"""
func extractCities()
    open the file
    read one line to trash header
    create empty list for the cities
    for every additional line in the file
        split the line to get the city
        add the city to the list
    return the list
        """

def extractCities():
    fin = open("IA_population_data.txt","r")
    fin.readline() #throw away the header line
    cities = []
    for line in fin:
        data = line.split("\t")
        city = data[0]
        cities.append(city)
    fin.close()
    
    return cities