{{Short description|Geographic area outside towns and cities}} {{redirect-multi|3|Countryside|The country|Rural||Countryside (disambiguation)|and|Country (disambiguation)|and|Rural (disambiguation)}} [[File:Barossa Valley South Australia.jpg|thumb|[[Barossa Valley]] in [[South Australia]], noted for its [[vineyard]]s]] [[File:うへ山の棚田 Rice Terraces of Ueyama in Ojiro, Kami Town in May.jpg|thumb|[[Rice]] [[Terrace (agriculture)|terraces]] in [[Kami, Hyōgo (Mikata)|Kami]], [[Hyōgo Prefecture]] in Japan]] [[File:Rural landscape in Finland.jpg|thumb|A rural landscape in [[Lappeenranta]], [[South Karelia]] in Finland]] {{Rural society}}
In general, a '''rural area''' or a '''countryside''' is a geographic area that is located outside [[town]]s and [[city|cities]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=rural%20area |title=WordNet Search - 3.1 |publisher=Wordnetweb.princeton.edu |access-date=2013-04-25}}</ref> Typical rural areas have a low [[population density]] and small settlements. [[Agriculture|Agricultural]] areas and areas with [[forestry]] are typically described as rural, as well as other areas lacking substantial development. Different countries have varying definitions of ''rural'' for statistical and administrative purposes.
Rural areas have unique economic and social dynamics due to their relationship with land-based industry such as [[agriculture]], [[forestry]], and [[resource extraction]]. Rural [[Rural economics|economics]] can be subject to [[boom and bust]] cycles and vulnerable to [[extreme weather]] or natural disasters, such as [[drought]]s. These dynamics alongside larger economic forces encouraging [[urbanization]] have led to significant demographic declines, called [[rural flight]], where economic incentives encourage younger populations to go to cities for education and access to jobs, leaving older, less educated, and less [[wealth]]y populations in the rural areas. Slower economic development can result in poorer services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure. [[Rural poverty|This cycle of poverty]] contributes to why three quarters of the global impoverished live in rural areas according to the [[Food and Agriculture Organization|Food and Agricultural Organization]].
Some communities have successfully encouraged [[Rural development|economic development in rural areas]], with policies such as increased access to [[Rural electrification|electricity]] or [[Rural internet|internet]]. Historically, development policies have focused on larger [[Extractivism|extractive industries]], such as mining and forestry. However, recent approaches focused on [[sustainable development]] take into account economic diversification in these communities.
== Regional definitions == ===North America=== ====Canada==== In Canada, the [[OECD|Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development]] defines a "predominantly rural region" as having more than 50% of the population living in rural communities where a "[[rural community]]" has a population density less than 150 people per square kilometre. In Canada, the census division has been used to represent "regions" and census consolidated sub-divisions have been used to represent "communities". Intermediate regions have 15 to 49 percent of their population living in a rural community. Predominantly [[urban region]]s have less than 15 percent of their population living in a rural community. Predominantly rural regions are classified as rural metro-adjacent, rural non-metro-adjacent and rural northern, following Philip Ehrensaft and Jennifer Beeman (1992). Rural metro-adjacent regions are predominantly rural [[census division]]s which are adjacent to metropolitan centres while rural non-metro-adjacent regions are those predominantly rural census divisions which are not adjacent to metropolitan centres. Rural northern regions are predominantly rural census divisions that are found either entirely or mostly above the following lines of latitude in each province: [[Newfoundland and Labrador]], 50th; [[Manitoba]], 53rd; [[Alberta]], [[British Columbia]], [[Ontario]], [[Quebec]], and [[Saskatchewan]], 54th. As well, rural northern regions encompass all of the [[Yukon]], [[Northwest Territories]] and [[Nunavut]].
Statistics Canada defines rural areas by their population counts. This has referred to the population living outside settlements of 1,000 or fewer inhabitants. The current definition states that census rural is the population outside settlements with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants and a population density below 400 people per square kilometre.
