Comparison of life in a town and countryside

Different Lifestyle in 10 European Countries

FranceParis Long ago in France, there were many more people who

lived in the countryside rather than in a city. Today, with the rural exodus, it’s quite the opposite. Many country homes remain empty as urban sprawl continues to grow.

There are advantages to living in a city. You can find many shops (as opposed to in the countryside where you can’t always find what you’re looking for). There is also the public transport system through which everyone can move about town with just a simple ticket. In the countryside, however, you need a car, and that usually costs a lot of money. In addition, in the city, you’re never bored. You can go to the cinema, hang out with friends, or visit historic monuments.

FranceMassignac But truly, people would prefer to live in the countryside.

There you can keep yourself busy with gardening, going on long walks, reading next to a roaring fire, and cooking for family and friends. It’s much calmer and more tranquil. You just don’t hear any traffic noise or chatty people in the stores. You’re less stressed and, for those who love nature and animals, it’s a real pleasure.

There are advantages an disadvantages to living in either the city or the countryside. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have the choice but not always since we often move to places where we’ve found work. But fortunately there’s plenty of vacation time to discover those places that we don’t get to see everyday.

French GuianaThere are about 280 000 inhabitants in French Guiana. Our whole population is the one of a big city in some countries.Most of the French Guianese population lives on the coast as the tropical forest covers the major part of its area.If we consider the number of inhabitants, there are no big cities in French Guiana.Cayenne with about 26 000 inhabitants is the biggest town. It is includes in an area we call “Ile de Cayenne” with Matoury and Rémire-Montjoly. It would not be a big city in other countries. But, here it is the “Capital” with its good and its by side such as traffic jam and noise.

French GuianaCountryside Life in the countryside is quiet. Considering the

population, there are many small towns. Life in these places is really peaceful. Everyone knows each other. Everything is near and there are no traffic jams. But, there are not a lot of shops. So people living there have to drive a long way to shop.And, there is also the unemployement issue as there are not lots of companies or economical activities. So, young people move from these places to biggest town to study and to find a job.

Because of growth of the population, the size of cities in French Guiana is steadily increasing.

GermanyI was born in the city Bremen and lived there half my childhood. When I was 6 years old, my family moved to Grasberg, where we live now. Sometimes I really miss the city, because I like it, when there is much action around you. For example: You can go out and you are directly among people. You can move fast to all corners of the city, because every five minute a bus or a tram is leaving, so you can go shopping very often, what you can’t do so easily in the village.

And the city is loud and lively. Every time, when I move in the city I have the feeling, that there is so much energy!

In Bremen are so many discos, events and parties. Very popular discos are the “Tower”, “Gleis 9” and “Starlight”. Two other popular events are the “Freimarkt” and the “Osterwiese”. The “Freimarkt” is every year on a big place. The artists move from different places to Bremen and build up their carousels there, for example the dodgem cars or rollercoasters. You can ride in carousels, drink alcohol with you friends in the beer tent, buy sweets, sausages and ice cream or do other funny things.

A negative thing can be, that for some people the city is too loud. You don’t have so much nature, like you have it in the village. And, of course, it can be really hectical!

GermanySince my birth I live in Rautendorf near Grasberg. The village life is beautiful because you can enjoy the nature and have not got the long rows of cars. My family and I have a big garden which is cool because you can sit on the grass in summer. Flowers and trees bloom in umpteen colors. You can ride a bike when the weather is good or go swimming in a lake. The highlight in my village is fair featuring shooting matches and the “Maiwagen”. One day before the may wagon comes the boys drive with a tractor to the girls in the street and plant one tree in the garden. On the next day the boys come back, water the tree and take the girls out. The bad thing about the village life is that you must have a car because you must drive every day. When you have no car you can´t go to the supermarket or shopping center. Another bad things is that you can´t go shopping. In my village we don't have a supermarket. When we must buy food we drive to Grasberg. The next bus stop is 7 km away. In Grasberg we have a church, supermarkets, bus stops and so on. The good thing is that village life is cheaper than the city. In the village there do not live so many people. The neighbors are very friendly and helpful. Village life is better.

GreeceCity Life

My name is Margarita and I live in Palamas, a small town in the centre of Greece.

