World's 10 most impressive cities

A recent study titled - The Wealth Report 2012 - suggests that even though the focus is now on emerging economies; established top cities in the world will continue to draw wealth for sometime.

Economic activity, quality of life, political power, knowledge and influence were all factors in assessing what made a city important, according to the survey carried out by Knight Frank Research and Citi Private Bank.

Here, we reveal the top 10 impressive cities according to this report.

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City: London
Ranking: 1

London came top in nearly every category of the survey. 

Londong, one of the world's leading financial centres, is also the largest metropolitan area of the country and among the most populated in Europe.

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City: New York
Ranking: 2

New York is the biggest regional economy in the US and the second largest city economy in the world after Tokyo. It is anchored by Wall Street in Lower Manhattan and New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalisation.

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City: Hong Kong
Ranking: 3

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is the sixth largest in the world, with a market capitalisation of about US$2.97 trillion. Also, the currency Hong Kong dollar is the eighth most traded currency in the world.

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City: Paris
Ranking: 4

Paris is one of the world's leading business and cultural centres. Furhter, its influences in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and arts contribute to a large extent to its status as one of the world's major global cities.

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City: Singapore
Ranking: 5

Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It is one of the world's leading business centres and a major destination for foreign investment. By 2016, Singapore's current account balance is expected to be $47.518 billion.

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City: Miami
Ranking: 6

According to the US Census Bureau, Miami's metro area is the seventh most populous and fifth-largest urban area in the United States, with a population of around 5.5 million.

Miami is also a major center of commerce, finance and boasts of a strong international business community.

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City: Geneva
Ranking: 7

Geneva's economy is mainly services oriented. The city has a finance sector, which specialises in private banking and financing of international trade. It is also an important centre of commodity trade.

Watchmakers, Baume et Mercier, Charriol, Chopard, Franck Muller, Patek Philippe, Gallet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rolex, Raymond Weil, Omega, Vacheron Constantin, and international producers of flavours and fragrances, Firmenich and Givaudan, have their headquarters in Geneva.

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City: Shanghai
Ranking: 8

Shanghai is the centre of finance and trade in China. It is also called the showpiece of China, owing to its fantastic urban infrastructure and its pivotal position as a significant business centre in the world's fastest growing economy. Shanghai is also the most populous city in China.

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City: Beijing
Ranking: 9

Beijing is China's second largest city after Shanghai. It is also the country's political, cultural and educational center. Further, it houses most of China's largest state-owned companies.

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City: Berlin
Ranking: 10

Berlin is Germany's largest city and the second most populous city. It Berlin is a world city of culture, politics, media, and science.

Berlin's economy is primarily based on the service sector, encompassing a diverse range of creative industries, media corporations and convention venues.