Settlements

Define settlement

A place where people live. Can either be permanent or temporary

Define site

The physical land on which a settlement is built

Define situation

The position of a settlement in relation to the surrounding physical and human features

Define function

This is a settlements main social and economic purpose

What are the different types of sites (9)

* Wet point
* Dry point
* Defensive
* Aspect
* Shelter
* Gap town
* Natural resources
* Trading centre
* Bridging point

Define wet point

Sites close to a supply of water

Define dry point

Sites that avoided the risk of flooding

Defensive site

Sites on high ground

Aspect

Settlements in the northern hemisphere are located on south facing sides of valleys where it is sunny

Shelter

Away from rain and prevailing winds

Gap town

A town located at a gap between hills

Natural resources

Many settlements developed close to where natural resources could be found

Trading centre

The towns and cities where buying and selling of items produced elsewhere for profit occurs

Bridging point

A settlement site where a river is narrow or shallow enough to be bridged

Define a nucleated settlement

Settlements where the houses are grouped closely together typically around a central feature like a church, pub or village green

Define a linear settlement

These are settlements where the buildings are constructed in lines along a geographical features like a river or following a road

Define a dispersed settlement

These are settlements where the houses are spread out over a wide area

Define an isolated settlement

These consist of a single farm or house very remote from any other one

Factors that affect the growth of a settlement

* Climate
* Access to raw materials
* Fertile land
* Historical

Define a dormitory town

Main function is to provide housing - have few services and little industry

Define a market town

Main function is to provide services for the local area - often found near fertile land & have good transport links to the local area

Define an administration

These settlements are county towns that employ large numbers of civil servants in local government

Define industrial

Main function is to provide jobs in secondary industry (factories)

Define tourist resort

Main function is for tourists to visit

Define strategic

Built to protect from attack - on top of hills, inside meander bends, or on islands in rivers

Define settlement hierarchy

A method of arranging settlements based on their population size and the number of services provided

Name the layers of the settlement hierarchy starting from the bottom (7)

Isolated dwelling → Hamlet → Village → Small town → Large town → City → Conurbation

Which part of the settlement hierarchy is considered r

Which part of the settlement hierarchy is considered urban

Town upwards

Define a threshold population

The minimum number of people necessary before a particular good or service will provided in the area

Define a low-order service

A service, usually inexpensive, that people use on a regular basis

Example of low-order services

Post office, general store, pub

Define a high-order service

A service, usually expensive, that people typically only use occasionally

Example of a high-order service

Schools, chain stores, hospitals, leisure centres

What types of services do towns offer

Both low and high-order services

Define sphere of influence

The area that a settlement serves. It is the distance that people will travel to obtain a particular service or product. The larger the settlement, the greater the influence

What is the range

The maximum distance people are prepared to travel to obtain a particular service

Define low order goods

Goods that are bought regularly - eg. milk or bread. People are not prepared to travel far to buy a convenience good

Define high order goods

An expensive good that people only buy occasionally - eg. electrical goods and furniture. People are prepared to travel some distance to obtain the goods