SETTLEMENT

OBJECTIVES: YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

 Define the terms: settlement ,settlement pattern, rural and urban settlement
 Identify settlements patterns from photographs /diagrams/maps.
 Discuss factors that might influence settlement pattern in an area. ( refer to page 43
Complete Geography )
 Define the term site
 Describe and explain factors which may influence sites, growth and function of settlement.
 Define the term function and identify the main function from photographs
 Define and describe each function identified and link to an explanation of how settlement
grows over time.
 Classify settlements by function

SETTLEMENT

SETTLEMENT—TYPES, SETTLEMENT SITE /SITUATION, PATTERNS AND FACTORS INFLUENCING

GROWTH

Settlement: A place where people live. A settlement can range from an isolated building to a capital
city of over 20 million people (eg Mexico City) Harare is also a city.(What is its population?)

Glossary

Settlement is a place where people live

Rural settlement Settlements that are found in the countryside (rural areas)

Urban settlement Urban refers to towns and cities. It is a continuous built up area with industry and
commerce, has a high population density.

Settlement pattern Settlement pattern refers to the arrangement of buildings on the ground or the
shape of a village town.

Site The site of a settlement is the actual land that the settlement is built upon.

Situation Situation is the position of the settlement in relation to the surrounding area.

There are many different types of settlement, but these can roughly be divided into rural and urban
settlements. Rural refers to countryside. This definition pose problems as countryside may display
some features of urban settlements-- small towns.

Rural Settlements: Settlements that are found in the countryside (rural areas) and contain less than
10,000 residents. Rural areas have a small number of buildings with a strong agricultural function or a
dormitory function. (workers staying in a village but working in a nearby town –they commute ).
Population density is low and the community is close, it offers a small number of services.

Urban Settlements: Settlements that contain more than 10,000 residents in developed countries.
Urban areas in Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) tend to have smaller populations as
compared to those found in More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs). Urban refers to towns
and cities. It is a continuous built up area with industry and commerce, has a high population density.
The residents are more of acquaintances rather than friends and provides many services.
 Settlements can either be temporary or permanent. Temporary settlements include places such as
refugee camps. Some temporary settlements have become permanent over time such as the
Rochina, the largest favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

CHARACTERISTICS OF RURAL AND URBAN SETTLEMENTS

Rural settlement Urban settlement

1.Settlement patterns in rural areas are linear
nucleated and dispersed
2. Pattern is largely influenced by the physical
geography of the area local culture /traditions
and needs of farmers. These settlements are
chiefly concerned with primary activities such
as
agriculture, mining, fishing, forestry etc
.4. Most of the people of rural settlements are
engaged in agricultural work.
5 The major function of rural settlement is
agriculture and each settlement specializes in
various activities eg fishing.eg in MEDCs
Facilities available in the villages of developed
countries may be considered rare in villages
of developing and less developed countries)
6 Population density is small and the
settlement size is small.
1 Mainly linear along roads
2 Mainly influenced by cost of land
economic reasons as well as
physical planning laws.
3These types of settlement are
nodal in character and have
secondary and tertiary activities.
4The chief occupation of the people
of urban areas is non-agricultural i.e.
industry, trade and services.
5 The major functions of an urban
area are trade and commerce,
transport and communication,
mining and manufacturing defence,
administration, cultural and
recreational activities,.
6 Population density is high and the
settlement size is large

SITE OF SETTLEMENT

The site and situation of a settlement are very different things. The site of a settlement is the land
upon which it was built. There are a range of factors that can determine the site of a settlement.
These are:

 wet point site - these are sites close to a supply of water.

 dry point site - these are sites that avoided the risk of flooding.

 defensive site - these were sites that were on high ground and allowed the inhabitants to
see enemies from a distance.

 aspect - many settlements in the northern hemisphere are located on south facing sides of
valleys where it is sunny.

 shelter - away from rain and prevailing winds.

 trading point - often settlements developed where natural training points meet such as
along rivers or natural route ways.

resources - many settlements developed close to where natural resources could be found.

