Second city
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The second city of a country is the city that is (or was) the second-most important, usually after the capital or first city, according to some criteria.[citation needed]
Criteria for second city status include population size, economic or commercial importance, political importance, or some cultural sense. Since it is often difficult to draw a precise boundary where cities end, deciding which city is second in a country is not always straightforward. If the cultural definition is used, then the choice of second city is highly subjective and a matter of opinion rather than fact. In many countries, more than one city might have a legitimate claim to being second city, depending on the definition or criteria used.
It is also sometimes believed, rightly or wrongly, that the second city would assume the role of capital city (as seat of government, market trading, etc.) if the capital were to be compromised by invasion or insurrection.
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[edit] Australia
In Australia, Melbourne is usually referred to as the second city, behind the largest city Sydney. Neither is the national capital, which is the comparatively small Canberra (compare to Wellington in New Zealand or the much larger Ottawa in Canada). Sydney and Melbourne are both state capitals.
The postcodes for the state capitals were originally designated roughly in order of population size: Sydney 2000, Melbourne 3000, Brisbane 4000, Adelaide 5000, Perth 6000, Hobart 7000. (Note that the metropolitan population of Perth now exceeds that of its eastern neighbour, Adelaide). The postcode 1000 was not originally used. Canberra's postcode is 2600, since it is surrounded by the state of New South Wales.
Within Sydney, the western suburb of Paramatta is often referred to as Sydney's second CBD.
Within Tasmania, Launceston is the second city after the largest city, the state capital Hobart.
[edit] Brazil
Rio de Janiero is Brazil's second city, but was its first until several decades ago. It was formerly the capital and center of the nation, and the former largest city. São Paulo on the other hand, stole Rio's crown to dominate Brazil's economic, social, and political scene. Rio is still an important cultural center.
[edit] Canada
In Canada, Montreal is commonly considered to be the country's second city. Until the late 1970s, this title had belonged to Toronto. It was during that time, amidst political and social unrest caused by the growing Quebec sovereignty movement, that it overtook Montreal, the first city, in population, and the center of the financial industry would move from St. James Street in Montreal to Bay Street in Toronto. For more on the rivalry between the country's two largest cities see Toronto-Montreal rivalry
Each province may have a second city, but this is controversial. For example in British Columbia, Victoria is secondary in population to Vancouver despite being the provincial capital, as in the case with Quebec City and Montreal in the province of Quebec as well as Toronto and Ottawa in the province of Ontario, despite Ottawa's being the nation's capital. In some provinces, however, cities are more evenly matched. In Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton are nearly equal in population, and while Edmonton is the capital, Calgary is a more important business centre (see Battle of Alberta). Similarly Saskatchewan's Regina and Saskatoon are of a similar size, while New Brunswick has three similarly sized cities, Saint John, Moncton, and Fredericton. In the provinces of Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador and Prince Edward Island the capital city is also the largest city by a significant margin.
[edit] Chile
Concepción located in the geographic center of Chile, is Chilean second city, it's the second most important, populous, and large city of this country. This city has 10 “comunas” called: Concepción, Talcahuano, San Pedro de la Paz, Hualpén, Chiguayante, Coronel, Lota, Tomé, Penco and Hualqui, with a total population of 889,725 habitants (2002 Census). In this city were declared the Chilean independence, and this city was the most important city of Chile during part of XVI century with the "Real Audiencia" as the most important institution in that country. In this city there's a lot of Universities, being the second city with more Universities in Chile (after Santiago). It has beautiful landscapes like the largest bridge in Chile (Juan Pablo II Bridge) (it also has the second and the third bridges by length) through the Bio Bio River, the largest University of Chile (Universidad de Concepción), and it will have the largest skyscraper out Santiago (in 2008) with 112 m. This city is also considered the capital of culture and music as it has a lot of new and important bands like Los Tres.
The third city of Chile is Valparaiso with a total population of 803,683 (at the 2002 Census)
[edit] Colombia
Medellín is the second city of Colombia, and has been for most of the 20th century. As the most important city in the coffee-growing region known as the eje cafetero, for decades the economic surplus of a very profitable export trade accumulated here. The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, which provided credit, extension education, and marketing services for the individual small farmers, invested its surpluses in diversifying the local economy. This led to a thriving textile and fashion industry, so Medellín is sometimes called the Manchester of South America, after England's textile capital. The cultural, economic and political influence of the paisas, as the people of the region are called, has traditionally been very strong in Colombia; businessmen once complained "even the Banco Alemán (German Bank) is owned by paisas". Recently the cultural influence of the Caribbean coastal region has grown, so that the status of second city is now disputable between Medellín and Cartagena. Cartagena, which began as a walled city and major seaport in colonial times, was the traditional second city of the country, a power rival to the capital, Bogotá.
