UNIT 5- LANDSCAPES AND SETTLEMENTS ( PAISAJES Y ASENTAMIENTOS)

1-WHAT ELEMENTS CAN WE SEE IN A LANDSCAPE?

Its all the visible elements of an area of land.

Its made of different elements : natural or human elements

Natural Landscapes

Landscapes with human elements

-It has natural elements: mountains,plains, rivers, lakes,

-it has been changed by humans

plants, animals
-It has not been changed by humans

-it has natural elements and human elements

Road and buildings

-Types:

Inland and coastal

Flat and mountain

With water and vegetation

with very little water or vegetation

2-WHAT ARE SETTLEMENTS AND WHERE DID PEOPLE BUILD THEM?

they can be:
Rural

Urban

Rural landscapes

They have natural and human elements( fields, farms, windmills, farmhouses and wells).

They are small

They are called villages and towns.

They are different depending on:

Where they are

Mountain villages and towns

what the settlement looks like

coastal villages and towns

the houses are near each other

houses are farther away

The buildings are usually low.

Traditionally they were made of local materials: stone, clay, slate, wood,

Now people use different materials. House are more comfortable: washing machine, gas or electric cookers and televisions and central heating.

Urban landscapes

They dont have many natural elements.

They are big and many people live there.

They are cities. They are different depending on:

Where they are
Coastal

inland

how big they are

small

megacities

how their streets are organized

some cities have a grid street plan

others have irregular pattern

The building are tall and they are made of steel and concrete

History of settlements
In the past people built settlements :

On a hill

on plains or plateaus

near natural resources

near a river

in a protected place

To see the enemies

it was easy to move around

to get wood,..

to get water

to shelter from wind and rain

and defend

The function of settlements

Sometimes the function of a settlement influenced where people built it:

They built fishing harbours in bays, so boats were protected

They built market towns where 2 rivers or two roads met, so people could buy and sell things there

They built settlements near coal and iron mines, so miners didnt need to travel to work.

Now its easier to transport raw materials and goods. Most settlements are multifunctional.