settlements definition
a place where a group of people live permanently and carry out activities to support themselves
what are the types of settlements
hamlet, village, city, conurbation
describe a hamlet
- very small settlement consisting of a small number of houses or farms with very few services
- generally has less than 100 oriole and only supports low order services (e.g. general stores, small post offices)
describe a village
- Much larger in population compared to a hamlet
- Supports a wider range of services (E.g. School, church, community centre, small range of shops)
describe a city
- Large population size – More people work and live in cities compared to other parts of the country
- High population density
- More number of people living per unit area - Built up area and infrastructure
- Mostly covered by buildings
- Presence of extensive infrastructure → System of buildings and equipment to provide basic services like water, electricity, sanitation, telecommunications and transport for citizens - Large range of industries and functions
- Cities perform a large range of secondary, tertiary and quaternary functions (E.g. Education, medical, housing, transport, recreation, industrial,
describe a conurbation
When two or more metropolitan areas grow in size, they merge to become a megalopolis (e.g. In the US, Massachusetts eventually spread as far South as Washington, D.C., creating the megalopolis of Boswash/ Northeast Corridor)
what are the settlement patterns in rural areas?
dispersed, linear, nucleated
what is the sphere of influence dependent on?
- Settlement size
- Service provided by the settlement (high/ low order)
- Population density
- Wealth of people
- Transport facilities
- Competition from other settlements
the definition of urbanisation
increasing percentage of the population in urban areas compared to total population
what are some reasons of urbanisation?
- Rural-urban migration (People living in rural areas move to urban areas)
- High birth rate in urban cities
what are some push factors of rural-urban migration?
- Few services
- Lack of job opportunities
- Unhappy life
- Poor transport links
- Natural disasters/ hazards
- Wars
- Famine due to bad harvest
what are some pull factors of rural-urban migration
- Access to services
- Better job opportunities
- More entertainment facilities
- Better transport links
- Improved living conditions
- Hope for a better way of life
- Family links
what is life like in rural countrysides?
- Majority of people rely on agriculture for a living
- May take on the form of isolated farmsteads, hamlets or villages
- Smaller population size
- Lower population density
- Little or no built-up spaces
- Less developed
- Lack of job opportunities, mechanism
- Inadequate facilities, poor standard of living
- Vulnerability to natural disasters → debts
- Disruption to agriculture due to wars
- Poor crop output → Shortage of food
- Mostly primary activities (E.g. Fishing, mining, farming, logging)
what is life like in urban cities/towns?
- Has many functions such as industrial and commercial
- Larger population size
- Higher population density
- More built-up spaces
- More developed
- Better/ more job opportunities
- Better income and social advancement
- Better facilities and amenities
- Improved living conditions and standard of living
- Family links, friend contact
- Secondary, tertiary and quaternary activities
what are the undesirable and desirable reasons for living in industrial areas?
✓ Many job opportunities and reduced travel time to workplace
✓ Affordable lifestyle
✖️Air and noise pollution from factories → Impacts quality of life and health
why is it land near the airport an undesirable location?
✖️Air (Emissions from airplanes affect air quality) and noise pollution (Aircraft noise)
why is land near the river a desirable place to live?
✓ Can be a reliable water source for domestic purposes like drinking and cooking if there is no piped water
why is land near the marshland undesirable?
✖️Waterlogged, causing the spread of:
- Water-borne diseases (e.g. cholera)
- Vector-borne diseases (e.g. dengue, malaria)
why is land on steep slopes undesirable to live on?
✖️Prone to landslides and can cause death
explain what dispersed settlement patterns are like
- Isolated dwellings and widely scattered buildings (several 100 meters) because farmers need more land for grazing and growing crops
- Do not form a single settlement
- Usually in an area of adverse physical conditions where natural resources are insufficient to support more than a few people
- Sparsely populated areas
- Poor transport network
- Climate → too hot/ cold, too dry/ wet
Australian outback, Sahel region of Africa
explain what linear settlement patterns are like
- A settlement that has grown in a line
- Line may not be straight but is normally along a transport route
e.g. road, river, canal, beach - Subject to physical constraints:
Buildings/ houses along a narrow river in the mountainous river, along coastline
explain what nucleated settlement pattern is like
- Buildings and houses built very close together, clustered around a central village green, church, crossroad, junction of road or confluence of a river
- Greater accessibility and convenience
- Economies of scale share shops and amenities
- Water source/ oasis where there is a shortage of water
- Hilltop defence locations
