Question

Distinguish between metropolis and megalopolis.

Distinguish between a metropolis and a megalopolis. Give an example of each from India.

Answer 1

Sr. No.	Basis	Metropolis	Megalopolis
1.	Meaning	A very large and important city that serves as the chief economic, political, and cultural centre of a region or country.	A chain of two or more large cities (metropolises) and their surrounding areas that have grown and merged into one continuous urban region.
2.	Scale	Single large urban centre.	Vast urban region comprising multiple metropolitan areas
3.	Population Size	Usually over 1 million people.	Often over 25–30 million people in total.
4.	Functions	Acts as a hub for administration, trade, commerce, industry, education, and culture.	Functions as an integrated economic and social region with shared infrastructure and transport networks.
5.	Example form India	Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata.	Delhi–Meerut–Agra–Jaipur industrial belt, Mumbai–Pune urban region.