Concept of Settlement

The definition of a rural settlement varies by country:

• In some countries:
  • A rural settlement is any settlement in areas defined as rural by the government, which may include rural towns.
• In other countries:
  • Rural settlements traditionally exclude towns.

Characteristics of Rural Settlements

1. Exhibits distantly placed houses, some several kilometers apart.
2. Agriculture is the major activity undertaken in rural areas.
3. It is characterized by simple houses; many thatched with grass and few with iron sheets, and smeared with mud.
4. Many temporary and very few permanent buildings, some of which are inherited from family members.

A densely populated area consisting mostly of man-made structures.

Functions

Contains a society's:

1. Administrative
2. Cultural
3. Residential
4. Religious functions

Characteristics

1. Continuous buildings
2. Inhabited by people of mixed ancestry and kinship

Main Economic Activities

• Trade
• Commerce
• Social and industrial activities

Characteristics of Urban Settlements

1. The number of urban settlements and their boundaries will change over time, depending on construction activities and change of present population.
2. The boundary line of the urban settlements is independent of the administrative boundaries.
3. A denser population and which is engaged in industrial activities characterize urban centers.
4. Trading is a major activity undertaken in urban areas.

A settlement pattern is the arrangement or layout of dwellings in a particular area. It refers to categories of settlements that take on distinct forms as they grow.

Influencing Factors

• Topography of an area
• Availability of suitable land for farming

1. Dwellings are randomly spread out over an area.
2. The area typically contains separate homesteads scattered throughout.
3. Houses may be separated by physical features such as:
   • Valleys
   • Rivers
   • Ridges

Factors Leading to a Scattered Pattern of Settlement

1. Plenty of land to build anywhere the population wishes to.
2. Avoidance of harsh climate e.g. arid and semi-arid areas.
3. Poor or infertile soils.
4. Presence of pests and diseases.
5. Presence of physical features such as ridges, valleys that separate houses.

Also known as: Clustered or Compact settlement pattern

Description

Consists of dwellings and other buildings that are concentrated in a group within a relatively small area.

Common Locations

Found in:

• Urban centers such as towns and cities
• Some parts of rural areas

Factors that Lead to a Nucleated Settlement Pattern

1. Availability of social services such as water, hospitals, schools or other social amenities.
2. Presence of factories, industries or natural resources such as minerals or water.
3. Shortage of land for settlement.
4. Security concerns, especially areas where banditry is not a threat.
5. Favorable climate favoring high agricultural production e.g. southern highlands.
6. Availability of fertile soils for agriculture.

Description

A linear settlement pattern is one where buildings are developed along specific features such as:

1. A river
2. A road

Appearance

Buildings appear to be arranged in a line, following the course of the feature.

Factors Influencing Linear Patterns

1. Presence of a transport line e.g. road or railway.
2. Presence of a river or a spring to provide water for domestic or commercial use.
3. Presence of a coastline, which has a favorable fishing ground e.g. shore of East African coast.
4. Suitable terrain for cultivation of crops such as at the foot of a scarp.

1. Market towns: originate as centers for sale and distribution of goods and services.
2. Mining towns: are located in areas that contain a supply of natural resources such as coal, diamond and tin.
3. Manufacturing and industrial towns: grown around the source of raw materials often in conjunction with mining towns.
4. Route centers: located at nodal points (points where two routes intersect or branch off) that develop from the transportation of raw materials for processing of manufactured products to the marketing centers.
5. Administrative centers: involve settlements that are strategically well placed to combine several functions and provide administrative services on a regional or national basis.
6. Port centers: the original function of ports is the transport of raw materials, goods, services and passengers with development of national and international trade.
7. Resort center: a settlement where tourists visit to enjoy themselves.

1. Availability of social services: Provision of social services such as education, healthcare, transport and communication, and water depends on the number of people staying in a particular geographical location.
2. Enhancement of security: Security is usually high when people are living together than when they are isolated. People living in isolated homesteads spread far apart are easy to attack because they have a little unit and compounded strength to defend themselves against any external threat.
3. Economic development: When citizens are settled in a reasonably big group, it is easier for the diffusion of economic development into such a group to take place. For example, banks, industries and factories develop in such areas mainly because of readily available labor and market.
4. Political services: When people live together, it is easy for them to participate in different political activities like attending political rallies, selecting their leaders, and finding solutions to their problems.