Question

Explain the factors affecting the location of human settlement___.
A) Physical factors
B) Economic factors
C) Both a and b
D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint:A settlement's complexity can vary from a small number of dwellings clustered together to the largest cities with urbanized areas surrounding them. Hamlets, villages, towns and cities can be included in the settlements.
A settlement may have identified historical properties such as the date or period in which it was first settled, or specific persons first settled. A settlement usually includes its built facilities such as roads, enclosures, field systems, boundary banks and ditches, ponds, etc.

Complete answer:
Physical variables that affect a settlement's position include;
1. Water supply-settlements need water, for this they also find on wet point sites. At drypoint sites, settlements established away from rivers and water sources to prevent floods are situated.
2. Defence-Building on high ground allowed individuals to search for enemies (e.g. Edinburgh Castle) while surrounding a water settlement often helped with deed protection, e.g. Durham is built with a meander within.
3. Aspect and shelter- South-facing slopes in the northern hemisphere receive more sunshine and are shielded from cold northern winds. Hence more villages and agricultural land are situated on slopes facing south.
The economic influences include:-
Communications-settlements that are mostly situated along rivers that can easily be crossed. Bridging points are called these. Other desirable positions included where valley junctions or gaps between hills were located. These locations permitted full contact and increased trade between various settlements
Resources - For fuel and construction, early settlers depended on wood. There was a site near woodland for an advantage. Later, the establishment of settlements was facilitated by resources such as iron ore, coal and bauxite.

Hence the correct answer is option C.

Note:In general, there are three settlement types:- compact, semi-compact, and dispersed. Each is dependent on the density of its population.
Rural settlements, while urban settlements are heavily populated and mostly non-agricultural, are sparsely populated and mostly agricultural.
According to scale, urban settlements can be similarly divided into four. There are cities, towns, villages and megapolis.