Settlement: a place where people live. i.e. contains the buildings, systems (transport,
electricity, communication) required to meet basic needs of population
Site: the physical space that a settlement occupies – selected according to needs of people
• Physical factors – availability of water, fertile soil etc.
• Economic factors – minerals that can be mined
• Trade & Transport factors – natural harbours, crossing point of large river, road/rail
intersections
• Political factors – government housing policies, private ownership of land
• Historical Factors – eg: set up for defence against enemy
• Laws – countries determine laws of who can settle where based on language,
religion, income etc.
Situation: Relationship between actual location (site) and surrounding environment
Factors to consider:
• Next to road for accessibility
• Above flood line away from river
• North-facing slope (warmer)
• Thermal belt (warmer nights)
Size of Settlement
- Conurbation (1 000 001 +)
- City (100 001 – 1 000 000)
- Town (2001 – 100 000) Increase in size as well as
- Village (101 - 2000) population
- Hamlet (11 - 100)
- Isolated Dwelling (1 - 10)
Farmstead A single farm & outbuilding
Hamlet A loose group of a few farmsteads
RURAL
Village A denser group of many farmsteads
Town Densely populated urban area (Harrismith)
City A large town where people live & work (Bloemfontein)
Urban Metropolis A main city in a region which is surrounded by towns (Cape Town, Durban)
Conurbation Large urban area formed by growth of towns & cities (Wits)
Megalopolis Giant urban complex formed when conurbations join (New York)
, Rural Settlements
Functions:
• Unfunctional (eg: fishing, farming etc.)
• Primary economic activity – removing natural resources from ground, ocean & air
• Subsistence farming only produces enough to feed themselves & family
• Commercial farmers produce enough crops to sell & make profit (monoculture)
Size: less than 500 people (SA specification)
Distribution pattern: isolated, nucleated or dispersed
Features of subsistence farming:
• Small farms/ plots
• Provision of labour by family members
• Little income generation – only enough to feed family
• Livestock kept in small no.
• Small scale crop production (maize, veggies, fruit etc)
• Drought conditions = severe hunger & poverty
2 types of commercial farming:
• Extensive – large plots of flat land, lots of machinery, little labour
• Intensive – smaller plots of land, lots of manual labour, little machinery
Nucleated Rural Settlement
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• More interaction w/ people • Little privacy
• Safer as there are more people • Possibly many arguments
• Share ideas to solve problems • Sharing profit
• Share cost of tools & machinery • Can’t use tools & machinery whenever
Dispersed Rural Settlement
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• More privacy • Little interaction with people
• Can make own decisions • Not as safe due to distance
• Keep all profits • Have to pay all expenses alone
• Better use of machinery & tools • Difficult to share ideas when having a
problem
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