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The Most Populous Cities in the World, From 3000 BCE to Today

I’ve always been a little fascinated by the list of the largest cities throughout history, so this animated version from Ollie Bye is right up my alley. While watching, it’s interesting to think about what makes cities grow large at specific times: a mixture of economics, demography, social movements, empire/colonialism, technology, and the like.

Discussion  1 comment

Adrian Berridge

Norwood Viviano made an excellent depiction of city populations over time in hand blown glass. It's viewable at the Corning Museum of Glass, more info at https://www.norwoodviviano.com/global-cities

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