Function of Settlement

Towns may comprise several functions.

However, most towns have one dominant
function.
We can therefore, classify towns
according to their functions.
 Market towns
Centers of exchange of goods and service.
They are distribution centers for local products.
For example, Nedjo (Welega), Ginchi (near Ambo),
Agaro (in Jimma), etc.
 Industrial towns
Engaged in processing raw materials into finished goods.
They have some advantages like:
 Proximity to power,
 Minerals,
 Raw materials, labor or markets,
 Are served by modern net work of communication.
• Example: Akaki, Dukam, Adama, Dire Dawa.
 Commercial towns:
Centers of commerce and finance, where trade is the
primary concern.
There are financial institutions.
 New York for USA,
 Addis Ababa for Ethiopia.
 Mining towns
Located in adequate mineral resources.
Some towns shrink and become ghost towns.
Mining centers can be located on maps by quarry
symbols.
This includes rocks (building stone, limestone and
gravel for road construction). Gravel pits heavy
machinery, water and power supply, smelters ,
roasting, oil roads, railways and pipelines are
indicators of mining villages.
 Holiday resorts, hill and
health resorts
Located in favorable geographical
surroundings.
They include coastal resorts for batting and
yachting.
For example, Mombasa (Kenya), port Sudan
(Sudan), Pretoria (south Africa).
 Cont…
Hill resorts for mountain climbing and for the cool mountain
air.
For example, Semien mountain( Ras Dejen).
Health resorts for special treatment.
For example, Soderie (Oromia), Wondo Ghent (Oromya),
Wanzaye (south Gondar).
 Forestry (Lumbering)
Forestry oriented towns are classified
according to their latitudinal location and
forest type these are deciduous, coniferous
tropical and mixed wood land.
They are depicted on maps by pictorial (tree)
symbols.
 Administrative towns
These towns are the head quarters of the
government and they are capital cities or centers
of local administration.
They deal with the administration and
organization of the nation.
Some are continental capitals (Addis Ababa) and
international capitals (Geneva, New York)
 Cultural and educational
towns
These are towns in which are found world
renowned universities.
For example, Oxford and Cambridge in
England and Leiden in the Netherlands:
 Ecclesiastical cities
They are historical and religious centers
Frequently visited by pilgrims from all corners of the
world.
Example: Jerusalem (Judaism, Christianity), Mecca
(Islam), Varanasi (Hinduism).
 Class work
1. For what purpose do people chose alluvial plain for
settlement?
2. Explain the difference between wet site and dry site
settlements.
3. State the difference between Market towns and Commercial
towns
4. To which type of site does Dukam belong? Why?
5. Explain the reasons (causes) why some towns shrink and
become ghost towns.
 2.3.2 The Study of
Communication on Maps
Communication feature can be shown on topographic
maps by using different signs and symbols.
To measure distance
To Measure Gradients
Viable types of vehicles
Foot paths (Trails):
 found in the open countryside and in hills or mountains
 Metaled road is expensive to construct
• width and
• surface quality
Roads: the most universal
form of transport.
 Roads are classified by
their:
• width and
• surface quality
 Some of them are:
Tarmac (asphalt) roads
Metallic (graded surfaced) roads, and
Cart tracks
• Railways:
 compared with road transport, they are:
Less pollution,
 Cheaper
 Quicker,
 Safer and
 More comfortable.
Waterways (Navigation):
 They can be identified on maps by the presence of sea
ports in association with structures like:
 Jetties,
 Lighthouses,
Harbor offices and
 Break waters.
Break Water:
breakwater, artificial offshore structure protecting a harbor,
anchorage, or marina basin from water waves.
Jetty :
A jetty is a long, narrow structure that protects a coastline
from the currents and tides. Jetties are usually made of wood,
earth, stone, or concrete.
 Other means of communication:

 Radio/ TV stations,
 Microwave stations and
 Tower stations
They are shown by their own symbols and names.
 Activity
I. Compare Cart truck with foot path(trail).
II. State the sign or symbol to represent Tarmac (asphalt) roads
III. Compare Tarmac roads with Metallic roads
IV. Compare Railway with road transport.
V. How can we show railways on topographic maps?
 Climbing Capacities of Vehicles
 The surface of the earth is not uniform throughout. There are a
number of ups and downs with slopes varying in degree. A
particular surface landform may be concave, convex, uniform or
irregular. But the slope, as opposed to the actual landform, will
still be the same. Therefore, the slope is determined by the
relationship between the end points of a line; the slope and the
altitude between the two points. Ups and downs are expressed in
terms of slope and gradient.
 When there are big differences in local relief, roads usually climb
or descend along the rivers. Railways are very much more affected
by relief than roads because of their low hill-climbing capacity.
This is because railways require much smaller gradients than
roads, 2 percent is given as the maximum for railways. This means
that when a railway and a road have to travel the same ascent, the
railway uses a different and much longer route than the road.
 The solution applied in road construction, the building of
roads in serpentines, cannot be applied to railways.
Railways avoid drastic changes in altitude for two reasons:
• requires high cost of construction
• the daily operation costs are high
 Generally railways avoid large changes in altitude, which
involves the construction of tunnels, embankments, cutting,
etc. The gradient of the slope is determined by the
relationship between the vertical distance of two points and
the horizontal distance between them.
 Slope is a measure of the vertical difference in the altitude
(elevation) of a surface at two different points.