It is common for people to get confused between several terms. A few people get confused between a town and a village while a few others get confused between a state and a province. But one of the most confusing differences is the differences between a city and a state. Both the terms are very different from each other.
City vs State
The main difference between a city and a state is that a city is a large settlement region that has a municipal government of its own. On the other hand, a state is a larger area than a city and is governed by a state government. A state comprises various cities within itself.
A city is a large area of settlement that lies with a particular state. A city is usually larger than a town and a village. But it is smaller than a state. Several cities are situated in various parts of one state. Within these cities, several villages and towns are located.
A state is a large area that comprises various cities, towns, districts, villages, and provinces. It is larger when compared to a city, town, village, or district. Countries are comparatively larger than a state. A state is often and mandatorily run/ governed by a government. This government is referred to as a state government.
Comparison Table Between City and State
| Parameters Of Comparison | City | State |
| Area Covered | Cities cover approximately 3℅ of the total land surface area in the world. | States cover only 0.07℅ of the world’s total land area. |
| Total Number | There are more than 10,000 cities in the world. | There are approximately 195 to 200 states in the world. |
| Managed By | Cities are run by a municipal government. | States are managed by powerful and individual entities called the state government. |
| In charge | The Mayor is in charge of successfully managing a city. | States are under the control of a Governor. |
| Examples | A few popular cities are: •New York •Paris •Mumbai •Tokyo | A few prominent states are: •Kerala •California •West Bengal •Texas |
What is City?
A city is a large permanent settlement that is densely populated. The population is not majorly involved in agricultural tasks/ activities. Cities are managed by municipal governments that are controlled by Mayors. Cities have an extensive system of communications, utilities, transportation, production of goods, sanitation, and housing purposes.
A municipal government serves several benefits. It manages various responsibilities of several cities. Responsibility is related to:
- Municipal services
- Transportation
- Finance
- Governance
- Urban Planning
- Communication
- Climatic change
- Social Structure
- Culture
- Infrastructure
- Warfare
- Economics
Cities are increasing in their quantities and numbers. There are approximately more than 10,000 cities in the world. But the rise in the numbers of cities has been leading to stressing the water bodies, overuse of other resources, forming urban heat islands, and contaminating pollution.
Cities have started noticing an increase in the numbering of metros and transport facilities. Due to this rise in transport services, there has been a growth in the numbering of immigrants and emigrants. People usually travel from one city to another city in the searching of education, entertainment, and employment.
More than 10,000 cities are listed in today’s world. A few of these cities are:
- New York
- London
- Barcelona
- Tokyo
- Dubai
- Toronto
- Madrid
- Seoul
- Manchester
- Bangkok
What is State?
A state is a marked territory having a government body that controls all the organizations of that specific state. The state government announces and imposes rules and laws over the population. A state government consists of a governor, officials, and many lawmakers.
States perform several duties daily. A few of these duties are related to:
- Wars – Laws to eliminate or neutralize the state’s rivals.
- State Welfare – Laws to remove the enemies of the state that are present within its own territory.
- Protection – Laws to eliminate the enemies of their clients.
- Extraction – Laws to carry out the above three procedures.
- Adjudication – To settle down local disputes and conflicts between members of a population.
- Distribution – To help equally distribute goods among the members of the state’s population.
- Production – Laws to control and manage the production and transportation of goods that are made by the state’s population.
There are approximately 195 and more states in the world. Each state has a shared economy, politics, and culture. Several states together make up a single country. Every state has its own rules, laws, cultures, and political issues.
Given below is a list of a few famous states in the world:
- California
- Kerala
- Rhode Island
- Philippines
- West Virginia
- Texas
- South Dakota
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- Washington
Main Differences Between City and State
- A city is run by its Mayor while on the other hand, a state is managed by its state governor.
- The municipal government controls a city while on the other hand, the state government controls a state.
- There are more than 10,000 cities while on the other hand, there are more than 190 states in the world.
- Cities cover 3℅ of the world’s land area while on the other hand, states cover 0.07% of the world’s land area of the world.
- The world’s largest city is Tokyo while on the other hand, Sakha is the largest state in the world.
Conclusion
Several cities, states, towns, villages, districts, and countries are located on the world map. All these terms are very different from each other. The largest area out of all of them is a country followed by a state followed by a city.
A city is usually smaller than a state. But due to the higher amount of cities in comparison to the states, the world’s land area occupied by cities is way more than the total land area occupied by states. A state comprises cities, and cities have towns or villages. Both the titles have separate governing bodies, heads/ governors, rules, restrictions, and official members/ groups. A city and a state are different terms.
References
- https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=city&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DdtLMUhCZYcgJ
- https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=state&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3Dz8VEw2UAzf0J