Famous Cities that did not exist before 1960

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The contemporary world is jam-packed with glistening, bright cities, with breath-taking skylines and proficient mass transit. Thousands of people travel to these cities every month and therefore, such cities or metropolises give an international aura. From night clubs, continental food and historical buildings to financial districts and international airports, these cities have it all. It all adds up to their charm, to their magnetism.

However, known to a very few, some of these cities of the modern world did not even exist about 50 years ago. In half-a-century, these cities went from total ruins, from mere dust to being immensely populated centers of economic growth and tourism. This is what the man of today is capable of. Surely there is no bound to human will and imagination.

  1. Brasília, Brazil

Brasília, Brazil
Brasília, Brazil

The federal capital of Brazil, situated in the Brazilian Highlands, Brasília is the fourth largest city in Brazil, with a population of 2.5 million. Rich in historical values and architecture, it is in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Contrary to the status that nearly all cities hold in Brazil, Brasília is an administrative division rather a municipality. It accommodates a total of 124 foreign embassies, numerous local companies, and is the seat of all three divisions of the government.  This illustrates the importance Brasília enjoys in present-day Brazil. However, all of this nearly did not exist about fifty-two years ago. This cosmopolitan, which contributes more to the GDP than any other city in Brazil, was founded on 21st April, 1960. A day later, it officially became Brazil’s national capital.

  1. Incheon, South Korea

Incheon, South Korea
Incheon, South Korea

Just behind Seoul and Busan, today, Incheon is South Korea’s third most populous city. Although the city has always had populations of different types and sizes, its development in modern times lead to its proper occupation. About 130 years ago, it had a population of less than 5000. Today, it hosts a total of 2.76 million people. Its port helped a great deal in making it happen, as it lead to better utilization of its location, since it is a coastal city. The fast development can also be attributed to its proximity to the capital, Seoul. Incheon has been instrumental in assuring economic growth, international trade and industrialization in South Korea. It has made modern-day South Korea, modern. In 2003, it was given the status of free economic zone. Since then, there is a huge influx of foreign investment into Incheon. A city of massive prominence and significance, Incheon only came to be known as a city about 30 years ago. The city is still under construction and is expected to be completed in 2020, with an estimated completion cost of 40 to 50 billion U.S dollars. In 2014, it will host the 17th Asian Games.

    3. Â Sandouping, China

Sandouping
Sandouping, China

Most popularly known as the location of Three Borges Dam, the world’s biggest electricity-generating plant of any sort, Sandouping is home to 35,000 people. It is located near the Yangtze River and came to be known, as it is known today, a mere 29 years ago. The government of China played a master stroke, where they created the world’s biggest electricity-generating plant and in the process, also populated a small fishing village into a proper town. They did so by accommodating the 40,000 workers, working on the Three Borges Dam, in the village. Today, that village has transformed into one of the most important vertebrae in the backbone of the Chinese economy.

  1. Iqaluit, Canada

Iqaluit, Canada
Iqaluit, Canada

A city that sees negative temperatures about two-thirds of the year, Iqaluit, situated in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is a city which is about twelve years old. It received its city status in 2001 and before 1987, it was known as Forbisher Bay; a name which is still used to refer to Iqaluit, occasionally. It was founded as an American airbase in 1942. 1962, the U.S military moved out of the area. A year later, first settlement of 900 people came to live. 7 years on, Forbisher Bay was recognized as a Settlement. After that, for 17 years, it was known as Forbisher Bay. Today, it is not only the largest community of Nunavut, with a little less than 7 thousand people, but also its territorial capital. On 5th February, as a part of 2010 G7 summit, Iqaluit was the location of the G7 finance meeting. An astounding development in a short period of time, for a city whose literal meaning is ‘a place with many fish’.

  1. King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia

King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia

Unlike all the other cities in the list, this city is currently under-development. This city was announced in 2005, by Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the king of Saudi Arabia. It did not exist before 1960 and it hardly exists today. However, a project that it expected to cost an astonishing 100 billion U.S dollars, is certainly worth mentioning. Situated along the coast of Red Sea, quite near to Jeddah, this city is expected to be completed in 2020, a year which is expected to give this world two complete major cities, with the other one being Incheon, of course. An ambitious plan, Emaar Properties and SAGIA, this city is aimed on a very long-term vision, which is about diversifying the over-reliance that the Kingdom has on its oil. In the process, it is expected to attract a huge incursion of investments from both, abroad and domestic sources, and create about a million jobs. If it does come true, it would make Saudi Arabia ever-so-powerful, if it is not already influential enough. Money does wonders and these Arabian countries are epitome of that phrase. Upon completion, this city is expected to enjoy eye-balls of the entire world.

  1. Islamabad, Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan

One of the more famous cities in the list, Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan. It has population of over a million people, and it is one of the most developed cities of the republic. It is the seat of the Pakistani Government and hosts one of the two monuments of the country. If all these facts were not enough to highlight its importance, there are more to follow. Islamabad Is home to Faisal Mosque, the largest mosque in South Asia and fourth-largest in the world. In addition, it has the highest literacy rate and lowest infant mortality rate in the country. It is bewildering how this city was nothing about 50 years ago. It was chosen to be constructed and shaped to serve as the capital of the country. Its development started during the 1960s and replaced Karachi as the capital of Pakistan, in 1966. Before its inception, it was just another area northeast of the city of Rawalpindi, near to the army headquarters, which is considered to be one of the major reasons for its selection. Since then Islamabad has not looked back and today, it has the status of being one the Gamma-world city. Considered to be the best city to live in Pakistan, Islamabad was carefully planned and shows within itself that specific human will to deliver the very best.

