In geography, statistics and archaeology, a settlement, locality or populated place is a community of people living in a particular place. The complexity of a settlement can range from a minuscule number of dwellings grouped together to the largest of cities with surrounding urbanized areas. Settlements include hamlets, villages, towns and cities. A settlement may have known historical properties such as the date or era in which it was first settled, or first settled by particular people. A number of factors like war, erosion, and the fall of great empires can result in the formation of abandoned settlements which provides relics for archaeological studies
The process of settlement involves human migration.
In the field of geospatial predictive modeling, settlements are "a city, town, village or other agglomeration of buildings where people live and work". A settlement conventionally includes its constructed facilities such as roads, enclosures, field systems, boundary banks and ditches, ponds, parks and woodlands, wind and water mills, manor houses, moats and churches.
An unincorporated area is a related designation used in the United States.
History
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The earliest geographical evidence of a human settlement was Jebel Irhoud, where early modern human remains of eight individuals date back to the Middle Paleolithic around 300,000 years ago.
The oldest remains that have been found of constructed dwellings are remains of huts that were made of mud and branches around 17,000 BC at the Ohalo site (now underwater) near the edge of the Sea of Galilee. The Natufians built houses, also in the Levant, around 10,000 BC. Remains of settlements such as villages become much more common after the invention of agriculture, The oldest of them is Jarmo, located in Iraq.
In landscape history
Landscape history studies the form (morphology) of settlements – for example whether they are dispersed or nucleated. Urban morphology can thus be considered a special type of cultural-historical landscape studies. Settlements can be ordered by size, centrality or other factors to define a settlement hierarchy. A settlement hierarchy can be used for classifying settlement all over the world, although a settlement called a "town" in one country might be a "village" in other countries; or a "large town" in some countries might be a "city" in others.
Statistics
Australia
Geoscience Australia defines a populated place as "a named settlement with a population of 200 or more persons".
The Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia used the term localities for rural areas, while the Australian Bureau of Statistics uses the term "urban centres/localities" for urban areas.[citation needed]
Bosnia and Herzegovina
The uses the term "populated place" / "settled place" for rural (or urban as an administrative center of some Municipality/City), and "Municipality" and "City" for urban areas.
Bulgaria
The Bulgarian Government publishes a National Register of Populated places (NRPP).
Canada
The Canadian government uses the term "populated place" in the Atlas of Canada, but does not define it.Statistics Canada uses the term localities for historically named locations.
Croatia
The Croatian Bureau of Statistics records population in units called settlements (naselja).
India
The Census Commission of India has a special definition of census towns.
Ireland
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) of the Republic of Ireland has had a special definition of census towns. From the 2022 census of Ireland, the CSO introduced an urban geography unit called "Built Up Areas" (BUAs).
Pakistan
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics records population in units of settlements called Tehsil – an administrative unit derived from the Mughal era.
Russia
There are various types of inhabited localities in Russia.
Sweden
Statistics Sweden uses the term localities (tätort) for various densely populated places. The common English-language translation is urban areas.
United Kingdom
The UK Department for Communities and Local Government uses the term "urban settlement" to denote an urban area when analysing census information. The Registrar General for Scotland defines settlements as groups of one or more contiguous localities, which are determined according to population density and postcode areas. The Scottish settlements are used as one of several factors defining urban areas.
United States
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has a Geographic Names Information System that defines three classes of human settlement:
- Populated place − place or geographic area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village). A populated place is usually not incorporated and by definition has no legal boundaries. However, a populated place may have a corresponding "civil" record, the legal boundaries of which may or may not coincide with the perceived populated place.
- Census − a statistical area delineated locally specifically for the tabulation of Census Bureau data (census designated place, census county division, unorganized territory, various types of American Indian/Alaska Native statistical areas).
- Civil − a political division formed for administrative purposes (borough, county, incorporated place, municipality, parish, town, township).
Populated places may be specifically defined in the context of censuses and be different from general-purpose administrative entities, such as "place" as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau or census-designated places.
Geospatial modeling
In the field of geospatial predictive modeling, a settlement is "a city, town, village, or other agglomeration of buildings where people live and work".
The Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) framework produces global spatial information about the human presence on the planet over time. This in the form of built up maps, population density maps and settlement maps. This information is generated with evidence-based analytics and knowledge using new spatial data mining technologies. The framework uses heterogeneous data including global archives of fine-scale satellite imagery, census data, and volunteered geographic information. The data is processed fully automatically and generates analytics and knowledge reporting objectively and systematically about the presence of population and built-up infrastructures. The GHSL operates in an open and free data and methods access policy (open input, open method, open output).
Abandonment
The term "Abandoned populated places" is a Feature Designation Name in databases sourced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and GeoNames.
