CHAPTER 10 HUMAN SETTLEMENTS 1. RURAL, SUB URBAN AND URBAN SETTLEMENTS: This classification is common worldwide but the criteria differ from country to country. 5. Criteria for classification differs from country to country. Telephones and petrol pumps are part of rural in the USA, but not in India. Some large villages in India have larger populations than small towns of Europe or USA. 1. Rural Livelihood basis : Predominantly, Primary economic activitie. Small population. 4. Semi Urban is the latest classification. Population density of less than 400 per square kilometre. Population mostly employed in the nearby Urban centres. 3. Urban: all places having a municipality, corporation,cantonment board or a notified town committee., 5000 or more population, Secondary Activities. 2. Functional basis of definition is the 2nd criteria, but functions vary from region to region. 2. Types and Patterns of Rural Settlements: 10x10 Learning TM Page 1
1. Nuclear and compact settlements with all houses in one place. 5.Problems in rural settlements: Poor roads and infrastructure of schools, hospitals, sanitation. Prone to floods and famine. No drinking water supply. Security concerns. 2. Dispersed settlements with spaced out houses, separated by fields or farms. Culture, place or worship and market are common bonds. 4. Geometrical shapes of Linear settlements along rivers. T or Y patterns, rectangular, Circular or Star shaped. Double villages on both banks of a river. 3. Rural settlements need water supply, cultivable land, upland to avoid floods, local building material, and defence concerns. 3. Patterns of Urban settlements: 10x10 Learning TM Page 2
5. Functions: religious centres, trade, industry, defence, transportation, mining, manufacturing, techonology hubs, tourism. 1. Rapid Urbanisation after 1985, due to growth of population, worldwide. 4. Administrative Bodies : Municipal Corporation, Area Council, Cantonement Board. Location subject to earlier settlements, water supply, land of construction 3. Occupation structure criteria: more than half or 75% of the population is employed in Secondary and/or Tertiary sectors. 2. Population of 5000 or maore in India, 2500 in USA, 2000 in Argentina, 250 in Denmark, Swede. 4. Classification of Urban settlements are on the following factors 1. Location 2. Population size and density 3. Administration structure Occupation structure Functions of the urban centres 10x10 Learning TM Page 3
5. Minimum population size for a settlement to be declared as an urban centre : e) 5000 in India. 30,000 in Japan. a) 250 in Denmark, Finland, Holland. 300 in Iceland d) 2,500 in USA, Thailand b) 1,000 in Canada, and Venzuela. 1,500 in Colombia c) 2000 in Argentina, Portugal In addition the density of the population should be 400 persons per square foot or more. 10x10 Learning TM Page 4
Occupation basis : If more than stated % are occupied in non primary activities. India 75% Italy 50% Administration basis : Has a Contonement Board. Municipality In South America, any settlement with an Admn. unit = urban Location Strategic towns Industrial Religious Historical Tourism 6. Problems Coping with increasing population Economic : generating employment for skill and semi skill migrant population Infrastructure and Habitation Socio- Cultural, Educational and Health problems Environmental and Slum Squatters 10x10 Learning TM Page 5
Questions at the end of the Chapter 1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below. 1.1 Which one of the following forms of settlement develops along either side of roads, rivers or canals? a) circular b) linear c) cross-shaped d) square 1.2 Which one of the following types of economic activities dominates in all rural settlement? a) primary b) tertiary c) secondary d) quaternary 1.3 In which of the following regions has the oldest well-documented urban settlement found? a) Huang He Valley b) Indus Valley c) Nile Valley d) Mesopotamia 1.4 How many of the following cities in India have attained the million statuses at the beginning of 2006? a) 40 b) 42 c) 41 d) 43 1.5 Sufficiency of which type of resources can help to create adequate social infrastructure catering to the needs of the large population in the developing countries? a) Financial b) Human c) natural 10x10 Learning TM Page 6
d) Social 2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words. a) How would you define a settlement? Answer. A settlement is any place where a group of people make their houses permanently, due to availability of water, land, and other essential resources needed to sustain life and livelihood. (30 words) b) Distinguish between site and situation. Answer. A site is a new unsettled area selected for planned development. A situation is a place that provides natural resources like water, land, climate where humans settle on their own. (30 word) c) What are the bases of classifying settlements? Answer. The important bases of classifying settlements are the size and density of its population, Location, Occupation structure and forms of livelihood, Administrative structure, Function of the settlement. (30 words) d) How would you justify the study of human settlements in human geography? Answer. Human settlements studies in human geography is necessary to understand how humans have overcome forces of nature and used natural resources to build permanent settlements only in particular places. (29 words) 3. Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words. a) What are rural and urban settlements? Mention their characteristics. 10x10 Learning TM Page 7
Answer. The characteristics of a rural settlement is small size of population, livelihood of the people is based of Primary economic activities of agriculture and its allied activities such as milk and dairying, honey keeping, horticulture, fishing, poultry. Rural areas have no metal roads or other infrastructure facilities. Formal education facilities and Health structure is also not available in many rural settlements. However, the criteria for rural classification vary from country to country. In developed countries telephone and petrol pumps are part of rural criteria, while in India these come under urban. b) Discuss the problems associated with urban settlements in developing countries. Answer. The problems associated with urban settlement in developing countries emanate from the rapid migration of rural population to urban settlements. As the Urban municipalities are unable to provide basic facilities of residences, drinking water, sanitation, electric supply, educational institutions and health slums get created in towns. Across the world, the slums are areas dominated by unlawful elements. The overall result is increase the environmental and sanitation problems created due to growth of slums. For purpose of security and cooperation, tendency is for people from one region to settle in one particular area of the city. This creates social and cultural, problems of clashes between rival cultural groups. Economically, it is a challenge to provide employment in cities, to the unskilled or semiskilled population from rural areas. Cities tend to need educated and skilled work force for secondary or tertiary sectors. Consequently, the slum residents seek livelihood in unorganized sectors perpetuating the problem of poverty. (154 words) 10x10 Learning TM Page 8
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