Factors affecting location of settlements

•
A settlement is a collection of buildings where people live.  They vary in size
from small hamlets to large cities.

There are many factors that can influence where settlements locate within a
region.  The site of a settlement is the actual land that the settlements is
built upon.  The situation is the location of a settlement in relation  to the
things that are around it.

•
Physical factors that influence the location of a settlement include;
1.
Water supply – settlements need water, they often locate on wet point
sites for this. Settlements built away from rivers and water supplies to avoid
flooding are located at dry point sites.
2.
Defence – building on high ground allowed people the chance to look out for
enemies (e.g. Edinburgh castle) while surrounding a settlement with water also
helped with deed defence e.g. Durham is built inside a meander.
3.
Aspect and shelter – In the northern hemisphere south facing slopes receive
more sunlight and are protected from cold Northerly winds.  More settlements
and agricultural land is therefore located on South facing slopes.
•

The economic factors include;

Communications – settlements often located next to rivers that could be easily

crossed.  These are called bridging points. Other favourable places included
where at the junctions of valleys or in  gaps through hills.  These locations
allowed maximum communication between different settlements and increased
trade. E.g. Newcastle is built on the Tyne at a bridging point and could
benefit with trade from the North and the South.

•
Resources - Early settlers relied upon wood for fuel and building.  A site close
to woodland was there fore an advantage.  Later, resources such as Iron ore,
coal and bauxite encouraged the growth of settlements.

There are 3 different shapes of settlement according to the arrangement of

buildings within

them; 
 •
Linear settlements grow in a line, often along roads, river valleys or the
coast.
•
Nucleated settlements have buildings grouped close together and are found at
cross roads or are used for defence purposes.
•
Dispersed settlements have individual buildings spread out, and are often
found in rural areas.

POPULATION STRUCTURE

Population Structure

Factors affecting Population structure

3 main factors affect population structure:

 Birth Rate
 Death Rate
 Migration
Where characteristics describe the structure of a population, factors are what
alter them by growing, reducing or changing them.

Birth Rate
The birth rate is the number of babies born in an area. It is usually measured
in live births per thousand of the population in a year. If an area experiences a
high birth rate, this increases the youth demographic of the population whilst
also increasing the overall population and making the area denser. However,
a high birth rate does not always mean that an area has a high youth
population. If an area also has a high infant mortality rate the youth
population can be quite low.

Death Rate
The death rate is the opposite of the birth rate, it is the number of people who
have died in the area. Much like birth rate, it is measured per thousand of the
population in a year. This can affect any age group. If the death rate is high
this decreases both the overall population and the population density. Though
this is not always the case- if the death rate is high but the birth rate is higher,
a population will still grow. This is common in many developing countries.

Migration
Migration is also an important factor to consider when looking at population
structure. Migration is the act of people moving from one place to another.
Migration can be internal- a person moving within their own country. For
example, a person who moves from a rural area to an urban area. Migration
can also be external- a person moving from one country to another. External
migration is also called emigration.
  Population structure is the breakdown of different groups and amounts
of people in an area.

 It is important as it affects the area itself.

 There are 4 main characteristics of the population structure: age,

gender, ethnicity, and density.

 There are 3 main factors affecting the population structure: birth rate,
death rate, and migration.

 The two best ways to measure population structure are censuses and the
population pyramid.

The importance of population structure

The population structure is important because it determines how an area will
develop, affecting which businesses will succeed, how the population will
change, and giving an idea as to the culture that the area will produce.

Key groups that record population structures include governments and local
authorities. This allows them to determine services and resources that an area
requires and allows them to better choose what things might be needed.

An area with a high amount of older people and a low amount of young
people will decide to build a senior centre rather than a youth club.

How is a population structure recorded?

The two most useful ways that population structures are recorded are
censuses and population pyramids.
Censuses
Censuses are the most simple way to show population data. This is done by
councils and governments and shows the data in graphs with a list of
numbers. These can be very hard to read and overwhelming but hold more
information than a population pyramid.

