settlement

Settlement

Learning objectives:

•To understand what a settlement is

•To know why settlements are situated where they are.

•Definition: a settlement is a place where people live. It can be a city, town, village or a hamlet

What are the differences between urban areas and rural

areas?

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•Urban areas – Towns and cities

•Rural areas – Villages and the countryside

Water supply

Defence

Routeways

Relief

Distance

Resources

Ports

Market centres

Manufacturing centres

Resorts and Spas

Education Centres

Religious centres

Railways Towns

Planned towns

How were settlement sites chosen?

The site is the place where the town or village grew up. A site was chosen because of its natural advantages. The more natural advantages a place had, the more likely it was to grow.

Settlement functions

For a settlement to grow up in the first place, it had to have a special function (use). Different settlement grew up with different functions.

•Market towns – places where people could buy and sell things.

•Industrial towns – places where goods were manufactured in factories

•Ports – places where goods are brought into and sent out of the country.

•Holiday resorts – places where people go on holiday to relax.

Settlement patterns

The settlement pattern refers to the shape of the village. This was usually influenced by the surrounding area.

There are main patterns:

•A dispersed settlement – buildings are spread out.

•A nucleated settlement – buildings are grouped together.

•A linear settlement – building are found in a line.