Towns and Cities

Think about your town, city or village. Why is it there? Is it near a river or a lake? Towns are usually near rivers or lakes because water is very important. We need it for drinking and for washing. You can travel by boat on water, as well. And of course setting up the towns by water is important for trade. People can import and export their goods. May large cities, such as Budapest, London and Paris are near a river.

But a river might be a problem if you are not able to cross it. A lot of towns are in places where there is a ford (a bridge) so that you can cross the river. You can notice this in the names of some British towns, such as Cambridge- a bridge over the river Cam. Another example is Oxford- a place where you can cross the river with your ox (a type of cow). A lot of towns are on a small hill. Have you ever wondered why that is? A city built on a hill makes it difficult to walk around. However, a hill is a good place to keep the city safe from floods and it is not easy for people to attack you because you can see them. This is no longer important but many old towns were built for this purpose. These towns often have a castle.

Many old towns have been built at a crossroads- a place where two roads cross. These types of locations are important because people can come to your town from other places to buy and sell things. These towns often have a big square in the town centre for a market where you can find many unique and exotic items which can’t be normally found in your local neighbourhood.