A city is a human settlement of notable size, distinguished from other human settlements by its relatively great size, functions, and special symbolic status conferred by a central authority. It is a permanent and densely settled place with administratively defined boundaries whose members work primarily on non-agricultural tasks. Cities serve as administrative, commercial, religious, and cultural hubs for their larger surrounding areas. A typical city has professional administrators, regulations, and some form of taxation to support the government workers.

The key characteristics of a city are:

• Size: A city is a large urban area with a greater geographical area, higher population, and population density than a town.

• Functions: Cities are distinguished from other urban centers like towns and suburban by their relatively large size, function, population, and status conferred by the government.

• Symbolic status: Cities have a special symbolic status conferred by a central authority.

• Boundary: A city is a densely populated area with a legally defined boundary.

Different countries have different ways of designating urban centers as cities. For example, in the United States, an incorporated city is a legally defined government entity with powers delegated by the state and county. In China, cities have a population of at least 50,000 inhabitants in contiguous dense grid cells. India uses a threshold of 5,000 inhabitants but combines it with other criteria. France does not distinguish between cities and towns and refers to the urban centers by common names like “villes”.

In summary, a city is a permanent and densely settled place with administratively defined boundaries whose members work primarily on non-agricultural tasks. It is distinguished from other human settlements by its relatively great size, functions, and special symbolic status conferred by a central authority.