayas, Ecuador:''' Largest city of Ecuador and its commercial hub, fueled by the country's largest port.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cleveland}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, United States:''' Second-largest city of Ohio. Once a mighty industrial port city by the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland fell into disrepute for its financial woes and a river once so polluted it even caught fire (this happened ''thirteen times'' between 1868 and 1969), but has since made great rebounds, among which is housing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Riga}}, UsefulNotes/{{Latvia}}:''' Capital of Latvia and largest city of the Baltic States, renowned for its abundance of Art Noveau works.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Baku}}, UsefulNotes/{{Azerbaijan}}:''' Capital of Azerbaijan and largest city among the states of the southern Caucasus and a growing economic and cultural center, also known for its harsh winter winds. Its location on the shore of the Caspian Sea also makes it the world's largest city that stands below sea level.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Adelaide}}, South Australia, Australia:''' State capital and largest city of South Australia, fifth-largest in Australia, and one of the few colonies that never had penal settlements, as well as a city of many festivals.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Vilnius}}, Vilnius County, UsefulNotes/{{Lithuania}}:''' Capital of Lithuania and second-largest city in the Baltic States, known for its well-preserved old city.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/TheWestMidlands Birmingham]], England, United Kingdom:''' Second-largest city of the United Kingdom and an industrial powerhouse, having tried for almost every trade available at the time of the Industrial Revolution, before turning its attention to the services sector during the last quarter of the 20th century.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Glasgow}}, Scotland, United Kingdom:''' Largest city of Scotland and once a major seaport and industrial center, as well as a leading shipbuilding city.
* '''Nanjing, Jiangsu, China:''' Provincial capital of Jiangsu. Seated on the banks of the mighty Yangtze River, Nanjing has served as imperial and republican capital for several centuries (and as late as 1949), and is a major educational center in modern China.
* '''Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China:''' Provincial capital of Zhejiang and a historically important center, being the easternmost end of the Grand Canal which once served as the major maritime route to Beijing and is still the longest artificial waterway in the world.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Porto}}, Portugal:''' Second-largest city of Portugal and one of its oldest cities, whose city center is a well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site.
* '''Qingdao, Shandong, China:''' Largest city in Shandong Province and a major seaport, as well as home to the revered Tsingtao beer created by German immigrants in the early 20th century.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Valencia}}, Valencian Community, Spain:''' Regional capital of the Valencian Community and third-largest city of Spain and one of the oldest, founded by the Romans in 138 BCE.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}}, UsefulNotes/{{Michigan}}, United States:''' Largest city of Michigan. Once a thriving industrial center, the city fell into a long economic decline despite remaining the automotive capital of America -- a void now being slowly filled with the entertainment business.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Osaka}}, Osaka Prefecture, Japan:''' Third-largest city of Japan (after Tokyo and its twin city Yokohama) and second-largest urban center, as well as the heart of the Kansai region, famous for being a center of Japanese culinary culture.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Ljubljana}}, City Municipality of Ljubljana, UsefulNotes/{{Slovenia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Slovenia, located at the center of the country, known for its greeneries.
* '''Kampala, Kampala District, UsefulNotes/{{Uganda}}:''' Capital and largest city of Uganda and a rapidly-developing powerhouse in East Africa.
* '''UsefulNotes/GeorgeTown, [[UsefulNotes/BritishWestIndies Cayman Islands]]:''' Capital of the Cayman Islands and largest city of the British Overseas Territories, and thus the nexus of the islands' status as offshore financial havens.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Managua}}, Managua Department, UsefulNotes/{{Nicaragua}}:''' Capital and largest city of Nicaragua, as well as the second most-populous after Guatemala City.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Durban}}, [=KwaZulu=]-Natal, South Africa:''' Third-largest city of South Africa, largest of [=KwaZulu-Natal=] province and second-largest manufacturing hub after Johannesburg, as well as home to the largest Indian population outside India.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/SanJoseCalifornia San Jose]], California, United States:''' Third-largest city of California and the oldest civilian Spanish town of the state, and unofficial capital of Silicon Valley, home to many of the world's largest technology companies.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/TheCityFormerlyKnownAs Saint Petersburg]], Russia:''' Second-largest city of Russia and northernmost city with over 1 million people, founded in 1703 as seaside imperial capital, thus accounting for its more European atmosphere compared to the rest of Russia.

