Notes-Class-7-Geography-Chapter-10-Human Settlements-Maharashtra Board

Basis of human settlements :

• Physical, cultural and economic factors influence the location of human settlements.
• Human settlements get flourished at places with favourable geographical conditions like availability of water, a conductive climate, fertile land, etc.

Factors influencing the location of human settlements:

Hamlets :

• In the early settlements, the occupations of the people were dependent on the locally available natural resources. This gave rise to separate settlements of people engaged in a particular occupation.
• For example, people along the sea coast are engaged in fishing. Their settlements became fishing hamlets.

• Farmers are engaged in farming. Their settlements became hamlets (wadies).
• Hamlets gradually became rural settlements.

Rural settlement : The settlement where the original occupations of the majority people are based on natural resources are called rural settlements.

• Rural settlement is the first step towards a stable life in human history.
• The process of growth and expansion of settlements begin in rural settlements.
• Gradually, the rural settlements get transformed into urban settlements.
• Compare to urban settlements, the life in rural settlement is more traditional.
• Thus rural settlements preserve the cultural stability.

Urban settlements :

• With the passage of time, the other occupations related to farming, fishing, etc. also develop in the rural settlements. As a result, people from surrounding areas migrate and settle there. This leads to increase in rural population
• Houses are built and other facilities are provided to the growing population.
• In such times, the importance of secondary and tertiary occupations increases and the importance of primary occupations decreases. In this way rural settlements are transformed into urban settlements.
• The life in urban settlements is more dynamic.

Metropolitan cities :

• Due to religious, historical, commercial, educational and administrative reasons and also due to tourism, the original urban settlements get transformed into metropolitan cities.
• A large scale increase in population and necessary amenities leads to such type of transformation.

Patterns of human settlements :

• People settle down in different geographical conditions and adapt themselves to the conditions in the region.
• Patterns of human settlements evolve in accordance with the natural conditions.

Progress in construction of shelter :

• Initially, using the resources from the surroundings, man constructed houses and started living in them.
• In modern era of science and technology, people have made a remarkable progress in the construction of shelter. They have even built sky-scarpers.
• Man is thinking of constructing colonies on other planets and their satellites, too, in future.

Correlations between rural settlements and urban settlements :

• With the large scale growth in rural settlements, they get transformed into urban settlements.
• The day-to-day requirements of urban settlements are fulfilled by rural settlements.
• For example, the need of food grain, vegetables, milk, etc. of urban people is fulfilled by nearby rural settlements.

Scattered settlements :

• In scattered settlements, houses are few and far from each other.
• Generally, such settlements are found in the areas of high relief, dense forests, grasslands, hot deserts, and extensive agricultural lands

Characteristics :

• Distance between the scattered settlements can be clearly seen
• Limited population in settlements
• Inadequate facilities and services in settlements
• Settlements are free from pollution
• Settlements are dependent on villages for their day-to-day requirements.

Nucleated settlements :

• These settlements are generally close to water sources like brooks, rivulets, rivers, lakes, reservoirs etc. Example, in the deserts of Rajasthan we find nucleated settlements near assured sources of water.
• Fertile plains, transport hubs and mining centres, commercial centres, defense, health, education, and other social and religious factors give rise to nucleated settlements.

Characteristics:

• In these settlements, houses are close together.
• Social services are available in thesesettlements.
• As these settlements develop in certain places over certain periods of time they attain particular shapes.
• Roads are narrow in the old parts of these settlements .
• People from different castes, religions, races and ideologies live together in these settlements and hence they have a better social life.

Linear settlements :

• Houses are along roads, railways, sea coasts, foothills,etc.
• Settlements are narrow in shape and spread along a straight line.
• Settlements are seen along coastal tracts, major rivers, National highways and State highways in India.

Characteristics:

• Settlements are along single line. As a settlement grows, multiple lines emerge.
• Roads in settlements are parallel to each other.
• Besides houses, some shops are also seen.