Sometimes the structures are still easily accessible, such as in a ghost town, and these may become tourist attractions. Some places that have the appearance of a ghost town, however, may still be defined as populated places by government entities.[citation needed]
A town may become a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, because of a government action, such as the building of a dam that floods the town, or because of natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, uncontrolled lawlessness, or war. The term is sometimes used to refer to cities, towns, and neighborhoods that are still populated, but significantly less so than in years past.[citation needed]
See also
- Administrative division – Territorial entity for administration purposes
- Colony – Territory governed by another country
- Human outpost – Human habitats located in environments inhospitable for humans
- Informal settlement – Housing outside of official government control, regulation, or protection
- List of Neolithic settlements
- Lost city – Human settlement that has become uninhabited
- Requirements for permanent settlements – Transition from nomadic lifestyle to a society that remains in one place permanently
- Settlement geography
- Urban sprawl – Expansion of auto-oriented, low-density development in suburbs
References
- Dutta, Biswanath; Fausto Giunchiglia; Vincenzo Maltese (2010). "A Facet-Based Methodology for Geo-Spatial Modeling". GeoSpatial Semantics: 4th International Conference, GeoS 2011, Brest, France (PDF). p. 143. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
- "Medieval Settlement Research Group". doi:10.5284/1017430. Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
- "NTMS Specifications (250K & 100K): Populated place". Australian Government. Archived from the original on June 3, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- "Glossary Search Results". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- "Census 2022 Urban Boundaries and Built Up Areas". cso.ie. Central Statistics Office. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- "Urban Settlement 2001". Archived from the original on 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
- Scottish census information Archived 2010-12-18 at the Wayback Machine
- "Feature Class Definitions". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- "Maps of Kolmanskop – Namibia 2012". Map Atlas – Google Maps based atlas of the world. MapAtlas.org. 2012. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- "Feature Designation Code Lookup". NGA: Geonames Search – OGC Viewer. Springfield, Virginia, US: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on January 2, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- "GeoNames Feature Codes". GeoNames. GeoNames. February 10, 2012. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
External links
- The Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) framework
In geography statistics and archaeology a settlement locality or populated place is a community of people living in a particular place The complexity of a settlement can range from a minuscule number of dwellings grouped together to the largest of cities with surrounding urbanized areas Settlements include hamlets villages towns and cities A settlement may have known historical properties such as the date or era in which it was first settled or first settled by particular people A number of factors like war erosion and the fall of great empires can result in the formation of abandoned settlements which provides relics for archaeological studiesThe small town of Flora Oregon in the United States is unincorporated but is considered a populated place A field landscape of the rural Pajuniemi village in Sastamala Pirkanmaa FinlandTaos Pueblo an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about 1 mile 1 6 km north of the modern city of Taos New Mexico London a city in the United Kingdom is a large settlement with a human population of 14 million in its metropolitan area The process of settlement involves human migration In the field of geospatial predictive modeling settlements are a city town village or other agglomeration of buildings where people live and work A settlement conventionally includes its constructed facilities such as roads enclosures field systems boundary banks and ditches ponds parks and woodlands wind and water mills manor houses moats and churches An unincorporated area is a related designation used in the United States HistoryThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it December 2023 The earliest geographical evidence of a human settlement was Jebel Irhoud where early modern human remains of eight individuals date back to the Middle Paleolithic around 300 000 years ago The oldest remains that have been found of constructed dwellings are remains of huts that were made of mud and branches around 17 000 BC at the Ohalo site now underwater near the edge of the Sea of Galilee The Natufians built houses also in the Levant around 10 000 BC Remains of settlements such as villages become much more common after the invention of agriculture The oldest of them is Jarmo located in Iraq In landscape history Some settlement sites may go out of use This location in Estonia was used for human settlement in 2nd half of first millennium and it is considered an archaeological record that may provide information on how people lived back then Landscape history studies the form morphology of settlements for example whether they are dispersed or nucleated Urban morphology can thus be considered a special type of cultural historical landscape studies Settlements can be ordered by size centrality or other factors to define a settlement hierarchy A settlement hierarchy can be used for classifying settlement all over the world although a settlement called a town in one country might be a village in other countries or a large town in some countries might be a city in others StatisticsAustralia Geoscience Australia defines a populated place as a named settlement with a population of 200 or more persons The Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia used the term localities for rural areas while the Australian Bureau of Statistics uses the term urban centres localities for urban areas citation needed Bosnia and Herzegovina The uses the term populated place settled place for rural or urban as an administrative center of some Municipality City and Municipality and City for urban areas Bulgaria The Bulgarian Government publishes a National Register of Populated places NRPP Canada The Canadian government uses the term