Population Pyramid
Population pyramids are more visually simple than censuses but hold a lot
less info. On either side of the graph, it shows the number of people in each
group, making it much easier to understand and analyze.
 Interpreting a Population Pyramid
1. A wide base suggests high birth rate
2. Narrow base shows low birth rate as small numbers of children are born. Therefore, narrowing base
indicates a falling birth rate.
3. A broad top or wide apex indicates high proportion of people living longer.
4. Straight or near vertical sides depicts a low death rate. A population pyramid that has fairly straight
sides (more like a barrel) shows a population with a falling birth rate and a rising life expectancy.
5. Rapidly tapering top or concave slope suggests high death rate and low life expectancy. Over time,
as a country develops, the shape changes from triangular to barrel-like. Places with an aging
population and a very low birth rate would have a structure that looks like an upside-down pyramid.
6. A population pyramid that is very triangular (e.g. Mozambique in 2000) shows a population with a
high number of young dependents and a low life expectancy.
7. Bulges in the slope indicate high rate of immigration or a preceding baby boom year. This could be
because of the economic migrants if the bulges are typically at the working age population group. On
the other hand, if the bulges appear at the retirement age group then that can be attributed to the
counter migration or returning migrant’s flow or the due to the maturity of the baby boom cohorts.
8. Sudden indents at the side of the pyramid indicate higher death rates than normal may be because
of a war, famine, disease (epidemic) or natural catastrophe etc.
9. Deficits in slopes or distorted pattern in the same cohorts signifies gender specific out migration or
sex specific death rate
Click here for the visual display of the changing population structure of the World from 1950 to 2050
Migration is a way to move from one place to another in order to live
and work.

Movement of people from their home to another city, state or country

for a job, shelter or some other reasons is called migration.

Migration from rural areas to urban areas has increased in past few

years in India.
Q1. What are the benefits of living in the villages?

Migrants
People who move from one place to another in search of work or shelter
are called migrants. 

Most of the times migrants people are not skilled or educated therefore
they usually employed as daily wagers (workers who are paid at the
end of each day, for their services).

Daily wagers do not get enough money for the survival of their families

and suffering from many problems such as they do not have
enough food to eat, sanitation, hygiene, a proper place to live etc.

Causes of Migration
 People are generally emotionally attached to their
birthplace. However, millions of people leave their homes
and birthplaces.
 There could be a number of reasons for this. These reasons
can be divided into two groups:
 Pull factors, which attract people from different places,
and Push factors, which cause people to leave their place
of origin or residence.
 People in India migrate from rural to urban areas for a
variety of reasons, including poverty, high population
pressure on the land, and a lack of basic infrastructures
such as health care and education.
 Natural disasters such as floods, droughts, cyclonic storms,
earthquakes, tsunamis, wars, and local conflicts, in addition
to these factors, provide an additional push to migrate.
  People from rural areas, on the other hand, are drawn to
cities by a variety of factors.
 The majority of rural migrants to urban areas are attracted
by better opportunities, the availability of regular work, and
relatively higher wages.
 Better educational opportunities, health care facilities, and
entertainment options, among other things, are all
significant pull factors.

Impacts of Migration
Migration is becoming a very important subject for the life of cities.
Many opportunities and attraction of big cities pull large numbers of
people to big cities. Migration can have positive as well as negative
effects on the life of the migrants.

Positive Impact

 Unemployment is reduced and people get better job opportunities.

 Migration helps in improving the quality of life of people.
 It helps to improve social life of people as they learn about new
culture, customs, and languages which helps to improve brotherhood
among people.
 Migration of skilled workers leads to a greater economic growth of
the region.
 Children get better opportunities for higher education.
 The population density is reduced and the birth rate decreases.
Negative Impact
 The loss of a person from rural areas, impact on the level of output
and development of rural areas.
 The influx of workers in urban areas increases competition for the
job, houses, school facilities etc.
 Having large population puts too much pressure on natural resources,
amenities and services.
 It is difficult for a villager to survive in urban areas because in urban
areas there is no natural environment and pure air. They have to pay
for each and everything.
 Migration changes the population of a place, therefore, the
distribution of the population is uneven in India.
 Many migrants are completely illiterate and uneducated, therefore,
they are not only unfit for most jobs, but also lack basic knowledge
and life skills.
 Poverty makes them unable to live a normal and healthy life.
 Children growing up in poverty have no access to proper nutrition,
education or health.
 Migration increased the slum areas in cities which increase many
problems such as unhygienic conditions, crime, pollution etc.
 Sometimes migrants are exploited.
 Migration is one of the main causes of increasing nuclear family
where children grow up without a wider family circle.
 URBANIZATION
urbanization, the process by which large numbers of people become
permanently concentrated in relatively small areas, forming cities.
What are the main causes of Urbanisation?
The main causes of Urbanisation are

