Difference between Metropolitan and Cosmopolitan
Key Difference: The words Metropolitan and Cosmopolitan is very commonly said to term a city and has a slight difference between them. The main difference being that Metropolitan city refers to large city with high population and numerous employment opportunities which is linked with near-by in both social and economic terms, whereas Cosmopolitan refers to large city with diverse population and backgrounds living together with broad-mindedness.
Metropolitan
Metropolitan is also defined as being large city and high population with numerous employment opportunities. In India, the Census Commission defines the qualification for metropolitan city as, “ the cities having a population of more than 10 lakhs or one million and above” and a Megacity as “ the cities having a population of more than 10 million and above”.
The metropolis is the chief town or city of the region or country. The metropolitan area is a vast continuous urban area, with major city at the centre and surrounded by suburban districts, adjoining towns or cities, townships, semi-urbanised villages, etc.
Cosmopolitan
The word Cosmopolitan is derived from the Ancient Greek, Kosmospolites”. Kosmos means the world or universe or cosmos and Polites, which means citizen or one of a city. The contemporary usage defines citizen of the world. The word Cosmopolis means centre of and for people of the world, their ideas, art and other cultural affairs. Thus, a cosmopolitan city can be understood as the city which hosts people coming from different ethnicities, beliefs and culture. This means that it is a all accepting global city that is built on the foundation of the culture coming and making the city great.
The word cosmopolitan also be used as a term for a person who has lived and traveled in many countries and especially free of national prejudices. A cosmopolis can be a person, town or city. A cosmopolitan city is which has large population from various cultural background and nationalities.
Comparison between Metropolitan and Cosmopolitan
Particulars |
Metropolitan |
Cosmopolitan |
Definition |
large and high population with numerous employment opportunities. |
large city with diverse population and backgrounds living together with broad-mindedness. |
Related to |
Size |
Composition |
Lifestyle |
Developed, urban and fast-paced |
Urbane and more sophisticated |
Population Culture |
Diverse or only a certain cultural background |
Diverse or global cultural background |
Eg: |
London, Mumbai, Delhi |
New York, Mumbai |
It is possible for a city to be both Metropolitan as well as Cosmopolitan City like for example Mumbai in India or New York in the US, whereas a Metropolitan city may not be a Cosmopolitan like for Example Surat in Gujarat, India. Cosmopolitan city is a city that has worldwide scope or applicability. Metropolitan City is a city with densely populated people in the urban area.
Image Courtesy: punjabatepunjabiyat.com,statista.com
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