populated area

NOUN
14 LETTERS · STARTS WITH P

populated area is a valid 14-letter word worth 18 points in Scrabble and 22 points in Words with Friends.

SCRABBLE WORDS WITH FRIENDS
P3O1P3U1L1A1T1E1D2A1R1E1A1
3 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 =18 PTS
DOUBLE WORD → 36TRIPLE WORD → 54
MEANING

What does populated area mean?