1. A metropolitan area
   Metropolitan area
   The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
   
    is an economically and socially integrated area with one or more core cities. The population has to be over 300,000.
   1. Core city
      Core city
      A is a class of Japanese city created by the first clause of Article 252, Section 22 of the Local Autonomy Law of Japan. Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, but not as many as designated cities...
      
      : A core city has to satisfy the following three conditions:
      1. Its population more than 200,000.
      2. More than 70% of its residents living in the urbanized area.
      3. More than 70% of the employed residents working within the city.
   2. Satellite city: Within the same region of the core city, a city or township is defined as a satellite city if one of the following conditions is satisfied. A satellite city has to connecte to the core city either directly or through its satellite cities.
      1. More than 10% of the employed residents commuting
         Commuting
         Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
         
          to the core city.
      2. More than 5% of the employed residents commuting to the core city and more than 40% of the residents living within the same urbanized area as the core city.
      3. surrounded by satellite cities.
      4. If a city is qualified to be a satellite city for more than one core cities, it is defined to be of the core city with more commuters.
2. A metropolitan area is named after the most populous core city.
3. Two metropolitan areas are combined into one if the distance between the largest core cities is less than 25 km or if they are bordered with each other for more than 1 km, and if there is close connection of their commuters.

Metropolitan areas in the Republic of China

• Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area (6,607,115)
• Kaohsiung metropolitan area
  Kaohsiung metropolitan area
  According to the definition of metropolitan areas formerly used by the ROC government, Kaohsiung metropolitan area includes the following areas:...
  
   (2,752,008)
• Taichung–Changhua metropolitan area (2,161,327)
• Taoyuan–Jhongli metropolitan area (1,814,437)
• Tainan metropolitan area
  Tainan metropolitan area
  According to the definition of metropolitan areas formerly used by the Republic of China government in Taiwan, Tainan metropolitan area includes the following areas:...
  
   (1,237,886)
• Hsinchu metropolitan area
  Hsinchu metropolitan area
  According to the definition of metropolitan areas formerly used by the Republic of China government, Hsinchu metropolitan area includes the following areas:...
  
   (671,464)
• Chiayi metropolitan area
  Chiayi metropolitan area
  According to the definition of metropolitan areas formerly used by the ROC government, Chiayi metropolitan area includes the following areas:...
  
  (373,417)

External links

• Sustainable urban planning
• Government Statistics website (in Chinese)
• Construction and Planning Agency - Engaged in comprehensive plans, urban planning, public housing, construction management, public works, building new business.
• Geopolis : research group, university of Paris-Diderot, France — Urbanization in the world