Village

For other uses, seeVillage (disambiguation).

"Ortsteil" redirects here. For districts and subdistricts of Berlin, seeBoroughs and neighborhoods of Berlin § Localities.

Avillageis a clusteredhuman settlementorcommunity,larger than ahamletbut smaller than atownwith a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located inrural areas,the termurban villageis also applied to certain urban neighborhoods. Villages are normally permanent, with fixeddwellings;however, transient villages can occur. Further, the dwellings of a village are fairly close to one another, not scattered broadly over the landscape, as adispersed settlement.

Winter in a village.

A village inItaly,Pacentro

A village inStrochitsy,Belarus,2008

A village inPornainen,Finland

AnAlpinevillage in theLötschentalvalley,Switzerland

ABerbervillage inOurikavalley,High Atlas,Morocco

The old village ofHollókő,Nógrád,Hungary(UNESCO World Heritage Site)

In the past, villages were a usual form of community for societies that practicesubsistence agricultureand also for some non-agricultural societies. InGreat Britain,a hamlet earned the right to be called a village when it built achurch.In many cultures, towns and cities were few, with only a small proportion of the population living in them. TheIndustrial Revolutionattracted people in larger numbers to work in mills and factories; the concentration of people caused many villages to grow into towns and cities. This also enabled specialization of labor and crafts and the development of many trades. The trend ofurbanizationcontinues but not always in connection with industrialization. Historically, homes were situated together for sociability and defence, and land surrounding the living quarters was farmed.Traditional fishing villageswere based onartisan fishingand located adjacent to fishing grounds.

Intoponomasticterminology, the names of individual villages are calledComonyms(fromAncient Greekκώμη / village and ὄνυμα / name, [cf. ὄνομα]).

Etymology

FromMiddle Englishvillage,fromOld Frenchvillage,fromLatinvillāticus,ultimately fromLatinvilla(Englishvilla).

Central Asia

Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, the village, ordeh(Dari/Pashto:ده)is the mid-size settlement type in Afghan society, trumping theUnited Stateshamlet orqala(Dari:قلعه,Pashto:کلي),though smaller than the town, orshār(Dari:شهر,Pashto:ښار).In contrast to theqala,thedehis generally a bigger settlement which includes a commercial area, while the yet largershārincludes governmental buildings and services such as schools of higher education, basic health care, police stations etc.

Mollösund, an example of a common village in Sweden and the Nordics.

India

A typical rural peasant Indian village inRajasthan,India

"The soul ofIndialives in its villages, "declaredMahatma Gandhiat the beginning of 20th century. According to the2011 census of India,69% of Indians (around 833millionpeople) live in villages.As per 2011 census of India, there are a total of 649,481 villages in India.The size of these villages varies considerably. 236,004 Indian villages have a population of fewer than 500, while 3,976 villages have a population of 10,000+. Most of the villages have their own temple, mosque, or church, depending on the local religious following.

Pakistan

Main article:Pakistani village life

The majority ofPakistanislive in rural areas. According to the2017 census,about 64% of the Pakistani population lives in rural areas. Most rural areas inPakistantend to be near cities, and areperi-urbanareas. This is due to the definition of a rural area in Pakistan being an area that does not fall within anurbanboundary.A village is called deh or gaaon inUrdu.Pakistani village lifeis marked by kinship and exchange relations.

A village inPakistani Kashmir'sNeelum Valley"Dosut"

Kazakhstan

Main article:Aul

Auyl (Kazakh:Ауыл) is a Kazakh word meaning "village" inKazakhstan.According to the 2009 census of Kazakhstan, 42.7% of Kazakhstani citizens (7.5 million people) live in 8172 different villages.To refer to this concept along with the word "auyl" often used the Slavic word "selo" in Northern Kazakhstan.

East Asia

A typical small village inHainan,China

People's Republic of China

Main article:Village (China)

Inmainland China,villagesThônare divisions undertownshipZh: HươngortownZh: Trấn.

Republic of China (Taiwan)

Main article:Village (Taiwan)

In theRepublic of China(Taiwan), villages are divisions undertownshipsorcounty-administered cities.The village is called atsuenorcūn( thôn ) under a rural township ( hương ) and ali( ) under an urban township ( trấn ) or a county-controlled city. See alsoLi (unit).

