The planned relocation of people from one area to another, often involving government programs to move populations for development projects, environmental reasons, or social planning. This can be voluntary or involuntary and may involve moving to entirely new communities.
From 're-' (again) plus 'settlement' (from Old English 'setl,' a place to sit), first used in colonial contexts for establishing new communities. The modern sense developed in the 20th century as governments undertook large-scale population movements for various planning purposes.
China's Three Gorges Dam required resettling 1.3 million people – imagine moving the entire population of a major city to build one project! Some families were moved to completely different provinces, changing not just their address but their entire cultural and economic environment.
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