A hamlet is (usually — see below) a small settlement, too small or unimportant to be considered a village. The name comes from the diminutive of a Germanic word for an enclosed piece of land or pasture.
United Kingdom
In the UK, a hamlet is traditionally defined ecclesiastically. It is a village that may or may not have its own church, but which does not form a parish in its own right. In modern usage it generally refers to a secondary settlement in a civil parish, after the main settlement (if any). The status has no formal definition. [1]
United States
New York
In the U.S. state of New York, hamlets are unincorporated areas within towns. Unlike villages, hamlets are not legal entities and have no local government or official boundaries. Municipal government services are provided by the town in which the hamlet is located.
- See further: Political subdivisions of New York State.
Oregon
- See Hamlet (Oregon)
Wisconsin
Dane County, Wisconsin, is home to the hamlet of Morrisonville, which is located approximately 18 miles north of Madison.
Canada
In numerous provinces in Canada, there are officially designated municipalities, generally smaller than villages, classified as hamlets. There are some exceptions, such as Sherwood Park, Alberta, which has a population of more than 50,000 – well above that needed for city status — but which has retained hamlet status. Fort McMurray, Alberta used to be a city, but has now been amalgamated into the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, thus making it a hamlet. Hamlets are always unincorporated, except in Canada's northern territories, where they are incorporated municipalities.
See also
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet_%28place%29 under GFDL