====United States==== {{Further|Rural areas in the United States}} {{Excerpt|Rural areas in the United States}} [[File:Mount Shasta (1).jpg|thumb|A rural landscape near [[Mount Shasta]] in [[California]]]]
===South America=== ====Brazil==== [[File:Fazenda Itatyba.jpg|thumb|A rural area in the Brazilian state of [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]]]] In Brazil, there are different notions of "rural area" and "countryside". Rural areas are any place outside a municipality's urban development (buildings, streets) and it is carried by informal usage. Otherwise, countryside (''interior'' in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]) are officially defined as all municipalities outside the state/territory capital's metropolitan region. Some states as [[Mato Grosso do Sul]] do not have any metropolitan regions, thus all of the state, except its capital is officially countryside. [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]] is singular in Brazil and it is de facto a metropolitan state, as circa 70% of its population are located in [[Greater Rio de Janeiro|Greater Rio]]. In the [[Federal District (Brazil)|Federal District]] it is not applicable and there is no countryside as all of it is treated as the federal capital. Brasília is nominally the capital, but the capitality is shared through all Federal District, because Brazil de facto defines its capital as a municipality, and in municipal matters, the Federal District is treated and governs as a single municipality, [[city-state]]-like (Brasília, DF).
===Europe=== ====France==== [[FIle:Varengeville-sur-Mer - Footpath leading to La Gorge des Moutiers - View NE.jpg|thumb|A rural area in Northern France]] 15% of the French population lives in rural areas, spread over 90% of the country. The government under President [[Emmanuel Macron]] launched an action plan in 2019 amid the [[yellow vests movement]] in favor of rural areas named the "Agenda Rural".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cohesion-territoires.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2019-09/DP_Agenda%20rural.pdf/|title=Nos campagnes, territoires d'avenir|publisher=CGET}}</ref> Among many initiatives recommended to redynamize rural areas, [[energy transition]] is one of them. Research is being carried out to assess the impact of new projects in rural areas.<ref>Louis Boisgibault, Fahad Al Kabbani (2020): [http://www.iste.co.uk/book.php?id=1591 ''Energy Transition in Metropolises, Rural Areas and Deserts'']. Wiley - ISTE. (Energy series) {{ISBN|9781786304995}}.</ref>
In 2018, the government had launched the "Action Cœur de Ville" program to revitalize town centers across the country. 222 towns were selected as part of the five-year program. One of the program's aims is to make the towns attractive so the areas nearby can also benefit from investments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.banquedesterritoires.fr/action-coeur-de-ville-revitalisation-centres-villes/plan-national|title=Un plan national de revitalisation des centres-villes|date=12 August 2020 |publisher=Banque des territoires}}</ref>
====Germany==== Germany is divided into 402 administrative districts, 295 [[List of rural districts of Germany|rural districts]] and 107 urban districts. As one of the largest agricultural producers in the [[European Union]], more than half of Germany's territory which is almost 19 million hectares,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bmelv.de/SharedDocs/Standardartikel/EN/Agriculture/FarminginGermany.html|title=BMELV - Agriculture and rural areas - Farming in Germany|date=2012-06-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609065635/http://www.bmelv.de/SharedDocs/Standardartikel/EN/Agriculture/FarminginGermany.html|access-date=2020-02-20|archive-date=2012-06-09}}</ref> is used for farming, and located in the rural areas. Almost 10% of people in Germany have jobs related to the agricultural, forest and fisheries sectors; approximately a fifth of them are employed in the primary production. Since there is a policy of equal living conditions, people see rural areas as equivalent as urban areas. Village renewal is an approach to develop countryside and supports the challenges faced in the process of it.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Chigbu|first=Uchendu Eugene|title=Village renewal as an instrument of rural development: evidence from Weyarn, Germany|journal=Community Development|year=2012|volume=43|issue=2|pages=209–224|doi=10.1080/15575330.2011.575231|s2cid=154040610 |url=http://mediatum.ub.tum.de/node?id=1481482 }}</ref>
