This map by Ian Wright at Brilliant Maps shows us the ten largest cities in Europe by population. Moscow is no surprise, and the others are plausible, but then... Ruhr? With 5.3 million people? I had to look it up, since I wasn't familiar with this city.
As with any project of this sort, you have to establish rules for your list. Do you go by population within the city limits, or the metropolitan area? That's difficult, as metropolitan areas can contain other cities. Wright decided to measure population from a city center to a circle 30 kilometers from that point. Totals are therefore understandably different from various official accounts, as each country calculates population counts differently. But then there's Ruhr, an area in Germany bordered by three rivers which contains several large cities that spread so much that they butt up against each other. Placing a circle with a 30 kilometer radius to encompass the highest population gives us 5.3 million.
You could also quibble about Istanbul if you wanted to, since 35% of the city's population lives in Asia, but why would you want to? Read more about the biggest cities in Europe, including those outside the top ten, at Brilliant Maps. -via Nag on the Lake
(Image credit: Frierfjord1)
