What is a settlement?
A settlement is a place where people live and build their homes, together with the buildings and land they use. Settlements range from a single farmhouse to a small village and up to a large city. They are usually grouped into rural (countryside) and urban (town and city) settlements.
Key idea
Rural settlements are small with few people and mostly farming; urban settlements are large and crowded with many jobs in trade, services and industry.
Rural and urban settlements
| Rural | Urban |
| Small population | Large population |
| Farming, fishing | Factories, offices, shops |
| Few facilities | Many facilities |
Patterns of settlement
- Nucleated (clustered) — houses grouped closely together, often around a crossroads, mosque or market.
- Linear — houses built in a line along a road, river or coast.
- Dispersed (scattered) — houses spread far apart, common in farming areas.
Example
A fishing village along the coast often has a linear pattern, with houses stretched in a line beside the beach or river mouth.
Factors affecting settlements
People choose where to settle based on physical factors such as flat land, fertile soil, a good water supply and a pleasant climate, and human factors such as jobs, transport links, security and good facilities like schools and hospitals. Flat lowlands near rivers and coasts have always attracted the most settlements because they are easy to build on, easy to reach and provide water for daily use. Difficult land such as steep highlands, thick forest and swamp usually has very few settlements.
Remember
- Rural = countryside, small; urban = town/city, large.
- Three patterns: nucleated, linear and dispersed.
- Water supply, flat land and jobs all attract settlements.