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Phoenix}}, UsefulNotes/{{Arizona}}, United States:''' Capital and largest city of Arizona, as well as the most populous state capital in the USA. Founded between two rivers in the middle of the desert, Phoenix thrived as a farming community, then an industrial hub after World War II.
* '''Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, UsefulNotes/{{Honduras}}:''' Capital and largest city of Honduras, as well as the former capital of the post-colonial Central American Republic which once included Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/OtherCitiesInTexas Austin]], Texas, United States:''' State capital and fourth-largest city of Texas, as well as a hotbed of liberal politics (centered around a major university) in an otherwise conservative state.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Pune}}, Maharashtra, India:''' Second-largest city in Maharashtra and eight-largest urban area in India, and former seat of the Maratha Empire. Today Pune is an interesting mix of culture and capitalism.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Guadalajara}}, Jalisco, Mexico:''' State capital of Jalisco and second-largest city in Mexico, an industrial center, and home to mariachi music.
* '''Dalian, Liaoning, China:''' Largest city of Liaoning Province and a major seaport for Northeast Asia, having seen a history of foreign trade and occupation.
* '''Tbilisi, UsefulNotes/{{Georgia|Europe}}:''' Capital and largest city of Georgia, as well as a former political powerhouse on the Caucasus region since the 5th century, as well as a hotspot of diversity in the region.
* '''UsefulNotes/DarEsSalaam, UsefulNotes/{{Tanzania}}:''' Largest city of Tanzania and a major economic center in eastern Africa, as well as former capital until the government moved inland to Dodoma in 1996.
* '''Chongqing, China:''' One of China's four directly-administered municipalities (the others being Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin) and a historic center of economy in southwest China as well as the upstream region of the Yangtze River.

* '''Lusaka, Lusaka Province, UsefulNotes/{{Zambia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Zambia and one of the fastest developing cities in southern Africa.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Ahmedabad}}, Gujarat, India:''' Largest city of Gujarat and home to the second-largest cotton industry and second-oldest stock market in India, as well as a center of Mahatma Gandhi's peaceful resistance movement.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Cincinnati}}, Ohio, United States:''' Third-largest city of Ohio, former boomtown, and the first major US city founded after the American Revolution. Generally conservative-leaning in the suburbs.

* '''Harare, Harare Province, UsefulNotes/{{Zimbabwe}}:''' Capital and largest city of Zimbabwe, founded by British settlers near one of the oldest gold mines in the world.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Gothenburg}}, Västergötland/Bohuslän, Sweden:''' Second-largest city of Sweden and home to both the largest port in the Nordic countries and some of Sweden's most important festivals.
* '''Xiamen, Fujian, China:''' A historically important seaport in southeast China, as well as the point of departure of millions of Chinese immigrants now established all over Southeast Asia.
* '''Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, UsefulNotes/{{Iraq}}:''' A major city in northern Iraq and home to a sizable Kurdish population, as well as historic capital of the Assyrian Empire under its old name Nineveh. Also known for its once-bustling population of Iraqi Christians and a brief occupation by ISIS militants from 2014 to 2017.
* '''UsefulNotes/KansasCity, Missouri, United States:''' Largest city of Missouri, sitting across the Missouri River next to the ''state'' of Kansas and ''another'' Kansas City within its borders. The city is known for its brand of jazz, blues and barbecue, and was also the city where Creator/WaltDisney got his start.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Accra}}, Greater Accra Region, UsefulNotes/{{Ghana}}:''' Capital and largest city of Ghana, having grown from a suburb of the colonial city of Victoriaborg into the heart of the eleventh-largest metropolitan area in Africa.