[edit] Greece
Thessaloniki is often referred to as a co-capital of Greece. It is the second most important economic and cultural center of the country, and serves as a link between the peninsular country and the center of Europe. Thessaloniki was in the Middle Ages regarded as the "co-queen" of the Byzantine Empire, second in importance only to the empire's capital, Constantinople. The city maintained its importance during the Ottoman period. The founder of modern Turkey, Atatürk, was born in Thessaloniki in 1881.
[edit] Indonesia
Surabaya is considered Indonesia's second city, after Jakarta. Bandung has recently passed Surabaya in city limits population, but is almost seen as a far flung suburb now.
[edit] Israel
Although Jerusalem's population is about 2-times bigger than Tel Aviv-Yafo proper, the metropolitan area of Tel Aviv (Gush Dan) is much larger than that of Jerusalem. More significantly, Tel Aviv is the economical, cultural and social "first city" of Israel.
[edit] Italy
The second city of Italy is undoubtedly Milan.
[edit] Japan
Osaka is the city in Japan with the third largest population, following Tokyo and Yokohama. Yokohama is, however, one of the satellite towns of Tokyo,[1][2] and is considered a part of the Greater Tokyo Area. After the 7th century A.D., the Japanese capital was moved to Osaka a few times. In the 16th century, at about the time Tokyo (then called Edo) was established as Japan's de facto capital, Osaka was rezoned, which gave it the advantage of the largest port and access to many tradesmen.
Like Tokyo, Osaka is now part of a larger metropolitan area (Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto), and it has all the top level infrastructure and social systems except a national legislative organ.
Here is a list of Islands in Japan and their 1st and second cities.
| City | Honshu | Kyushu | Hokkaido | Shikoku |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tokyo | Fukuoka | Sapporo | Kochi |
| 2nd | Osaka | Kitakyushu | Hakodate | Tokushima |
[edit] Republic of Ireland
Cork is generally considered to be the second city to Dublin, having a much higher population than Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, Sligo or Waterford.
[edit] Mexico
From colonial times,[3] and until the beginning of the 20th century,[4] Puebla was considered the second city in Mexico; it was the first to industrialize and the second most important cultural and academic centre.[5] Throughout the 20th century, Guadalajara has been traditionally considered the second city given its initial rapid industrialization[6] and population growth. Nowadays, it continues to be the second most important cultural centre hosting prestigious international literary, music and film events.[7] It was selected to be the "Cultural Capital of the Americas" on one occasion, and at the same time remains an important industrial hub for Western Mexico, and it remains the country's second most populous city. Nonetheless, since the last quarter of the century, Monterrey has engaged in an industrial restructuring that has positioned the city in the international arena as the second most important industrial and financial hub in the country after Mexico City,[8] with the presence of important transnational conglomerates. Having being ranked as the best city to do business in Latin America by Fortune Magazine, and enjoying the second highest income per capita in Mexico, Monterrey has also played an important role in the technological and educational modernization of the country. In all aspects of urban modernization Monterrey is the second city in Mexico.[9]
[edit] New Zealand
New Zealand's second city is considered to be its capital Wellington after the country's largest city Auckland. Wellington, aside from being able to claim itself as the national capital, is also seen as the cultural capital, much like other second cities such as Montreal and Melbourne. People from Christchurch often claim their position as the second largest city in the country and largest in the South Island should make them the second city.
[edit] Philippines
Cebu, in the Visayas is recognized by many as second city since the Mactan-Cebu International Airport is the second busiest Philippine international airport.
In Metro Manila, Quezon City is considered secondary to Manila since it was the Philippine capital through a Republic Act signed by Elpidio Quirino in 1948. Envisioned as the "New Manila", an urban plan was laid out in the 1950s. It is located northeast of Manila. Since many history books and foreigners recognize Manila as the capital, on 1976, Ferdinand Marcos signed a Presidential Decree reverting the national capital back to Manila. He also decreed that Quezon City and other suburbs comprise the National Capital Region or simply Metro Manila. Quezon City was recgonized as the national government center where almost all government offices are located in this city. The lower legislative house is located at the northern portion of the city. The city is four times bigger than the City of Manila and is the Philippines most populous city.
Other important cities in Metro Manila include Pasay, where the upper legislative house and foreign affairs office are located. Makati, the national financial district.
Baguio City, in Luzon is the Philippine summer capital, where th executive, legislative and judicial departments have a resthouse in that city.
[edit] South Africa
Cape Town is still regarded as South Africa's second city, because of its economic importance, its prevalence as an international tourist destination, and its airport, which is the second-busiest in the country after OR Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg. However, in the same way that Los Angeles outgrew Chicago in the 1980s, Durban outgrew Cape Town in the 1990s in terms of population. Durban International Airport, however, does not handle as much traffic as Cape Town International Airport. Moreover, Durban does not function as either a provincial or national capital as Cape Town does, and is not as economically strong as Cape Town.[10] As such, it is generally still regarded in the lexicon of the South African urban hierarchy as South Africa's third city.
