Village
For a list of references which "The Village" could refer to, see The VillageA
village is a human residential
settlement commonly found in
rural areas. It is usually larger than a
hamlet and smaller than a
town or
city. Villages have been the normal unit of
community living in most areas of the world throughout its history, up until the
Industrial revolution and the ongoing process of
urbanization. In many
U.S. states, a village is a type of
municipal government (see below).
Although many types and organizational patterns of village life have existed, the typical village was small, consisting of perhaps 5 to 30 families. Homes were situated together for sociability and defense, and land surrounding the living quarters was farmed.
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Typical house in a present-day Russian village (derevnya) |
In Russia, a village is a type of a
rural settlement. In
Russian, it is most commonly called
derevnya () or
selo (). Historically, the formal indication of status was religious: a city (
gorod) would have a cathedral, a
selo would have a church, while
derevnya would not have either. Most Russian villages have populations of less than 200 people. Rural populations are currently rapidly decreasing due to
urbanization. Most rural residents are involved in agricultural work, and it is very common for villagers to produce their own food; however, it is not uncommon when village residents work in nearby cities and towns in other industries. Russian villages are sometimes being transformed into
dacha settlements and seasonal residences, as urban residents purchase village houses.
In
England the main historical distinction between a
hamlet and a village is that the latter will have a
church, and will therefore usually have been the worship centre of a
parish. The population of such a settlement could range from a few hundred people to around five thousand. A village was traditionally distinguished from a town in that:
* A village should not have a regular agricultural
market, although today such markets are uncommon even in settlements which clearly are towns.
* A village does not have a town hall and
mayor.
* There should also be a clear
green belt or open fields surrounding its parish borders.
* The village should not be under the administrative control of an adjacent town or city.
Due to the vagueness of these definitions, there is some question as to which is the
largest village in England.
Incorporated villages
In twenty
U.S. states, the term "village" refers to a specific form of incorporated
municipal 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, Wisconsin, or Michigan, a village is an incorporated municipality, usually, but not always, within a single town or
civil township. Residents pay taxes to the village and town or township and may vote in
elections for both as well. In some cases, the village may be coterminous with the town or township. There are also many villages which span the boundaries of more than one town or township, and some villages may even straddle county borders.
There is no limit to the population of a village in New York;
Hempstead, the largest village in the state, 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.
In the state of
Wisconsin a village is always legally separate from the
township(s) that it has been incorporated from. The largest village is
Menomonee Falls, which has over 32,000 residents.
Michigan and Illinois also have no set population limit for villages and there are many villages that are larger than cities in those states.
Villages in
Ohio are almost always legally separate from any
townships that they may have been incorporated from (there are exceptions, such as
Chagrin Falls, where the township includes the entirety of the village). They have no area limitations, but must reincorporate as cities if they grow to over 5,000 in population. Villages have the same home-rule rights as cities with fewer of the responsibilities. Unlike cities, they have the option of being either a "statutory village" and running their governments according to state law (with a six-member council serving four-year terms and a mayor who votes only to break ties) or being a "charter village" and writing a
charter to run their government as they see fit.
Unincorporated villages
In many states, the term "village" is used to refer to a relatively small
unincorporated community, similar to a
hamlet in 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.
*
Village green*
Village lock-up*
Ville*
Types of settlements in Russia*
Villages in ChinaVillage types:*
African Pygmies Villages
