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A primate city is major city that works as the financial, political, and population centre of a country and is not rivaled in any of these aspects by any other city in that country. Normally, a primate city must be at least twice as populous as the second largest city in the country. Not all countries have primate cities (Croatia, Germany and the People's Republic of China for example), but in those that do, the city is typically depended upon by the rest of the country for cultural, economic, political, and major transportation needs. The best known examples of primate cities are London, Paris, and Tokyo.

Some examples of nations without a primate city, would be that of Brazil, whose largest city and financial centre is São Paulo, its political centre is Brasília, and its cultural centre is located in Rio de Janeiro; India, with the four main cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai; Australia, whose largest city is Sydney but its political centre is Canberra; and the United States whose financial centre is located in New York City, its political centre in Washington, D.C., and its cultural centres are widely dispersed, though the conurbation BosWash may act in many ways as a kind of primate city, fulfilling many functions fulfilled in other countries by a single city. Additionally, Mumbai, New York, São Paulo, and Sydney have close competitors as their countries' largest cities (Delhi, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, and Melbourne).

Some countries, such as the United States, Australia and Canada, have regional and/or provincial/state primate cities, such as Atlanta in Georgia, Winnipeg in Manitoba, and Perth in Western Australia (and the other state capitals: in no Australian state does any city begin to rival the capital).

List of primate cities

Africa

Asia

Europe

Latin America

North America

Australia and Oceania

Countries and states WITHOUT a single primate city

Cities | Geography-related lists

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Primate city".

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