Situation refers to the features of the area in which the settlement functions. Settlement function
describes the main activity of the settlement, the jobs of the people working there.
Settlement pattern refers to the shape that a settlement forms on the map—how clustered or
scattered it is. How the buildings are arranged on the ground. There are three main types of
settlement pattern:

Dispersed
- This can either be:

 An isolated (individual) building

 A group of two or three buildings, perhaps forming a hamlet and separated from the next group by
two or three kilometres.

Dispersed settlement occurs in an area of adverse physical conditions where natural resources are
insufficient to support more than a few people. Most buildings are farms although increasingly some
are being used as second homes. Dispersed settlement occurs in the mountainous areas. Cultural
reasons may play a part where it is not the tradition to live together grouped together in villages.

Nucleated

This is when several buildings were grouped together, initially for defensive purposes and later for
social and economic reasons. The nucleation of buildings into villages occurred where there was
enough farmland for the inhabitants to be self-sufficient and where the water supply was reliable.
Nucleated settlements often occur every 5 to 10 kilometres. People enjoy the social benefits of living
close to their neighbours. They have access to services like schools and shops. This pattern often
develops in areas with rich agriculture, where farmers can live in the village but still near their fields.
The culture of the people may favour this pattern. Cultural feature maybe a church or temple.
Linear

Linear settlement occurs where buildings are strung out along a line of communication. This may be
a main road (leading out of a city), a river valley or a canal. This pattern allows each dwelling to have
access to a road or track for transport, and also to an area of farming land at right angles to the road.
Physical geography can also play a part. The settlements might be along a river or a line of springs for
water supply, or a valley floor to avoid the steep valley sides. Settlements might also be in line just
above the flood plain of a river. In other cases people do not waste good arming land land e,g
irrigated land, for buildings but place their houses in a line next to the fertile land.

For each Photograph A to D

1 State whether its rural or urban

2 Describe the settlement pattern and give reasons for the pattern

3 Describe the site

PHOTOGRAPH A
Photograph B

Photograph C
Photograph D
What are the main differences between settlements shown in photographs E and F

Photograph E

Photograph F
Refer to land use, gradient and impact on the environment

SKETCH MAP OF SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN RURAL AREAS

PHOTOGRAPHS OF SETTLEMENTS IN RURAL AREAS

PHOTOGRAPH 0
Photograph 1

PHOTOGRAPH 2
PHOTOGRAPH 3
PHOTOGRAPH 4

ACTIVITY 1

Complete table below on photographs 1-4 ( See example photograph 0)

photograph Settlement description site Influencing factor

Pattern
0 linear Along the foot Flat land on the Flat land for easier
hills edge of hills construction, cultivation
1

5
ACTIVITY 2

Geographers are interested in the settlement __________. This means the shape of
villages and towns. There are three main types of settlement pattern:

Copy the text below into your book, filling in the blank spaces. There is a
wordbox at the bottom of the sheet to help you.
Dispersed - This can either be:

 An individual (__________) building

 A group of two or three __________ separated from the next group by two or three kilometres.

__________ settlement occurs in an area which may have very hot or cold temperatures. They are
also found in places where there are not enough __________ to support more than a few people.
Most buildings are __________ although some are being used as second homes. Dispersed
settlement occurs in the __________ parts of Scotland, Wales and northern England or in previously
__________ areas such as the Fens.

Nucleated

This is when several buildings were grouped __________, initially for defensive purposes and later for
social and economic reasons. This happened in places where there was enough farmland for the
inhabitants to grow their own __________ and where the __________ supply was reliable. There are
many examples of nucleated settlements in __________ and eastern England where they are
situated 5 to 10 kilometres apart. The dwellings are clustered together as villages, with fewer isolated
dwellings. The shape is compact and more square or circular.

