City and Village

Human settlements are classified into three types: city, village, and town. At the dawn of human civilisation, early humans settled down in small hamlets, mainly for protection and to build a society. Before that, people led a nomadic life and formed groups in search of food, shelter, and protection. They were hunter-gatherers and didn’t have any permanent place to stay. Later, with time, people started to settle down in small hamlets. With the expansion in population and economic activity, these small hamlets turned into villages, then into towns, and later into cities. In this way, people have created a place where their political, economic, social, military, and environmental issues are addressed, or in simpler words, human society has originated. 

Difference between City and Village

According to population studies and the census, a city is a big and populous settlement and an important centre of trade and commerce. According to the 2011 Indian census, an urban settlement is considered a city if it has a minimum population of 5000 people, a minimum of 75% of the main population engaged in non-agricultural activities, and a population density of 400 people per square km. Every city has its own local laws, housing, sanitation, and transportation system. It also has its own commercial hub to provide recreational facilities as well as day-to-day amenities to its citizens. The earliest evidence of urban settlements or cities is found in the neolithic period, as well as the beginning of agricultural activity and the breeding of livestock to sustain their livelihoods. This was the time when the hunter-gatherer society converted into an agriculture-based society. For the first time, humans started to sustain themselves with agriculture and livestock, and for the first time, they had excess production, which started trade and commerce activity. 

A “village” is a small rural settlement. According to the 2011 census of India, a settlement is considered a village if both the total population and the population density are very low and the chief livelihood of the people is agriculture and small cottage industries such as pottery, weaving, carpentry etc. A village is larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town. The village consists of several permanent settlements that are located close to each other. The purpose of such close proximity is protection and also to strengthen social bonds. Generally, the village doesn’t have its own local laws. The topography of a village is not as complex as that of a city. Its land, sanitation, housing, and transportation systems are not as complex as those of the city, as the village is much smaller in size and with much less population. A village generally has a temple or a place of worship and some shops for basic items. Villages are found in different parts of the world, but they differ in their characteristics. For example, the villages in the US have their own local administration, where as in China, villages are considered part of the town, and in the UK, villages are considered civil parishes which are administered by a parish council. 

So, the difference between the city and the village can be summarised as,

• A village is a small group of settlements, whereas a city is a large and populous settlement
• Villages are mainly located in rural areas, but sometimes they can also be found on the outskirts of cities. But cities are urban centres, which are centres of trade and commerce
• A city has local laws that a village doesn’t have. As mentioned earlier, the village is administered by a local parish. As in India, a village is administered by a Gram Panchayat 
• A village is located on a small land area, whereas the city has a large land area
• The land, housing, sanitation, and transportation systems of a city are much more complex than those of a village

Conclusion

In third world countries like India, villages are socially and economically weaker and people from villages migrate towards big cities as opportunities are high there. The rates of education and employment are much lower in the villages. The chief occupation in the village is agricultural activity or other livelihoods associated with agriculture, such as cottage industries, pottery, weaving, carpentry, etc. Whereas in the city, people have different kinds of occupations, such as jobs in various industries and service sectors. The standard of life is high in the city, and in India, the difference between the city and the village is very high.