Iceland review - 2014, Page 39

ICELAND REVIEW 37
Things are warming up in the
Arctic and the world’s atten-
tion is shifting. With the world
industrializing there is an increased call
for resources. The biggest factor influenc-
ing development in the Arctic is population
growth, which is driving the hunt for natural
resources into the last frontier.
In Iceland, the year 2008 will be remem-
bered for the economic collapse whereas
internationally the year stands out because
for the first time in history more people were
living in cities than in rural areas. That trend
will only continue to increase and megacities,
with over 10 million inhabitants, will most
probably be 40 in the year 2025, up from
the current 25. The only new city on that
list from the western world will be Chicago;
the others include Chengdu, Dongguan and
Guangzhou in China; Kinshasa in DRC;
Lagos in Nigeria; Jakarta in Indonesia; Lahore
in Pakistan; and Chennai in India.