Japan

Shirakawa-gō,Gifu,Japan

Main article:Villages of Japan

South Korea

Main article:Villages of South Korea

Southeast Asia

Brunei

Main article:Villages of Brunei

InBrunei,villages are officially the third- and lowest-levelsubdivisions of Bruneibelowdistrictsandmukims.A village is locally known by theMalaywordkampung(also spelt askampong).They may be villages in the traditional or anthropological sense but may also comprise delineated residential settlements, both rural and urban. The community of a village is headed by avillage head(Malay:ketua kampung). Communal infrastructure for the villagers may include a primary school, a religious school providingugamaor Islamic religious primary education which is compulsory for the Muslim pupils in the country,a mosque, and acommunity centre(Malay:balai rayaordewan kemasyarakatan).

Indonesia

Main article:Villages of Indonesia

InIndonesia,depending on the principles they are administered, villages are calledkampungordesa(orkelurahanfor those with urban functions). Adesa(a term that derives from aSanskritword meaning "country" that is found in the name "Bangladesh"=banglaanddesh/desha) is administered according to traditions and customary law (adat), while akelurahanis administered along more "modern" principles.Desaare generally located in rural areas whilekelurahanare generally urban subdivisions. A village head is respectively calledkepala desaorlurah.Both are elected by the local community. Adesaorkelurahanis the subdivision of akecamatan(district), in turn the subdivision of akabupaten(regency) orkota(city).

The same general concept applies all over Indonesia. However, there is some variation among the vast numbers of Austronesian ethnic groups. For instance, inBalivillages have been created by grouping traditional hamlets orbanjar,which constitute the basis of Balinese social life. In theMinangkabauarea inWest Sumatraprovince, traditional villages are callednagari(a term deriving from another Sanskrit word meaning "city", which can be found in the name like "Srinagar"=sriandnagar/nagari). In some areas such as Tanah Toraja, elders take turns watching over the village at a command post.As a general rule,desaandkelurahanare groupings of hamlets (kampungin Indonesian,dusuninJavanese,banjarin Bali). akampungis defined today as avillageinBruneiandIndonesia.

Malaysia and Singapore

Kampungis a term used inMalaysia,(sometimes spellingkampongorkompongin theEnglish language) for "a Malay hamlet or village in a Malay-speaking country".In Malaysia, akampungis determined as a locality with 10,000 or fewer people. Since historical times, every Malay village came under the leadership of apenghulu(village chief), who has the power to hear civil matters in his village (seeCourts of Malaysiafor more details).

A Malay village typically contains a"masjid"(mosque) or"surau",paddy fieldsandMalay housesonstilts.Malay and Indonesian villagers practice the culture of helping one another as a community, which is better known as "joint bearing of burdens" (gotong royong).They are family-oriented (especially the concept of respecting one's family [particularly the parents and elders]),courtesyand practice belief inGod("Tuhan") as paramount to everything else. It is common to see a cemetery near the mosque. InSarawakandEast Kalimantan,some villages are called 'long', primarily inhabited by theOrang Ulu.

Malaysiankampungwere once aplenty in Singapore but there are almost no remainingkampungvillages; the very few to have survived until today are mostly on outlyingislandssurrounding mainland Singapore, such asPulau Ubin.Mainland Singapore used to have manykampungvillages but modern developments and rapid urbanisation works have seen them bulldozed away;Kampong Lorong Buangkokis the last surviving village on the country's mainland.

The term "kampung", sometimes spelled "kampong", is one of many Malay words to have entered common usage in Malaysia and Singapore. Locally, the term is frequently used to refer to either one's hometown or a rural village, depending on the intended context.

Myanmar

Main article:Villages of Myanmar

Philippines

In urban areas of thePhilippines,the term "village" most commonly refers to private subdivisions, especiallygated communities.These villages emerged in the mid-20th century and were initially the domain ofeliteurban dwellers. Those are common inmajor cities in the countryand their residents have a wide range of income levels.

Such villages may or may not correspond to abarangay(the country's basic unit of government, also glossed as village), or be privately administered. Barangays correspond more to precolonial villages; the chairman (formerly the villagedatu) now settles administrative, intrapersonal, and political matters or polices the area though with much less authority and respect than in Indonesia or Malaysia.