Linear

Linear settlement occurs where buildings are __________ out along a line of communication. This
may be a main __________ (leading out of a city), a __________ valley (common in South Wales) or
a __________ or dike (in the English Fens or the Netherlands).

Buildings canals central dispersed farms food isolated

marshy mountainous pattern resources river road strung

together water
Site is the land that the settlement is actually built upon. Site features are very important when
establishing the original settlement. These include

 ALTITUDE
 GRADIENT OF SLOPE
 WATER SUPPLY
 CROSSING POINT OF A RIVER
 NATURAL RESOURCES SUCH AS MINERALS

Situation is the position of the settlement in relation to the surrounding area. Features of the situation
often allow a small settlement to grow into a larger town or city. The features include:

 Transport routes
 Agricultural productivity of the area
 Position in relation to other settlements

Site Factors and development of a settlement.

Site factors had advantages over others in terms of the following:

Agricultural land use

Most villages came into existence being agricultural settlements. The surrounding land provided a
food supply for the village. Agricultural land was a key feature of their origin and development. The
relief, soils, drainage and accessibility of the site had to allow agricultural land use to take place. This
was wholly or partly subsistence farming .However it is also true of modern commercial farming
systems.

Relief

This includes altitude, gradient and aspect.

Altitude Altitude is rarely a factor in influencing the site of settlements. In mountainous regions the
highest areas might be so cold that agriculture becomes extremely difficult.---they are covered in
snow for much of the year. Therefore areas maybe uninhabited. By contrast lower areas are
sometimes sparsely populated because of poor drainage diseases and dense vegetation.

Gradient is an important factor in the site of settlements. Gentle slopes have an advantage of being
well drained, easy to cultivate and easy to build on. Settlements are often located along the valley
floors-avoiding the steeper valley sides. In the past steep slopes provided sites that were easier to
defend against enemies.-resulting in hilltop villages.

Aspect

Aspect is the direction in a slope faces. It is an important factor in mountainous areas in valleys that
run EAST-WEST. The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. This is a critical factor in
areas furthest away from the equator (high latitudes) particularly in the winter when the sun is low in
so low in the sky. Some slopes are cold and shaded and some are warm and sunny. Agriculture and
settlements tend to be concentrated on the sunny slopes.

Soils

Areas with fertile soils are often more densely settled because the greater productivity off the land can
support a larger population. Examples include alluvial soils in river valleys and soils that develop on
certain volcanic rocks such as basalt:

 The dense population of the Nile Valley

 Areas with rich volcanic soils eg island of Madeira in North Atlantic Ocean and island of Java
in Indonesia have relatively dense populations. It is also important to note that fertile soils are
too important to influence site of a settlement, in desert oases, fertile soils are too important
build settlements on so settlements are found on less fertile soils.

Water supply

Many settlements were established next to a river, spring or well that could supply water for drinking,
washing and in some cases crop irrigation. Transporting water is hard so settlements had their own
water supply. Sites with reliable water supplies from rivers and springs and wells are called WET
POINT sites.

Drainage and Flooding

Very low lying flood plains may not be the best site to settle on due to frequent flooding and
waterlogging and therefore difficult to farm. In tropical regions they may be prone to water-borne
diseases (such as bilharzia and river blindness) or diseases carried by insects (such as malaria or
sleeping sickness). Nevertheless in areas with large populations and a shortage of land such as
Bangladesh, flood plains are sometimes densely settled.

Areas slightly higher than flood plains, with gentle well drained slopes are good for farming and
provide good sites for farming and sites for rural settlements. Higher points in otherwise poorly
drained areas are known as DRY POINT sites.

Accessibility

Even remotest areas benefit from contact with other settlements to sell produce or to buy goods and
services. This is one reason for linear pattern (along a roads or tracks) .Where roads meet (route
centres) or at the bridging points of rivers larger villages and regional service centres may develop.

ACTIVITY Study fig 2,9 pg 46 Complete Geography

How has the location and development of settlements in the area been affected by each of
the following factors: relief (gradient) soils drainage water supply and accessibility?