  1. Doha, Qatar

Doha, Qatar
Doha, Qatar

Like Islamabad, another seat of the government, capital city and center of education in the country, Doha is Qatar’s largest city, with 60% of the population residing in the city. It also serves as an economic hub of the country, which adds up to its already sky-high importance. Already been the host to the 2006 Asian Games, the largest ever in its history, Doha is to be the main host of 2022 FIFA World Cup. Such immense development came only in a matter of 40 years. Today, it hosts all sorts of events and happenings. Home to about one million people, Doha is the capital city of a country which was once declared the richest nation in the world by Forbes Magazine due to its abundance of oil and gas reserves. Resources that it has used astutely, resources that lead to it being where it is today. Not much of a tourist destination, Doha concentrates on the real estate sector so much that according to a BBC report in 2007, it became more expensive than Dubai in terms of Sky-rocketing real estate prices. Nonetheless, the city could not have utilized its resources in a better way and has made up for its hot, humid weather which would make most cities in the world undesirable. Recently, Doha was included in Fortune’s list of best cities for business.

  1. Putra Jaya, Malaysia

Putra Jaya, Malaysia
Putra Jaya, Malaysia

Another planned city, Putra Jaya is the administrative capital and seat of government for Malaysia. Hobbyhorse of the former Prime Minister Mahatir Mohammad, Putra Jaya is one of the three federal territories of Malaysia. A beautifully constructed city, with places like the Putra Mosque and the PM office, Putra Jaya holds immense importance in Malaysia. 38% percent of the city is kept back for green spaces, underlining the importance that Malaysia gives to its landscape and natural beauty. With a brilliantly structured transportation system, it is only 15 minutes away from the national capital, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has used the best of its resources in constructing a new administrative capital and they have got it spot on. Putra Jaya is simply breath taking. The design, the beauty, the structuring, it is indeed a masterpiece. Who can say it was founded about 18 years ago only?

  1. Navi Mumbai, India

Navi Mumbai, India
Navi Mumbai, India

Planned for the purpose of decongesting Mumbai, Navi Mumbai was erected on the world map in 1972. It is located on the west coast of Maharashtra, and serves as an alternative to Mumbai for people from all over the country willing to taste the cosmopolitan’s experience. The idea rose from a problem of lack of space for expansion. Mumbai is located on an island, which naturally meant expansion to a certain point. The solution was presented in form of a new planned city on the mainland. Today, Navi Mumbai is the largest planned city in the world, with a population of about 1.2 million people. Truly, every crisis offers an opportunity and Navi Mumbai is a proof of this.

  1. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Saving the best for the last, in the 21st century, Dubai is the place to be. Lavish, fancy and elegant are just a few words that are used to describe one of the world’s most popular cities. In the heart of Middle East and the Persian Gulf, Dubai is a major business and cultural hub. Its development is attributed to its richness in oil, with the focus now shifting to revenue from tourism, financial services industry and also real estate. Home to world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, Dubai is known for its skyscrapers, hotels, resorts, and just about every luxury money can buy. Dubai has been independent for just over a 40 years and in that time period, has redefined the term ‘development’. It has expanded human boundaries to achieve success like never before. The population started off from a few thousand and has currently touching 1.5 million mark. People from all over the world come to Dubai today, for their own purposes. Some come to find work, others to seek pleasure. The reputation has enhanced considerably over these years and a proof of that would be the fact that today, people actually misperceive Dubai as a country or UAE as Dubai. They actually think that Dubai is something else, that it is more than just another city. Indeed, an indirect but huge compliment to the people who planned and financed this wonder. Today, standing amongst the sky-touching buildings, where every building is taller than the one before, and the lavish hotels and malls, it blows one’s mind off to think that about 40 years ago, this land was just another desert, just another piece of land with nothing on it.

Humans have advanced significantly over the centuries. We have been to the Moon and Mars and created air-buses and underwater hotels. The technology, the accessibility that we enjoy today has evolved over centuries. These developments did not just fall from the sky but are children of human perseverance and curiosity. The first car ever created was in 1886, by Carl Benz. Today we have Ferrari’s and Maserati’s, with more and more luxurious features coming every day. What has changed? The way things were done. From Henry Ford introducing the assembly line to Bugatti’s introduction of Veyron, how the industry worked has changed and for good. Similarly, the construction and development industry has also evolved over the years. Back in time, humans created wonders like the Colosseum and pyramids. When we call these structures wonders, we emphasize on the fact that these are pure masterpieces that humans have created. These highlight the early promise human race showed. Today, that promise has turned into perfection. The power of money has turned the way things were done upside down. The construction of cities like Dubai, Navi Mumbai, Doha and others highlights the fact that humans have taken the formerly natural process of populating lands into their own hands. It highlights that humans have reached that level where with the right resources, they can populate just about any piece of land.  In the list above we have Doha and Dubai, with scorching heat to places like Iqaluit, where the temperatures hit negative on a regular basis. We have populated just about every corner of earth today and based on the rate of growth of world population, we can expect more of this from ourselves. Regardless of what wonders we created in the past, 200, 300 years ago, nobody saw this coming.

Dubai, Navi Mumbai, Doha, Putra Jaya, Islamabad, and others are also wonders in a way. They are wonders because they are breath-taking, they are wonders because human race should be proud of itself for what it has achieved, and they are wonders because they make the whole world wonder if there is anything that we cannot do.

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