Thailand

Main article:Muban

Vietnam

Village, or "làng", is a basis ofVietnamsociety. Vietnam's village is the typical symbolof Asian agricultural production. Vietnam's village typically contains: a village gate, "lũy tre" (bamboo hedges), "đình làng" (communal house) where "thành hoàng" (tutelary god) is worshiped, a common well, "đồng lúa" (ricefield), "chùa" (temple) and houses of all families in the village. All the people in Vietnam's villages usually have a blood relationship. They arefarmerswho grow rice and have the same traditionalhandicraft.Vietnam's villages have an important role in society (Vietnamese saying: "Custom rules the law" - "Phép vua thua lệ làng" [literally: the king's law yields to village customs]). It is common for Vietnamese villagers to prefer to be buried in their village upon death.

Central and Eastern Europe

Slavic countries

Lug, village in northernSerbia

Selo(Cyrillic:село;Polish:sioło) is aSlavicword meaning "village" inBosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia,North Macedonia,Russia,Serbia,andUkraine.For example, there are numeroussela(села; plural ofselo) calledNovo Selo(Ново Село, "New Village" ) inBulgaria,Croatia,Montenegro,Serbia,andNorth Macedonia.

Another Slavic word for a village isves(Polish:wieś, wioska;Czech:ves, vesnice;Slovak:ves;Slovene:vas;Russian:весь,romanized:ves). InSlovenia,the wordselois used for very small villages (fewer than 100 people) and in dialects; theSlovenewordvasis used all overSlovenia.InRussiaandBulgaria,the wordvesis archaic, but remains in idioms and locality names, such asVesyegonskandBelevehchevo.

The most commonly used word for village in Slovak isdedina(dialectical alsodzedzina). The word's etymology may be (or may not be) rooted in the verbdediť( "to inherit" ), referencing the inheriting of whole villages or properties within villages by noblemen or wealthy landowners. Another etymology could be related to the Sanskrit worddeśá(देश) similar to the Afghandeh,Bengaldeshand Indonesiandesa.The termvesappears in settlement names (mostly villages, but also some towns that evolved over time from villages). The dialect term for village in east Slovakia is alsovalal(orvalala).Dedinais unrelated to the rarer east Slavic termderevna,which refers to a village with wooden (derevo) housing.

Bulgaria

Main article:List of villages in Bulgaria

Kovachevitsa,a village in southernBulgaria

InBulgaria,the different types ofselavary from a small selo of 5 to 30 families to one of several thousand people. According to a 2002 census, in that year there were 2,385,000 Bulgarian citizens living in settlements classified asvillages.A 2004 Human Settlement Profile on Bulgariaconducted by theUnited Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairsstated that:

The most intensive is the migration "city – city". Approximately 46% of all migrated people have changed their residence from one city to another. The share of the migration processes "village – city" is significantly less – 23% and "city – village" – 20%. The migration "village – village" in 2002 is 11%.

It also stated that

the state of the environment in the small towns and villages is good apart from the low level of infrastructure.

In Bulgaria, it is popular to visit villages for the atmosphere, culture, crafts, hospitality of the people and the surrounding nature. This is calledselski turizam(Bulgarian:селски туризъм), meaning "village tourism".

Russia

The village ofKichkalnya,Tatarstan

In Russia, as of the2010 Census,26.3% of the country's population lives inrural localities;down from 26.7% recorded in the2002 Census.Multiple types of rural localities exist, but the two most common arederevnya(деревня) andselo(село). Historically, the formal indication of status was religious: a city (gorod,город) had acathedral,aselohad a church, while aderevnyahad neither.

The lowest administrative unit of theRussian Empire,avolost,or its Soviet or modern Russian successor, aselsoviet,was typically headquartered in aseloand embraced a few neighboring villages.

In the 1960s–1970s, the depopulation of the smaller villages was driven by the central planners' drive in order to get the farm workers out of smaller, "prospectless"hamlets and into thecollectiveorstate farms' main villages or even largertownsandcities,with more amenities.

Most Russian rural residents are involved in agricultural work, and it is very common for villagers to produce their own food. As prosperous urbanites purchase village houses for their second homes, Russian villages sometimes are transformed intodachasettlements, used mostly for seasonal residence.