* '''Minsk, Minsk Region, Belarus:''' Capital and largest city of Belarus, as well as home of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a coalition of the fifteen former components of the Soviet Union.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Tampa}}, Florida, United States:''' Third-largest city of Florida and a major financial center at the west coast of the peninsula-state.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Turin}}, Piedmont, Italy:''' Italy's fourth-largest city, an Alpine city best-known as the birthplace and first capital of a united Italy, as well as home to some of Italy's automotive giants, highly-successful football teams such as Juventus and Torino FC, the reputed burial shroud of Jesus used after his crucifixion, and centerpiece of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
* '''Luanda, Luanda Province, UsefulNotes/{{Angola}}:''' Capital and largest city of Angola as well as the third-largest Portuguese-speaking city in the world after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
* '''Abidjan, Ivory Coast:''' Largest city of Ivory Coast and one of the largest Francophone cities in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as an important seaport and still home to most diplomatic missions to the country long after the capital was moved inland to Yamoussoukro in 1983 (if only because it is the hometown of long-serving president Félix Houphouët-Boigny).
* '''Tirana, Tirana County, UsefulNotes/{{Albania}}:''' Capital and largest city of Albania, albeit a 17th-century creation amidst the historically populated region of Illyria.
* '''Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland:''' Fourth-largest city of Switzerland and home to the International Olympic Committee, the international body governing the UsefulNotes/OlympicGames.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Leeds}}, England, United Kingdom:''' Third-largest city of the United Kingdom and the cultural, financial and industrial heart of the Yorkshire region, which once thrived as a milling town.

* '''Taichung, Taiwan:''' Major economic and cultural center of western Taiwan, as well as home to several major national art museums.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Charlotte}}, UsefulNotes/NorthCarolina, United States:''' Largest city of North Carolina, second-largest in the southeastern USA, and sixteenth-largest overall, as well as the second-largest banking city after New York City.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Baltimore}}, Maryland, United States:''' Largest city of Maryland, famous as the birthplace of the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Raleigh}}, North Carolina, United States:''' State capital of North Carolina and an early example of American urban planning, as well as part of a "triangle" of educational institutions with the nearby cities of Durham and Chapel Hill. Like Austin, it's very liberal for a conservative state (although less so than Durham and Chapel Hill).
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Belfast}}, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom:''' Capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. Once a major shipbuilding city on the island of Ireland, the city saw much violence throughout UsefulNotes/TheTroubles, but has since been seeing rejuvenation.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Leipzig}}, Saxony, Germany:''' A trade city since the age of the Holy Roman Empire, Leipzig once flourished as a center of music and culture in Saxony, and late in the 20th century made headlines as the origin of the peaceful demonstrations that accelerated the fall of East Germany.
* '''Medellín, Antioquia Department, Colombia:''' Second-largest city of Colombia and departmental capital of Antioquia, as well as a former gold exporting center before turning to the coffee industry.
* '''Wuhan, Hubei, China:''' Provincial capital of Hubei and largest city in central China.
* '''Douala, Littoral Region, UsefulNotes/{{Cameroon}}:''' Largest city and economic capital of Cameroon and the busiest transport hub in Central Africa, as well as the first city in the region with a piped natural gas supply.

* '''Skopje, Greater Skopje, UsefulNotes/NorthMacedonia:''' Capital and largest city of the newly renamed North Macedonia, inhabited since at least 4000 BC but not defined as a city until Roman times as "Scupi".
* '''Gaborone, UsefulNotes/{{Botswana}}:''' Capital and largest city of Botswana, famous for being located near several major wildlife reserves.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Bristol}}, England, United Kingdom:''' Eighth-largest city of England and the heart of southwestern England. Once an industrial city, Bristol has since reinvented itself as center of technology-based industries, as well as a cultural leader in the region.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Orlando}}, Florida, United States:''' Fifth-largest city of Florida and the largest completely inland, thriving largely on tourism generated by some of the best-known theme parks in the world.

* '''Suzhou, Jiangsu, China:''' A historical and economic powerhouse in Jiangsu Province and one of the most prosperous cities in China.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Malmo}} Malmö]], Scania, Sweden:''' Third-largest city of Sweden and a hotspot of diversity, bolstered by a bridge connecting Sweden and Denmark. It is also home to the tallest skyscraper in the Nordic countries.

* '''Changsha, Hunan, China:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Hunan and an important industrial as well as historic city, famous for being the city where UsefulNotes/MaoZedong started his political career.