====United Kingdom==== [[File:Malham countryside.jpg|thumb|Rural [[Yorkshire Dales]] in England]] In Britain, there are various definitions of a rural area.<ref name="ONS Geography Guide">{{cite web |url=https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/a-beginners-guide-to-uk-geography-2023/about |title=A Beginners Guide to UK Geography (2023) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=24 August 2023 |website=Open Geography Portal |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=9 December 2023 |quote=There is no single definition of a rural area, as there are many different approaches to classifying what is 'rural' (or 'non-urban'). These include approaches based on population, population density, land use and socio-economic characteristics, all of which have different advantages and disadvantages depending on the purpose of the classification. The 2011 rural urban area classification for England and Wales classifies Output Areas (OA) and wards as either urban or rural depending on whether the bulk of their population falls in a settlement of greater than 10,000 residents. It also offers sub-classifications of urban and rural areas, based on population density. A 2021 rural urban classification is under development.}}</ref> "Rural" is defined by the UK [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]] (DEFRA), using population data from the latest [[census]], such as the [[United Kingdom Census 2001]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-rural-urban-classification|title = Local Authority Rural-Urban Classification|publisher = UK Government|date = 24 June 2011}}</ref> These definitions have various grades, but the upper point is any local government area with more than 26% of its population living in a rural settlement or [[market town]] ("market town" being defined as any settlement which has permission to hold a [[street market]]). A number of measures are in place to protect the British countryside, including [[Green belt (United Kingdom)|green belts]].
===Asia=== ====China==== {{excerpt|Rural society in China}}
====India==== [[File:A view of Villages and farms in south Rajasthan India.jpg|thumb|A rural village in [[Rajasthan]], India]] In India a [[village]] tends to mean a small rural area, including both a settlement and its surrounding agricultural land, rather than just the settlement itself, the typical meaning elsewhere. There are said to be up to 500,000 villages in India. In rural areas, [[agriculture]] is the chief source of livelihood along with [[fishing]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=林 |first1=榮祥 |title=Greening the Blue: End Child Labour in Agriculture |url=https://greeningtheblueworkspace.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html |website=Greening the Blue |access-date=24 July 2018}}</ref> [[cottage industries]], [[pottery]] etc.
Almost every Indian economic agency today has its own definition of rural India, some of which follow: According to the Planning Commission, a town with a maximum population of 15,000 is considered rural in nature. In these areas the [[Panchayat raj|panchayat]] makes all the decisions. There are five people in the [[Panchayati raj|panchayat]]. The National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) defines 'rural' as follows: * An area with a population density of up to 400 per square kilometer, * Villages with clear surveyed boundaries but no municipal board, * A minimum of 75% of male working population involved in agriculture and allied activities.<ref name="dhanbank.com">{{cite web |date=December 2010 |title=In Focus |url=http://www.dhanbank.com/pdf/reports/InFocus-December%201,%202010.pdf |url-status=dead |website=www.dhanbank.com}}</ref> RBI defines rural areas as those areas with a population of less than 49,000 (tier -3 to tier-6 cities).<ref name="dhanbank.com"/>
It is generally said that the rural areas house up to 70% of India's population. Rural India contributes a large chunk to India's GDP by way of agriculture, self-employment, services, construction etc. As per a strict measure used by the National Sample Survey in its 63rd round, called monthly per capita expenditure, rural expenditure accounts for 55% of total national monthly expenditure. The rural population currently accounts for one-third of the total Indian FMCG sales.<ref name="dhanbank.com" />
====Japan==== In Japan, rural areas are referred to as "Inaka" which translates literally to "the countryside" or "one's native village".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2017/2/10/inaka/|title=Inaka: Moving from Scorn to Pride|last=Asamen |first=Tim |date= 10 February 2017|website=Discover Nikkei|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/04/20/national/media-national/exploring-rural-japan-comfort-living-room/|title=Exploring rural Japan from the comfort of your living room with 'The Inaka Project'|last=Foley|first=Dylan|date=2019-04-20|work=The Japan Times Online|access-date=2019-09-19|issn=0447-5763}}</ref>
====Pakistan==== {{Main|Pakistani village life}} [[File:Amra Kalan Village.JPG|thumb|Amra Kalan village in [[Kharian]], Pakistan]] According to the [[2017 Census of Pakistan|2017 census]] about 64% of Pakistanis live in rural areas. Most rural areas in Pakistan tend to be near cities and are [[Peri-urbanisation|peri-urban]] areas. This is due to the definition of a rural area in Pakistan being an area that does not come within an [[Urban area|urban]] boundary.<ref name="Rethinking urban and rural">{{cite web|url = https://www.dawn.com/news/1354670|title = Rethinking urban and rural|date = 29 August 2017|last = Zaidi|first = S. Akbar|website= Dawn}}</ref> Rural areas in Pakistan that are near cities are considered as [[Suburbanization|suburban areas]] or [[suburb]]s.
