Population & Geography (1–20)

1. Most populous city — Tokyo (Japan)

   Greater Tokyo remains the number 1 metropolitan area (~37 million) according to the “built-up urban area” definition.

   Source: Demographia 2025

2. Most populous city proper — Chongqing (China)

   The municipality-province exceeds 30 million inhabitants; the "city proper" follows the administrative boundaries (may include rural areas).

   Source: Wikipedia — Chongqing

3. Highest capital city — La Paz (Bolivia)

   Seat of government at ~3,650 m; the constitutional capital of Bolivia is Sucre.

   Source: Britannica — La Paz

4. Lowest capital — Baku (Azerbaijan)

   Located approximately 28 m below sea level on the Caspian Sea – a world record for a national capital.

   Source: Wikipedia — Baku

5. Northernmost city ≥100,000 inhabitants — Norilsk (Russia)

   At ~69°N, Norilsk is the northernmost major city, built on permafrost.

   Source: Britannica — Norilsk

6. Largest city beyond the Arctic Circle — Murmansk (Russia)

   Major Arctic port and urban center of reference north of the Arctic Circle.

   Source: Wikipedia — Murmansk

7. Farthest city from the sea — Ürümqi (China)

   ~2,500 km of any coastline, close to the Eurasian oceanic pole of inaccessibility.

   Source: Guinness

8. Southernmost city (city status) — Puerto Williams (Chile)

   Official recognition as a "city" in 2019; rivals Ushuaia in terms of criteria.

   Source: Reuters

9. Lowest city — Jericho (Palestine)

   ≈ −258 m altitude in the Jordan Valley; city inhabited for millennia.

   Source: Wikipedia — Jericho

10. Capital on the Equator — Quito (Ecuador)

    The equator crosses the north of the metropolitan area (San Antonio de Pichincha).

    Source: Wikipedia — Quito

11. Largest desert city (world's top) — Lima (Peru)

    A megalopolis built on a coastal desert, with Cairo and Karachi among the landmarks.

    Source: Wikipedia — Lima

12. Northernmost capital — Reykjavík (Iceland)

    At ~64°N, northernmost sovereign capital.

    Source: Wikipedia — Reykjavík

13. Least populated capital — Ngerulmud (Palau)

    Seat of government, with almost no permanent residents recorded.

    Source: Wikipedia — Ngerulmud

14. City built on the most islands — Venice (Italy)

    118 islands connected by hundreds of bridges; unique lagoon site.

    Source: Britannica — Venice

15. City with the most bridges — Hamburg (Germany)

    ≈ 2,500 bridges — more than Venice and Amsterdam combined.

    Source: City of Hamburg

16. Longest urban canal network — Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    ~100 km of canals and 1,500+ bridges — the capital's water DNA.

    Source: Municipality of Amsterdam

17. Longest beach adjacent to a city — Praia do Cassino (Rio Grande, Brazil)

    Continuous beach ~212–254 km to the Uruguayan border.

    Source: Wikipedia — Praia do Cassino

18. Iconic urban archipelago — Stockholm (Sweden)

    An archipelago of ~30,000 islands at the gateway to the center; a rare case for a capital.

    Source: Visit Sweden

19. Capital of “two continents” — Istanbul (Turkey)

    The only major metropolis built straddling Europe and Asia (Bosphorus).

    Source: Britannica — Istanbul

20. City without sea, lake or great river — Johannesburg (South Africa)

    Continental megalopolis built on the Witwatersrand, far from any large body of water.

    Source: Wikipedia — Johannesburg

Climate & Extremes (21–40)

21. Coldest major city — Yakutsk (Russia)

    Winter averages around −40°C; historical lows < −60°C.

    Source: Britannica — Yakutsk

22. Coldest capital city — Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)

    Average annual temperature close to 0°C – a record for capital cities.

    Source: Wikipedia — Ulaanbaatar

23. Windiest city (average) — Wellington (New Zealand)

    Exposure to the “Roaring Forties”; high annual average speeds.

    Source: Britannica—Wellington

24. Sunniest City — Yuma (United States)

    ~4,015 h/year, ~91% of daylight hours — world record.

