Asia

Baghdad

Iraq's capital on the Tigris, a former center of learning

Bangkok

Thailand's capital, the City of Angels

Beijing

China's capital and imperial seat for eight centuries

Bengaluru

India's Silicon Valley on the Deccan Plateau

Chennai

South India's coastal hub on the Bay of Bengal

Delhi

India's capital territory and a layered imperial city

Dhaka

Bangladesh's capital, a dense delta megacity

Dubai

The Gulf's glittering city of superlatives

Guangzhou

South China's ancient trade port on the Pearl River

Hanoi

Vietnam's capital, the city of the ascending dragon

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam's commercial hub, formerly Saigon

Hong Kong

A vertical city of harbor, hills, and high finance

Istanbul

The city straddling Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus

Jakarta

Indonesia's capital and a sinking megacity

Jerusalem

An ancient holy city sacred to three faiths

Karachi

Pakistan's largest city and seaport on the Arabian Sea

Kolkata

India's cultural capital on the Hooghly River

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia's capital beneath the Petronas Towers

Lahore

Pakistan's cultural capital and Mughal showpiece

Manila

The Philippines' capital and dense bayside core

Mumbai

India's financial capital and Bollywood's home

Osaka

Japan's merchant city and kitchen of the nation

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's capital and desert boomtown

Seoul

South Korea's capital and the Han River megacity

Shanghai

China's financial powerhouse on the Yangtze delta

Shenzhen

China's instant city and high-tech powerhouse

Tehran

Iran's capital below the Alborz Mountains

Tokyo

Japan's capital and the world's largest metropolis