The remote rural villagers of Pakistan commonly live in houses made of bricks, clay or mud. [[Socioeconomic status]] among rural Pakistani villagers is often based upon the ownership of [[agricultural land]], which also may provide [[Social status|social prestige]] in village cultures. The majority of rural Pakistani inhabitants livelihoods is based upon the rearing of livestock, which also comprises a significant part of Pakistan's gross domestic product. Some [[Livestock in Pakistan|livestock raised by rural Pakistanis]] include cattle and goats.
===Oceania=== ====New Zealand==== In [[New Zealand]] census areas are classified based on their degree of rurality. However, traffic law has a different interpretation and defines a '''Rural area''' as "''... a road or a geographical area that is not an urban traffic area, to which the rural speed limit generally applies.''"<ref>{{cite web |title=Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2003, Rule 54001 - Part 2 |url=https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/rules/setting-speed-limits-2003#part2 |website=Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency |publisher=Ministry of Transport |access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref>
== Economics == {{Excerpt|Rural economics}}
=== Development === {{Excerpt|Rural development}}
=== Electricity === {{Excerpt|Rural electrification}}
=== Migration === {{Excerpt|Rural flight}}
=== Poverty === {{Excerpt|rural poverty}}
==Rural health== {{Excerpt|rural health}}
== Academic study == Because of their unique dynamics, different academic fields have developed to study rural communities.
=== Economics === {{Excerpt|Rural economics}}
=== Rural planning === '''Rural planning''' is an academic discipline that exists ''within'' or ''alongside'' the field of [[urban planning]], [[regional planning]] or [[urbanism]]. The definition of these fields differs between languages and contexts. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably. {{Excerpt|Regional planning|Principles}}
=== Sociology === {{Excerpt|rural sociology}}
==See also== {{Div col|colwidth=20em}} *[[American Frontier|American Old West]] *[[Boondocks]] *[[Bushland]] *[[Country house]] *[[Developed areas]] *[[Digital divide]] *[[Landed gentry]] *[[Nature]] *[[Outback]] *[[Peasantry]] *[[Rural Community Council]] *[[Rural crafts]] *[[Rural ghetto]] *[[Rural Internet]] *[[Urban decay]] *[[Wilderness]] {{Div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== {{refbegin}} *{{cite web|url= http://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/rural/pubs/report/ruralit.pdf |title=Definitions of Rural: A Handbook for Health Policy Makers and Researchers. }} {{small|(6.12 MB)}} Thomas C. Ricketts, Karen D. Johnson-Webb, Patricia Taylor. Chapel Hill: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, 1998. 13 p. {{refend}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Countryside}} {{wikiquote|Country life}} {{Wiktionary|rural|countryside}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20131014182213/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/ua/ua_2k.html Census 2000 Urban and Rural Classification] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080516021007/http://www.gos.gov.uk/gonw/nwraf/ North West Rural Affairs Forum (England)] *[http://www.rural.gc.ca/home_e.phtml Canadian Rural Partnership] *[https://www.thebetterindia.com/topics/rural-india/ The Better India- Rural India] *[https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/IND/india/rural-population India Rural Population]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rural Area}} [[Category:Ecology]] [[Category:Human habitats]] [[Category:Rural society]] [[Category:Rural culture]] [[Category:Rural economics]] [[Category:Rural geography]] [[Category:Settlement geography]]