In the study of human settlements, an agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place (usually a municipality) and any suburbs or adjacent satellite towns. Another term for agglomeration is urbanized area.

Conurbation is a more specific term for urban clusters where the built-up zones of influence of distinct cities or towns have joined but each continues to act as an independent focus for a substantial part of the area.

A metropolitan area is an extended agglomeration or conurbation including also peripheral areas not themselves necessarily urban in character but closely bound to the urban area by employment or commerce.

Businesses can also "agglomerate" when they need to be in close contact (eg. Financial Services)

See also

• Largest cities of the world - A list of the largest metropolitan areas.
• Economies of agglomeration

External links

• Prinicipal Agglomerations of the World (http://www.citypopulation.de/World.html)
• Largest cities of the world (municipalities) (http://www.demographia.com/db-world-muni.htm)