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    Settlements and The Environment

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    Rural and urban settlements can be distinguished based on their size and the economic activities of their inhabitants. Historically, most people lived in rural areas, but now over half of the world's population lives in cities. Rural settlements are usually integrated with and take advantage of the surrounding environment, while urban settlements transform and sometimes exhaust the local environment. The form and buildings of a settlement are influenced by the economic activities carried out there. Rural houses worldwide are typically constructed using local materials and adapted to the climate and environment. Rural settlements can be dispersed, concentrated in villages and towns, or a combination of both models.

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    Settlements and The Environment

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    jabucad
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    Rural and urban settlements can be distinguished based on their size and the economic activities of their inhabitants. Historically, most people lived in rural areas, but now over half of the world's population lives in cities. Rural settlements are usually integrated with and take advantage of the surrounding environment, while urban settlements transform and sometimes exhaust the local environment. The form and buildings of a settlement are influenced by the economic activities carried out there. Rural houses worldwide are typically constructed using local materials and adapted to the climate and environment. Rural settlements can be dispersed, concentrated in villages and towns, or a combination of both models.

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    Geography leson

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    Settlement

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    Rural and urban settlements can be distinguished based on their size and the economic activities of their inhabitants. Historically, most people lived in rural areas, but now over half of the world's population lives in cities. Rural settlements are usually integrated with and take advantage of the surrounding environment, while urban settlements transform and sometimes exhaust the local environment. The form and buildings of a settlement are influenced by the economic activities carried out there. Rural houses worldwide are typically constructed using local materials and adapted to the climate and environment. Rural settlements can be dispersed, concentrated in villages and towns, or a combination of both models.

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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    65 views4 pages

    Settlements and The Environment

    Uploaded by

    jabucad
    Rural and urban settlements can be distinguished based on their size and the economic activities of their inhabitants. Historically, most people lived in rural areas, but now over half of the world's population lives in cities. Rural settlements are usually integrated with and take advantage of the surrounding environment, while urban settlements transform and sometimes exhaust the local environment. The form and buildings of a settlement are influenced by the economic activities carried out there. Rural houses worldwide are typically constructed using local materials and adapted to the climate and environment. Rural settlements can be dispersed, concentrated in villages and towns, or a combination of both models.

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    SETTLEMENT

    SETTLEMENT is the process through which a Group of people establishes homes


    in a particular place, as well as the way in which their homes are distributed.
    We can distinguish between rural and urban settlements based on their size and
    the economic activities that their inhabitants carry out.
    Rural and urban settlements
    Historically, most of the population was rural, but nowadays mora than half of
    the worlds population lives in cities. Tis figure is likely to rise in the future.
    The difference between a rural and an urban settlement varies depending on the
    country. In Spain a settlement with more than 10.000 inhabitants is considered to
    be a city, or urban settlement in other countries, suchs as Japan, a settlement
    with more than 20.000 inhabitants is considered to be a city, while in the United
    States a settlement with more than 2.500 inhabitants is considered to be a city.
    The area around a settlement
    The characteristics of the area are decisive in the location of settlements
    As regards the place where a population settles, we can distinguish two types of
    location.

    Situation: this refers to a settlements


    location in relation to the
    surrounding area ( distric, region, country and continent) In the case of
    cities this is particularly important, since they exert a great influence over
    the rest of the area in which they are located. Historically, settlements
    situated in a central location have been the dominant patter, as this
    constitutes a meeting point between various regions, Examples include
    Rome, Madrid, Lisbon, Mexico City, Santiago de Chile and Zaragoza.
    Site: This refers to the specific place where a settlement is located. In
    many cases a settlements site explains its original function. For example,
    Rome, Toledo Cuenca and Lugo are located on high ground because their
    original function was defensive. Paris, Vienna and Crdoba are next to
    rivers because they were originally crossing points. London, Buenos Aire,
    Lisbon and Bilbao are at or close to rivers mouths because the
    communicated between the coast and inland regions. Other settlements
    are on the slopes of valleys in order to avoid occupying fertile agricultural
    lands.

    Settlements and the environment


    Rural settlements are usually integrated with and take advantage of the
    surrounding environment. However, urban settlements transform and sometime
    exhaust the surrounding environment.
    Rural settlements are strongly linked to the surrounding environment, which the
    take advantage of and transform according to their needs and level of
    development. They are integrated with their needs and level of development.
    They are integrated with their sorroundings, use materials available locally for
    building (earth, stone, wood and eve ice), and buildings are adapted to their
    particular use: either as homes or workplaces.