The historicallyCossackregions of Southern Russia and parts ofUkraine,with theirfertile soiland absence ofserfdom,had a rather different pattern of settlement from central and northern Russia. While peasants of central Russia lived in a village around the lord's manor, a Cossack family often lived on its own farm, calledkhutor.A number of suchkhutorsplus a central village made up the administrative unit with a center in astanitsa(Russian:станица,romanized:stanitsa;Ukrainian:станиця,romanized:stanytsya,lit. 'stanytsia'). Suchstanitsas,often with a few thousand residents, were usually larger than a typicalseloin central Russia.

Ukraine

Maiaky,a village inDonetsk Oblast,Ukraine

InUkraine,a village, (Ukrainian:село,romanized:selo,IPA:[selo]), is considered the lowest administrative unit. Villages are under the jurisdiction of ahromadaadministration.

There is another smaller type of rural settlement which is designated in Ukrainian as aselyshche(селище). This type of community is often referred to in English as a "settlement". In the new law aboutpopulated places in Ukrainethe term "selyshche", has a specific meaning. In the past the word "selyshche" was more ambiguous and there were distinction between ruralselyshcheandselyshche miskoho typu(urban-type settlement), abbreviatedsmtin Ukrainian. There we alsodacha,fisherman, etc.selyshches

Thekhutir(хутір) andstanytsia(станиця) are not part of theadministrative divisionany longer, primarily due tocollectivization.Khutirswere very small rural localities consisting of just few housing units and were sort of individual farms. They became really popular during theStolypin reformin the early 20th century. During the collectivization, however, residents of such settlements were usually declared to bekulaksand had all their property confiscated and distributed to others (nationalized) without any compensation. Thestanitsalikewise has not survived as an administrative term. Thestanitsawas a type of a collective community that could include one or more settlements such as villages,khutirs,and others. Today,stanitsa-type formations have only survived inKuban(Russian Federation) where Ukrainians were resettled during the time of theRussian Empire.

Ashkenazi Jewish culture

See also:Shtetl,List of shtetls,andEastern European Jewry

Ashtetl(pluralshtetlekh) was a small market town or village with a majority Jewish population in central and eastern Europe. The wordshtetlis Yiddish, derived from the wordshtot(town) with the suffix-l,adiminutive.Shtetlekh first began to appear in the 13th century, and were characteristic aspects of Jewish life in central and Eastern Europe until the 1940s. The shtetl occupies an important place in Jewish collective memory (particularly the history of Ashkenazi Jews) and has been depicted extensively in literature, visual art, theatre, and film, including such examples as the writing ofMendele Mocher Sforim,Isaac Bashevis Singer,andSholem Aleichem.Sholem Aleichem'sTevye the Dairymanstories, set in the fictional shtetl of Anatevka, were eventually adapted into theFiddler on the Roofstage play (which itself was later adapted for film).

During theHolocaust,most shtetlekh were depopulated of their Jewish communities through mass deportations or liquidations. Many are memorialized inyizkor books,written testimonies that describe the histories of Jewish communities destroyed during the Holocaust.

Western and Southern Europe

France

Saint-Cirq-LapopieinLotis one of"The Most Beautiful Villages in France".

TheInseeclassifiesFrench communesinto four groups according to population density:

1. Communes with high population density
2. Communes with intermediate population density
3. Communes with low population density
4. Communes with very low population density

A commune in Group 3 or 4 is considered as a village (commune rurale).

An independent association namedLes Plus Beaux Villages de France(affiliated to the international associationThe Most Beautiful Villages in the World), was created in 1982 to promote assets of small and picturesque French villages of quality heritage. As of July 2023, 172 villages in France have been listed in "The Most Beautiful Villages of France".

Germany

In Germany aDorf(village) usually consists of at least a few houses but can have up to a few thousand inhabitants. Larger villages can also be referred to as aFleckenorMarktdepending on the region and the settlement's market rights. Smaller villages usually do not have their own government. Instead, they are part (Ortsteil) of the municipality of a nearby town.

Italy

MontefioralleinTuscanyis one of "The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy".

See also:FrazioneandTown § Italy

In Italy, villages are spread throughout the country. No legal definition of village exists in Italian law; nonetheless, a settlement inhabited by less than 2000 people is usually described as "village". More often, Italian villages that are a part of amunicipalityare calledfrazione,whereas the village that hosts the municipal seat is calledpaese(town) orcapoluogo.