 Industrialization: More people have been attracted to move from rural to urban areas on
account of improved employment opportunities.
 Commercialization:Better commercial opportunities and returns compared to rural areas.
 Social Benefits and Services: Urban areas provide better educational facilities, better living
standards, better sanitation and housing, better health care, better recreation facilities, and
better social life in general.
 Employment Opportunities: Services and industries in urban areas generate and increase
higher value-added jobs, and this leads to more employment opportunities.
 Modernization and Changes in the Mode of Living: Availability of highly sophisticated
communication, infrastructure, medical facilities, dressing code, enlightenment, liberalization,
and other social amenities in urban areas make people believe that they can lead a happy
life in cities.
 Rural-urban Transformation: Rural communities start to adopt the urban culture and
ultimately become urban centres that continue to grow as more people move to such
locations in search of a better life.

Effects of Urbanization on Our Cities

1. Positive Effects of Urbanization

creation of employment opportunities

technological and infrastructural advancements

improved transportation and communication,

quality educational and medical facilities

improved standards of living.

2. Housing Problems
Urbanization attracts people to cities and towns which leads to
a high population increase. With the increase in the number of
people living in urban centers, there is a continued scarcity of
houses.

This is due to insufficient expansion space for housing and

public utilities, poverty, unemployment, and costly building
materials which can only be afforded by a few individuals.

3. Overcrowding
Overcrowding is a situation whereby a huge number of people
live in a small space. This form of congestion in urban areas is
consistent because of overpopulation and it is an aspect that
increases day by day as more people and immigrants move into
cities and towns in search of a better life.

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Most people from rural or undeveloped areas always have the

urge of migrating into the city that normally leads to congestion
of people within a small area.

4. Unemployment
The problem of joblessness is highest in urban areas and it is
even higher among educated people. It is estimated that more
than half of unemployed youths around the globe live in
metropolitan cities.

And, as much as income in urban areas is high, the costs of

living make the incomes seem horribly low. The increasing
relocation of people from rural or developing areas to urban
areas is the leading cause of urban unemployment.

5. Development of Slums
The cost of living in urban areas is very high. When this is
combined with random and unexpected growth as well as
unemployment, there is the spread of unlawful resident
settlements represented by slums and squatters.

The growth of slums and squatters in urban areas is even

further exacerbated by fast-paced industrialization, lack of
developed land for housing, a large influx of rural immigrants to
the cities in search of a better life, and the elevated prices of
land beyond the reach of the urban poor.

6. Water and Sanitation Problems

Because of overpopulation and rapid population increase in
most urban centers, it is common to find there are inadequate
sewage facilities.
Municipalities and local governments are faced with serious
resource crisis in the management of sewage facilities. As a
result, sanitation becomes poor and sewages flow chaotically,
and they are drained into neighboring streams, rivers, lakes, or
seas.

Eventually, communicable diseases such as typhoid, dysentery,

plague, and diarrhea spread very fast leading to suffering and
even deaths. Overcrowding also highly contributes to water
scarcity as supply falls short of demand.

7. Poor Health and Spread of Diseases

The social, economic and living conditions in congested urban
areas affects access and utilization of public health care services.
Slum areas in particular experience poor sanitation and
insufficient water supply which generally make slum populations
susceptible to communicable diseases.

Environmental problems such as urban pollution also cause

many health problems namely allergies, asthma, infertility, food
poisoning, cancer and even premature deaths.

8. Traffic Congestion
When more people move to towns and cities, one of the major
challenges posed is in the transport system. More people means
an increased number of vehicles which leads to traffic
congestion and vehicular pollution.
Many people in urban areas drive to work and this creates a
severe traffic problem, especially during rush hours. Also as the
cities grow in dimension, people will move to shop and access
other social needs/wants which often cause traffic congestion
and blockage.

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9. Urban Crime
Issues of lack of resources, overcrowding, unemployment,
poverty, and lack of social services and education habitually
lead to many social problems including violence, drug abuse,
and crime.

