Final answer:
A community is a group of people living in a defined geographical area with shared interests and values, in contrast to societal, population, or colonial groups that have different definitions.
Step-by-step explanation:
A community refers to a group of people who live in a defined geographical area and have shared interests and values. This concept is distinct from others like society, population, and colony. While 'community' often pertains to a smaller scale social unit, a society encompasses a wider group of people living within a definable community that shares the same culture. They interact with one another, reflecting a broader range of social connections as compared to a community.
Population refers to a group of interbreeding organisms of the same species living in the same area, but this term can also apply to humans, indicating the total number of people within a defined area.
A colony is a territory that is under the political control of an external power and may not share common interests and values with the colonizing entity. This term is less about shared attributes and more about governance.
In conclusion, the accurate term for a group of people with common characteristics or interests living together within a territory or geographical boundary is 'community', which is option (a).