A non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interestnamedI Borghi più belli d'Italia(English:The most beautiful Villages of Italy) and affiliated to the international associationThe Most Beautiful Villages in the World,was created in 2001 on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalitieswith the aim of preserving and maintaining villages of quality heritage.Founded to contribute to safeguarding, conserving and revitalizing small villages and municipalities, but sometimes even individual hamlets, which, being outside the main tourist circuits, they risk, despite their great value, being forgotten with consequent degradation, depopulation and abandonment.ItsmottoisIl fascino dell'Italia nascosta( "The charm of hidden Italy" ).As of November 2023, 361 villages in Italy have been listed in "The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy".

Spain

Olvera(Spain) is one of theWhite Towns of Andalusia.

In Spain, a village (pueblo) refers to a small population unit, smaller than a town (villa[an archaic term that survives only in official uses, such as the official name of Spain's capital, "la Villa de Madrid" ]) and a city (ciudad), typically located in a rural environment. While commonly it is the smallest administrative unit (municipio), it is possible for a village to be legally composed of smaller population units in its territory. There is not a clear-cut distinction between villages, towns and cities in Spain, since they had been traditionally categorized according to their religious importance and their relationship with surrounding population units.

Portugal

Villages are more usual in thenorthernandcentral regions,Azores Islandsand in theAlentejo.Most of them have a church and a "Casa do Povo" (people's house), where the village's summerromariasor religious festivities are usually held. Summer is also when many villages are host to a range of folk festivals and fairs, taking advantage of the fact that many of the locals who reside abroad tend to come back to their native village for the holidays.

Netherlands

In the flood-prone districts of the Netherlands, particularly in the northern provinces of Friesland and Groningen, villages were traditionally built on low man-made hills calledterpenbefore the introduction of regional dyke-systems. In modern days, the termdorp(lit. "village" ) is usually applied to settlements no larger than 20,000, though there's no official law regarding status of settlements in the Netherlands.

United Kingdom

See also:List of the largest villages in EnglandandList of towns and villages in the Scottish Highlands

A village in the UK is a compact settlement of houses, smaller in size than a town, and generally based on agriculture or, in some areas, mining (such asOuston, County Durham), quarrying or sea fishing. They are very similar to those in Ireland.

The main street of the village ofCastle Combe,Wiltshire,England

The major factors in the type of settlement are: location of water sources, organization of agriculture and landholding, and likelihood of flooding. For example, in areas such as theLincolnshire Wolds,the villages are often found along thespring linehalfway down the hillsides, and originate asspring line settlements,with the originalopen field systemsaround the village. In northernScotland,most villages are planned to agrid patternlocated on or close to major roads, whereas in areas such as theForest of Arden,woodland clearances produced small hamlets around village greens.Because of the topography of theClent Hillsthe northWorcestershirevillage ofClentis an example of a village with no centre but instead consists of series of hamlets scattered on and around the Hills.

KilmaursinEast Ayrshire,Scotland

Some villages have disappeared (for example,deserted medieval villages), sometimes leaving behind a church ormanor houseand sometimes nothing butbumps in the fields.Some show archaeological evidence of settlement at three or four different layers, each distinct from the previous one. Clearances may have been to accommodatesheepor game estates, orenclosure,or may have resulted from depopulation, such as after theBlack Deathor following a move of the inhabitants to more prosperous districts. Other villages have grown and merged and often form hubs within the general mass of suburbia—such asHampstead, LondonandDidsburyinManchester.Many villages are now predominantlydormitorylocations and have suffered the loss of shops, churches and other facilities.

Finchingfield,Essex- a quintessential English village.

For many British people, the village represents anidealof Great Britain. Seen as being far from the bustle of modern life, it is represented as quiet and harmonious, if a little inward-looking. This concept of an unspoiltArcadiais present in many popular representations of the village such as the radio serialThe Archersor thebest kept villagecompetitions.

Bisley, Gloucestershire,a village in the Cotswolds

Many villages inSouth Yorkshire,northNottinghamshire,north eastDerbyshire,County Durham,South WalesandNorthumberlandare known aspit villages.These (such asMurton, County Durham) grew fromhamletswhen the sinking of acollieryin the early 20th century resulted in a rapid growth in their population and the colliery owners built new housing, shops, pubs and churches. Some pit villages outgrew nearby towns by area and population; for example,RossingtoninSouth Yorkshirecame to have over four times more people than the nearby town ofBawtry.Some pit villages grew to becometowns;for example,Maltbyin South Yorkshire grew from 600 people in the 19th centuryto over 17,000 in 2007.Maltby was constructed under the auspices of theSheepbridge Coal and Iron Companyand included ample open spaces and provision for gardens.

