NCERT Solutions Class 12 Geography Chapter 2 Human Settlements

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.

(i) Which one of the following towns is NOT located on a river bank?
(a) Agra
(b) Bhopal 
(c) Patna
(d) Kolkata

Answer : B

(ii) Which one of the following is NOT the part of the definition of a town as per the census of India?
(a) Population density of 400 persons per sq km.
(b) Presence of municipality, corporation, etc. 
(c) More than 75% of the population engaged in primary sector.
(d) Population size of more than 5,000 persons.

Answer : C

(iii) In which one of the following environments does one expect the presence of dispersed rural settlements? 
(a) Alluvial plains of Ganga 
(b) Arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan 
(c) Lower valleys of Himalayas 
(d) Forests and hills in north-east

Answer : A

(iv) Which one of the following group of cities have been arranged in the sequence of their ranks i.e. 1, 2, 3 and 4 in size? 
(a) Greater Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai 
(b) Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata 
(c) Kolkata, Greater Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata 
(d) Greater Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai

Answer : D

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) What are garrisson towns? What is their function?
Answer : Garrison towns are settlements formed due to the establishment of a military facility. They are also referred to as cantonment towns. Ambala, Mhow, etc can be referred to as garrison towns. The central purpose of garrison towns is to provide for the requirements of the nation’s defence forces and people employed in the country’s defence services. These are specifically built for military, naval, or airforce operations.

(ii) How can one identify an urban agglomeration?
Answer : An urban agglomeration consists of any one of the following three combinations:
1. A town and its adjoining urban outgrowths.
2. Two or more contiguous towns with or without their expansion.
3. A continuous spread is formed by a city and one or more adjacent towns, as well as their outgrowths.

(iii) What are the main factors for the location of villages in desert regions?
Answer : Aridity, or a lack of water, defines desert regions, resulting in scant vegetation that is called xerophytic vegetation in nature. Water availability is the most important element in determining settlement patterns in the desert. In Rajasthan, India, clustered settlements are located around the oasis and other water-rich areas. Because these are the only places where water is accessible, therefore settlement around the water source becomes clustered and is the main driving force for habitation.

(iv) What are metropolitan cities? How are they different from urban agglomerations?
Ans. Metropolitan cities are defined as cities with a population of 1 to 5 million people, according to the Indian census. An urban agglomeration is a large land region that includes two or more cities. Many of India’s major cities are basically urban agglomerations. 

(iv) ‘The agricultural sector has the largest share of Indian workers.’ Explain.
Answer : The agricultural sector has the largest share of Indian workers:
1. About 58.2% of the total working population are cultivators and agricultural labourers.
2. Hence, it show that large population engaged in agricultural sector rather than secondary sector and tertiary sector.
3. Primary sector has potential to absorbed maximum number of the working population.

3. Answer the following questions in about 150 words. 

(i) Discuss the features of different types of rural settlements. What are the factors responsible for the settlement patterns in different physical environments?
Answer : There are four types of rural settlements:
• Clustered: It is a compact or closely built up area of houses. The general living area is distinct and separated from the surrounding farms, barns and pastures. These settlements are generally found in fertile alluvial plains and in the north-eastern states.
• Semi-clustered: These settlements may result from tendency of clustering in a restricted area of dispersed settlement. These pattern may also result from segregation or fragmentation of a large compact village. In this case, one or more sections of the village society choose or is forced to live a little away from the main cluster or village.
• Hamleted: Sometimes settlement is fragmented into several units physically separated from each other bearing a common name. This segmentation of a large village is often motivated by social and ethnic factors.
• Dispersed: These settlements pattern appears in the form of isolated huts or hamlets of few huts in remote jungles, or on small hills with farms or pasture on the slopes. Extreme dispersion of settlement is often caused by extremely fragmented nature of the terrain and land resource base of habitable areas.
The factors responsible for the settlement patterns in different physical environments are:
• Physical features include nature of terrain, altitude, climate and availability of water
• Cultural and ethenic factors include social structure, caste and religion
• Security factors include defence against thefts and robberies.

