A rural area, or countryside, is a geographic area located outside towns and cities. Rural areas typically have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are often described as rural. Different countries have varying definitions of rural for statistical and administrative purposes. In the United States, the Census Bureau defines rural as what is not urban, meaning that after defining individual urban areas, rural is what is left. The Census Bureaus definition is the only federal definition that applies the term "rural" in an official, statistical capacity, allowing it to be viewed as the official or default definition of rural. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Economic Research Service illustrates that there are several different ways to measure rural communities. Rural development is the process of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, which often experience rural poverty due to lack of access to economic activities and investments in key areas.