(a) Explain the term settlement (b) Describe four characteristics of an urban settlement (c) Outline four functions which an urban settlement can perform fo...

(a) Meaning of settlement

A settlement is any place, ranging from a single homestead to a large city, where people live and build their dwellings and carry on their activities. It is the way in which people group their houses and occupy a piece of land. Settlements may be temporary or permanent, and are broadly divided into rural (village) and urban (town/city) types.

(b) Four characteristics of an urban settlement

• Large population living at high density, so houses are close together and often storeyed.
• Non-agricultural occupations dominate: most people work in industry, commerce, services and administration rather than farming.
• Well-developed infrastructure and services: good roads, electricity, pipe-borne water, schools, hospitals, banks, markets and recreational facilities.
• Complex functions and land use with distinct residential, commercial, industrial and administrative zones, and a wide range of social groups.

(c) Four functions an urban settlement performs for a rural settlement

• Market/commercial centre: the town buys the farm produce of the villages and supplies them with manufactured goods.
• Provision of services: it offers higher-order services such as hospitals, secondary and tertiary schools, banks and administrative offices used by rural people.
• Source of employment: it absorbs surplus rural labour, providing jobs in industries and services.
• Centre for processing and distribution: it processes raw materials from the countryside and acts as a transport/collecting hub linking the villages to wider markets; it also supplies farm inputs (tools, fertiliser) and spreads new ideas and technology.