A village is a small settlement on the territory of Russia and the CIS countries. Settlements can be of different types, such as summer cottages, cottages, resorts, workers, etc. A settlement is one of the types of rural settlements.
Types of rural settlements
A rural settlement means any settlement located outside the city. In different countries, there are different criteria for urban and rural areas, of which the population size is most often used. Also a frequent criterion is the nature of the activities of people living in the settlement. A characteristic feature of any rural settlements is the low level of development of the service sector, infrastructure support, the lack of modern benefits of civilization, the small population and area of the settlement and the predominance of one-story or two-story buildings.
Functions of rural settlements
The functions of cities and rural settlements are also very different. For rural settlements, the most common type of activity is agriculture, and for cities - industry, construction and services. In other cases, the functions of rural settlements are quite specific andfocused on one specific activity. For example, it can be mining, maintaining a wildlife sanctuary or a national park. Some rural settlements are focused exclusively on forestry, fishing or hunting, or created to serve the recreation of the population.
Features of rural settlements: differences between a village and a city
Characteristic features of towns and villages are:
- insufficient transport accessibility;
- insufficient level of medical care;
- lower standard of living of the population;
- often there is a dependence on natural conditions (weather, bioecological, etc.);
- differ in the fact that residents have their own household;
- lower building density than in cities;
- low prevalence of artificial surfaces (asph alt, concrete, tiles, etc.);
- generally the best environment;
- quieter lifestyle;
- the streets of the village are less well-maintained and often inhabited by pets;
- fewer chronic diseases and colds in people (with the exception of some working camps and places with unfavorable ecology).
Establishment of settlements
Village is a settlement located outside the city. Sometimes the village is called some areas of cities located in the outskirts of the city and stand out from the general urban development. Such areas in the past were separatesettlements that have become part of the city due to consolidation and merging with it. Cities consisting of more or less separate parts (for example, mining) are divided precisely into villages, and not into microdistricts. At the same time, the central region is the only zone called the city proper.
Part of the villages are completely absorbed by cities and become microdistricts. However, for some time they still retain some of their inherent individuality. In particular, the specific (and usually low-rise) nature of development, lifestyle, connections between people, the appearance of a semi-rural.
At the same time, the reverse process is observed - the formation of new settlements. Often these are dacha cooperatives, which can subsequently turn into full-fledged settlements with permanent residence of people. New industrial facilities being built far from cities can also give rise to new settlements. Such a process was especially active in the USSR, which was associated with the rapid development of industry.
Some of the villages are formed due to the compact resettlement of refugees and migrants. At present, the cottage settlement is becoming more and more widespread. Mostly we althy citizens live there, and the level of well-being is higher than in other rural settlements. The cottage settlement can be considered the most modern type of rural settlements.
Features of villages
At the legislative level, settlements are not officiallyfixed. Such settlements can be of urban and rural types. The population is usually no more than 10,000 people. Typically, settlements are relatively young formations associated with cities and other large settlements. Many of them originated during the Soviet Union. More ancient, historically established settlements are villages.
Differences between a village and a village
Both the village and the settlement are rural settlements. The main difference between them concerns the way of life, history, occupation and ways of organizing the economy.
A village is a relatively self-sufficient settlement, whose inhabitants are mainly engaged in agriculture and have a personal (subsidiary) household. Villages have a way of life that is more characteristic of past centuries than of the present. They are most common in Ukraine, Belarus, in the central regions of Russia and some other regions. In the south of the European territory of Russia, the traditional way of life is typical for auls, villages, farms.
Villages and similar settlements have a longer history than townships and are usually inhabited by indigenous (local) populations. The settlements, as a rule, have a recent origin, and they may consist of a visiting population. The way of life of the settlements directly depends on the type of activity of people, which can be agricultural, industrial, recreational, forestry.
Geographically, townships, like villages, are usually located alongriver valleys, lake shores and reservoirs. However, there is no such clear attachment to water bodies as in villages. Water in the villages can come from artesian wells or be brought from outside. Worker camps can be built near man-made objects, which determine the priority of their location.
Thus, a village is not really a village, although there may not be hard distinctions between them.
