Theme 1 - 1.5 - Settlements And Service Provision Flashcards
Define dispersed settlement.
When farms or houses are set among their fields or spread along roads.
Define nucleated settlement.
Houses and buildings are tightly clustered around a central feature.
Define linear settlement.
Houses and buildings are arranged along a line of communication, such as a road, canal or river valley.
Define linear pattern.
When settlements are found along a geographical feature such as a river valley or major transport route.
Define site.
The actual land on which a settlement is built.
Define situation.
The relationship between a settlement and its surrounding area.
Define low-order functions.
Basic functions found in smaller settlements (e.g. hamlets).
Define high-order functions.
More specialised functions and services found in larger settlements (e.g. villages and market towns).
Define the range of a good.
The maximum distance a person is prepared to travel to buy a good.
Define threshold population.
The minimum number of people needed to support a good or service.
Define sphere of influence.
The area that a settlement serves.
What might a nucleated settlement be clustered around?
Church, village green, crossroad, etc.
What factors might encourage a nucleated settlement to form?
- Defence -> E.g. A hilltop site
- Shortage of water -> People forced to live close to springs
- Proximity to important junctions and crossroads for trade and communications
What factors may influence the choice of site for a settlement?
- Access to water -> Important for drinking water, cooking, washing, etc.
- Relief -> Important to prevent flooding + Flat land to build on
- Fertile soils -> Needed for agriculture
- Fuel supply -> Needed for heating and cooking
- Good accessibility -> Increases trade and commerce potential (e.g. Near bridges)
- Defence -> Meander or steep hillside help
- Shelter + Aspect -> Protection from wind + Sunlight for agriculture
What factors encourage and prevent settlement growth?
Encourage
• Good food production
Prevent
• Poor climate -> Too hot or cold, wet or dry
What is a wet-point site?
A wet area, especially in a dry area.
What is a dry-point site?
A dry area, especially in a wet area.
What is the function of a settlement?
What a settlement does. For example, a town could be a mining town.
Give some examples of settlement functions.
- Dormitory function
- Agricultural function
- Tourism
- Fishing
- Mining
What does hierarchy mean?
Order
What types of services are found in small settlements?
Low-order
What types of services are found in large settlements?
Low order and high order
What is the range of low order and high order goods?
Low order: Small range
High order: Large range
What is the threshold population for low order and high order services?
Low order: Small
High order: Large
What is the size of the sphere of influence of villages compared to towns?
Villages: Small
Towns and cities: Large
What is the relationship between population size of a settlement and number/range of services?
As the population size of a settlement increases, the number and range of services increases (generally - there are some exceptions).
Do all settlements fit the trend that as population size increases, so does the number of services?
No, some small settlements may have many services and some large settlements may have very few services. This may be down to their function.
Give an example of when a small settlement may have many services.
Tourist villages many have many services to attract and satisfy tourists.
Give an example of when a large settlement may have very few services.
Dormitory (commuter) settlements may have quite large but offer few services. Here, people live but work and shop elsewhere.
What are the main methods of classifying settlements?
- Population size
- Range and number of services
- Sphere of influence
(4. Size)
Why is the population size of a settlement not always a good way of classifying it?
- Unclear divisions between village and hamlet, village and town, etc.
- Different population densities mean that a village in China can have the same population as a town in the UK, for example
Name the different types of settlement in order of size and give their population size.
- Capital (Several million)
- City / Conurbation (1-2 million)
- City (Up to 1 million)
- Large town (Up to 100,000)
- Small town (Up to 10,000 or 20,000)
- Village (Up to several hundred)
- Hamlet (5 or 6 families)
- Isolated buildings / farms (1 family)
Describe high order services in terms of cost, demand, frequency of purchase and distance traveled for purchase.
- High cost
- Low demand
- Infrequent purchase
- Long distance traveled for purchase
Describe low order services in terms of cost, demand, frequency of purchase and distance traveled for purchase.
- Low cost
- High demand
- Frequent purchase
- Not willingly to travel far
What are convenience goods?
Goods which are widely available and purchased frequently with minimal effort.
What are comparison goods?
Goods which are purchased infrequently and therefore may required evaluation of price, quality, etc. before purchase.
Give an example of a convenience good.
Milk
Give an example of a comparison good.
TV