In the UK, the main historical distinction between ahamletand a village was that the latter had achurch,and so usually was the centre of worship for anecclesiastical parish.However, somecivil parishesmay contain more than one village. The typical village had a pub or inn, shops, and ablacksmith.But many of these facilities are now gone, and many villages are dormitories for commuters. The population of such settlements ranges from a few hundred people to around five thousand. A village is distinguished from a town in that:

• A village should not have a regular agriculturalmarket,although today such markets are uncommon even in settlements which clearly are towns.
• A village does not have atown hallnor amayor.
• If a village is the principal settlement of acivil parish,then any administrative body that administers it at parish level should be called aparish councilorparish meeting,and not atown councilorcity council.However, some civil parishes have no functioning parish, town, or city council nor a functioning parish meeting. In Wales, where the equivalent of an English civil parish is called aCommunity,the body that administers it is called aCommunity Council.However, larger councils may elect to call themselves town councils.In Scotland, the equivalent is also a community council, however, despite being statutory bodies they have no executive powers.
• There should be a cleargreen beltor open fields, as, for example, seen on aerial maps forOustonsurrounding its parishborders. However this may not be applicable to urbanised villages: although these may not be considered to be villages, they are often widely referred to as being so; an example of this isHorsforthinLeeds.

Middle East

Lebanon

Like France, villages inLebanonare usually located in remote mountainous areas. The majority of villages in Lebanon retain theirAramaicnames or are derivative of the Aramaic names, and this is because Aramaic was still in use inMount Lebanonup to the 18th century.

Many of the Lebanese villages are a part of districts, these districts are known as "kadaa" which includes the districts of Baabda (Baabda), Aley (Aley), Matn (Jdeideh), Keserwan (Jounieh), Chouf (Beiteddine), Jbeil (Byblos), Tripoli (Tripoli), Zgharta (Zgharta / Ehden), Bsharri (Bsharri), Batroun (Batroun), Koura (Amioun), Miniyeh-Danniyeh (Minyeh / Sir Ed-Danniyeh), Zahle (Zahle), Rashaya (Rashaya), Western Beqaa (Jebjennine / Saghbine), Sidon (Sidon), Jezzine (Jezzine), Tyre (Tyre), Nabatiyeh (Nabatiyeh), Marjeyoun (Marjeyoun), Hasbaya (Hasbaya), Bint Jbeil (Bint Jbeil), Baalbek (Baalbek), and Hermel (Hermel).

The district of Danniyeh consists of thirty-six small villages, which includes Almrah, Kfirchlan, Kfirhbab, Hakel al Azimah, Siir, Bakhoun, Miryata, Assoun, Sfiiri, Kharnoub, Katteen, Kfirhabou, Zghartegrein, Ein Qibil.

Danniyeh (known also as Addinniyeh, Al Dinniyeh, Al Danniyeh, Arabic: سير الضنية) is a region located in Miniyeh-Danniyeh District in the North Governorate of Lebanon. The region lies east of Tripoli, extends north as far as Akkar District, south to Bsharri District and Zgharta District and as far east as Baalbek and Hermel. Dinniyeh has an excellent ecological environment filled with woodlands, orchards and groves. Several villages are located in this mountainous area, the largest town being Sir Al Dinniyeh.

An example of a typical mountainous Lebanese village in Dannieh would be Hakel al Azimah which is a small village that belongs to the district of Danniyeh, situated between Bakhoun and Assoun's boundaries. It is in the centre of the valleys that lie between theArbeen Mountainsand theKhanzouh.

Syria

Syriacontains a large number of villages that vary in size and importance, including the ancient, historical and religious villages, such asMa'loula,Sednaya,andBrad(Mar Maroun's time). The diversity of the Syrian environments creates significant differences between the Syrian villages in terms of the economic activity and the method of adoption. Villages in the south of Syria (Hauran,Jabal al-Druze), the north-east (the Syrian island) and theOrontes Riverbasin depend mostly on agriculture, mainly grain, vegetables, and fruits. Villages in the region ofDamascusandAleppodepend on trading. Some other villages, such asMarmaritadepend heavily on tourist activity.

