North African cities listed in the 2020 Global Cities 500 list
North Africa is an abbreviation for North Africa region, one of the five major subregions of Africa, usually including Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. The socio-economic development level of the six countries in the North African region varies, and the per capita GDP in 2019 is between 3,000 and 6,000 US dollars, including Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, and Sudan is 714 US dollars, which is one of the least developed countries recognized by the United Nations. The large cities in North Africa with a population of more than 500,000 include Cairo, Alexandria (above egyptian cities), Tripoli (libyan cities), Tunisia, Sfax (above Tunisian cities), Algiers, Constantine, Oran (above algerian cities), Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Marrakesh (the above is a Moroccan city), Khartoum, Port Sudan (the above is a Sudanese city) and more than a dozen other cities; which cities can be called world-famous cities? The Global City Lab measures and ranks the brand value of all cities in the world from the dimensions of economy, culture, environment, talent, government and popularity of cities every year, and draws the list of "Global 500 Cities"; the north African cities listed in the "2020 Global Top 500 Cities" list include Cairo, Alexandria, Algiers, Tunis, Haumitsug, Casablanca and Khartoum, and the above seven cities are the world-famous cities in North Africa.
Egypt is the second largest economy in Africa after Nigeria, with a population of 108 million (it is the world's 13th most populous country), Cairo and Alexandria are world-famous cities; Algeria is the world's tenth largest country in terms of area and the fourth largest economy in Africa (after Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa), and the capital Algiers is a world-famous city; Morocco is the fifth largest economy in Africa (after Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Algeria), and the country's largest city Casablanca is a world-famous city Tunisia has two world-famous cities, Tunis and Haumitsug; Sudan is the third largest country in Africa by area (after Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) with a population of more than 43 million, and the capital, Khartoum, is a world-famous city.
Tunis, the northernmost capital city on the African continent
Situated on the Mediterranean coast of northeastern Tunisia, the city of Tunis is the capital of the Republic of Tunisia with a population of nearly 2.8 million and is the largest city in Tunisia. The city of Tunis is strategically located near the Gulf of Tunis on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, at 36.6 degrees north latitude, making it the northernmost capital city on the African continent. The city of Tunis is an ancient city with a history of more than 1,000 years, becoming the capital of the Hafs dynasty in the 13th century, one of the regional administrative centers of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, the capital of the Tunisian region of French North Africa in the late 19th century, the capital of the independent Tunisian Republic in 1964, and now the political, economic and cultural center of Tunisia.
The Great Mosque of Zaituna in the old city of Tunis
The city of Tunis is a thousand-year-old city that blends European and Arab cultures, and was named the "World Capital of Culture" by UNESCO in 1997; the city of Tunis is home to universities such as the University of Tunis, a public university established in 1988, with more than 20,000 students and is a member of the Mediterranean University Alliance. The city of Tunis is also a world-famous tourist city, the ruins of the old city of Medina in Tunis and the ancient city of Carthage, 17 kilometers away from the city of Tunis, were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as early as 1979; the Great Mosque of Zaituna, the West Gate of France, the Baldur Museum, the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage, etc. are famous tourist attractions, founded in the 7th century, the Great Mosque of Žetuna is the oldest mosque in Tunisia, and the university inside the temple is one of the earliest and greatest universities in Islamic history. The temple has 160 columns moved from the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage, and the attached minaret is 43 meters high; the Franconian Gate is a city gate in Tunisia, which marks the boundary between the new city and the old city of Tunis; the Bardu National Museum is the largest museum in Tunisia and the second largest museum in Africa (after the Cairo Museum), famous for its rich collection of mosaics, and the treasure of the town hall is the world's largest mosaic "The Victory of Neptune the Sea God" The ruins of the ancient city of Carthage are the ruins of the capital of the Carthaginian kingdom founded by the Phoenicians in 814 BC.
The city of Tunis is the transportation hub of Tunisia, and the suburban Carthage International Airport in Tunisia is one of the important airports in North Africa, the busiest airport in Tunisia, and the closest large international airport to Europe, with direct flights to more than 50 cities such as Paris, Rome, London, Cairo, Madrid, and Moscow. The city of Tunis is home to the largest port in Tunisia, the Port of Tunis.
