1st place – New York City

New York City is frequently called the business capital of the world. There are more banks, investment funds, insurance companies, and major corporations in NYC than anywhere else in the world. Hundreds of thousands of people move to New York City every year looking for jobs. This large influx of population has forced the city to constantly expand outwards by annexing nearby towns. Now, New York City occupies more than 12,000 sq. km – an area comparable to the size of the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.

2nd place – Boston

The second-largest metropolitan area in the world is also located in the United States. Today, Boston covers an area of more than 9,500 sq. km and is the largest city in the state of Massachusetts. Furthermore, this metropolis has long been considered the main educational and scientific center of the US. The first American school was founded in Boston, as well as the first university in the US. Currently, the city hosts more than 100 universities. As a result, Boston is often referred to as the student capital of the world.

3rd place - Tokyo

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the world's largest financial centers, just like New York. However, in terms of land area Tokyo is far behind the Big Apple, as it is almost 1.5 times smaller than NYC. The Tokyo metropolitan area occupies slightly more than 8 thousand sq. km. Nevertheless, the main city of Japan is ahead of its American counterpart in terms of population. Tokyo is by far the most crowded metropolis in the world, with more than 37 million people living in its territory, compared with only 21.5 million in New York.

4th place - Atlanta

Over the past few years, the main city of the state of Georgia has become an important international financial center. The headquarters of many major American corporations are located in Atlanta, which has formed a fairly active business environment in the city. This gave a strong boost to the development of urban infrastructure. As a result, the Atlanta metropolitan area has grown considerably. Now it covers an area of more than 7,400 sq. km. That's 2.8 times the size of Luxembourg.

5th place - Chicago

Chicago is one of the world's top 20 alpha cities, recognized as an essential part of the global economic system. This American metropolis is home to the oldest futures and options exchange in the world, the Chicago Board of Trade. Many major international corporations also have their headquarters here. The rapid development of the city's economy brings a constant influx of workers. As a result, the city is forced to expand its borders in order to accommodate its growing population. Today, the Chicago metropolitan area already exceeds 7,000 sq. km.

6th place - Los Angeles

This American metropolis is called the movie capital of the world, as it is home to the world's most famous film factory, Hollywood. However, the economy of Los Angeles is not just based on the entertainment industry. The city is now one of the biggest global commercial hubs. Aerospace, electrical engineering, oil refining and many other industries are actively thriving here. Thanks to the favorable business climate, LA's population and land area are constantly growing. According to the latest data, the city covers more than 6,300 sq. km.

7th place - Moscow

The Russian capital is one of the largest financial centers in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. For this reason, Moscow is often called the city of opportunity. Every year several thousand people arrive there in search of work. Consequently, the population of the main city of Russia is constantly increasing and has already exceeded 17 million. Moscow not only has the largest population among cities in Europe, it is also the largest European city by land area. At present, it occupies more than 6,000 sq. km.