Mumbai, India

 

        India is soon to be the most populous country in the world within the next decade. Mumbai is India's most populous cities with the densest population count of around 21,000 people per square kilometer. With so many inhabitants, many may wonder what makes Mumbai so special and a place that 14 million people call home. Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, has a rich history of diverse cultures, religions, and influences from many parts of the world.

         Early settlers first might have came to Mumbai for its rich soils and abundant supply of precious spices and gold. Because spices, such as saffron, are unique to India and still are extremely difficult to find in many other parts of the world; explorers from other countries tried to set up colonies to export goods and claim land for their homeland. With the establishment of Portuguese and British colonies, influences of Christianity began to spread throughout small pockets of the country making India a largely diverse country with believers of three major religions; Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. As more and more people began traveling to the ports of Mumbai and other parts of India, roads and railways were created to make traveling and exporting goods an easier task.

         Many of the native Indians of Mumbai might have settled in the fishing colonies along the Arabian Sea for food and basic needs. Mumbai was known to be the major seaport in that particular part of Asia, which ultimately made way for fishermen and other settlers to set up trade posts and export fish to many other parts of India and the Middle East. Many of the fishing colonies were also set up along Mumbai's seven islands that had inhabitants there since the Stone Age.

       Today, there are about 14 million people living in Mumbai. Mumbai is known to have the greatest growth in economic and educational development. With this in mind, many people may choose to move to Mumbai for a better opportunity to improve their lifestyles by getting a better education and finding jobs within the city that can support an overall better life. It is also the center of many religious pathways because its home to many large temples that were built thousands of years ago. The climate is fairly moderate all year long and everything is accessible because of its very urban location.