    Urban settlements have large populations than rural settlements,. They occupy
    more space and make more demands on the surrounding environment, which
    they also transform radically. For example, forests and marshes are destroyd,
    rivers are diverted into canals, ant here is air and water pollution.
    Settlements and economic activity
    The economic activities carried out by the population affect a settlement,
    including its form and the types of buildings it has.
    This relationship is more limited in rural settlements than in urban settlements.
    This is because in cities there is a diverse range of economic activities and these
    are usually less related to the natural environment. As a result, urban
    settlements tend to be more uniform. However, we can identify various types of
    rural settlements.
    Arable farming zones: in areas of extensive agriculture, such a those with
    cereal, olive and grapevine cultivation, settlement is usually concentrated in
    large towns or villages. Aras lf market gradening and irrigated agriculture
    generally have more dispersed settlement, with homes situated on the plots
    where crops are grown.
    Livestock farming zones: settlements is usually dispersed among family
    farms. In some places, such as in the African Savannah, there are small, circular
    villages, protected by thorny hedges to defend the herds from predators.
    Fishing villages These settlements are located around ports where boats are
    docked asd fish is sold. Nowadays these settlements are often very big and have
    diversified economies ( form example the engage in tourism and in the canning
    industry)
    Mining towns These were originally located next to the mines, but many have
    been abandoned due to high levels of pollution and the dangers of mining.
    RURAL STTLEMENTS
    Rural settlements around the world have historically been an important part of
    culture and economic activity.
    Rural houses around the world
    Rural houses are usually used both as homes and workplaces, and they
    frequently have outbuildings such a barns, stables and storehouses. They are
    usually vult using materials form the surrounding area and are adapted to the
    climate.
    Rural houses vary depending on the part of the wold in which there are located.

    Forests and rainforests: houses in these regions are usually made of


    wood, such as the isbas o cabins of Siberia, which are also found in
    Canada and Finlad. Alpnes houses in the mountains of Europe are made of
    a combination of wood and stone.
    In tropical rainforest stilt houses are built. These are dwellings that are
    raised on stilts or posts in order to protect them from moisture. In Central

    Africa the Pygmies buld small huts which serve as temporary homes using
    branches and leaves.
    Savannah and steppes: these are areas with very few trees where the
    mains economic activity is nomadic livestock farming. The mains type of
    dwellings are tents made form animal skin. Some examples include the
    yurts of the Siberian and Mongolian steppes and the now rare Native
    American tepee.
    Dry climate zones: houses are adapted to the lack of rain and great
    variations in temperature. Mud huts and adobe huts (made of straw and
    mud) are common in the Maghreb, the African Savannah, Central and
    South Asia, and dry zones of America. In Spain these types of houses are
    found in Aragn, Castilla y Len and the Comunitad Valenciana, and are
    known as barracas.
    Cave houses are carved into rock ant are isothermal. There are common in
    North Africa (Tunisia), and Spain there are typical of Granada (Guadix) ,
    Zamora and Len (Valle del Esla) Madrid ( valle de Tajuna) and Albacete
    ( Valle del Jcar)
    In desert zones tens made of fabric or skin are used by the Tuaregs in the
    Sahara and the Bedouins in the Arabian Peninsula.
    Temperate zones. Houses are usually made of stone, sometimes
    combined with wood, bricks or adobe, and have tiled or slate roofs. This
    type of fouse is typical in Mediterranean an Atlantic countries. In Spain
    examples include the masa ( Catalua y Aran) the cortijo ( Andaluca)
    and outbuildings such as the hrreo ( Asturia and Galicia)
    Cold zones. Houses are adapted to he extreme cold of the Arctic Circle
    and to the lack of available materials. Examples include the Inuit igloo
    ( made of ice) and the reindeer-skin tents of Lapland.

    Rural Settlement Patterns.


    Rural settlements group together houses and outbuilding in rural areas, and are
    smaller than cities. Their inhabitants organize and develop this space, forming a
    municipality. There are three types of rural settlement, based on their different
    shapes.

    Dispersed settlements: houses are dispersed across the area, either


    because of the economic activities carried out or because the land
    is hilly. This type of settlement is found in mountainous areas where
    livestock farming predominates, in areas of market gardening such
    as Valencia and Murcia, and in areas of intensive agriculture.
    Concentrated settlements: houses are grouped together to form a
    village or town. There are various models, depending on the pattern
    formed by the houses.
    1. Linear settlements. Houses are built along a road, river
    or railway line. This is the case with the villages along
    the Camino de Santiago in the Great Plains of the
    United States and Canada and in tropical rainforest
    zones.2. Nucleated settlements The layout is organized around
    a central point, usually the mains square. Form this

    point the streets follow either a radial pattern or a


    circular pattern. The latter is usually the case in
    Medieval European Settlements.
    Interspersed settlements: this is a combination of the dispersed and
    concentrated model. It has a main nucleus, varius smaller nuclei
    and houses dispersed throughout the surrounding area. This type of
    settlements is found in hilly livestock farming areas, such as Galicia
    and Cantabria, and in Alpine regions.
    In general concentrated settlements predominate throughout the
    world, although their size can vary significantly. The concentrated
    model allows for a better provision of services such a schools,
    shops, local governments and healthcare.

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