SETTLEMENT GEOGRAPHY
Rural Settlements & Urban settlements
1) Functions of settlements in general
Rural settlements are mainly unifunctional (they have one main function)
with only primary economic activities occurring, e.g. farming or forestry.
Urban settlements are multifunctional (they have many functions), i.e. they
have both secondary activities (factories/manufacturing) and tertiary
activities (services).
2) Size and Complexity
Settlements are classifed from the smallest to the largest.
o A farmstead, hamlet and village are rural settlements.
o A town, city, metropolis, conurbation and megalopolis are urban
settlements.
Rural settlements
Rural settlements are the smallest settlements which are unifunctional. They
are farmsteads, hamlets or villages, where primary activities (farming,
fshing, forestry or mining) taee place.
1) Land Use of Urban Settlements
The largest land use in South Africa is agriculture.
o Approximately 12, 1% of the land is used for both commercial and
subsistence cultivation of crops.
Although rural communities focus on primary economic activities (farming
and forestry), there are a number of diferent ways in which the land in these
settlements can be used:
o Subsistence farming involves using the land to grow crops and breed
animals that are a source of food for the family living on the farm. The
aim is not to sell the goods, but to consume them.
o Commercial farming is practised where the land is used to grow crops
or breed animals that are then sold as food sources to other mareets.
The main aim of this rural land use is to generate income for the farmers.
Commercial farming can be either intensive or extensive.
Commercial farming can be divided into:
o Stoce farming: Animals, for example, cows, chiceen, sheep, pigs.
o Crop farming: Cultivation of land, for example, maize, wheat, fruit,
vegetables.
o Mixed farming: A combination of stoce and crop farming.
, 2) Land Dispersion
A rural settlement pattern refers to whether the farmsteads are grouped
together or not.
There are two rural settlement patterns:
o Nucleated pattern: Farmsteads are arranged close to one another.
These buildings are rural, so they cannot be classifed as being larger
than a hamlet or village.
o Dispersed pattern: Farmsteads are arranged far apart from one
another. This can only be an isolated farmstead – this is one farm
house, stables or sheds or eraals, and surrounding felds.
3) Reasons For Locations Of Rural Settlements
Where a settlement occurs is referred to as its location.
The site of a rural settlement refers to the exact piece of ground the
settlement is found on.
o When choosing a site for rural settlements, the following factors are
considered:
Availability of water
Arable (fertile) land
Pastoral (grazing) land
Building materials
Fuel such as wood from a forest
The situation of a settlement refers to the settlement in relation to its
surrounding environment.
o When choosing a situation for rural settlements the following factors
are considered:
Above the flood line away from a river
On the north-facing slope for warmer temperatures
In the thermal belt for warmer night time temperatures
Rural Settlements & Urban settlements
1) Functions of settlements in general
Rural settlements are mainly unifunctional (they have one main function)
with only primary economic activities occurring, e.g. farming or forestry.
Urban settlements are multifunctional (they have many functions), i.e. they
have both secondary activities (factories/manufacturing) and tertiary
activities (services).
2) Size and Complexity
Settlements are classifed from the smallest to the largest.
o A farmstead, hamlet and village are rural settlements.
o A town, city, metropolis, conurbation and megalopolis are urban
settlements.
Rural settlements
Rural settlements are the smallest settlements which are unifunctional. They
are farmsteads, hamlets or villages, where primary activities (farming,
fshing, forestry or mining) taee place.
1) Land Use of Urban Settlements
The largest land use in South Africa is agriculture.
o Approximately 12, 1% of the land is used for both commercial and
subsistence cultivation of crops.
Although rural communities focus on primary economic activities (farming
and forestry), there are a number of diferent ways in which the land in these
settlements can be used:
o Subsistence farming involves using the land to grow crops and breed
animals that are a source of food for the family living on the farm. The
aim is not to sell the goods, but to consume them.
o Commercial farming is practised where the land is used to grow crops
or breed animals that are then sold as food sources to other mareets.
The main aim of this rural land use is to generate income for the farmers.
Commercial farming can be either intensive or extensive.
Commercial farming can be divided into:
o Stoce farming: Animals, for example, cows, chiceen, sheep, pigs.
o Crop farming: Cultivation of land, for example, maize, wheat, fruit,
vegetables.
o Mixed farming: A combination of stoce and crop farming.
, 2) Land Dispersion
A rural settlement pattern refers to whether the farmsteads are grouped
together or not.
There are two rural settlement patterns:
o Nucleated pattern: Farmsteads are arranged close to one another.
These buildings are rural, so they cannot be classifed as being larger
than a hamlet or village.
o Dispersed pattern: Farmsteads are arranged far apart from one
another. This can only be an isolated farmstead – this is one farm
house, stables or sheds or eraals, and surrounding felds.
3) Reasons For Locations Of Rural Settlements
Where a settlement occurs is referred to as its location.
The site of a rural settlement refers to the exact piece of ground the
settlement is found on.
o When choosing a site for rural settlements, the following factors are
considered:
Availability of water
Arable (fertile) land
Pastoral (grazing) land
Building materials
Fuel such as wood from a forest
The situation of a settlement refers to the settlement in relation to its
surrounding environment.
o When choosing a situation for rural settlements the following factors
are considered:
Above the flood line away from a river
On the north-facing slope for warmer temperatures
In the thermal belt for warmer night time temperatures
