Site and Situation

Situation is the position of the settlement in relation to the surrounding area and the features of the
area in which the settlement functions. 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 The site of a settlement is the actual land that the settlement is built upon. There are a range of
human and physical factors that can determine the site and development of a settlement. These
include:

• 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 (height above sea level), gradient (slope) and aspect (the direction that
a slope faces).

i. 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.

ii. 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.

iii. 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 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.
DRAW:

Aspect on a north facing slope in the Southern Hemisphere

• Soils: Areas with fertile soils are often more densely settled because the greater productivity
of 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 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.

DRAW:

• 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.

DRAW:

• 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/nodal points) or at the bridging points of rivers larger
villages and regional service centres may develop.

• Defence: In medieval times defence was one of the most important factors influencing the
site of a settlement. The relief (shape) of the land often proved to be the best form of defence
from attackers. Italy, there are many walled hill-top villages, whilst the Maoris in New
Zealand built their settlements (called Pa's) on the top of steep hills to prevent being attacked.

• The confluence of two rivers: Just as two valleys, or roads, make a nodal point for settlement
growth, so do two rivers joining. One such example is found in Khartoum in Sudan, where
the Blue and the White Nile meet.

DRAW:
For example, Kota Kinabalu was created on this SITE due to its good SITUATION.

DRAW:

Summary of the factors that determine the Site of a Settlement

→ CASE STUDY: Summarise Complete Geography pg 47-48 Tsoelikie Valley Lesotho and pg 49-
50 Rio Poqueira Valley, Spain.