I like living here but I would prefer to live in a big city. In a city there are many opportunities for entertainment. You can go to a cinema, a theatre, a restaurant, a café, a pub, a concert hall. It is obvious that in a city your life can be very enjoyable. Also, a city provides you with many facilities. There are public libraries, sports centres, youth centres, swimming pools, parks, shopping malls, department stores.

Additionally, a city offers higher education opportunities and improved medical facilities. There are many colleges, institutions and universities to choose from as well as many hospitals and doctors having various specialties.In a city there are many shops and industries or even factories, which means that there is a great range of jobs.

However, city life has disadvantages, too. For example, there is heavy traffic or even traffic jams and sometimes you can be late to your appointments. Furthermore due to traffic there is air and noise pollution.

Thousands and sometimes millions of people live in a city. The roads are full of vehicles and people. This makes life more hectic and more dangerous.There are many crimes and incidents of violence like thefts, robberies, murders.

Although the disadvantages are significant I think that it is worth living in a city.

GreeceCountrside Village life: My name is Evelina and I live in the town of Palamas but I have lots

of friends who live in villages nearby. In a village almost all people know each other so you can have many friends and acquaintances. As a result your life is easy and you feel safe. Violence and crimes are almost non-existent.

The population of a village is not very big. That’s why there are no blocks of flats but small houses and villas. There is a lot of greenery and trees. The air is fresh and clean. In most houses they grow their own vegetables and fruits. They have chickens and sometimes sheep and goats. This means that the products you eat are fresh and healthy.

Since there are not many people it is easy to keep a village clean and beautiful. There aren’t many vehicles and walking or cycling in the streets is safe. Life there is calm, pleasant and silent.

In a village you can find almost no public services. Also there is a limited number of shops. You can find a grocery, a bakery and sometimes a small supermarket. In order to find other products you have to go to a city or town. Consequently there is a limited range of jobs. Most people are farmers.

In most villages there is only a primary school and if you want to attend a secondary school or go to college you have to commute to a city.Also your entertainment opportunities are limited. You can find only one or two cafes and a football pitch. No other facilities are available.

It is clear that living in a village is very different from living in a city. Both have advantages and disadvantages. However, sometimes you cannot choose because your job dictates where you should live.

ItalyIn Italy there are a lot of big cities, especially in the north, where thousands or even millions of people live and work; most of them are industrialized and overcrowded. Rome, the capital city, has got about 3 million people, and there is a lot of tourism; other cities are Milan, Venice, Genoa, Turin, Florence, Naples, Bari, Palermo.

The advantages are the following: a lot of different people and cultures, so there is a more open mentality; more facilities (shops, restaurants, sport and leisure activities); more different kinds of schools and universities; more possibilities to find a job; more tourism.

The disadvantages are the following: more pollution, more traffic and more noise; more crimes and criminals so it is more dangerous to live; too much smoke, alcohol and drug for teenagers; it is more difficult to have a real friend. For young people it is more difficult finding new friends or a place to meet each other.

ItalyGubbio

We live in Gubbio, a small medieval in the region Umbria, in the centre of Italy. It has got about 33.000 inhabitants. Around the beautiful historical centre there are a lot of villages in the suburbs and smaller villages in the countryside. The main economic activities are arts and crafts, tourism, agriculture and two big cement industries.The advantages are the following: living close to nature, a little pollution, a little traffic, less noise at night and during the day, more possibilities for friendship and knowing people, faster moving, less crimes and criminals, so our place is less dangerous especially for young people, more possibilities for walking and riding a bike or motorbike; young people have more freedom because we can go out and spend time with our friends and our parents know where we are, more or less. The disadvantages are the following: less different kinds of schools, no university, less means of transport so we are more isolated from the world and we have a more closed mentality; a few people so that everyone knows everything about the others; less facilities (a few shops and shopping centers, a few sport centers, only one swimming pool, one cinema and one theatre, a few small museums; less opportunities to find a job.

