Shapes of Settlements
A) Dispersed
B) Linear
C) Nucleated
D) Ribbon Development
C) Nucleated
In the settlement hierarchy, which of these is a ”Low-order” settlement?
A) A capital city
B) A small village or hamlet
C) A regional town
D) A university city
B) A small village or hamlet
What is the most critical physical factor for any settlement to survive?
A) Gold mines
B) Water supply
C) High-speed internet
D) Proximity to a desert
B) Water supply
Why do settlements often grow where two rivers meet (a confluence)?
A) Because it is the quietest place to live
B) Because it becomes a natural trade and transport hub
C) Because the water is deeper there
D) Because it is too rocky for farming
B) Because it becomes a natural trade and transport hub
in ”modern times”, why have settlements become more dispersed?
A) People have become more afraid of their neighbors
B) The need for communal defense (walls/forts) has decreased
C) There is no more water in cities
D) Everyone wants to live in the Scottish Highlands
B) The need for communal defense (walls/forts) has decreased
Buildings in a linear settlement are typically arranged in which way?
A) Spread out across many miles
B) In a long, narrow line along a road or river
C) In a perfect circle around a park
D) Stacked in high-rise apartments
B) In a long, narrow line along a road or river
What type of services would you expect to find in a ”Middle-order” settlement (Town)?
A) Specialized heart surgeons and international airports
B) No services at all
C) Secondary schools, banks, and supermarkets
D) Only a single post box
C) Secondary schools, banks, and supermarkets
A ”Dry Point Site” is chosen specifically to avoid what problem?
A) Lack of rain
B) Flooding in marshy areas
C) Steep hills
D) Strong winds
B) Flooding in marshy areas
The discovery of which resource can cause a tiny settlement to expand into a large industrial town?
A) Sand
B) Saltwater
C) Coal, oil, or gold
D) Dry grass
C) Coal, oil, or gold
A settlement located at a ”crossroads” is usually what shape?
A) Dispersed
B) Nucleated
C) Linear
D) Circular
B) Nucleated
Which pattern is most common in the Scottish Highlands or the Australian outback where land is used for extensive farming?
A) Nucleated
B) Dispersed
C) Linear
D) Urban
B) Dispersed
A) Hamlets
B) Isolated farms
C) Cities
D) Villages
C) Cities
In the Northern Hemisphere, why is a ”South-facing slope” a preferred site?
A) It is always closer to the sea
B) It provides more sunlight and protection from cold north winds
C) It has the hardest rocks for building
D) It is harder for enemies to climb
B) It provides more sunlight and protection from cold north winds
How does ”Accessibility” influence settlement growth?
A) It makes it harder for people to visit
B) It ensures goods and people can move easily via roads and rail
C) It limits the number of houses that can be built
D) It only matters for mountain villages
B) It ensures goods and people can move easily via roads and rail
Why would a linear settlement form in a narrow valley?
A) People like to live on cliffs
B) The valley floor provides the only flat land for building
C) To stay away from the river
D) To avoid the sunlight
B) The valley floor provides the only flat land for building
What is a ”Ribbon Development”?
A) A circular town built for defense
B) A settlement with houses fronting onto a major highway
C) A collection of houses deep in a forest
D) A city shaped like a triangle
B) A settlement with houses fronting onto a major highway
According to the hierarchy, as the population of a settlement increases, what happens to the number of services?
A) The number of services stays the same
B) The number of services decreases
C) The number and variety of services increases
D) Services are replaced by more farms
C) The number and variety of services increases
What does the physical factor ”Relief” refer to?
A) The presence of a local doctor
B) The shape and height of the land (flat vs steep)
C) The type of crops being grown
D) The amount of rainfall per year
B) The shape and height of the land
Which of these is a human/economic factor rather than a physical one?
A) Shelter from the wind
B) Deep fertile soil
C) Proximity to a railway station
D) A natural spring
C) Proximity to a railway station
If a settlement is described as a ”Wet Point Site”, where is it located?
A) On top of a dry hill
B) Near a water source in an otherwise dry area
C) Inside a rainforest
D) At the bottom of a lake
B) Near a water source in an otherwise dry area