* '''Strasbourg, Grand Est, France:''' Regional capital and largest city of Grand Est as well as ''de facto'' capital of the Alsace region, which historically changed hands between France and Germany, as well as the home of the European Parliament.
* '''Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain:''' Largest city of the Basque Country and tenth-largest in Spain, as well as a hotbed of the Basque culture very unique amongst its Romance neighbours.
* '''Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy:''' Regional capital and largest city of Emilia-Romagna as well as the seventh-largest in Italy, famous as the home of the oldest university in the world as well as its world-renowned cuisine. Also the heartland of Italy's "supercar valley" - Lamborghini and Pagani both come from this city.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Columbus|Ohio}}, Ohio, United States:''' State capital and largest city of Ohio, a major economic and cultural force in the state, and home to one of the largest college student bodies in the United States.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Wellington}}, Wellington Region, New Zealand:''' Capital and second-largest city of New Zealand, as well as the nation's major cultural center.
* '''Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany:''' Second-largest city of Bavaria and fourteenth-largest in Germany, as well as the unofficial capital of the Franconia region, famous for its market but also infamous for being the birthplace of the Nazis as well as host to war crimes trials at the end of World War II.
* '''Yangon, Yangon Region, [[UsefulNotes/ThatSouthEastAsianCountry Myanmar]]:''' Largest city of Myanmar, and former capital until the military government moved inwards in 2006 to purpose-built Naypyidaw. Famous for its well-preserved historical city center and the sprawling Shwedagon Pagoda, the country's most important Buddhist pilgrimage destination.
* '''Xi'an, Shaanxi, China:''' Provincial capital and largest city of Shaanxi and a major center for scientific research. Also historically famous as the eastern terminus of the fabled Silk Road and home to an army of terracotta soldiers guarding the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China.
* '''Wrocław, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland:''' Capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and largest city in western Poland and a multicultural centre as historic capital of the Silesia region.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Marseille}}, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France:''' Regional capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, second-largest city in France and third-largest urban area (after Paris and Lyon). Marseille once thrived as the main trade post of France, and was also the birthplace of the French National Anthem, named in its honor.
* '''Dresden, Saxony, Germany:''' Second-largest city of Saxony and a political and cultural center of the country, famous for its medieval architecture, many of which had to be reconstructed following an infamous Allied bombing campaign during the closing days of World War II.
* '''Shenyang, Liaoning, China:''' Provincial capital of Liaoning and largest city in northeastern China, as well as a historic seat of the Manchu-dominated Qin dynasty.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}}, Pennsylvania, United States:''' Second-largest city in Pennsylvania and largest city in the Ohio Valley, famous for its once-massive steelworks industry. After the decline of heavy industry in the 1970s and 1980s, has reinvented itself as a medical, educational, and technological hub.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Highly Self-Sufficient and Self-Sufficient]]
!!Highly Self-Sufficient

* '''Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria:''' Capital of Nigeria and currently one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.
* '''Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil:''' State capital and largest city of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as the southernmost state capital in Brazil.
* '''Hartford, Connecticut, United States:''' State capital of Connecticut, famed for its concentration of insurance companies and as the adopted hometown of Creator/MarkTwain.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Milwaukee}}, Wisconsin, United States:''' Largest city of Wisconsin, famous for its brewing industry and the home of Harley-Davidson.
* '''Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil:''' State capital and largest city of Paraná, renowned as one of the safest cities in Brazil and point of arrival for millions of European immigrants in the 1850s.
* '''Jinan, Shandong, China:''' Provincial capital of Shandong and one of the oldest cities in China, famed for its dozens of artesian springs.
* '''Cali, Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia:''' Departmental capital of Valle del Cauca and most populous city in southwestern Colombia, as well as the only major seaport facing the Pacific Ocean.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Liverpool}}, England, United Kingdom:''' Fifth-largest metropolitan area in the UK and a historically important seaport, having seen off millions of British and Irish emigrants to the United States in the 19th century, as well as a major exporter of British music epitomized by Music/TheBeatles.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/{{Cracow}} Kraków]], Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland:''' Second-largest city of Poland and one of its oldest, originating as a hilltop hamlet and best known for its historic city center and the center of ministry of a certain Archbishop Karol Cardinal Wojtyła before he became Pope (now Saint) John Paul II.
