Settler

Settlers are people who have travelled of their own choice, from the land of their birth to live in "new" lands or colonies. In modern history, the word "settlers" is synonymous with terms like pioneers, colonists, or (as British people once called them) "colonials". The colony concerned is often, but not always, controlled by the government of a settler's home country, and emigration is usually, but not always, approved by an imperial government. The term "settler" is not usually used in relation to the later histories of well-established and/or independent, postcolonial countries with continuing immigration, like the present-day US, Canada or Australia, where terms like immigrants are preferred.

In the Middle East, settlers are Jewish people from Israel proper or other parts of the world, who have moved to areas also claimed by Palestinians.

In almost every real historical case, settlers live on land which previously belonged to long-established, previous settler peoples, known as indigenous people (often called "natives", "Aborigines" or, in the Americas, "Indians"). This land is usually settled against the wishes of the indigenes, and then controlled, defended and expanded by force, or it is bought or leased from indigenous people on terms highly favourable to the settlers, sometimes under a treaty (e.g. the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand). In some cases (e.g. Australia), the legal ownership of some lands are contested much later by indigenous people, who seek or claim traditional usage, land rights, native title and related forms of ownership or partial control.

The word "settler" was not originally usually used in relation to unfree labour immigrants, such as slaves (e.g. in the United States), indentured labourers (e.g. in South Africa), or convicts (e.g. in Australia). More recently descendants of these immigrants may argue that they have as much right to use the word "settler" as the descendants of free immigrants.

Settlers in hypothetical societies, such as on other planets, often feature in science fiction or fantasy fiction and/or games.

See also: squatter, colony, Indigenous people and immigrant