What is Urbanization?
[[File:2015 World Urbanization Map.png|thumb|375x375px|Percentage of population which is urbanized, by country, in year 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/|title = United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2014). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014 Revision, CD-ROM Edition|first =|last =|website =|publisher =|accessdate = 25 September 2015}}</ref>]] [[File:Historical global urban - rural population trends.png|thumb|500x500px|Percentage of World Population: Urban vs. Rural.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://esa.un.org/unup/ |title=United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs |access-date=2011-08-28 |archive-date=2010-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726105758/http://esa.un.org/unup/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>]] '''Urbanization''' (or '''urbanization''') is a term from [[geography]]. The base of the word is the Latin ''urbs'', which means [[city]]. The term urbanization refers to the process of a [[Rural area|rural]] area turning into an urban area. This can happen in two different ways: #Through the growth of cities; called ''physical urbanization'' #Through the change of behavior of people living in rural areas; called ''functional urbanization'' Physical urbanization has been observed for centuries. In [[developing countries]] this is the main form of urbanization. In developed countries, functional urbanization is the main form of urbanization. With functional urbanization, people living in the city center move to the countryside, next to the city; this is known as [[suburbanization]]. ==Environmental effects== [[Environmentalism|Environmenta]]<nowiki/>l scientists are studying the [[urban heat island]]. The urban heat island is made when industrial and urban areas are developed and heat becomes plentiful. Environmental impacts also include reducing soil moisture and more [[carbon dioxide]] emissions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heating Up: Study Shows Rapid Urbanization in China Warming the Regional Climate Faster than Other Urban