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Village

geography Maturity 7-9 Vital Level 3 Next article →

A village is a place where people live together. It is a type of community that is larger than a hamlet. However, it is still smaller than a town. Most villages have a population between a few hundred and a few thousand people.

Bourton-on-the-Water 2010 PD 09
Bourton-on-the-Water 2010 PD 09

While many are in the countryside, some are called urban villages. These are special neighborhoods located within a city. Most villages are permanent places with fixed homes. Some villages are transient, which means they do not stay in one place.

Stroczycy Bielarus 2008MV04
Stroczycy Bielarus 2008MV04

In a village, homes are usually built close to one another. They are not spread out far across the landscape. This makes them different from a dispersed settlement. In the past, many people lived in villages to practice subsistence agriculture. This means they grew their own food to survive.

A view of Villages and farms in south Rajasthan India
A view of Villages and farms in south Rajasthan India

Some villages were built near the water for fishing. These fishing villages were located right next to fishing grounds. People lived together for social reasons and for defense. They often farmed the land that surrounded their homes.

History shows how villages have changed over time. Long ago, most people lived in small communities. Only a few people lived in large towns or cities. The Industrial Revolution changed this way of life. Many people moved to work in big mills and factories. This caused many small villages to grow into towns.

Main street of the village of Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England
Main street of the village of Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England

This movement also helped people learn special trades and crafts. Today, people still move to cities, which is called urbanization. In Great Britain, a hamlet could become a village by building a church.

Villages look and feel very different depending on where they are. In India, about 833 million people lived in villages in 2011. There were 649,481 villages in India at that time.

A view of Villages and farms in south Rajasthan India
A view of Villages and farms in south Rajasthan India

Some Indian villages are small, with fewer than 500 people. Others are large, with more than 10,000 people. In Kazakhstan, about 7.5 million people live in 8,172 villages.

Центр села Кичкальня
Центр села Кичкальня

In Afghanistan, a village is called a deh. A deh is bigger than a qala but smaller than a shār. A shār is a town with schools and police stations.

Different cultures have their own special names for villages. In Malaysia, people call a village a kampung.

Typical Hainan village - 01
Typical Hainan village - 01

These villages might have houses on stilts and rice fields. In Vietnam, villages are a symbol of farming. They often have a village gate and bamboo hedges.

Typical Hainan village - 01
Typical Hainan village - 01

In Indonesia, a village can be called a desa or a kelurahan. In many Slavic countries, the word for village is selo. These many names show how important villages are to people everywhere.

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🖼️ Images & Media (30)
File:Bourton-on-the-Water 2010 PD 09.JPG
Bourton-on-the-Water 2010 PD 09.JPG
File:Veduta di Pacentro.jpg
Veduta di Pacentro.jpg
File:Stroczycy Bielarus 2008MV04.jpg
Stroczycy Bielarus 2008MV04.jpg
File:Halkia, Pornainen 2.jpg
Halkia, Pornainen 2.jpg
File:KippelLötschental WoodenHouses.jpg
KippelLötschental WoodenHouses.jpg
File:Ourika berbere village.jpg
Ourika berbere village.jpg
File:Hollókő Ófalu Fő utca (részlet).jpg
Hollókő Ófalu Fő utca (részlet).jpg
File:Mollösund 1.JPG
Mollösund 1.JPG
File:A view of Villages and farms in south Rajasthan India.jpg
A view of Villages and farms in south...
File:Dosut, Neelum Valley cool beautiful evening.jpg
Dosut, Neelum Valley cool beautiful evening.jpg
File:Typical Hainan village - 01.jpg
Typical Hainan village - 01.jpg
File:Ogi Shirakawa-gō, Gifu, Japan.jpg
Ogi Shirakawa-gō, Gifu, Japan.jpg

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