Umbria: the Green Heart of Italy

PolandTOWN

In Poland we have big cities and smaller towns. The capital city of Poland is Warsaw where approximately 1,717 million people live. It’s the biggest city in Poland. There are many cars and thus big traffic jams. For example in the morning, when you must get to work or school you have to wake up earlier because of traffic jams. There are many shops, restaurants, shopping malls and more job opportunities in the cities and towns. That’s why young people prefer living in the cities. If you want to hang around with friends in town you can easily do it. If you don’t have a car you can always use the public transport. It is also easier for you to get a job there. On the other hand, it is more dangerous to live in a big city because of a threat of being mugged. You have to watch out while crossing the road and you must really be careful about taking every step. That’s because cars are very fast and drivers sometimes don’t pay too much attention to the pedestrians.

WARSAW

Poland

COUNTRYSIDEIn Poland villages are small and there are a lot of farms with cows, pigs and hens. There are many fields, for example wheat fields or fields of rye.

People who live there earn money by selling fresh milk or eggs. Parents must take their kids to schools to towns and because of long distance it can take a lot of time to get there. However living in the village has also its own charm.

There are no traffic jams and the roads are safer because there are fewer cars and they go slowly. The houses are small and pretty. People are nice to each other and everyone knows one another.

SIERPC

SlovakiaThe number of people living in Slovakia is 5 397 036. That number was counted in 2011. There are 8 regions of Slovakia. There is 15,1% of population living in our Presov region. More population lives in cities (54.4%) than in rural areas (45.6%). From the total population of the Slovak Republic, more than half is represented by women (51.3%).

City life

City life is different from that of the rural in many ways. There is a greater degree of anonymity, which is an important aspect for someone. Cities certainly offer more job opportunities. This reality is often the main reason why people prefer to settle in the city. The selection of schools and nurseries is more mixed.

Another considerable advantage of the city is also better cultural activities. Shops, restaurants, banks, hospitals and many other institutions have much larger (and some exclusive) representation in the cities and also the availability of various services in the city is better. Life in the city is simply more active and dynamic.

Despite the benefits and practicality of certain urban life, it also has its darker sides. In the cities - especially the larger ones - a greater degree of noise and bustle and the air is often far from clear ... get hold of land or a suitable apartment will cost much more money compared to housing in the countryside .

Also, the cities are the place of greater crime rate and worse environment, which does not make it the most ideal place - for example - raising children.

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SlovakiaCountrysideVillage life

Village life has its own charm. It has a slower pace and it has a kind of relaxed atmosphere. With the nature at your doorstep, clean air and beautiful environment it makes it an attraction for many people who have no desire for a busy life in the city. For lovers of pets or gardening countryside is certainly a better place to live.

Families with young children also often choose to live in the village because it is considered safer and healthier place than a city rush. Anonymity is there too, but do not expect too much, people living in a village mostly know each other better. This is a positive fact for some of them but sometime quite a major drawback.

Another negative aspect of life in rural areas is the limited availability of shops and services. There is not wide selection of nurseries or schools for their children and it will probably not please them. Do not forget the fact that it always brings commuting difficulties.

Villages also do not offer too much options of cultural, social and sports activities, so village life often seems like a lot of boring and annoying moments.

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Spain

Lifestyle in a city is much harder than living in a rural area. Me, as a student, I get up early, get dressed, have a quick breakfast and go to school. In my way to school I find traffic lights in red, so it makes me waste sometime; and the same happens after school.

After school I go home and have lunch very fast because I need to do my homework and study to be able to go to my tennis lessons. I finish the day very tired.

Also, it is true that in big cities we can find many more opportunities for young people, such as more jobs (not the best moment though) or more universities.

Badajoz has around 150 000 inhabitants. It is important to say that Badajoz is the biggest city in my region, Extremadura, and even if we compare it to other city, Badajoz may seem very small.

SpainIn rural areas, life is less stressing than living in a big city. Everything is calm and more relaxing. Traffic is almost nonexistent and that way our daily life is better. Also, contamination and the air we breathe is quite clean and healthy.

In terms of relationships, neighbourgs see themselves more often and they trust themselves much more. It is very useful to have a great neighbourg you may need for some reason.

However, when it comes the time to look for a place to study or to find a job, young people have to go to a big city to find other possibilities.

Badajoz has been a rural city for many years and little by little, a few decades ago it started to get developed.

