MEANING OF RURAL SETTLEMENT

 Settlement is the place where people live. Also, settlement can be defined as organized human habitation it can be a single home or bustling metropolis.

A rural settlement is a single-function settlement where most of the people are engaged in primary economic activities, usually farming

Settlement can be classified as a rural or urban settlement

Rural settlement

A rural settlement is a single-function settlement where most of the people are engaged in primary economic activities, usually farming. These settlements are generally small and sparsely populated.

There is a low population density in a rural area compared to an urban area.

Generally, the majority of people in rural areas are engaging in agriculture and other primary extractive activities such as fishing and hunting.

rural settlement may range from large commercial farms to small subsistence farms and is described as uni-functional.

Most settlement in villages of East Africa is rural settlements.

classification of rural settlement according to pattern and function

rural settlement can be either nucleated or dispersed

dispersed or isolated rural settlement

these occur where isolated farmsteads are located each on its own land and sometimes kilometers from its nearest neighbor

advantages of dispersed settlement (advantages are economic in nature)

  • farmer work for him/herself and keeps own profit

  • farming is more efficient

  • farmer can use his own initiative

  • farmer live on his own single track of land

  • farmer can maximize the use of machinery as it does not have to be shared with other farmers

disadvantages of dispersed settlement (disadvantages are social in nature

  • there is no social contact, far from neighbours

  • lack of security as people living on their own are more vulnerable

  • no help if the farmer is sick or disabled

  • essential services (like medical cares, schools, shops) are far away, which can be dengerous if there is an emergency

nucleated (clustered) rural settlement

a nucleated or clustered rural settlement pattern comprise a dense group of dwellings and other buildings.

in farming villages, the farmers usually live as a group in a central village and work in the surrounding fields by day. the buildings are usually clustered around the central point such as the water point

advantages of nucleated settlement pattern (advantages are social in nature)

  • daily social contact - community involvement

  • people do not live in isolation

  • protection is easier when people live together

  • there are enough people to share the work

  • there is possibility of cooperative farming

  • farmers can agree with each other to plant different crops and share the cost of ploghing and fertilising land

disadvantages of nucleated settlement pattern (disadvantages are economic in nature)

  • there is no independent decision making

  • individuals canot show initiative

  • fields are scattered, which wastes time

  • machinery is shared

  • it is difficult to be economically successful

  • trave;;ing from the village to the farm is time consuming and uneconomic

  • plots may be too small to be economically viable

  • moderm farming methods can not be applied effectively

functions of rural settlement

all settlements except the very smallest has a variety of functions. in rural areas, the main function of the settlement has been

  • to provide agricultural services including the market for produce and transportation of produce to urban markets

  • to provide the place for defense in time of war

what ae the characteristics of rural land use?

land use refers to the function of an area of land - the purpose for which land is used. land use in rural areas has different features from that in urban areas. some of these are:

  • residence for country workers, commuters and seasonal workers

  • farming and forestry

  • natural resource development of minerals and water supply

Urban settlement

Urban settlements are generally large and densely populated. The majority of people in urban areas are engaging in non-agricultural activities such as trade, tourism, and manufacturing.

Examples of urban settlement in East Africa include settlement found in cities like Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, and Kampala

Defining settlement in terms of rural and urban areas makes sense. After all, there are many differences between the two.

But there is a major problem with defining rural and urban settlement because there is no consensus on what makes a rural settlement and what makes an urban one.

For example, some small villages in India and China are more populated than large towns and small cities in America and Europe.

Are those small villages rural or urban? It depends on who you ask.

therefore, difficulties arise because there is no agreement on what exactly makes a place rural or urban.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS, OR OPINIONS ABOUT SETTLEMENT OR ANY GEOGRAPHICAL ISSUE PLEASE  DON'T HESITATE TO SHARE WITH ME IN THE COMMENTS BOX BELOW

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