Urban areas

An urban area can be defined as a geographical space characterized by a continuous urban settlement. It has a population density higher than the surrounding space, even though the values of the density significantly vary in different countries and according various types of urbanization. Urban areas are composed of a central part, consisting of a more or less large city or town, and by surrounding suburbs. In European cities often urban areas which are centred on a major city include other towns, that once were distinct, but eventually have been incorporated through processes of agglomeration.