In the mid 1800s Sweden began to industrialize . Urban migration increased as society became more industrialized crystals. Popular movements grew and society became democratic. The Diffrence between poor and rich people decreased. Women got more freedom and power.

Gothenburg is Sweden's second largest city. About one million residents live in Gothenburg and suburbs. Gothenburg is very beautiful city with lots of shops, sports fields, cafes. Gotheburg have also a very nice opera and an amusment park called Liseberg.Stockholm is Sweden’s capital and largest urban, and our coundrys cultural, medial, financial and political centrum. About 2,2 million people live in our capital. Stockholm have 2 beautiful arenas. One is called Globen and looks like a round white ball. In Globen they show conserts, musikals and ice hockey games.

Sweden

SwedenCities vs Rural areas

TurkeyUŞAK

Living in a city has many advantages and disadvantages at the same time. Uşak is a small city. Only 346.508 people live here. There are five towns: Banaz, Eşme, Ulubey, Karahallı, Sivaslı. Each town has different aspects. Eşme is famous for its carpets. In Ulubey there is the second biggest canyon of the world. Sivaslı is famous for its strawberry and it is exported. There is an old famous bridge in Karahallı. There are mostly native inhabitants in towns and vilages. Working population is mostly in city. Nowadays people prefer to live in cities. However, city is dirtier , more artificial, unhealthier because there is air pollution in cities. This is a disadvantage. City is bigger and there are lots of thigs to do in a city. this is an advantage.

TurkeyKALFA VILLAGE

Living in a village is more natural compared to the city. It is healthier. Villages are small so there’s no need for transportation. Villages are more green compared to Uşak. That is another advantage. But there are only elementary schools in villages. Students must go to Uşak for further education. Everybody in Uşak comes from a village. They have their own houses there and they prefer to go to their village for relaxation. People know each other in villages and crime rates are low. There are farming, animal breeding jobs. But unemployment rates are high so the young villagers have been immigrating to Uşak and big cities or as workers. Most of them go out of their villages for education. We can say that there is an ageing population in villages.

Peaceful Horizons - C.O.M.P.A.S.S.

Logo of the project „Peaceful Horizons: Come over – make a project attempt to social solidarity (C.O.M.P.A.

S.S)“ is a Comenius project that joined 10 European countries in an attempt to fight

against stereotypes, xenophobia and its aim is developing a better knowledge of our different cultural heritages, raising awareness of cultural

identity in a local, national and European context. Encouraging, through ongoing contact with other people and cultures, a positive view of European citizenship. Encouraging solidarity

and open-mindedness among the different cultures, including the opportunity to make

friends with people from other countries and cultures.

Peaceful Horizons - C.O.M.P.A.S.S.

Mrs.Sandrine BOITIERE KILANI, Magali RAVEL and Annette SOKOLOWSKI - Lycée Henri Bergson, Paris, FRANCEMrs. Sandra MACABRE - Collège La Canopée, Matoury, FRENCH GUIANA

Ms. Birgit DRUBE-BLOCK - Haupt- und Realschule Grasberg/Worpswede mit Standort Worpswede, GERMANYMrs. Athanasia KRIKONI- 1o Gymnasio Palamas, Palamas Karditsa, GREECE

Mrs. Giuseppa PICCOTTI - Scuola Secondaria I Grado "Mastro Giorgio", Gubbio, ITALYMrs. Katarzyna ŁASTAWIECKA - Fundacja Szkolna, Warszawa, POLAND

Mrs. Gabriela KRÍŽOVSKÁ - Základná škola s materskou školou, Jarná ulica 3168/13, Poprad, SLOVAKIAMiss Carmen LOZANO ACEDO - Colegio Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Badajoz, SPAIN

Mrs. Zenita NORDBERG - Brattebergsskolan Öckerö kommun, Öckerö, SWEDENMr. Yasin SEVIM - Hasan Zeki Boz Anadolu Lisesi, Uşak, TURKEY

The work presented in this document is supported by the European Union. The content of this document is the sole responsibility of the author and it does not represent the opinion of the European Union and the European Union is not responsible or liable for any use that might be made of

information contained herein.