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What is it like living in the UK?

An illustration of Charlie in a suburban area.

In the UK, there are different kinds of settlements, which vary in size and .

An illustration of Charlie in a suburban area.

Watch: Learn about living in UK cities

Learn more about living in the UK.

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Living in the UK

What settlements are like and how the land is used depends on:

  • The location and the climate
  • The reason why the settlement developed

In the UK, around 80% of the population live in urban areas and 20% in rural areas.

Some parts of the UK have many more people than others - Scotland's mountains and remote islands have very few inhabitants, while England is the most crowded country, with London being the largest city in the UK.

All the land in the UK can be divided into three categories:

  • Rural
  • Urban
  • Suburban

Rural

Rural farmhouse with animals and a lake and boat.

Rural areas are found in the countryside, surrounded by open land. Most of the land in the UK is rural.

Rural farmhouse with animals and a lake and boat.

Suburban

Suburban houses with countryside hills in the background.

Suburban settlements are usually located outside of large cities and towns and the land here is used for housing.

Suburban houses with countryside hills in the background.

Urban

City skyline

Urban settlements are towns and cities with a high population.

City skyline
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Types of settlements

Settlements are places where people choose to live and work. They are different sizes, at different locations and they are always changing.

Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide 1 of 5, An isolated farm, An isolated house or a farm An isolated house or a farm is usually one or two houses, far away from other settlements.
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Did you know?

In the UK, a settlement becomes a city if a monarch (king or queen) awards it city status.

The Houses of Parliament and a London bus.
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Activity

Quiz: Rural or urban?

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Smaller islands and settlements in the UK

The UK is an island country with thousands of islands. The UK occupies the majority of the .

Most of the population of the UK lives on the two main islands, Great Britain and Ireland (in Northern Ireland), but there are also settlements on some of the UK's many islands.

Some of them, such as the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands, are remote. This can mean that life is very different to the life on the .

Map of islands around the UK

Some of the differences could be:

  • Job opportunities
  • Transport links
  • Choice in schools and education
  • Variety of goods sold in shops
  • Flooding risk
  • More tourism
  • House prices
  • Unspoilt wildlife
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Did you know?

Great Britain is the world's 9th largest island.

A map of the UK and its tourist attractions
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Case study: Easdale Island, Scotland

Aerial view of Easdale Island, Scotland

Easdale is a permanently inhabited island of the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. It served as a slate quarry and in the past, there were hundreds of people living and working here. Today, it has a population of about 60 people.

There are no roads on the island, and wheelbarrows are used by the locals to bring their supplies on a ferry.

Can you find all the things that might be true for living on such a small, remote island?

a number of schools to choose fromtaking a ferry to travel to a bigger cityendangered animal species live here
visited by touristsblocks of flatsshopping malls
wide job opportunities and variety of rolescommunity - everyone knows everyonerailway station

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Activity

Quiz: Living in the UK

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