Classification and Patterns of Settlements
Geography › Settlements, Human Development and Planning · Topic 18.1
A human settlement is a place where people live and carry out activities. By permanence it is permanent, semi-permanent or temporary, and by size and function it is rural or urban. Rural settlements are compact (nucleated) or dispersed, and their patterns include linear, rectangular, circular, star-shaped, T-shaped, cross-shaped and double villages. Site, water, defence, relief and function shape the pattern.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Settlements, Human Development and Planning
At a Glance
- By permanence Permanent, semi-permanent, temporary
- By function Rural and urban
- Rural forms Compact (nucleated), semi-compact, hamleted, dispersed
- Common patterns Linear, rectangular, circular, star, T, cross
- Key factors Water, land, relief, defence, function
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Settlements, Human Development and Planning
Where Does It Fit?
This is the first topic of the macro on settlements, human development and planning. The previous macro described how many people there are and where they move, and this one describes where and how they live. The next topic covers rural settlements in India. Previous topic: Indian Diaspora. Next topic: Rural Settlements in India.
How Are Human Settlements Classified?
In short: settlements are classified by how long they last, how big they are, and what their people do.
| Basis | Classes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Permanence | Permanent, semi-permanent and temporary | Permanent settlements are the villages and towns where people stay all year; semi-permanent settlements are occupied seasonally, such as those of shifting cultivators and of transhumant herders who move between summer and winter pastures; temporary settlements are those of nomads, camps and migrant workers |
| Size and function | Rural and urban | Rural settlements depend on primary activities such as farming, fishing, forestry and mining and are small; urban settlements depend on secondary, tertiary and quaternary activities and are larger and denser, as in Population Composition – Sex, Age and Occupation |
| Form | Compact (nucleated) and dispersed | Compact: houses are built close together; dispersed: houses are scattered in the fields or isolated |
| Site and situation | Local and regional location | Site is the actual ground of the settlement; situation is its position in relation to surroundings, routes and resources |
The distinction between rural and urban is not clear-cut: the functional contrasts blur, since many villages have non-farm jobs and many towns have farming. The Census of India defines urban areas by statutory status and by a set of tests, as in Urban Settlements in India.
What Are the Types and Patterns of Rural Settlements?
- Compact or nucleated: houses are clustered, often around a water source, a temple or a market, leaving farms outside. They are typical of the fertile river plains, such as the Ganga plain, and of areas where defence or water supply favours a group, such as the villages of Rajasthan near wells.
- Dispersed: small hamlets or isolated houses in the middle of fields, found in areas with a thin population, poor soil, scattered water or hilly terrain, such as the Himalaya, the Meghalaya plateau, the forests of the Western Ghats and the Keralam (Kerala) coast, where plantations and household plots spread out, and in the Bhil and Gond areas.
- Semi-compact and hamleted: a main settlement with a number of satellite hamlets, often divided by caste or community, found on the Ganga plain, in Gujarat and in the Peninsula.
| Pattern | Shape and setting | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Linear | Houses along a road, canal, river or valley | Villages on the roads of the plains and along the coast of Keralam (Kerala) |
| Rectangular | Houses on a grid of straight roads that cross at right angles | Plain areas with intersecting roads, such as the Punjab plain and planned canal colonies |
| Circular | Houses around a lake, tank or a central open space | Villages around a pond or a fort |
| Star-like | Roads radiating from a central point | Villages at a road junction |
| T-shaped | Settlement along a road that meets another at right angles | Villages at the end of a road |
| Y-shaped, cross-shaped | Houses along roads forming a Y or a cross | Villages where roads meet at a junction |
| Double village | Two settlements on both sides of a bridge or a ford | Villages on both banks of a river |
What Factors Affect Settlement Patterns?
- Water supply: rivers, tanks, springs and wells draw settlements; in arid zones houses cluster around a well, while in the wet delta they are spread along the natural levees, as in Indo-Gangetic-Brahmaputra Plain.
- Land and relief: flat fertile land encourages compact villages; hills and forests encourage dispersed ones; flood-prone areas lead to houses on raised ground or on stilts, as in Assam.
- Defence and history: fortified or caste-based clustering, and the pattern of land holdings, have shaped villages.
- Climate and building materials: in the north-east, houses are built of bamboo and raised on platforms; in Rajasthan thick walls resist heat.
- Function and transport: a road, railway or market creates a linear or star pattern and may turn a village into a town.
As an analytical point, patterns are not fixed, and the linear pattern, for example, is spreading along highways. Roads, electricity, mobile connectivity and migration are changing the villages: many are becoming linear along highways, their built-up areas are growing, and the line between rural and urban is blurring in peri-urban zones, so planners now speak of a rural-urban continuum instead of a sharp divide, as in Rural Settlements in India.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Concepts Patterns and types asked
- Factors Site and situation
- Trend Rural-urban continuum
What Came Next?
The next topic describes rural settlements in India. Next topic: Rural Settlements in India.
Key People and Terms
- Site Actual location of a settlement
- Situation Position relative to surroundings
- Nucleated settlement Clustered houses
- Dispersed settlement Scattered houses
- Hamlet Small cluster of houses
- Transhumance Seasonal herd movement
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Settlements are permanent, semi-permanent or temporary.
- Compact villages need water and defence; dispersed suit hills and forests.
- Linear follows roads and rivers.
- Double village lies on both sides of a river.
- Site is the spot; situation is the setting.
Do Not Confuse With
- Site and situation Local spot versus wider position
- Compact and dispersed Clustered versus scattered
- Hamlet and village Small part versus whole settlement
Memory Hook
Water pulls them close, hills scatter them; roads make them linear, rivers make them double.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for patterns and the factors behind them. These points add depth.
- Types Compact and dispersed
- Factors Water, relief, defence
- Change Rural-urban continuum
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Classify rural settlements on the basis of their pattern and explain the factors that influence their location.”
How to Answer
- Classes Permanence and function.
- Rural forms Compact and dispersed.
- Patterns Linear to double.
- Factors Water, relief, history.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
How are human settlements classified?
Human settlements are classified by permanence into permanent, semi-permanent and temporary settlements, and by size and function into rural and urban settlements. Rural settlements are further divided into compact or nucleated and dispersed types, and are described by patterns such as linear, rectangular, circular and star-shaped.
What are compact and dispersed settlements?
A compact or nucleated settlement is a cluster of houses built close together, with farms around, typical of fertile plains and areas where water or defence is important. A dispersed settlement consists of isolated houses or small hamlets scattered over the land, typical of hilly, forested or thinly populated areas.
What are the main patterns of rural settlements?
The main patterns of rural settlements are linear, along a road, river or canal; rectangular, on a grid of roads; circular, around a lake or open space; star-like, with roads radiating from a point; T-shaped, Y-shaped and cross-shaped at road junctions; and double villages on both sides of a river or bridge.
What is the difference between site and situation of a settlement?
The site of a settlement is the actual piece of ground on which it is built, with features such as water, relief and soil. The situation is its position in relation to the surrounding area, including routes, resources and other settlements. Both influence its growth.
What factors influence the location of rural settlements?
The location and pattern of rural settlements are influenced by water supply, relief and fertile land, defence needs, climate and building materials, historical and social factors such as caste, and transport links. Plains favour compact villages, while hills and forests favour dispersed settlements.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Nucleated settlements are typical of fertile plains.
Houses cluster around water and fields.
2 Dispersed settlements are common in hilly and forested areas.
Resources are scattered.
3 A double village is one that stretches along a single road.
That is a linear pattern.
4 Temporary settlements include those of nomads.
They move seasonally.
Related Topics
Browse the full Geography index