Topic 2: Settlements

Question 1

rural settlement

Answer 1

• a residential area away from the city, in the countryside
• has less than 10,000 residents
• initially isolated & self-sufficient (farming)
• determined by water supply, relief, soils, shelter, defense
• eg. village, hamlet, farm

Question 2

urban settlement

Answer 2

• a large built-up area with large areas of land being used for housing
• grow from small settlements & function changes (main economic activity)
• develop in areas where resources are available
• eg. town, city, megacity

Question 3

settlement site & situation

Answer 3

• site: land on which settlement is built

* situation: relationship between settlement & surrounding area

Question 4

types of sites

Answer 4

• wet point site - a site along a supply of water in otherwise dry areas
• dry point site - a site in an elevated position where the surrounding land is wet
• defensive site - a site that is easy to guard against enemies, typically located on higher grounds

Question 5

common settlement locations

Answer 5

• in areas with flat/gently sloping, fertile land for farming
• at cross-roads/locations of trade
• in areas with a reliable fuel supply
• where the aspect provides shelter to the houses

Question 6

nucleated settlement

Answer 6

• a cluster of houses around a central feature

* low & flat lands

Question 7

linear settlement

Answer 7

• long & thin settlement
• develop along a transport route (road/river valley)
• flat land is limited

Question 8

dispersed settlement

Answer 8

• farms/isolated buildings

* scattered in no particular pattern across the countryside and surrounded by farmland

Question 9

causes of settlement dispersion

Answer 9

• mountainous areas (difficult for construction)
• mainly land for farming
• vulnerable to extreme weather conditions or climate
• few natural resources available

Question 10

settlement hierachy

Answer 10

• ranks settlements based on size, population & services
• larger settlements are less common than smaller ones

‣ conurbation
‣ city
‣ large town
‣ small town
‣ village
‣ hamlet
‣ isolated dwelling

Question 11

high order settlements

Answer 11

• provide goods & services that are expensive, high quality & bought infrequently
• large range - people are willing to travel a long way for them

Question 12

low order settlements

Answer 12

• provide goods & services that are cheap & bought frequently
• small range - people are only willing to travel a short distance to buy/use them

Question 13

sphere of influence

Answer 13

• the area served by a settlement/service

* aka catchment area

Question 14

threshold population

Answer 14

• the minimum population required to support a service

* high order goods have a higher threshold population

Question 15

functions of settlements

Answer 15

• residential: provides habitation to its people
• market town: responsible for commerce/trade
• tourist resort: generate revenue from natural and physical attractions in tourist industry
• administrative: houses administrative branch /government of a country/region