What do we mean by the "setting" of a story?

In our literature circles, we have been discussing the setting of the books we're reading. Here are some examples:

The River Runs to End of Time by Frances Usher

This story is set in January, 1645, in England. The Civil War was going on for two years. It was winter. The main setting took place in a little cottage in the countryside beside a river.

By: Zahra, Zaima, Armaan, Moin


The Treasure In The Mud by Gillian Cross

The people in this story live in a house beside a river.
It happened in London at the year of 1856.
By: FaRsHeD, LuBaNa, SoHeL and YaMaN.


Ocean Adventure
The story starts on 24th April 1895in Boston USA.The rest of the story is in a boat called the Spray.
Aurthor:Paul May
By:Rushmila,Verkha, Zahin and Saqlain.