noun
reclaimed land; cleared land; developed area
Refers to land that has been cleared, reclaimed, or opened up for cultivation, settlement, or development. Often used in historical or agricultural contexts.
北海道の開拓地には、今も当時の面影が残っている。
In Hokkaido's reclaimed lands, traces of that era still remain.
開拓地に最初に住み着
The people who first settled on the cleared land endured great hardship.
埋立地 is land reclaimed from the sea or a body of water, while 開拓地 is usually land cleared of forests or wilderness.
Compound of 開拓 (reclamation, development) + 地 (land). The exact historical derivation is straightforward.