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UNIT 8: URBAN AND RURAL SETTLEMENTS AROUND THE WORLD

1. Settlements

- Settlement is the process through which a group of people estabishes homes in a particular place. Two types: urban and rural

1.1. Rural and urban settlements

- Historically, most of the population was rural, nowadays, urban population predominates

- Differences between a rural and a urban settlement varies depending on the country (10.000 inhabitants in Spain)

1.2. The area around a settlement

1.3. Settlements and the environment

1.4. Settlements and economic activity

- We can distinguish two types of location: situation and site

-Situation: surrounding area. Ex: central location

-Site: specific place. Ex: next to rivers or close to river

- Rural settlements are usually integrated with and take advantage of surrounding environment.

- Urban settlements transform and sometimes exhaust the surrounding environment.

- The economic activities carried out by the population affect a settlement. Ex:

- Arable farming zones

- Livestock farming zones

- Fishing villages

- Mining towns