The city of Tunis has a certain reputation in the world, and from 1979 to 1990 it was the headquarters of the Arab League of Nations (the League of Arab States is a regional international organization of Arab countries, founded in 1945, and now has more than 20 member states such as Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, etc., headquartered in Cairo). The city of Tunis hosted major sporting events such as the 5th Mediterranean Games in 1967 and the 14th Mediterranean Games in 2001. The city of Tunis is famous for hosting the Carthage International Film Festival, which is held every two years and has been held 30 times since its inception in 1966 and is one of the world's most important film festivals renowned in Africa and the Arab world. Tunisia has a high brand value, ranking 184th in the "2020 Global 500 Cities" list, higher than havana and other famous cities.
The famous tourist city of Tunisia - Hometsug
Located on the northern shore of djerba island in the Gulf of Gabbes in southeastern Tunisia, Hometsug is the largest city on the island (administratively part of Medellín province) and is Tunisia's most famous tourist city with a population of more than 100,000. Djerba is an island with an area of 510 square kilometers and low terrain (the highest point of the island is only more than 50 meters above sea level), connected with the Tunisian mainland with a long causeway, a 128-kilometer long white sand beach around the island, a large area of date palm groves and olive groves on the island; Djerba Island has a history of more than 1,000 years, leaving many ancient houses, ancient castles, ancient villages, etc.; since the 1970s, Djerba Island has become an international tourist island in the Mediterranean region with its pleasant climate, excellent beaches, diverse history and culture.
The beaches of Djerba
Hometsug is the tourism distribution center of Djerba Island, with many thalassotherapy centers, bathing beaches, star hotels and other tourist facilities; the transportation to and from Hometsog is convenient, and there is a third busiest airport in Tunisia - Djerba-Djergis International Airport nearby, with routes to Tunis, Rome, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Athens and other cities. Hometsug has hosted a number of major international conferences, and the world's first international conference on "Tourism and Climate Change" hosted by the World Tourism Organization in 2017 was held in the city. The brand value of The City of Hometsug is relatively high, ranking 471th in the "2020 Top 500 Global Cities", higher than Dortmund, Toulon and other famous cities.
Algiers, the largest city on the southern shore of the Mediterranean
Located on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea in northern Algeria, Algiers is the capital of Algeria and the capital of Algiers Province, with an area of 363 square kilometers and a population of more than 3 million, accounting for 1/10 of Algeria's total population, making it the largest city in Algeria and the largest city on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The city of Algiers was built in 980 and incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1526; occupied by the French in 1830 as the center of colonial rule in French North Africa; during World War II it was the headquarters of the Allied forces in North Africa and the seat of de Gaulle's Provisional Government, and in 1962 it was the capital of the Republic of Algeria.
Algiers is located on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea on the west side of the Gulf of Algiers, south of the majestic Taylor Atlas Mountains, the city is more than 70 kilometers long, the streets and houses are mostly built on the hills, winding and undulating, the Old City of Casbah was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992, this is an old town built on a steep slope facing the Gulf of Algiers, the World Heritage Committee evaluates this: from the air, there is a Carthaginian trading post built in the 4th century BC, It is a medina-style or Islamic city of telegraphy and one of the most outstanding coastal landscapes in the Mediterranean; it is a place that promotes a look back on history, preserving castles, ancient monasteries and Ottoman palaces, while preserving traditional urban architecture and entrenched national notions. Also famous for its architecture in Algiers is the Notre Dame de Africa, a religious building that was remodeled from the roman Byzantine architectural style of the mosque with a strong Arabic decorative style. The tallest building in Algiers is the minaret of the Great Mosque of Algiers, which is currently the tallest steel structure minaret in the world at 265 meters; the Great Mosque of Algiers was completed in 2018, including 12 buildings such as the minaret, the prayer hall, the Islamic Academy, and the library, with a total construction area of 400,000 square kilometers, making it the largest mosque in Africa.
