Geography settlements notes
Function of settlements:
Settlement: A place where a group of people live.
In settlements:
-A group of people live
-Infrastructure occurs
-Buildings occur
-Social and economic activities happen
Small to big:
1. Isolated farmstead
2. Hamlet
3. Village
4. Town
5. City
6. Metropolis
7. Conurbation
8. Megalopolis
Rural settlements Single functional Primary activities: farming,
mining, fishing and forestry.
Urban settlements multi-functional secondary activities:
industries primary activities: services
The situation of settlements:
Situation: The study of the relationship between a settlement and its
region.
The settlements location is in relation to its surrounding features.
Soil, climate, rivers, other settlements, geology, vegetation etc.
Some settlements can have a poor site but advantageous situation.
E.g. Kimberley
Urban hierarchies:
Conurbation: A continuous urban area formed by the merging together
of adjoining large cities and towns.
Megalopolis: A very large highly urbanised area made up of several
large urban places that have been merged together to form one
continuous built-up area.
Urban sprawl: The expansion of urban areas into surrounding areas.
Rural-urban migration:
Rural-urban migration: The movement of people from rural areas to
urban areas.
Rural depopulation: The decline of the population in a rural area.
Function of settlements:
Settlement: A place where a group of people live.
In settlements:
-A group of people live
-Infrastructure occurs
-Buildings occur
-Social and economic activities happen
Small to big:
1. Isolated farmstead
2. Hamlet
3. Village
4. Town
5. City
6. Metropolis
7. Conurbation
8. Megalopolis
Rural settlements Single functional Primary activities: farming,
mining, fishing and forestry.
Urban settlements multi-functional secondary activities:
industries primary activities: services
The situation of settlements:
Situation: The study of the relationship between a settlement and its
region.
The settlements location is in relation to its surrounding features.
Soil, climate, rivers, other settlements, geology, vegetation etc.
Some settlements can have a poor site but advantageous situation.
E.g. Kimberley
Urban hierarchies:
Conurbation: A continuous urban area formed by the merging together
of adjoining large cities and towns.
Megalopolis: A very large highly urbanised area made up of several
large urban places that have been merged together to form one
continuous built-up area.
Urban sprawl: The expansion of urban areas into surrounding areas.
Rural-urban migration:
Rural-urban migration: The movement of people from rural areas to
urban areas.
Rural depopulation: The decline of the population in a rural area.