* '''Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico:''' Largest city of Baja California and westernmost city of Mexico, lying just south of the border with the United States.
* '''Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa:''' Executive capital of South Africa and a major center for education in the country.
* '''Puebla City, Puebla, Mexico:''' State capital and largest city of Puebla and one of the most important business cities in central Mexico.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Portland}}, UsefulNotes/{{Oregon}}, United States:''' Largest city of Oregon and a pocket of liberal politics in an otherwise conservative state (unlike Austin it's dominant enough to swing statewide elections Democratic), being a center of cultural diversity and a hotspot of outdoor activities.
* '''UsefulNotes/LaPaz, La Paz Department, UsefulNotes/{{Bolivia}}:''' Third-largest city and de facto capital of Bolivia, as well as the highest national capital in the world at around 3,650 meters (11,975 feet) above sea level.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Utrecht}}, Utrecht Province, The Netherlands:''' Capital and largest city of the same-named province and fourth-largest in the Netherlands, once the most important city in medieval Netherlands and remains the religious capital of the nation.
* '''Sacramento, California, United States:''' State capital and sixth-largest city of California, as well as the most culturally diverse city in the state.
* '''Dammam, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia:''' Largest city of Saudi Arabia's Persian Gulf coast and a center of its oil industry.
* '''Jacksonville, Florida, United States:''' Largest city of Florida and a major port of call for military and civilian ships. Its metro area is heavily dominated by the city proper and has few suburbs of note.
* '''Limassol, Limassol District, Cyprus:''' Second-largest city of Cyprus and a major tourist destination.
* '''Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia:''' State capital of Johor and third-largest city in Malaysia, as well as the southernmost in the peninsular half and a major crossing point to Singapore.
* '''Lille, Hauts-de-France, France:''' Regional capital of Hauts-de-France and northernmost major city in France, as well as a historic seat of the French Flanders region.
* '''UsefulNotes/{{Indianapolis}}, Indiana, United States:''' State capital and largest city of Indiana and second-largest of the American Midwest (after Chicago), and a major transport hub, servicing 70% of the national population, as well as home to a famous motor speedway.
* '''[[UsefulNotes/OtherCitiesInTexas San Antonio]], Texas, United States:''' Seventh-largest city of the USA and the second-largest city in Texas as well as the South, and a famous center of tourism.
* '''Salt Lake City, UsefulNotes/{{Utah}}, United States:''' State capital and largest city of Utah, famous as the worldwide headquarters of the [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)]].
* '''Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom:''' A university city, most populous in northeastern England, and a major seaport.
* '''Tashkent, UsefulNotes/{{Uzbekistan}}:''' Capital and largest city of Uzbekistan, as well as the most populous in Central Asia and one of the most diverse, encouraged by its location along the Silk Road.
* '''Yerevan, UsefulNotes/{{Armenia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Armenia, and one of the oldest cities in the world as well as one of the oldest to formally adopt Christianity.
* '''Aarhus, Central Jutland, Denmark:''' Second-largest city of Denmark and largest in the Jutland peninsula, as well as a major center of business and education in the region.
* '''Windhoek, Khomas Region, UsefulNotes/{{Namibia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Namibia and a center of economic activity in the country.
* '''Phnom Penh, UsefulNotes/{{Cambodia}}:''' Capital and largest city of Cambodia, and one of the most beautiful French-built cities in Indochina.
* '''Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil:''' State capital and largest city of Rio Grande do Norte, as well as the easternmost state capital of Brazil and a major tourist center.
* '''Poznań, Central Poland Voivodeship, Poland:''' Fourth-largest metropolitan area in Poland and one of its oldest.
* '''Southampton, England, United Kingdom:''' Largest city in the Hampshire region and a major seaport, having been the departure point of the ill-fated maiden voyage of the ''RMS Titanic'' and among the starting points of D-Day during the closing months of World War II.
* '''Kaohsiung, Taiwan:''' Third-largest city of Taiwan and a major center in the southern part of the island-state.