Types of Settlement and Settlement Patterns

1. Prepared by Ms Lena Teo Student’s copy
EDGEFIELD SECONDARY SCHOOL
SECONDARY TWO GEOGRAPHY
CHAPTER TWO: SETTLEMENT
Geographer’s name: ____________________________ ( ) Class: 2 _____ Date: ____________
#1 Characteristics of Rural & Urban Settlements
Physical environment Settlement’s main function
People’s way of life
(lifestyle)
Large river /
Sea
___________ __________
Farm land / Padi fields _____________ / _____________ __________
Gold mine __________ __________
Mountainous areas /
Forested areas
__________ __________________
A. Rural settlement
GENERAL FEATURES OF A RURAL SETTLEMENT:
• Buildings generally ________________________.
• Size and density: There is a _______ population size
and it is _________________________.
• Main functions: Majority of the people in rural
settlements are involved in __________, __________,
_____________, _________________ or
_______________________________.
• Few amenities: _____________________ to cater to
people’s daily needs (eg schools, highways, hospitals,
clinics, supermarkets and post offices).
o Electricity and piped water may also be _____
______________________.
• Way of life: People’s lives are _____________ to the
settlement’s physical environment and main function.
B. Urban settlement
GENERAL FEATURES OF AN URBAN SETTLEMENT:
• People live in buildings that are _________________
(eg high-rise flats, skyscrapers).
• Size and density: There is a _______ population size
and it is __________ populated.
• Main functions: Majority of the people in urban
settlements are involved in _________________,
_______________ or the production and distribution
of ______________________________.
• Many amenities: A wide range of _______________
are provided (eg merchandise, electronics,
banking/financial services).
o Water & electricity are ___________________.
o There are ______________________________.
o _________________________ also are present.
• Way of life: People are mainly involved
in _______________, and thus they earn
______________________________.

2. Prepared by Ms Lena Teo Teacher’s copy
#2 Settlement Patterns
• It provides useful information to help identify and
_______________________________ in an area.
• They can reveal the _______________________,
its ________________, the _________________
and the people’s ____________________.
I can look at ________ maps
to study settlement patterns
• It shows how buildings are arranged in a settlement.
o Rural settlements are usually ____________, _____________ or _______________.
o Urban settlements are generally ______________, or _____________.
What is a settlement pattern?
1) Linear settlement
What is it?
• Linear settlements are
located _________________
______________ (eg. roads,
railways, rivers & canals).
• It has a _________________
size and population density.
How & why linear settlements develop?
• Transport routes tend to be in a linear pattern,
so settlement also follows the same linear pattern.
• _________________________ and routes serve
as a __________________ for the people living
in such settlements (e.g. fishermen living along
a river may easily transport their catch for sale
via river).
2) Nucleated settlement
What is it?
• Nucleated settlements are
made up of ___________________
_____________ in a compact area,
which is usually the ____________
___________________ (a NODE).
• Nucleated settlements tend to
have ________________________.
o Therefore, they support a
_________________________ & have a _____________________.
• Usually found in _______________________________ (eg towns/cities).

3. Prepared by Ms Lena Teo Student’s copy
How & why nucleated settlements develop?
• The buildings are clustered together to allow
_________________________ (eg water,
electricity, healthcare facilities).
• Sometimes this could also be due to a _______
______________________ for the buildings to
spread out.
What is it?
• Dispersed settlements are made up
of individual buildings ____________
______________________________.
o Buildings may be ____________
large open spaces, farmlands,
forests or grasslands.
• It has a __________________ and the
______________________________.
How & why dispersed settlements develop?
• In places where natural resources or
fertile soil is limited, _________________
to ensure there is enough land to cultivate
crops or obtain resources from the ground.
• Function of settlement may require large
amounts of land (eg. _________________).
• A ________________________________
causes homes and farms to be dispersed.
• _________________________, so people have homes on large pieces of land.
3) Dispersed settlement
GLOSSARY
o Mining: digging the earth to extract coal or other minerals (eg gold)
o Amenities: useful facilities of a place (eg. schools, post offices, clinics, hospitals, gym)
o Way of life: lifestyle
o Goods: items that can be seen and touched (eg. clothes, electronic products, books)
o Services: Services are provided by other people, such as doctors, lawyers, financial
consultants, healthcare workers, dentists, barbers and waiters.
o Densely populated: high population density (many people living per unit area)
o Sparsely populated: low population density (few people living per unit area)
o Node: point at which transport lines or roads intersect; a central or connecting point.
o Nucleated: clustered together
o Dispersed: scattered / spread out