10. Shanghai, China
GDP: $516.5 billion
Area: 6,340.5 square kilometers
Population: 23,019,148
With the Chinese economy experiencing a big boom, it is no wonder that a Chinese city will make it to the list. While Beijing is the cultural and political seat of China, Shanghai is known to be its commercial hub and will remain as such for many years to come. Most of its major industries engage in tourism, chemical and steel production sectors and majority of foreign embassies have chosen Shanghai as its home, which greatly adds to the prestige and appeal of the once small fishing village on the Chinese east coast.
9. Moscow, Russia
GDP: $520.1 billion
Area: 2,510 square kilometers
Population: 11,503,501
The Russian capital offers more than their famed vodka and luxurious caviar. That’s for sure. After getting dethroned as the official seat of the country when St. Petersburg was founded, Moscow was reintroduced as the capital city of Russia after the 1917 Revolution. After getting involved in countless wars and historical milestones, Moscow now provides a huge fraction of the country’s supply of food, steel, minerals, and chemicals.
8. Chicago, USA
GDP: $524.6 billion
Area: 606.1 square kilometers
Population: 2,707,120
Chicago is home to the Chicago Bulls, the basketball team that lorded over the basketball scene in the 1990s. It is also home to the deep-dish pizza, a culinary offering rarely found anywhere else. But Chicago is more than just basketball and an Italian dish. The city’s roots are so deep they would trace back to Native Americans that called the Windy City home. Since the modern founding of Chicago in 1833, all the city did was grow and it is still developing up to this day. Current industries found in Chicago are manufacturing, printing and publishing.
7. Osaka, Japan
GDP: $654.8 billion
Area: 552.26 square kilometers
Population: 1,545,410
One of the oldest and historically significant cities in Japan, Osaka’s origins go back to as far as 6 BC. But Osaka’s true beginnings as a city flourished during the Edo Period from 1603 to 1867. Today, only 223 square kilometers of its total land area can be described as an urban metro. The rest of the land is either designated as agricultural and cultural. Tourist attractions include the Osaka Castle and Universal Studios Japan. Most industries found in the city engage in metal, textile and plastic production.
6. Paris, France
GDP: $669.2 billion
Area: 105.4 square kilometers
Population: 10,413,386
While it has the reputation of being the City of Romance today, Paris went through a very stormy history. That includes countless wars during the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, battles in the Medieval Period, the Black Plague, invasions from Asia, and two World Wars. Today, apart from being the City of Romance, Paris is now the Fashion Capital of the World, with high end clothing labels lined up in their streets and fashion designers and models flocking to the city to make it big. Places worth of attention include the famed Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees, the Louvre Museum and the Arc de Triomphe.