Maharashtra Board Class 7 Geography Chapter 10 Human Settlements PDF Download

Human Settlements

Look at the following picture. Find suitable locations for human settlements and show them in the picture.

Why were the settlements shown at the specific places? Why should they be located there? Why can't they be located in other places?

Teacher's Note

In India, people build villages near rivers like the Ganges or Yamuna because water is very important for living. Just like your family needs water every day, all settlements need water too.

Exam Trick

Remember: Water, flat land, and good weather are the three magic things for settlements. Write these three things in your answer and you will get full marks.

Points to Remember

Settlements need water to drink and grow food.
Flat land is easier to build houses on.
Good weather helps people stay healthy.
People choose places near rivers and forests.
Roads and transport also help settlements grow.

Observe the pictures given in figures 10.2 (a, b, c, d). Think and answer the following questions:

What all can you see in the pictures?

What are the familiar features?

Which picture shows sparse settlements?

Which picture shows agriculture?

Which picture shows dense settlements?

Which picture shows high rise buildings?

From the following, assign a suitable names to each of the pictures: Rural settlement, Tribal hamlet, Town, City

Arrange the pictures according to the level of development in the settlements.

Geographical Explanation

Human settlements flourished at places with favourable geographic conditions - such as availability of water, a conducive climate, fertile land etc.

In the early settlements, the occupations of the people were dependent on the locally available natural resources. This gave rise to separate settlements of people engaged in a particular occupation. For example, people along the sea coast are engaged in fishing. Their settlements became fishing hamlets (Koliwada). Forest dwellers or tribal people use forest produce for their livelihood. They live in forest areas in 'tribal hamlets' (Adivasi padas). Agriculture is practised in fertile areas. Farmer families build their houses in or near their fields. These settlements gradually grow bigger. The settlements where the original occupations of the majority of the people are based on natural resources are called rural settlements. Agriculture, fishery, etc are some of these occupations.

With the passage of time, other associated occupations also develop gradually in these rural settlement. As a result, people from surrounding areas migrate and settle there leading to an increase in the rural population. Houses are built and different facilities are developed for the growing population. Importance of secondary and tertiary occupations increases, the proportion of people engaged in primary occupations declines. This process leads to the transformation of rural settlement into urban settlements. Due to religious, historical, commercial, educational, and administrative reasons and also due to tourism, the original settlement may transform into an urban one. If the population and the necessary amenities increase on a large scale, the urban areas grow into metropolitan cities.

Teacher's Note

In villages, farmers live near their fields. In cities like Mumbai and Delhi, people work in offices and shops. The change from village to city life happens slowly over many years.

Exam Trick

Remember: Rural = farming, Urban = businesses and jobs. Rural comes first, then it becomes urban. Write this order in your answer.

Points to Remember

Rural settlements have farms and agriculture.
Urban settlements have shops, offices, and factories.
Villages change to cities when more people come.
Cities need many services like roads and schools.
Metropolitan cities are very big with millions of people.

Observe fig. 10.3 and discuss the following questions:

What is the difference between the human settlement at A and B?

What is the difference between the settlements at B and C?

Where do you find less than 2 houses?

In what type of settlement do you live?

Observe fig. 10.4 and answer the following questions.

Name some of the settlements shown in the map.

Which of the settlements in the map are in a scattered form?

How are the houses in the settlements along the roads arranged?

In which settlements are the houses close together? What could be the reason behind this density?

Can you now classify the settlements on the basis of these patterns?

After considering various settlements, we realize that people settle down in different geographical conditions and adopt themselves to the conditions in the region. Patterns of human settlements evolve in accordance with the natural conditions. In this lesson, we are going to study the major patterns of human settlements and the reasons behind them.

Teacher's Note

Look at your own village or city. Some houses are close together, some are far apart. This is because of the land and water available in that area.

Exam Trick

Remember three types: Scattered = few houses far apart, Nucleated = many houses close together, Linear = houses in a line. Draw simple pictures of each type for the exam.

Points to Remember

Scattered settlements have houses far from each other.
Nucleated settlements have houses very close together.
Linear settlements have houses in a straight line.
Water and roads decide where settlements grow.
Different settlements have different shapes and sizes.

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