(ii) Can one imagine the presence of only one-function town? Why do the cities become multi-functional?
Answer : No, one cannot imagine the presence of only one-function town. A town cannot grow on one function.
Certain towns and cities perform specialised services and functions and they are known for some specific activities, products or services such as Ambala and Jalandhar are cantonment towns. But this does not mean they does not perform other function. These towns have universities, offices and many other institutions which have another functions. Thus, these town are multi-functional towns.
The cities are not static in their function. The functions change due to their dynamic nature. Even specialised cities, as they grow into metropolises become multifunctional wherein industry, business, administration, transport, etc. become important. The functions get so intertwined that the city cannot be categorised in a particular functional class.

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.

(i) Which one of the following forms of settlement develops along either side of roads, rivers or canals?
(a) circular
(b) linear 
(c) cross-shaped
(d) square

Answer : B

(ii) Which one of the following types of economic activities dominates in all rural settlement?
(a) primary
(b) tertiary 
(c) secondary
(d) quaternary

Answer : A

(iii) In which of the following regions has the oldest well-documented urban settlement found?
(a) Huang He Valley
(b) Indus Valley 
(c) Nile Valley
(d) Mesopotamia

Answer : D

(iv) How many of the following cities in India have attained the million status at the beginning of 2006?
(a) 40
(b) 42 
(c) 41
(d) 43

Answer : B

(v) Sufficiency of which type of resources can help to create adequate social infrastructure catering to the needs of the large population in the developing countries?
(a) financial
(b) human 
(c) natural
(d) social

Answer : C

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) How would you define a settlement?
Answer : A human settlement is defined as a place inhabited more or less permanently. There may be some settlements which are temporary and are occupied for short periods, maybe a season.

(ii) Distinguish between site and situation.
Answer : 

(iii) What are the bases of classifying settlements?
Answer : Settlements can be classified on the basis of:
• Population Size
• Functions of the Settlement
• Occupation of the people
• Facilities in the Settlement

(iv) How would you justify the study of human settlements in human geography?
Answer : The study of settlement is essential and basic to human geography because the form of settlement in any particular region reflects the human relationship with the environment.

3. Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words.

(i) What are rural and urban settlements? Mention their characteristics.
Answer : Rural settlements are most closely and directly related to land. They are dominated by primary activities such as agriculture, animal husbandary, fishing etc.
Characteristics of Rural Settlements:
• Most people are engaged in agriculture, fishing and other primary activities.
• These are smaller in size.
• These lack the modern facilities.
• The density of population is not very high.
• People participate in cultural activities.
Urban settlements are densely populated area in which people are engaged in secondary and tertiary activities mainly.
Characteristics of Urban Settlements:
• Most people are engaged in secondary and tertiary activities.
• These settlements are well planned.
• Urban settlements are large in size.
• The density of population is high.
• These areas have got complex culture because of mixing of other cultures in it.
• They have modern facilities of roads, electricity, water supply etc.

(ii) Discuss the problems associated with urban settlements in developing countries.
Answer : The various problems associated with urban settlements in developing countries are:
• People flock to cities to avail of employment opportunities and civic amenities. Since most cities in developing countries are unplanned, it creates severe congestion.
• Shortage of housing, vertical expansion and growth of slums are characteristic features of modern
cities of developing countries. In many cities an increasing proportion of the population lives in substandard housing, e.g. slums and squatter settlements.
• Cities in the developing countries suffer from several social ills. Insufficient financial resources
fail to create adequate social infrastructure catering to the basic needs of the huge population. The available educational and health facilities remain beyond the reach of the urban poor.
• The large urban population in developing countries not only uses but also disposes off a huge quantity of water and all types of waste materials.
• Many cities of the developing countries even find it extremely difficult to provide the minimum required quantity of potable water and water for domestic and industrial uses. An improper sewerage system creates unhealthy conditions.