Mediterranean cities inSyria,such asTartusandLatakiahave similar types of villages. Mainly, villages were built in very good sites which had the fundamentals of the rural life, like water. An example of a Mediterranean Syrian village in Tartus would beal-Annazah,which is a small village that belongs to the area ofal-Sauda.The area of al-Sauda is called anahiya.

Oceania

The village ofBurrawanginNew South Wales,Australia

Pacific Islands Communities on Pacific islands were historically called villages by English speakers who traveled and settled in the area. Some communities such as severalVillages of Guamcontinue to be called villages despite having large populations that can exceed 40,000 residents.

New Zealand The traditionalMāorivillage was thepā,a fortified hill-top settlement. Tree-fern logs and flax were the mainbuilding materials.As in Australia (see below) the term is now used mainly in respect of shopping or other planned areas.

Australia The term village often is used in reference to small planned communities such asretirement communitiesor shopping districts, and tourist areas such asski resorts.Small rural communities are usually known as townships. Larger settlements are known as towns.

South America

Argentina Usually set in remote mountainous areas, some also cater to winter sports or tourism. SeeUspallata,La Cumbrecita,Villa TrafulandLa Cumbre.

Guyana In various areas villages can still be found in Guyana. While many are now towns, there are several areas on river banks, and communities off central roads that are still locally considered villages.

Uruguay Village or "villa" is one of the three levels at which the government classifies urbanizations or "localidades", a "villa" is highest rank than a "pueblo" which is the lowest unit and lower than a city or "ciudad", which is the highest rank. This organization is more related with notability than size, since there is no official criteria to determine the level of urbanization. Every urbanization is a "pueblo" unless is elevated by decree to the next category. Historically this was a faculty of the executive power but more recently this faculty was transferred to the legislative. However colloquial speech still refers as "pueblo" to most "villas" and even cities and many names preceded by the word "villa" could represent other standard, such as "Villa del Cerro" or "Villa Serrana".

North America

In contrast to the Old World, the concept of village in Canada and the United States today is largely disconnected from its rural and communal origins. The situation is different in Mexico because of its large bulk of indigenous population living in traditional villages.

Canada

Main articles:Municipal government in CanadaandList of villages in Ontario

ANewfoundlandfishing village

It is believed that the name Canada may be a transliteration of the Iroquoisan word for "village". Jacques Cartier was given directions to the Kanata of Kebec and it became the name of the French Colonial district before it was the nation's name.

United States

Main article:Village (United States)

A church inNewfane, Vermont

Incorporated villages

In twentyU.S. states,the term "village" refers to a specific form of incorporatedmunicipal government,similar to a city but with less authority and geographic scope. However, this is a generality; in many states, there are villages that are an order of magnitude larger than the smallest cities in the state. The distinction is not necessarily based on population, but on the relative powers granted to the different types of municipalities and correspondingly, different obligations to provide specific services to residents.

In some states such as New York and Michigan, a village is an incorporated municipality, within a single town orcivil township.In some cases, the village may becoterminouswith the town or township, in which case the two may have aconsolidated government.There are also villages that span the boundaries of more than one town or township; some villages may straddle county borders.

There is no population limit to villages in New York.Hempstead,the largest village, has 55,000 residents, making it more populous than some of the state's cities. However, villages in the state may not exceed five square miles (13 km²) in area. Michigan and Illinois also have no set population limit for villages and there are many villages that are larger than cities in those states. The village ofSchaumburg, Illinoishad 78,723 residents as of the 2020 census. A village also has no written figure against how small a population can be, with the United States' smallest incorporated village beingDering Harbor, NY,with a population of just over 10.

InMichigan,a village is always legally part of atownship.Villages can incorporate land in multiple townships and even multiple counties. The largest village in the state isBeverly HillsinSouthfield Townshipwhich had a population of 10,267 people as of the 2010 census.

In the state ofWisconsin,a village is always legally separate from thetownsthat it has been incorporated from. The largest village isMenomonee Falls,which has over 32,000 residents. InPennsylvanialaw, the termboroughis used to refer to the same type of entity. 80% of Pennsylvania's 956 boroughs have populations of less than 5,000 but about thirty have populations of over 10,000 withState Collegehaving more than 40,000 residents.

