Maharashtra Board Class 10 Geography Chapter 7 Human Settlements PDF Download

Human Settlements

Examples of Settlement Patterns in India

Let's recall.

Some amenities and facilities are given here. Tick in the relevant column and complete the table on the basis of their presence in urban and rural areas or both. And write five sentences on each with examples from your vicinity.

Study the two types of settlement patterns in India given in figure 7.1 (a) and 7.2 (b) Answer the following questions:

Identify the type of settlements?

Which one is a nucleated settlement? why?

Which one is a dispersed settlement? What could be the reason behind it?

Can you guess in which regions are these settlements located in India?

Geographical Explanation

In India, we can see a variety of settlement patterns given the variety of climatic factors, availability of water, slope of the land and level of development.

Nucleated settlements are found throughout the plateau region of Narmada Valley, paddy lands in Bihar, U.P, Vindhyan Plateau and several other cultivated parts of India.

On the other hand, dispersed settlements are found in tribal parts covering central part of India, eastern and southern Rajasthan, Himalayan slopes and land with dissected and uneven topography.

Teacher's Note

Nucleated means people live together in one place. For example, in your village, all houses may be together near the main road, like in a chowk.

Exam Trick

Remember: Nucleated = grouped together like a nucleus. Dispersed = spread out like seeds thrown in a field.

Points to Remember

Nucleated settlements are compact and grouped together.

Dispersed settlements are spread out in different places.

Water and flat land help nucleated settlements grow.

Hilly areas and forests have dispersed settlements.

Climate and topography affect settlement patterns.

Examples of Settlement Patterns in Brazil

Try this.

In the figure 7.2 a and b, you can see images of two settlements in Brazil. One is from the Amazon river basin in Brazil while the other belongs to the coastal area. Observe the settlement patterns carefully and name the types of settlement patterns. Write a comment on their density and types.

Geographical Explanation

The earlier settlements in Brazil were formed by the settlers from Europe mainly in the costal areas. Now the settlements have developed and are densely populated. The major reasons of development are as follows

Although the coastal climate is hot and humid, and flat land is limited due to rugged topography, the region has a good water supply and a large range of natural resources. e.g. Sao Paulo.

Sao Paulo has extensive area under rich soil which makes it ideal for growing coffee. It also has a large supply of natural minerals close by, such as iron ore and it also has a steady energy supply. The South Eastern area has a good transport system too. This makes the Sao Paulo area a nucleated settlement. See Figure 7.3.

Rural areas such as the north-east Highlands suffer from extreme droughts, which make it difficult for practising agriculture and hence settlements are sparse here.

Settlements become sparse as we move in towards the central part of Brazil. Given are the major reasons:

Area is covered by thick dense equatorial rainforests (see fig. 7.4).

The climate here is unhealthy and unfit for settlement.

Limitations on use and exploitation of natural resources.

Poor transport links in the region.

Teacher's Note

Brazil's coast is very developed with big cities, just like India's coast has Mumbai and Chennai. The forests inside have fewer people because it is difficult to live there.

Exam Trick

Remember: Coastal areas have good ports and trade. This makes them nucleated. Forest areas are difficult to reach. This makes them dispersed.

Points to Remember

Sao Paulo is a large city on the coast of Brazil.

Coffee plantations and minerals made Sao Paulo develop fast.

Good transport and water helped the city grow.

Amazon rainforest has very few people living in it.

Droughts and forests prevent settlements from growing in some areas.

Urbanisation in India

The level of urbanisation is measured in terms of percentage of urban population to total population.

Can you tell?

Read the graph in fig 7.5 below and answer the following questions:

What was the percentage of urbanisation in 1961?

In which decade was urbanisation the highest?

In which decade was the growth of urbanisation lowest?

What inference can you draw regarding India's urbanisation after reading the graph?

Geographical Explanation

It is clear from the above graph that the growth of urbanisation in India has been slow. The level of urbanisation in India in 2011 was 31.16% which is quite low in comparison to developed countries. At the same time, the urban population is increasing expansion of the urban centres and emergence of new towns have played a significant role in the growth of urban population and urbanisation in the country.

Urbanisation has been more in the southern part than in the northern part in India. Goa is the most urbanised state with 62% population living in urban areas. Delhi is more than 80% urban. In the state of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala urbanisation is more. Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Rajasthan are some of the states with low levels of urbanisation.

Do You Know?

The Indian sub-continent has a long history since ancient times. Since ages, of the population of this country is living in river basins, on plateaus and mountains. Indraprastha (Delhi), Mithila, Varanasi, Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Ujjain, Pratishthan (Paithan) were the urban settlements of earlier times. This shows that India has a great tradition of urbanisation.

Teacher's Note

Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore are growing very fast. More people are moving to cities for jobs and better facilities like hospitals and schools.

Exam Trick

Remember: Urbanisation = more people living in cities. Look at graphs to see if the number is going up or down over time.

Points to Remember

Urbanisation means the growth of cities and towns.

Only 31% of Indians live in cities as of 2011.

Southern states like Tamil Nadu and Goa are more urbanised.

Northern states like Bihar and Rajasthan have less urbanisation.

Ancient India had famous cities like Varanasi and Harappa.

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