The world capital of fashion, design and financial and industrial center of Italy is located in the north of the country. The city is the capital of the province of the same name and Lombardy, the largest region in Italy. In terms of population, Milan is the second in the country after Rome. The whole world knows this city by the two football clubs "Milan" and "Internationale", whose fans are in almost every corner of the planet. The city attracts tourists from all over the world with both its ancient architecture and trendy shops.
Overview
Milan has the second economy among cities in the European Union, after Paris. In recent decades, this industrial and commercial center has seen ups and downs, in connection with which the population of Milan has either decreased or increased. The city is home to many industrial enterprises and a large number of offices of global companies, fashion brands and banks. Milan is a world leader in areas such aslike tourism, fashion, manufacturing, education and art.
This city is one of the most overpopulated and densely populated metropolitan areas in Europe, has a very high population density, which is approximately 7,385 people/km². Despite some inconvenience of living in such a city, the number of inhabitants has been growing in recent years. This is largely due to the attraction of labor from other European countries. The population of Milan, as a commune - the administrative unit of the country, is currently 1.35 million people.
Urban areas
The city is divided into nine districts, some of which are well-known throughout the world. The historic center, surrounded by a ring road built in the 19th century, is full of old buildings and boutiques of fashion houses. This is the haute couture district, where there is probably the highest concentration of famous brand stores. Another well-known area located in the western part of the city is San Siro. Here is a football stadium where two famous clubs alternately play. These two districts of the city most of all attract people from all over the world. More than 2 million people visit the city every year. That's more than the entire population of Milan.
At the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, the de-industrialization of the city was actively carried out: many large industrial facilities were moved outside the city limits. Former industrial areas are now built up with shopping, entertainment and residential complexes. Within the administrative boundaries, there is still the production of agricultural machinery and equipment,musical instruments, textiles, garments and leather goods.
In ancient times
Traces of ancient human activity, found on the site of modern Milan, indicate that the population appeared here in the Bronze Age. The first permanent settlement was built by the Gauls around 600 BC, although its name is of Celtic origin. The city is located in the center of the Padan Plain, so this place was called Mediolanum (which literally means "in the center of the plain"), which was later converted to Milan. At the beginning of the third century, the city was conquered by the Romans and became the center of an autonomous region. Due to its good geographical position (the city was on the road to the northern part of the country), the population and area of Milan began to grow rapidly. The main lines of defense of the Roman Empire from the barbarians from Northern Europe were concentrated here. Already in these times, Milan was one of the largest cities in the world.
New time
Having experienced several cycles of decline and growth associated with the conquest of the city by the barbarians, and then by the troops of the Holy Roman Empire, the city began to develop. In the XIII-XIV centuries Milan with a population of more than 50 thousand people became one of the largest European cities. It was one of the universally recognized centers for the development of capitalism in the world. Until the 15th century, it was considered a free commune, then it was ruled by the French, then by the Spaniards and Austrians. During the reign of Napoleon, the city was actively built up, many buildings were erected and roads were laid, including the ring road.a road that, as it were, outlines the historical center. Only in the 19th century did Milan become an Italian city, and even the question of locating the capital of the Italian kingdom here was considered.
During World War II, the capital of Lombardy was badly damaged by German aircraft. In memory of this, the Monte Stella hill was poured from the remains of the bombed buildings and a park of 370 thousand square meters was laid out. The people of Milan cherish the memory of this war.
Geography
The administrative center of the province of Milan and the region of Lombardy, as mentioned above, is located on the Padana Plain and is washed by two rivers flowing into the famous Italian Po. The border with Switzerland is located 150 kilometers from the northern part of the city.
The city itself covers an area of about 182 square meters. km. At present, many suburbs and relatively large cities of the region, such as Monza (117,000 inhabitants), Sesto San Giovanni (75,000) or Cinisello Balsamo (73,000) have already practically grown together, forming a large Milan. It was due to the annexation of new areas that the population of Milan increased greatly. The urban agglomeration, which has grown more to the north and east, now occupies an area of 1,982 sq. km.
Population dynamics
Reconstruction of the city, after great destruction during the Second World War, and the beginning of industrialization rapidly increased the population of the city of Milan. The increase in the number of inhabitants was due to the construction of campsrefugees, the movement of a large number of people from the southern regions of Italy and the first Chinese immigrants. The population boom made it possible to reach the maximum number of inhabitants of 1.73 million in 1970.
From the early 1970s to the early 2000s, Milan's population fell by about 0.59 to 1.57% per year, hitting a low of 1.24 million in 2010. Such a long time for the depopulation process is associated with a decrease in production volumes in such labor-intensive industries as steel production and light industry. The financial crisis of the 1990s, which hit the entire economy of the region as a whole, also made its contribution. However, Milan's most recent census, taken in 2013, showed that the city has overcome these challenges, with a 7% growth. Since 2011, the number of city residents has been growing by about 2.49% per year. Now the number of Milan residents is 1.35 million inhabitants.
Milan is home to approximately 200,000 foreign immigrants, which is approximately 13.9% of the total number of citizens. It is home to the largest Chinese community, approximately 21,000, with an increasing number of Filipinos and Sri Lankans in recent years. Plus, there are quite a few immigrants from Eastern Europe and North Africa.