    Source:WMO — Weather & Climate Extremes

25. Driest city — Arica (Chile)

    Annual average ≈ 0.76 mm; some years without measured rainfall.

    Source: Wikipedia — Arica

26. Wettest city — Quibdó (Colombia)

    Annual totals among the highest in the world for a city (equatorial climate).

    Source:Wikipedia — Quibdó

27. Snowiest City — Aomori (Japan)

    ≈ 7–8 m of snow accumulated per winter on average.

    Source: AccuWeather

28. Wettest capital city — Monrovia (Liberia)

    ≈ 4,600–5,100 mm/year depending on the series — capital city record.

    Source: Wikipedia — Monrovia

29. Busiest pedestrian intersection — Shibuya Crossing (Tokyo)

    Urban icon: peaks at several thousand crossings per cycle.

    Source: Britannica — Tokyo

30. Narrowest street — Spreuerhofstraße, Reutlingen (Germany)

    Official passage at 31 cm at its narrowest - urban curiosity.

    Source: Wikipedia — Spreuerhofstraße

31. Widest avenue — Avenida 9 de Julio, Buenos Aires (Arg.)

    Up to ~110–140 m wide with medians and 16–18 lanes.

    Source: Guinness

32. Steepest street (center of roadway) — Baldwin Street, Dunedin (NZ)

    Approved slope at 34.8% (since 2019).

    Source: Guinness

33. Densest Clean City — Manila (Philippines)

    Intra-muros density among the highest in the world (> 40,000 inhabitants/km²).

    Source: Wikipedia — Density

34. Most Multilingual City — New York (United States)

    200+ languages ​​spoken — record linguistic diversity.

    Source: NYC (Language Access)

35. Most Visited City (2024) — Bangkok (Thailand)

    No. 1 in the “Top 100 City Destinations Index 2024”.

    Source: Euromonitor 2024

36. Largest urban carnival — Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

    The largest carnival in the world in terms of participants (parades + blocos).

    Source: Guinness

37. Largest Ice & Snow Festival — Harbin (China)

    World meeting of monumental sculptures, millions of visitors.

    Source: AP News

38. Largest urban forest (claimed) — Tijuca, Rio (Brazil)

    National park ~30–40 km² in the heart of Rio; often claimed record (definitions debated).

    Source: Wikipedia — Tijuca NP

39. Largest municipal urban preserve (USA) — Scottsdale (United States)

    McDowell Sonoran Preserve ~123 km² within city limits.

    Source: City of Scottsdale

40. Longest urban mosaic mural — Hanoi (Vietnam)

    The "Ceramic Mosaic Mural" stretches for several kilometers along the dike.

    Source: Guinness

Transport & mobility (41–60)

41. First subway in history — London (UK)

    Metropolitan Railway opened on 10 January 1863 – birth of the subway.

    Source: TfL

42. 1st electrified metro in (continental) Europe — Budapest (Hungary)

    M1 “Millennium Underground” line (1896), listed by UNESCO.

    Source: UNESCO

43. 2nd Underground Urban Railway — Tünel, Istanbul (Turkey)

    Opened in 1875 (573 m), connects Karaköy to Beyoğlu.

    Source: Britannica — Istanbul

44. Longest subway network — Beijing (China)

    ≈ 879 km operated by the end of 2024 — continuous extensions.

    Source: Wikipedia — Beijing Subway

45. Subway with the most stations — New York (United States)

    472 stations served — a world record for a single network.

    Source: MTA — Facts & Figures

46. Deepest Subway Station — Hongyancun (Chongqing)

    ≈ 116 m depth — new world reference.

    Source: Wikipedia

47. Largest tram network — Melbourne (Australia)

    ~250 km of track and 1,700+ stops — Yarra Trams.

    Source: Yarra Trams

48. Largest BRT network — Transjakarta (Indonesia)

    ~251 km of dedicated corridors — million-dollar ridership.

    Source: ITDP

49. Largest urban cable car network — La Paz–El Alto (Bolivia)

    Mi Teleférico: 10 lines, > 33 km — model for cities in relief.

