What are the factors that determine the selection of sites for settlement in class 8?

Some factors influencing rural settlements are :

  • Water Supply: Usually rural settlements are located near water bodies such as rivers, lakes, and springs where water can be easily obtained.
  • Land: People choose to settle near fertile lands suitable for agriculture.
  • Upland: Upland which is not prone to flooding was chosen to prevent damage to houses and loss of life.
  • Building Material: The availability of building materials- wood, stone near settlements is another advantage. Early villages were built in forest clearings where wood was plentiful.
  • Defence: During times of political instability, war, the hostility of neighbouring groups villages were built on defensive hills and islands.
  • Planned Settlements: Sites that are not spontaneously chosen by villagers themselves, planned settlements are constructed by governments by providing shelter, water and other infrastructures on acquired lands.

Further Reading:

  • Geography Notes
  • UN-Habitat: UPSC Notes

What are the different factors that determine the location and the type of settlements?

Many factors determine the location and the type of settlements:

  1. Settlements grow in areas that are flat and where the land is cultivable. Settlements do not grow on steep hillsides or marshy lands.
  2. Settlements grow in places where water is available in plenty for both agricultural and domestic purposes. Settlements, therefore, also grow on the confluence of rivers or the banks of rivers.
  3. Settlements also thrive on a plateau because of the flat surface of the plateau and the availability of land for cultivation.
  4. They develop and grow in places where the climate is suitable or pleasant to live in. Extremely hot, cold, wet or dry places are not attractive settlement sites.
  5. Settlements are formed where there are prospects for employment. Mines and industries in the area are potential sources of employment and encourage growth of settlements. Such places are usually near places of abundant raw materials for the growth of industries.
  6. They develop in places that are easily accessible by various kinds of roads, rivers, and railway lines. Easy access to and from the settlements will allow movement of people and goods from one place to another.

Concept: On the Basis of Topographical Sheet - Patterns of Settlement

  Is there an error in this question or solution?

Learning Goal: We are learning to identify and evaluate the physical and human factors that influence our patterns of settlement. 

Geography in Action:

What are the factors that determine the selection of sites for settlement in class 8?

This plan for a highway development in Iceland has been blocked several times. What reasons do you think might affect where a government decides to build a road?

As a class we discussed: mountains, lava fields, safety (need for curves), the environment, recreation, soil, etc...

This particular road, however, was blocked for a completely human (or almost human...) reason: local "Elf consultants" were concerned that the road would be disruptive to an elf church they claimed the road ran through.

Elf Church Disrupts Building

There are many reasons why humans make the choices they do about building settlements.

Factors include:

  • Physical Features
    • Body of water (transportation routes, water for drinking and farming)
    • Flat land (easy to build)
    • Fertile soil (for crops)
    • Forests (timber and housing)
  • Human Factors
    • people who share a common language, religion or culture
    • social network or supports
    • quality of life
    • employment

Human Settlement Factors:

There are many reasons why humans make the choices they do about building settlements. 

Factors include:

  • Physical Features
    • Body of water (transportation routes, water for drinking and farming)
    • Flat land (easy to build)
    • Fertile soil (for crops)
    • Forests (timber and housing)

What are the factors that determine the selection of sites for settlement in class 8?

  • Human Factors
    • people who share a common language, religion or culture
    • social network or supports
    • quality of life
    • employment

What are the factors that determine the selection of sites for settlement in class 8?

Factors can be push or pull. Push factors encourage a family to emigrate (pushes them to leave a location). Pull factors encourage a family to immigrate (pulls them in to move to a location).

What are the factors that determine the selection of sites for settlement in class 8?

Action Item: Group Skit "Leaving Home"

In small groups, you will plan and perform a short skit (1 minute maximum) that shows a family discussing the reasons to leave their homeland and move to a new place. Consider the factors explored above in your skit. 

What are the factors that determine the selection of sites for settlement?

Determining where to settle land has always depended on a variety of factors, including proximity and accessibility to needed resources. Locations of landforms such as rivers, mountains, and bays has influenced where towns and cities were built.

What are the factors that determine settlement?

Climatic, Economic, Physical, and Traditional Factors In order to better categorize which factors ultimately affect settlement, geographers have generally accepted four umbrella terms to describe these elements: climatic, economic, physical, and traditional.

What are the 5 settlement factors?

There are many reasons why humans make the choices they do about building settlements..
Body of water (transportation routes, water for drinking and farming).
Flat land (easy to build).
Fertile soil (for crops).
Forests (timber and housing).

What are the 6 main settlement factors?

Factors that Influence Settlement..
Physical factors..
Drainage/rivers..
Land quality..
Altitude and relief..
Coastal location..
Human factors..
Communications..