The world as we know it today has evolved through many phases over time and it keeps changing. As the population grew around the world, there was a need for more housing and infrastructural resources, and in some cases, new cities.
Many of the cities standing strong today came onto the scene at a much later time. In fact, as at the 1960s, some countries had not even shown up. However, some of the cities that showed up after this time have not allowed their lateness to slow them down. They have done well to become major players among the cities of the world.
Here are ten of these cities that were not in existence as of 1960:
1. Doha, Qatar
Doha is the capital of Qatar, which was named the World’s richest nation in 2013 by Forbes Magazine. Over the past few decades, it has made its mark among other nations competing with its vast oil resources that give this city its edge. Doha was officially declared a city in 1963, and it acquires some of the most breathtaking constructions and compositions of architecture.
2. Abuja, Nigeria
It came under the ten most populous cities of Nigeria, so in 1960 it declared independence from the United Kingdom. The city is well structured so taller buildings seem to appear with a modern touch. This city has been in focus and this has given rise to the influx of people in it. It is also the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria
3. Astana, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan managed to declare independence in 1991. Astana was known as Tselinograd and it came into being a city in 1961 during the Soviet times, but they decided to rename it and make it look more modern to symbolize rebirth. It became the capital city of Kazakhstan on June 10, 1998, and presented itself to the world internationally.
4. Navi Mumbai, India
Navi Mumbai is currently the largest planned community on the planet located on the West coast of Maharashtra and it was developed in 1972. Its infrastructure and architecture grew rapidly with the help of incredible urban area planners. It has various railway stations and its own airport that caters to domestic and international flights so it keeps up with other competing cities.
5. Putrajaya, Malaysia
Putrajaya serves as the federal administrative centre for the country of Malaysia. It is located 25 kilometres south of Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia), which began to suffer from overpopulation during the 1990s, thus leading to the establishment of Putrajaya in 1995. In 2012 various ministries of Malaysia moved to Putrajaya. The city also boasts of the world’s largest roundabout with a perimeter of 3.5 km.
6. Sandouping, China
What Sandouping is known for is its location of the Three Gorges Dam, which is the world’s largest electricity-generating plant being on the southern bank of the Yangtze River. Previously it was a small fishing village but after the construction of the dam started, almost 40,000 workers came in to live there.
7. Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
The native Inuit created a territory known as Nunavut in 1999 because they wanted a territory of their own within Canada. Earlier, it was used as an airbase for a stopover for aircraft. The government, however, wants to keep costs as low as possible for the people living there.
8. Incheon, South Korea
Incheon is not that far away from the North Korean border and it is the third-largest city in South Korea and has a population of nearly three million. It started becoming a modern city in 1994, and its growth in technological advancements is impressive especially considering that this country started off so late into the 20th century.
9. King Abdullah City, Saudi Arabia
Not only did this city not exist 55 years ago, but the Saudi Arabian government also benchmarked its completion for this year, 2020. The King Abdullah City is a megaproject that was announced in 2005 and it should be able to settle around two million of the population. The project has an estimated cost of about $100 billion.
10. Dubai, United Arab Emirate
Dubai didn’t come onto the scene until it celebrated its independence on December 1, 1971. Although, it used to be a barren desert with few people living in it in those earlier times, now the city currently has more than 2.1 million residents. It has bloomed into one of the most beautiful places, full of skyscrapers and huge monuments.