    Source: Wikipedia — Mi Teleférico

50. Fastest urban train — Shanghai Maglev (China)

    Commercial peak at 431 km/h; Pudong airport < 10 min.

    Source: SMTDC (official)

51. Busiest Airport (2024 Passengers) — Atlanta ATL (USA)

    World No. 1 according to ACI World (2024 ranking published in 2025).

    Source: ACI World

52. Largest urban airport system — London (UK)

    Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, City, Southend.

    Source: Heathrow • London City

53. Largest single-building terminal — Beijing Daxing (China)

    ≈ 700,000 m² under one roof — signature Zaha Hadid Architects.

    Source: ZHA

54. Busiest container port — Shanghai (China)

    World No. 1 in TEU; 1st to cross 50 M TEU (2024).

    Source: World Shipping Council

55. Largest cruise port — Miami (United States)

    PortMiami set a 2024 record with 8.23 ​​million passengers.

    Source: PortMiami

56. Busiest land border crossing (West Hemisphere) — San Ysidro (USA/Mexico)

    Connects San Diego to Tijuana; record daily volumes.

    Source: US GSA

57. Longest driverless metro — Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

    Certified automatic network at 176 km (2025).

    Source: Guinness

58. Busiest station — Shinjuku (Tokyo)

    World record for daily multi-operator entries/exits.

    Source: Guinness

59. Largest bus terminal — Port Authority Bus Terminal, NYC

    Busiest in the world (hundreds of thousands of passengers/day).

    Source: PANYNJ

60. Longest aerial walkway network — Minneapolis Skyway (USA)

    Contiguous network ~16 km at the 2nd level connecting ~80 blocks.

    Source: Wikipedia — Skyway

Architecture & skyline (61–80)

61. City with the most skyscrapers (≥150 m) — Hong Kong (China)

    World No. 1 by towers ≥150 m — ultra-dense skyline.

    Source: CTBUH — Cities

62. City with the most towers (≥200 m) — Shenzhen (China)

    World number one for 200m+; rapid growth since 2010.

    Source: Wikipedia

63. City with the most towers (≥300 m) — Dubai (UAE)

    Dominates the “supertall” category ≥300 m.

    Source: CTBUH — Cities

64. Tallest skyscraper — Burj Khalifa, Dubai

    828 m (architectural height); world icon.

    Source: Wikipedia — Burj Khalifa

65. Tallest residential building — Central Park Tower, New York

    472 m — residential world record (CTBUH).

    Source: CTBUH

66. Tallest hotel — Gevora Hotel, Dubai

    356.33 m — Guinness record (since 2018).

    Source: Guinness

67. Tallest tower (tower-like structure) — Tokyo Skytree (Japan)

    634 m — tallest freestanding tower.

    Source: Tokyo Skytree (off.)

68. Tallest twin towers — Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur

    451.9 m and skybridge at 170 m — a record for twins.

    Source: CTBUH

69. Tallest clock on a building — Makkah Royal Clock Tower

    Abraj Al-Bait Complex — monumental clock at ~600 m.

    Source: Wikipedia — Abraj Al-Bait

70. Longest preserved city wall — Nanjing (China)

    ~25 km still standing (Ming wall ~35 km original).

    Source: Wikipedia — Nanjing Wall

71. Largest covered bazaar — Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

    Historical labyrinth of thousands of stalls (15th century).

    Source: Wikipedia

72. Largest planetarium (building scale) — Shanghai Astronomy Museum

    Museum complex presented as the largest planetarium in the world by size.

    Source: Smithsonian

73. Largest palace (complex) — Forbidden City, Beijing

    ≈ 72 ha, 8,700 rooms; UNESCO imperial heritage.

    Source: UNESCO — Beijing

74. Tallest church — Ulm Minster (Germany)

    Spire at 161.5 m; the Sagrada Família could exceed this upon completion.

    Source: Wikipedia — Ulm Minster

75. Cantilever bridge — longest span — Quebec Bridge (Canada)

    Span of 549 m — world record for cantilever.

    Source: Wikipedia — Quebec Bridge

76. Cable-stayed bridge — longest span — Russky Bridge, Vladivostok

    Record cable-stayed span of 1,104 m (2012).