Algiers, the capital of Algeria
Algiers is the political, economic and cultural center of Algeria, is the largest industrial and commercial center in Algeria, with refining, textile, food, building materials, machinery, chemicals, leather, automobile assembly and other industries, is the headquarters of the Algerian National Oil Company; the Algerian National Oil Company is the largest oil company in Africa and the 14th largest oil company in the world (according to the "List of the World's 50 Largest Oil Companies in 2020" released by the US "Petroleum Information Weekly"); Algeria is known as the "North African Oil Barrel". It is the world's second largest exporter of natural gas. Located on the outskirts of Algiers, Algiers International Airport (also known as Hu ali Boumedin Airport, named after the former Chairman of the Algerian Revolutionary Committee, Hu ali Boumedin), which began operations in 1924, is the hub of Algérie Airlines, with 3 terminals, direct flights to Beijing, Cairo, Dubai, Paris, Madrid, London and other cities, with an annual passenger throughput of more than 10 million passengers, is the busiest airport in Algeria. Algiers has the port of Algiers, the main commercial port on the southern coast of the Mediterranean, which has built a container terminal, a tanker terminal, a grocery terminal, etc., mainly handling crude oil and oil products, ores, building materials, grain, citrus, vegetables, wine, etc. Algiers is home to the University of Algiers, the Algerian University of Science and Technology, a public university founded in 1879 and rebuilt in 1909, and the first and largest university in Algeria, with nearly 100,000 students.
Grand Mosque of Algiers
Algiers has a high reputation in the world, and has hosted the Third African Games in 1978, the Seventh Mediterranean Games in 1975, the Tenth Pan-Arab Games in 2004 (the Pan-Arab Games is a regional multi-sport event held between countries in the Arab world), and the Ninth African Games in 2007. Algiers holds an annual Algiers International Exhibition, is Algeria's "Canton Fair", the expo has been held for more than 50 sessions since its first in 1963, is the largest and most influential comprehensive exhibition in North Africa, mainly exhibiting industrial machinery and equipment, electronics, medical and other products, attracting thousands of manufacturers from more than 30 countries and regions in the world to participate in the exhibition, Algiers city brand value is higher, in the "2020 Global Cities Top 500" list ranked 149th, higher than Hiroshima, Famous cities such as Abidjan and Incheon.
Paris, North Africa – Casablanca
Located on the northwest Atlantic coast of the African continent and 90 kilometers northeast of the Moroccan capital Rabat, Casablanca is the capital of the Casablanca-Setat region of Morocco (Morocco is now divided into 12 first-level administrative regions), with an area of 386 square kilometers and a population of 5.1 million, accounting for 1/7 of the country's population, is morocco's largest city, and is also the second largest city in North Africa after Cairo; Casablanca is economically prosperous and is known as the "Paris of North Africa". Casablanca means "white house" in Berber and the Arabic name is Dar Beda. The city of Casablanca was founded in 1756, renamed Casablanca by Spanish colonists in the 18th century after obtaining trade privileges here, developed into a maritime trading center in the late 19th century, occupied by France in 1907, ruled by the Vichy French government in World War II, and became the largest city in the re-independent Kingdom of Morocco in 1956.
Casablanca, Morocco's largest city
Casablanca is morocco's largest industrial and commercial center, there are textile, leather, chemical, building materials, food and other industries, concentrated in Morocco 70% of the modern industry; Casablanca is the Moroccan National Phosphate Company, Royal Air Maroc and other large enterprise headquarters location, Moroccan National Phosphate Company is the world's largest phosphoric acid producer and exporter and the world's largest phosphate fertilizer producer, with all the phosphate resources in Morocco mining rights, With most phosphate mines and fertilizer plants (Morocco has 58 billion tons of phosphate reserves, accounting for 3/4 of the world's total reserves, known as the "phosphate kingdom"), Royal Air Maroc is an airline founded in 1953, with 60 large passenger and cargo operating aircraft, and joined the aviation alliance universal in 2018, becoming the first African member of the alliance. Casablanca is also one of the important financial centers in Africa, the People's Bank of Morocco, the Moroccan Foreign Trade Bank, the Casablanca Stock Exchange and other large financial institutions are headquartered in Casablanca, the People's Bank of Morocco is the eighth largest bank in Africa, but also one of the largest commercial banks in Morocco; the Moroccan Foreign Trade Bank is the third largest commercial bank in Morocco and one of the ten largest banks in Africa, with 1200 branches in more than 30 countries around the world, and a branch in Shanghai, China The Casablanca Stock Exchange is the only stock exchange in Morocco and the third largest in Africa (after the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in South Africa and the Nigerian Stock Exchange). In 2016, bank of China Morocco representative office opened in Casablanca, the only representative office of bank of China in northwest Africa.
Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca
Casablanca is also a world-famous tourist city, the fifth most receiving international tourists in Africa (according to the 2018 Mastercard release data, second only to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Cairo and Lagos), the 1942 American classic "North African Spy Movie" (also translated as "Casablanca") made the city famous, and the city's Rick Cafe (the main shooting location of the movie "North African Spy" in that year) is still one of the most popular tourist punching places in Casabraca. Casablanca's most landmark building is built on the Atlantic coast of Hassan II Mosque, the mosque is the world's only mosque built on the coast, is also the world's third largest mosque, in 1986 Morocco King Hassan II initiated and donated funds to build, took 7 years to spend 600 million US dollars to build in 1993, named Hassan II Mosque, the mosque covers an area of 20,000 square meters, the minaret in the temple is 210 meters high (is currently the world's second tallest minaret), the prayer hall and square can accommodate 100,000 people to pray Inside the mosque, there is also an Islamic seminary, a library, a conference hall, and so on. Casablanca is also an important cultural and educational center in Morocco, with Hassan V Casablanca University and other universities, which is a public university founded in 1975, consisting of the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Economics, the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Dentistry, the Confucius Institute (jointly established with Shanghai Overseas Chinese University), etc., with more than 20,000 students, ranked 557th in the world by US News in 2020, and ranked first among Moroccan universities.
Rick's Café in Casablanca
Casablanca is the transportation hub of Morocco, with Morocco's largest seaport - The Port of Casablanca, which was founded in the late 18th century, with more than 40 berths such as oil tanker terminals, container terminals, bulk cargo terminals, etc., and the cargo throughput accounts for more than 1/3 of the total number of ports in Morocco. Mohammed V International Airport on the outskirts of Casablanca is the largest and busiest airport in the Kingdom of Morocco, named after the founding King of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mohammed V, and offers direct flights to nearly 100 cities including Beijing, Algiers, Cairo, Madrid, Paris, Washington, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, Dubai, rabat and more. The Casablanca-Tangier high-speed railway from Casablanca to Tangier, a coastal city in northern Morocco, is the first high-speed railway in Morocco and Africa, and was completed and opened in November 2018.
Casablanca hosted major national sports events such as the 3rd Pan-Arab Games in 1961 and the 9th Mediterranean Games in 1983 (the Mediterranean Games are regional multi-sport events participating in the countries bordering the Mediterranean, which were first held in 1951 and have been held 17 times so far). Casablanca has a high brand value, ranking 111th in the "2020 Global 500 Cities" list, and 5th among African cities (after Johannesburg, Cape Town, Cairo and Nairobi), higher than Addis Ababa, Paz, Karachi and other famous cities. Casablanca and Shanghai are sister cities.
Khartoum, the hottest capital in the world
Located in the northeast of the Republic of Sudan, at the confluence of the world's longest river, the Nile, and its largest tributary, the Blue Nile, Khartoum is the capital of the Republic of Sudan and the capital of Khartoum State (Khartoum State is one of the 18 states of the Republic of Sudan) with a population of about 1.4 million, and a metropolitan population of nearly 7 million in neighboring Khartoum, Northern Khartoum and Ntuman. Khartoum is located near 16 degrees north latitude, a tropical desert climate, the average annual precipitation is less than 130 mm, the average annual temperature is more than 30 degrees Celsius, the average monthly temperature in April, May and June is above 40 degrees Celsius, often experiencing extreme heat above 50 degrees Celsius, is one of the hottest capital cities in the world.