As for South Africa's provinces , most have a certain first city while many have a certain second city. In many occasions , the second city is often the seat of administration in that province, if not it the first city is. Second cities are often judged not on the population or geographical size but the economic and historical importance.
[edit] Thailand
Chiang Mai is often cited as Thailand's second city by foreigners, however, the reality is Thailand doesn't really have a definitive second city, like many other nations. No other city even comes close in comparison to Bangkok, culturally, politically, economically, or otherwise. Among the second tier cities after Bangkok include Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Phuket and Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima), each of which may have claims to second city. Hat Yai/Songkhla is also a major southern hub, large enough in size, but lacks character and isn't considered really "Thai".
In terms of former capitals, Chiang Mai is the largest, in terms of population, Korat has the largest provincial population and gateway to the Isan, in terms of city limits, Chon Buri leads in population of all cities outside of Greater Bangkok, as well as the province having significant economic importance as being part of the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand. Phuket can be seen as the country's premier tourist destination.
Before the 70's, Thon Buri City was Thailand's second city, but has since merged with Bangkok.
[edit] United Kingdom
Birmingham, the second-largest city both by geographical size and population, has generally been described as the second city of the UK since around the First World War [11] [12] [13]. More recently, it has been claimed that Manchester deserves the distinction [14] [15], and it has occasionally been described as the second city in published media [16] [17] [18].
Since the formation of the UK, Norwich[citation needed], Dublin[19] Bristol[citation needed], Glasgow[citation needed], and Liverpool[citation needed] have all also been identified as the second city, and indeed Glasgow was often described as the second city of the entire British Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries[citation needed]. These cities were prominent because of their economic importance, especially the central role which they played in overseas trade, and are still among the largest cities in the country.
[edit] Scotland
The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh, having been so since 1437. However, the main city in Scotland, in terms of population, metropolitan area, commuter belt, economic importance and most recently tourism is Glasgow. Glasgow's famous nickname is the "Second City of the Empire", (the first city in this context being London rather than Edinburgh).[20]
[edit] Northern Ireland
The capital city of Northern Ireland is Belfast. The second city of Northern Ireland is Derry. Until 2002 Northern Ireland's only other city was Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of the island of Ireland. That year, Queen Elizabeth granted city status to Lisburn and Newry.[21]
[edit] Wales
Cardiff is the capital city of Wales and the largest city by population. The second most populous city is Swansea.
[edit] United States
In the United States, the term has long been a nickname for Chicago, which has a history as the largest urban area second to New York City. However, in the 1980s, Chicago was displaced by Los Angeles as the second largest city in the United States (If considering the metropolitan area, it could be argued that this had taken place a decade earlier.) Chicago has embraced its "Second City" moniker and has widely accepted it as a shorthand name for the city; this is the origin of the name of The Second City comedy troupe.
[edit] Vietnam
Hanoi is Vietnam's second city, despite also being the capital and power center of the government. Saigon or Ho Chi Minh city is Vietnam's first city, as the nation's largest population, economy, and trendsetter. The case is very similar to the opening of China, with Guangdong in the south playing a crucial role.
[edit] Other countries
[edit] See also
- List of countries whose capital is not their largest city
- List of largest cities and second largest cities by country
- Satellite city
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.urban.e.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_code_e.htm
- ^ http://www.stat.go.jp/data/kokusei/2000/final/zuhyou/092.xls
- ^ The patronage of Juan de Palafox y Mendoza: Constructing the cathedral and civic image of Puebla de Los Angeles, Mexico
- ^ The New Student's Reference Work, Puebla entry,
- ^ Historia de la ciudad de Puebla..
- ^ Fragmentos urbanos de una misma ciudad: Guadalajara
- ^ Guadalajara hosts the most important literary even of the Spanish speaking world, Feria Internacional del Libro, and a prestigious cinema award ceremony
- ^ La urbanización en México en el último cuarto del siglo XX
- ^ Mexican Regionalism Reconsidered
- ^ http://www.joburg.org.za/nov_2002/nov25_gdp.stm
- ^ Hopkins, Eric (2001). Birmingham: The Making of the Second City 1850-1939. Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0752423274.
- ^ Swindle, Michael. What It Was, Was Britball. New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-08-02., "Birmingham, the second city of England"
- ^ One shot dead, two injured in Manchester shootings. News.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-08-02., "Britain's second city of Birmingham"
- ^ Manchester 'England's second city'. BBC NEWS (2002). Retrieved on 2006-05-03.
- ^ Manchester 'close to second city'. BBC NEWS (2005). Retrieved on 2006-05-03.
- ^ Nottle, Diane. Britain's Second City Sandblasts its Image. New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ Swed, Mark. With Manchester Festival, England's second city bids for cultural spotlight. calendarlive.com. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ Mead, Rebecca. Manchester United. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
- ^ The Second City of Empire. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.. Dublin was the second most populous city at the time of the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, though it and the rest of the Republic of Ireland, ceased to be a part of the UK in the 1920s.
- ^ The Second City.
- ^ BBC report