    Source: Guinness

77. Largest Observation Wheel — Ain Dubai

    250 m — exceeds the High Roller in Las Vegas.

    Source:Guide2Dubai

78. Highest observation deck — Shanghai Tower

    Lookout at 561–562 m — world record.

    Source: Guinness

79. Longest open-air art gallery — East Side Gallery, Berlin

    1.3 km of works on the old wall — heritage and street art.

    Source: East Side Gallery

80. Largest fish market — Toyosu Market, Tokyo

    Replacement for Tsukiji — largest fish market.

    Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Gov.

Culture, heritage & tourism (81–90)

81. City with the most Michelin stars — Tokyo (Japan)

    1st in the world by number of starred addresses (including 3★).

    Source: MICHELIN Guide — Tokyo

82. Largest art museum — Louvre Museum, Paris

    ~72,735 m² of exhibition space — most visited art museum.

    Source: Louvre (off.)

83. Largest library — Library of Congress, Washington DC

    Largest fund in the world (items from all media combined).

    Source: Library of Congress

84. Oldest operating zoo — Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Vienna

    Founded in 1752 — in the heart of Schönbrunn Palace (UNESCO).

    Source: Zoo Vienna

85. Oldest university (continuous operation) — Bologna (Italy)

    “Alma Mater Studiorum” dates back to 1088 — academic continuity.

    Source: Univ. Bologna

86. Oldest academic botanical garden (in situ) — Padua (Italy)

    Orto Botanico (1545) — UNESCO, still on its original site.

    Source: UNESCO — Padua

87. Only "mobile" National Historic Landmark (USA) — Cable cars, San Francisco

    Last manual cable tram system - NH Landmark status.

    Source: SFMTA

88. Highest indoor waterfall — Rain Vortex, Jewel Changi (Singapore)

    40m indoor waterfall in the heart of the airport complex.

    Source: Jewel Changi

89. Largest “indoor skiing” — L+SNOW, Shanghai

    Largest indoor ski facility (certified 2024).

    Source: Guinness

90. Largest Indoor Theme Park — Chimelong Spaceship, Zhuhai

    Guinness Record 397,064.94 m² (09/15/2023).

    Source: Guinness

Unusual & other records (91–100)

91. City with the largest helicopter fleet — São Paulo (Brazil)

    Several hundred aircraft and helipads — dense urban traffic.

    Source: Reuters (ex.)

92. Largest underground city (pedestrian network) — RÉSO, Montreal

    ~32–33 km of galleries connecting subways, offices and shops.

    Source: City of Montreal

93. Largest underground shopping network — PATH, Toronto

    ~30 km, 1,200+ shops — Guinness #1 Underground Shopping Complex.

    Source: Wikipedia — PATH

94. Longest urban ring road — 6th Ring Road, Beijing

    ~220 km belt around the metropolitan area — one of the longest in the world.

    Source: Wikipedia — 6th Ring

95. Most surveilled city (camera density) — Delhi (India)

    Recent studies rank Delhi No. 1 in cameras/km² and per 1,000 inhabitants.

    Source: Comparitech

96. Oldest 'modern' stock exchange - Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    Amsterdam Stock Exchange (1602) — model of modern IPO.

    Source: Euronext Amsterdam

97. Oldest bank in operation — Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena

    Founded in 1472 — continuously operating.

    Source:MPS — History

98. Highest capital in the EU — Madrid (Spain)

    ~646 m altitude on the Meseta plateau.

    Source: Wikipedia — Madrid

99. Station with the most platforms — Grand Central Terminal, NYC

    44 platforms and 67 tracks on two levels — iconic railway hub.

    Source: Wikipedia — GCT

100. Largest total port tonnage — Ningbo-Zhoushan (China)

     ~1.37 Bn t (2024) — 1st in the world in total throughput.

     Source: Gov.cn (EN)

Notes: Some records depend on definitions (e.g., “city proper” vs. agglomeration; CTBUH heights; “largest” by area, volume, or capacity). Links point to reference sources (institutions, local authorities, CTBUH, Guinness, UNESCO, transport operators, etc.).