Rural
Rural areas (also referred to as "the country",
countryside) are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large
cities and
towns. Such areas are distinct from more intensively settled
urban and
suburban areas, and also from unsettled lands such as
outback or
wilderness. People in rural areas live in
villages, on
farms and in other isolated
houses, as in
pre-industrial societies.
In modern usage, rural areas can have an
agricultural character, though many rural areas are characterized by an economy based on
logging,
mining,
petroleum and
natural gas exploration, or
tourism.
Lifestyles in rural areas are different from those in urban areas, mainly because limited
services, especially
public services are available. Governmental services like
police,
schools,
fire stations, and
libraries may be distant, limited in scope, or unavailable. Utilities like
water,
sewerage,
street lighting, and public
waste management may not be present.
Public transport is absent or very limited, people use their own
vehicles,
walk,
bicycle, or ride an
animal, e.g., a
horse,
donkey,or
camel.
Rural areas in the UK typically cover wide areas and consist of greenery, shrubs, trees, fells, lakes, mountains and all aspects of wildlife, such as 'The New Forest', Hampshire.
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The digital divide and rural areas;
Broadband in rural and mountain areas.
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Rural crafts*Hart, John Fraiser.
The Rural Landscape, ISBN 0801857171.
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Rural Poverty*
Rural Journalism*
Rural America
