A place where people live is called a settlement. Some settlements are tiny, and some are huge. It all depends on how many people live there.
From small to big
| Settlement | Size |
|---|---|
| Village | Small, only a few homes and maybe one shop |
| Town | Bigger, with more shops, schools and roads |
| City | Very big and busy, with many people and tall buildings |
Put these in order, smallest first:
- Village
- Town
- City
Why people settle where they do
Long ago, people chose where to live very carefully. They looked for two important things:
Water — people need water to drink, to cook and to grow food. So many towns and cities grew up next to rivers, lakes or the sea.
Good land — flat, rich land is great for farming and for building homes. People settled where they could grow crops and keep animals.
City or village?
A city is busy. You might find hospitals, big shops, train stations, offices and lots of houses close together. A village is quiet, with green fields, a few homes, and perhaps just a small shop or a farm.
How we use the land is called land use. Some land is used for houses, some for shops and offices, some for farming, and some is kept as parks and green space.