What is a megalopolis?

A megalopolis refers to a large urban area that is formed by the merging of multiple metropolitan regions. This phenomenon typically occurs as cities expand and suburban areas increasingly connect, leading to a continuous urban region that encompasses a diverse population and a wide range of economic activities.

These large urban agglomerations often have significant social, cultural, and economic interactions among the cities within them, resulting in a combined influence that surpasses that of the individual metropolitan areas. An example is the Northeast Megalopolis in the United States, which includes cities like Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

In contrast, the other choices describe different types of areas. Low-density urban areas are usually characterized by spread-out buildings and infrastructure, and small cities with high populations do not qualify as megalopolises due to their limited scale. Rural communities further differ as they are typically less populated and focused on agricultural or open land uses, distinct from the densely interconnected urban characteristics of a megalopolis.