RURAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS GRADED
A+
Your Exam Plug
,Define a rural area - Answer: A place where people live and carry out a variety of activities such as
agriculture and trade.
Most rural settlements are hamlets and villages.
They consider social and geographical
circumstances, can be classified as 'non-urban'.
Describe the settlement hierarchy from biggest to smallest - Answer: Mega-city (10+ million)
City
Town
Village
Hamlet
What is a threshold population? - Answer: The minimum number of people necessary
before a particular good or service can be
provided in an area.
Describe a hamlet:
Services
Population - Answer: Small collection of farms and houses
Services: lacks all but basic - general store, pub - bus is not often
Population: less than 100 people
Small threshold population and serve small catchment area
Describe a village:
Services
Population - Answer: Services: support a wider range of services including school, church/chapel,
community centre and a small range of shops.
Population: larger than a hamlet.
, Describe a small market town:
Services
Population - Answer: Greater variety of high and low order goods
Larger catchment area than villages and hamlets
Services: people range much further to obtain goods and services they offer
Population: larger than villages
Define catchment area - Answer: Area from which people travel to obtain a particular service/product .
They are also known as spheres of influence, hinter lands or urban fields.
Define high order goods - Answer: Comparison goods such as electrical goods and furniture that the
shopper will only buy once comparisons have been made between models and shops.
A high threshold population is needed to sustain a shop selling comparison goods.
Define low order goods - Answer: Frequently purchased goods. People are not prepared to travel to buy
convenience goods. The extra cost of 'shopping around' outweighs any savings that may be made.
Describe range - Answer: Distance people are prepared to travel to obtain a good or service.
Draw the broad structure of rural and urban area classification - Answer:
What is the term that defines 'not many people live in an area'? - Answer: Sparsely populated
What is meant by densely populated - Answer: A lot of people live per kilometre square
What are the social characteristics of rural
communities compared to urban areas? - Answer: Closer-knit with everyone knowing and interacting
with everyone else
Socially and ethically more homogenous - in a city, it is multicultural
More family centred
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS GRADED
A+
Your Exam Plug
,Define a rural area - Answer: A place where people live and carry out a variety of activities such as
agriculture and trade.
Most rural settlements are hamlets and villages.
They consider social and geographical
circumstances, can be classified as 'non-urban'.
Describe the settlement hierarchy from biggest to smallest - Answer: Mega-city (10+ million)
City
Town
Village
Hamlet
What is a threshold population? - Answer: The minimum number of people necessary
before a particular good or service can be
provided in an area.
Describe a hamlet:
Services
Population - Answer: Small collection of farms and houses
Services: lacks all but basic - general store, pub - bus is not often
Population: less than 100 people
Small threshold population and serve small catchment area
Describe a village:
Services
Population - Answer: Services: support a wider range of services including school, church/chapel,
community centre and a small range of shops.
Population: larger than a hamlet.
, Describe a small market town:
Services
Population - Answer: Greater variety of high and low order goods
Larger catchment area than villages and hamlets
Services: people range much further to obtain goods and services they offer
Population: larger than villages
Define catchment area - Answer: Area from which people travel to obtain a particular service/product .
They are also known as spheres of influence, hinter lands or urban fields.
Define high order goods - Answer: Comparison goods such as electrical goods and furniture that the
shopper will only buy once comparisons have been made between models and shops.
A high threshold population is needed to sustain a shop selling comparison goods.
Define low order goods - Answer: Frequently purchased goods. People are not prepared to travel to buy
convenience goods. The extra cost of 'shopping around' outweighs any savings that may be made.
Describe range - Answer: Distance people are prepared to travel to obtain a good or service.
Draw the broad structure of rural and urban area classification - Answer:
What is the term that defines 'not many people live in an area'? - Answer: Sparsely populated
What is meant by densely populated - Answer: A lot of people live per kilometre square
What are the social characteristics of rural
communities compared to urban areas? - Answer: Closer-knit with everyone knowing and interacting
with everyone else
Socially and ethically more homogenous - in a city, it is multicultural
More family centred
