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.
In Hokkaido's reclaimed lands, traces of that era still remain.
開拓地に最初に住み着いた人々は、大変な苦労をした。
The people who first settled on the cleared land endured great hardship.
Compound of 開拓 (reclamation, development) + 地 (land). The exact historical derivation is straightforward.