The larger the city becomes, the more it serves as a powerful force within its sphere of influence. The city acts as the hub of a geographic region or area and is the agent for political, economic and social activities. The center of every advanced civilization is the city.

Why did cities first develop in those areas? There was a combination of factors like agricultural surplus, access to a water source, increasing population, defense, religion, and trade. You will find the world’s first cities in Mesopotamia and Egypt, China, and Meso-America (modern-day Mexico). Urban settlements date back more than 5,000 years. This study guide will explain the difference between site and situation in the context of AP® Human Geography.

Site and situation influence the origin, function, and growth of cities and is an important concept to understand when you study cities and urban land use for the AP® Human Geography Exam. Two of those factors are site and situation. The CollegeBoard wants you to know that there are factors that initiate and drive both urbanization and suburbanization. It is a fact that the form, size, and function of urban settlements is always changing. This mass migrating into cities and urban areas is a good reason for you to know about urban dynamics. Almost half of the world’s population live in cities, and the urban population is growing much faster than the rural population.

Global city definition human geography