Global Cities S.
2 total works
Occupying both sides of the Bosporus Strait, the important seaway that joins the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, Istanbul is partly in Europe and partly in Asia. The strategic importance of its location has made the city one of the longest-inhabited areas in the world. It has a huge wealth of important historical sites from the Roman, Byzantine, and early Muslim periods. Today, it is the largest and most economically dynamic city in Turkey. With a large practicing Muslim population and a history of secularism, Istanbul is a city constantly balancing the pull of its religious leaders with the political and economic needs of its population. Although the city is situated on a geological fault line and a major earthquake is always possible, the continuous construction of bridges and tunnels provides much-needed links between the two sides of the city. An essential introduction to a fascinating place, ""Istanbul"" presents vital insights into this remarkable city's people, economy, and culture.
Noted for its European and indigenous cultural influences, beautiful physical setting, and biological diversity, Cape Town is a major seaport and legislative capital of South Africa. Having endured apartheid for 50 years, with the ruling white population enjoying the privileges of power and wealth, the city is now coming to terms with its past. Still, a tenth of its citizens live in slums without plumbing or electricity. Slum dwellers have high rates of infectious diseases; HIV/AIDS is a serious concern. And infant mortality here is twice the rate of other city sectors. The city's water supply is a problem as well. Cape Town is addressing these concerns, however - an ""Integrated Development Plan"" is in place and aims by 2020 to achieve 100-percent improvement in literacy, poverty, and life expectancy at birth; to reduce violent crime by 90 percent; to reduce water use; and to double incomes. ""Cape Town"" provides a comprehensive overview of this unique metropolis - from its beginnings in 1652 as a supply base for the Dutch East India Company to its 21st-century role as an emerging international city.