AP Human Geography Notes Unit 6
Here are notes from Unit 6:
Ranking Urban Centers Urban centers can be ranked by their size and functional
specialization, from smallest to largest:
● Hamlet: Has no urban function, typically just a store, gas station, or services. Population
is less than 500 people.
● Village: Has specialization and sells goods, larger than a hamlet. Population ranges
from 500 to 2,500 people.
● Town: Has a higher level of specialization, including banks and schools, and a
surrounding hinterland. Population ranges from 10,000 to 100,000 people.
● City: Features more functional specialization, a central business district (CBD), and a
large hinterland with suburbs. Population ranges from 100,000 to 1,000,000 people.
● Metropolis: A city including its suburbs. Population ranges from 1-5 million people.
● Megalopolis: Multiple cities that have grown together (e.g., Boston to Washington D.C.).
Population is typically 10+ million people.
Rank-Size Rule
● Cities in a country are placed in order from largest to smallest.
● The second largest city is expected to have 1/2 the population of the largest populated
city.
● The third largest city is expected to have 1/3 the population of the largest populated
city.
● The fourth largest city is expected to have 1/4 the population of the largest populated
city.
● Example: If the largest city has 12 million people, the 4th largest city would be expected
to have 3 million people (12 million / 4).
, Primate City Rule
● A primate city is the largest city in a country that has more than twice the number of
the second-ranking city.
● These cities often represent the culture of the country.
● The Rank-Size Rule does not work in countries with a primate city.
● Examples: Paris (9 million) is a primate city to Marseille (2 million); London (9 million) is
a primate city to Birmingham (2 million).
World City (Global City or Alpha City)
● An important node or connecting point in the global economic system.
● Their significance is based on their location of trade or finances both nationally and
globally, not necessarily on population size.
● Liverpool, England, was the first prominent world city due to its crucial role as a shipping
port during the Industrial Revolution.
● Examples: Frankfurt, London, Paris, Zurich.
Megacity
● A city with a very large, growing population, typically found in the "developing" world.
● Characterized by high natural population growth and high rates of immigration.
● Often suffer from extreme pollution and poverty, and may feature widespread slum
settlements to house the working masses.
● A megacity has a minimum population of 5 million people.
● Difference between Megacity and Metacity: Metacities have 20+ million people, while
megacities have 5-20 million.
History of Urbanization
● The First Urban Revolution occurred between 7,000-5,000 BC in Mesopotamia.
● There are five hearths of urbanization:
1. Mesopotamia
2. Nile Valley
3. Indus River Valley
4. Huang He River Valley
5. Mesoamerica
The Urban and Suburban Transition
● Urban Bubble: Characterized by crowded conditions, but living close to work has perks.
● Suburbs: Developed in the 1950s as people wanted bigger houses, less crowding, and
less pollution and traffic, enabled by ubiquitous cars.
● Rural: People moved from farms to towns for factory work.
● Boomburbs: A rapidly growing city in the US that remains suburban, even as it reaches
populations of urban core cities. These are incorporated places in the top 50
Here are notes from Unit 6:
Ranking Urban Centers Urban centers can be ranked by their size and functional
specialization, from smallest to largest:
● Hamlet: Has no urban function, typically just a store, gas station, or services. Population
is less than 500 people.
● Village: Has specialization and sells goods, larger than a hamlet. Population ranges
from 500 to 2,500 people.
● Town: Has a higher level of specialization, including banks and schools, and a
surrounding hinterland. Population ranges from 10,000 to 100,000 people.
● City: Features more functional specialization, a central business district (CBD), and a
large hinterland with suburbs. Population ranges from 100,000 to 1,000,000 people.
● Metropolis: A city including its suburbs. Population ranges from 1-5 million people.
● Megalopolis: Multiple cities that have grown together (e.g., Boston to Washington D.C.).
Population is typically 10+ million people.
Rank-Size Rule
● Cities in a country are placed in order from largest to smallest.
● The second largest city is expected to have 1/2 the population of the largest populated
city.
● The third largest city is expected to have 1/3 the population of the largest populated
city.
● The fourth largest city is expected to have 1/4 the population of the largest populated
city.
● Example: If the largest city has 12 million people, the 4th largest city would be expected
to have 3 million people (12 million / 4).
, Primate City Rule
● A primate city is the largest city in a country that has more than twice the number of
the second-ranking city.
● These cities often represent the culture of the country.
● The Rank-Size Rule does not work in countries with a primate city.
● Examples: Paris (9 million) is a primate city to Marseille (2 million); London (9 million) is
a primate city to Birmingham (2 million).
World City (Global City or Alpha City)
● An important node or connecting point in the global economic system.
● Their significance is based on their location of trade or finances both nationally and
globally, not necessarily on population size.
● Liverpool, England, was the first prominent world city due to its crucial role as a shipping
port during the Industrial Revolution.
● Examples: Frankfurt, London, Paris, Zurich.
Megacity
● A city with a very large, growing population, typically found in the "developing" world.
● Characterized by high natural population growth and high rates of immigration.
● Often suffer from extreme pollution and poverty, and may feature widespread slum
settlements to house the working masses.
● A megacity has a minimum population of 5 million people.
● Difference between Megacity and Metacity: Metacities have 20+ million people, while
megacities have 5-20 million.
History of Urbanization
● The First Urban Revolution occurred between 7,000-5,000 BC in Mesopotamia.
● There are five hearths of urbanization:
1. Mesopotamia
2. Nile Valley
3. Indus River Valley
4. Huang He River Valley
5. Mesoamerica
The Urban and Suburban Transition
● Urban Bubble: Characterized by crowded conditions, but living close to work has perks.
● Suburbs: Developed in the 1950s as people wanted bigger houses, less crowding, and
less pollution and traffic, enabled by ubiquitous cars.
● Rural: People moved from farms to towns for factory work.
● Boomburbs: A rapidly growing city in the US that remains suburban, even as it reaches
populations of urban core cities. These are incorporated places in the top 50