The Grand Mosque of Khartoum
The city of Khartoum was founded in 1821 as a military stronghold of the Egyptian army in Sudan in the early 19th century, becoming the capital of the Anglo-Egyptian Sultanate in 1899 and the capital of the Republic of Sudan in 1956. Khartoum is now the political, economic and cultural center of the Republic of Sudan, with textile, electricity, tanning, chemical fiber, food and other industries. Khartoum has the University of Khartoum, Khartoum International Arabic Academy and other universities, Khartoum University is a largest public university in Sudan built in 1902, with 21 colleges such as engineering colleges, law schools, science colleges, dentistry schools, agricultural colleges, etc., with more than 10,000 students, in 2007 the university and Northwest Normal University of China jointly established Sudan's first Confucius Institute - The Confucius Institute at the University of Khartoum, Sudan. Khartoum is also the transportation hub of the Republic of Sudan, with railways to Port Sudan and other places; there is Sudan's only international airport, Khartoum International Airport, which can provide direct flights to more than 20 cities such as Cairo, Riyadh, Addis Ababa, Dubai, Jeddah, Doha, Damascus and Port Sudan.
Khartoum city brand value is relatively high, ranking 228th in the "2020 Global Top 500 Cities" list, higher than Nagano, Wuxi and other world famous cities. Khartoum is a sister city with the city of Wuhan in China.
Cairo, the largest city in Africa
Located at the southern tip of the Nile Delta in northern Egypt, Cairo is the capital of Egypt, with an area of 606 square kilometers and a population of nearly 10 million, making it the largest city in Egypt and Africa; the Cairo metropolitan area (also known as Greater Cairo) is composed of cairo city and its surrounding Giza, Helwan, etc., with an area of 3,085 square kilometers and a population of 21 million. Founded in the 7th century and with a history of more than 1,300 years, Cairo is now the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the political, economic, cultural and transportation center of Egypt. Cairo is the industrial and commercial center of Egypt, with developed finance, commerce, transportation and logistics, tourism, communications and other industries, textiles, food, printing, steel, automobiles, chemicals, oil refining, electronics and other industries, is the headquarters of large enterprises such as the Egyptian Petroleum Corporation and the National Bank of Egypt. Cairo is a famous cultural and educational center in Africa, with world-famous universities such as Cairo University, Ain Shams University, and Al-Azhar University.
Cairo International Airport on the outskirts of Cairo is the second largest airport in Africa, with direct flights to more than 50 cities including Beijing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Tokyo, Bangkok, London and Alexandria, and the airport handled 22 million passengers in 2019, ranking second among African airports (after Johannesburg International Airport). Cairo is a world-famous tourist city, famous tourist attractions include Cairo Old Town, Giza Pyramids, National Museum of Egypt, etc., is the third largest city in Africa to receive international tourists (according to the data released by Mastercard in 2018, second only to Johannesburg and Cape Town).
Cairo is home to the headquarters of the League of Arab States. Cairo is a city with high brand value, ranking 92nd in the 2020 Global 500 Cities list and 3rd among African cities (after Johannesburg and Cape Town). Cairo is a sister city with Beijing and Xi'an in China.
The famous seaport city of Alexandria on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea
Located on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea in northwestern Egypt, Alexandria is the capital of Alexandria Province in Egypt, with a population of more than 4 million, making it the second largest city in Egypt. Alexandria is an ancient city with a history of more than 2,000 years, which once housed the "Alexander Lighthouse" and the "Ancient Library of Alexandria", one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World". Alexandria is also an important industrial and commercial town in Egypt, with textiles, clothing, oil refining, food, ceramics, building materials and other industries; Alexandria is also the second largest seaport in Egypt. Alexandria is home to The University of Alexandria, a famous Egyptian university, which was founded in 1938 and has well-known alumni such as the famous Egyptian writer Taha Hussein, who is known as the "titan of Arabic literature", and Ahmed Zewell, winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Alexandria
Alexandria has a high brand value, ranking 379th in the "2020 Top 500 Global Cities" list, higher than Changzhou, Mannheim and other famous cities. Alexandria and The City of Shanghai are sister cities. Alexandria has the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Alexandria.