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What community do you live in? What is it like? Every community is special in some way.
A community is a group of people who live and work in one place. Most people live in communities because they can find jobs and are close to schools and stores. Why do you like to live in your community?
Communities are alike in some ways. They have homes where people live. They have stores and other businesses where people can get what they need. Communities have schools and places where people go to pray. They may also have parks and other places where people go to have fun.
Communities are different, too. One difference is population. The population of a place is the number of people living there. Some communities have millions of people. Others have few people. Some are in-between.
▲ Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, is a suburb only about nine miles from Pittsburgh. A suburb is a smaller city or town near a large city. Mount Lebanon was once a farming community, but in the early 1900s, a streetcar line connected it to Pittsburgh. Since then, lots of people have moved to Mount Lebanon. These residents travel to work in Pittsburgh each day by train, bus, and car. Today, about 33,000 people live there.
▲ About 60 miles from Pittsburgh is Morris Township, Pennsylvania. This rural, or country, area has lots of land, including parks and farms. There is even an old covered bridge. Morris Township has a big coal mine, where people work. But only about 800 people live in this community.
Living Together in a Community
People live in communities all over the world. One reason they live in communities is that they like to be with others. In a community, people feel that they belong. People in a community depend on, or count on, one another. They enjoy working together for a common purpose. A community has workers and businesses that provide citizens with the things they need and want. A community has a government that passes laws and hires people to help keep everyone in the community safe. A community helps people come together and have fun by providing parks, concerts, and parades. A community might have a library, a museum, or a center that celebrates the different cultures of the community. The people shown here enjoy planting and caring for a community garden.
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