populated place in the Atlas of Canada but does not define it Statistics Canada uses the term localities for historically named locations Croatia The Croatian Bureau of Statistics records population in units called settlements naselja India The Census Commission of India has a special definition of census towns Ireland The Central Statistics Office CSO of the Republic of Ireland has had a special definition of census towns From the 2022 census of Ireland the CSO introduced an urban geography unit called Built Up Areas BUAs Pakistan The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics records population in units of settlements called Tehsil an administrative unit derived from the Mughal era Russia Urban structure of Sortavala a town in Republic of Karelia Russia There are various types of inhabited localities in Russia Sweden Statistics Sweden uses the term localities tatort for various densely populated places The common English language translation is urban areas United Kingdom The UK Department for Communities and Local Government uses the term urban settlement to denote an urban area when analysing census information The Registrar General for Scotland defines settlements as groups of one or more contiguous localities which are determined according to population density and postcode areas The Scottish settlements are used as one of several factors defining urban areas United States The United States Geological Survey USGS has a Geographic Names Information System that defines three classes of human settlement Populated place place or geographic area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population city settlement town village A populated place is usually not incorporated and by definition has no legal boundaries However a populated place may have a corresponding civil record the legal boundaries of which may or may not coincide with the perceived populated place Census a statistical area delineated locally specifically for the tabulation of Census Bureau data census designated place census county division unorganized territory various types of American Indian Alaska Native statistical areas Civil a political division formed for administrative purposes borough county incorporated place municipality parish town township Populated places may be specifically defined in the context of censuses and be different from general purpose administrative entities such as place as defined by the U S Census Bureau or census designated places Geospatial modelingIn the field of geospatial predictive modeling a settlement is a city town village or other agglomeration of buildings where people live and work The Global Human Settlement Layer GHSL framework produces global spatial information about the human presence on the planet over time This in the form of built up maps population density maps and settlement maps This information is generated with evidence based analytics and knowledge using new spatial data mining technologies The framework uses heterogeneous data including global archives of fine scale satellite imagery census data and volunteered geographic information The data is processed fully automatically and generates analytics and knowledge reporting objectively and systematically about the presence of population and built up infrastructures The GHSL operates in an open and free data and methods access policy open input open method open output AbandonmentAbandoned buildings in Kolmanskop Namibia The term Abandoned populated places is a Feature Designation Name in databases sourced by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and GeoNames Sometimes the structures are still easily accessible such as in a ghost town and these may become tourist attractions Some places that have the appearance of a ghost town however may still be defined as populated places by government entities citation needed A town may become a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed because of a government action such as the building of a dam that floods the town or because of natural or human caused disasters such as floods uncontrolled lawlessness or war The term is sometimes used to refer to cities towns and neighborhoods that are still populated but significantly less so than in years past citation needed See alsoWikimedia Commons has media related to wbr Populated places and wbr Settlements Administrative division Territorial entity for administration purposes Colony Territory governed by another country Human outpost Human habitats located in environments inhospitable for humans Informal settlement Housing outside of official government control regulation or protectionPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets List of Neolithic settlements Lost city Human settlement that has become uninhabited Requirements for permanent settlements Transition from nomadic lifestyle to a society that remains in one place permanently Settlement geography Urban sprawl Expansion of auto oriented low density development in suburbsReferencesDutta Biswanath Fausto Giunchiglia Vincenzo Maltese 2010 A Facet Based Methodology for Geo Spatial Modeling GeoSpatial Semantics 4th International Conference GeoS 2011 Brest France PDF p 143 Archived PDF from the original on 2011 09 27 Retrieved 2012 06 06 Medieval Settlement Research Group doi 10 5284 1017430 Archived from the original on 2012 02 11 Retrieved 2008 04 25 NTMS Specifications 250K amp 100K Populated place Australian Government Archived from the original on June 3 2011 Retrieved July 26 2011 Glossary Search Results Atlas of Canada Natural Resources Canada Archived from the original on October 6 2012 Retrieved July 26 2011 Census 2022 Urban Boundaries and Built Up Areas cso ie Central Statistics Office 21 June 2023 Retrieved 4 April 2024 Urban Settlement 2001 Archived from the original on 2011 02 02 Retrieved 2010 12 23 Scottish census information Archived 2010 12 18 at the Wayback Machine Feature Class Definitions United States Geological Survey Archived from the original on October 23 2023 Retrieved July 26 2011 Maps of Kolmanskop Namibia 2012 Map Atlas Google Maps based atlas of the world MapAtlas org 2012 Archived from the original on April 15 2013 Retrieved February 11 2012 Feature Designation Code Lookup NGA Geonames Search OGC Viewer Springfield Virginia US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Archived from the original on January 2 2012 Retrieved February 11 2012 GeoNames Feature Codes GeoNames GeoNames February 10 2012 Archived from the original on October 12 2018 Retrieved February 11 2012 External linksThe Global Human Settlement Layer GHSL framework