InOhiovillages are usually legally part of thetownshipfrom which they were incorporated, although exceptions such asHiramexist, in which the village is separate from the township.Villages become cities if they grow to a population of at least 5,000.

InMaryland,a locality designated "Village of..." may be either an incorporated town or aspecial tax district.An example of the latter is theVillage of Friendship Heights.

InNorth Carolina,the only difference between cities, towns, and villages is the term itself.

Unincorporated villages

Oracle, Arizonais an unincorporated rural town often called a village in local media

In many states, the term "village" is used to refer to a relatively smallunincorporated community,similar to ahamletin New York state. This informal usage may be found even in states that have villages as an incorporated municipality, although such usage might be considered incorrect and confusing.

In mostNew Englandstates, a "village" is acenter of populationor trade, including the town center, in an otherwise sparsely developed town or city — for instance, the village ofHyannisin the town ofBarnstable, Massachusetts.However, inVermontandConnecticut,both incorporated and unincorporated villages exist.

Africa

Nigeria

A village inKaita,Nigeria

Villages inNigeriavary significantly because of cultural and geographical differences.

Northern Nigeria

In theNorth,villages were undertraditional rulerslong before theJihadofShaikh Uthman Bin Fodioand after the Holy War. At that timeTraditional rulersused to haveabsolute powerin their administrative regions. After Dan Fodio's Jihad in 1804,political structure of the North became Islamic whereemirswere the political, administrative and spiritual leaders of their people. These emirs appointed a number of people to assist them in running the administration and that included villages.

Every Hausa village was reigned by Magaji (Village head) who was answerable to his Hakimi (mayor) at the town level. The Magaji also had his cabinet who assisted him in ruling his village efficiently, among whom was Mai-Unguwa (Ward Head).

With the creation of Native Authority in Nigerian provinces, the autocratic power of village heads along with all other traditional rulers was subdued hence they ruled 'under the guidance of colonial officials'.

Even though the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has not recognised the functions of traditional rulers, they still command respect in their villagesand political office holders liaise with them almost every time to reach people.

In Hausa language, village is calledƙauyeand every local government area is made up of several small and largeƙauyuka(villages). For instance,Girkais a village inKaitatown in Katsina state in Nigeria. They have mud houses with thatched roofing though, like in most of the villages in the North, zinc roofing has become a common sight.

Still in many villages in the North, people do not have access to potable water.So they fetch water from ponds and streams. Others are lucky to have wells within a walking distance. Women rush in the morning to fetch water in their clay pots from wells, boreholes and streams. However, the government is now providing them with water bore holes.

Electricity and GSM network are reaching more and more villages in the North almost every day. So bad feeder roads may lead to remote villages with electricity and unstable GSM network.

Southern Nigeria

A village house in Southern Nigeria

Village dwellers in the Southeastern region lived separately in "clusters of huts belonging to the patrilinage".As the rainforest region is dominated byIgbospeaking people, the villages are calledime obodo(inside town) in Igbo language. A typical large village might have a few thousand persons who shared the same market, meeting place and beliefs.

South Africa

In South Africa the majority of people in rural areas reside in villages. They vary in size from having a population of less than 500 to around 1000.

See also

• Global village
• Linear village
• Village green
• Village lock-up
• Police village

Settlement types

• Dugout
• Fishing village
• Hamlet

Countries and localities

• Dhani and villages
• Dogon villages
• Hakka architecture
• Kampong (village)
• Ksar
• List of villages in Europe by country
• Pueblo
• Sołectwo(rough equivalent in Poland)
• Ville

Developed environments

• Developed environments
• City
• Exurban
• Megalopolis
• Pedestrian village
• Rural
• Suburban
• Urban area

Associations

• The Most Beautiful Villages in the World
• Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
• Les Plus Beaux Villages de Wallonie
• Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec
• I Borghi più belli d'Italia
• The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan
• The Most Beautiful Villages in Russia

Sources

• Room, Adrian (1996).An Alphabetical Guide to the Language of Name Studies.Lanham and London: The Scarecrow Press.ISBN9780810831698.

External links

• Types of villages (anthropogenic biomes)
• "Village Communities".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). 1911.