A case study of HYPERURBANISATION
Where is Mumbai?: Western Coast of India, located on the coast of the Arabian Sea
Important Background information:
-Mumbai was previously known as Bombay
-It was colonised by the British in the 1600s
-Populations growth was half that of Europe in the 19th Century
-Could this have been due to the British rule... the import of grain from India to Europe?
-It led to scarcities and famines... restricting the development of the country
[Another example of the link of economic development and urbanisation]
-The climate is tropical exacerbating the problems within the slum areas
-It gained independence in 1947 [the rate of urbanisation increased to 5%]
-The Suez Canal encouraged the growth of the booming cotton trade
-It was known as the 'Manchester of the East'... *N.B. the city is now diversifying into IT services
Mumbai should be known as 'a city of contrasts'- that is, it is highly polarised.
-Its successes economically are paralleled by the growth of slums around its periphery
It has developed economically and yields politically/cultural influence:
-Bollywood - Hindi language film industry
-Rents are higher than in New York and London!
-40% of India's foreign trade is channelled through Mumbai
-Growing middle class: 3 million
This is contrasted by the dire poverty:
-60% of Mumbai's population lives in slum conditions
-The slum provide little taxes as the informal sector dominates
-150,000 single room factories or 'cottage industries'- wages can be $40 a month or lower
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