Milan is a city in Italy and the capital of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. It has a population of about 1.32 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza.

The growth of many suburbs and satellite settlements around the city following the great economic boom of the 1950-60s and massive commuting flows indicates that socioeconomic linkages have expanded well beyond the boundaries of the city and its agglomeration. It has been suggested that the Milan metropolitan area is part of the so-called Blue Banana, the area of Europe with the highest population and industrial density.