Settlement Size and its Effect on Sustainable Rural Development: A Case Study of Erbil, Kurdistan Region/Iraq

Abstract

Regional distribution of rural population in a specific area or region has a direct influence on its progress andprosperity. The spread of people by size group and dispersion over a country’s land mass also has an impact onits socioeconomic progress, prosperity and the availability and quality of infrastructural facilities. Village sizevaries considerably in the Kurdistan region, with some villages having less than 50 residents and some havingmore than 1000 residents. The study first observes the size category of villages in Erbil state using census data. Itthen establishes linkages between the size of villages and their accessibility to basic amenities. Small villageshave grown in number and there is a decline in the number of large villages in the state. Residents of largevillages are socioeconomically better developed compared to residents of smaller villages, and they have betteraccess to basic services.Keywords: village size; amenities; sustainable development; Kurdistan /Iraq