Rural and urban settlements differ in their functions, infrastructures, and lifestyles. Rural settlements are typically villages or isolated farmhouses where the dominant functions are farming, fishing, forestry, mining, and producing crops and raw materials. Rural areas have basic infrastructures like roads and water but amenities like hospitals and schools vary significantly between locations. The lifestyle in rural areas also varies globally but often involves living in harsh conditions and relying on the local environment, traveling on foot or by animal, and moving around to gather resources. Urban settlements have larger and denser populations and range from towns to cities to large urban areas called conurbations or megalopolises.

1. Geography
Settlements

2. Enduring understanding
 Rural and urban settlements differ in
their dominant
function, infrastructures, amenities
and the way of life.

3. What is a settlement?
 A place where people come to
live, work and build their homes.

4. Rural settlements
 Villages / isolated farmhouses

5. Rural : Dominant Function
 Primary activites:
 Farming
 Fishing
 Forestry
 Mining
 Producing crops and raw material for
people and industries located in urban
areas

6. Rural: Infrastructures
 Infrastructures: basic structures and
systems (e.g. Road, drainage
systems, water/power supply)
 Amenities: Facilities (E.g. hospitals
and schools)
 Varies across countries (even though
both are ‘rural’ areas)

7. Rural: way of life
 Varies across countries
 Living in harsh conditions with only the
environment resources to rely on
 Travel: on foot, animals
 Move around to gather firewood for
fuel, water, sell their products in local
market.

8. Urban settlements
 Larger population and population
density
 Town City Conurbation
Megalopolis

9. Key words
 A cnurbation