Most of the crimes such as murder, rape, kidnapping, riots,

assault, theft, robbery, and hijacking are reported to be more
prominent in the urban vicinities. Besides, poverty-related
crimes are the highest in fast-growing urban regions. These acts
of urban crime normally upset the peace and tranquility of
cities/towns.
Solutions to Urbanization
1. Building Sustainable and
Environmentally-friendly Cities
Governments should pass laws that plan and
provide environmentally sound cities and smart growth
techniques, considering that people should not reside in unsafe
and polluted areas.

The objective here is to build sustainable cities that embrace

improved environmental conditions and safe habitats for all
urban populations.
Governments should also encourage sustainable use of urban
resources and support an economy based on the sustainable
environments such as investment in green infrastructure,
sustainable industries, recycling and environmental campaigns,
pollution management, renewable energy, green public
transportation, and water recycling and reclamation.

2. Provision of Essential Services

Urban stakeholders must ensure all populations within the
urban areas have access to adequate essential social services
namely education, health, sanitation and clean water,
technology, electricity, and food.

The objective here is to provide and implement employment

opportunities and wealth creation activities so that people can
earn a living to pay for the maintenance of the services.

Subsidies can also be availed by the government to lower the

costs of basic healthcare, basic education, energy,
education, public transportation, communication systems and
technology.

3. Creation of More Jobs

To lessen the negative effects of rapid urbanization while at the
same time conserving natural ecosystems, private investments
should be encouraged so as to utilize natural resources and
create more job opportunities.
Tourism promotion and the sustainable exploitation of natural
resources can create more jobs for urban populations. Subsidies
and grants may as well be provided to foreign and private
investment in environmentally friendly development projects
that encourage job creation.

4. Population Control
Key stakeholders in urban areas must provide campaigns and
counseling for effective medical health clinics and family
planning to help reduce the high rates of population growth.

Medical health clinics oriented towards family planning options

must be made accessible across the entire urban area with the
objective of controlling diseases and population growth.

WATER RESOURCES

WATER CYCLE.

The water cycle and river terminology

The water cycle is the journey water takes as it moves from the land to the sky and back again. It
follows a cycle of evaporation, condensation and precipitation.

The water cycle is also known as the hydrological cycle. It is called a cycle because water
continuously moves around the system. Rivers are part of this cycle. The illustration below
shows how water changes state through the cycle. It can be a liquid, a vapour or a solid.

How does the water cycle work?

 Energy from the Sun heats the surface of the Earth.
 Water is evaporated from oceans, rivers, lakes, etc.
 The warm, moist air rises because it is less dense.
 Condensation occurs when water vapour is turned back into water droplets as it cools down.
Clouds are formed.
 Precipitation occurs as water droplets get bigger and heavier they begin to fall as rain, snow
and sleet, etc.
When the precipitation reaches the surface, some falls directly into the sea but other water falls
on land:

 Some water is intercepted by vegetation. Some water may then slowly reach the ground. Some
will evaporate from the surface of leaves or be taken up by the plant roots, and some of this
water will eventually return to the air as vapour through the process of transpiration. This
slows down or prevents some water flowing back to the river.

 Some water flows across the surface of the ground - surface run-off. This happens when the
surface doesn't allow water to penetrate. Surface run-off is more likely to occur if the ground
 is saturated with water or when the rock is impermeable. This water moves quickly to the
river.
 Some water infiltrates into the soil. This through flow moves more slowly back to the river
than surface run-off.
 Some water percolates deeper into the ground and is slowly transferred back to the river or
sea.
Stores and transfers

The major stores of water are the ocean, ice caps, land and the atmosphere. The movement of
water between these stores is called transfers.

1.

 River characteristics
 River drainage basins
 A river basin or drainage basin is an area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.
The edge of the drainage basin is known as the watershed. This can be compared to a sink
or basin, which catches the water falling into it. The water travels towards the centre and
leaves the sink through a plug hole. In a similar way, the water flowing through the river
will eventually leave the river basin through its mouth and enter the sea or a lake.

THE LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

The Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) is located in the upper reaches of the Nile River basin and
comprises one of the world’s greatest complexes of lakes, wetlands, and rivers.
The basin has a catchment area of approximately 194,200km2 traversing through five East
African Countries i.e. Tanzania (44%); Kenya (22%); Uganda (16%); Rwanda (11%) and
Burundi (7%).
The basin plays a major ecological, social and economic role and is central to the development
and regional integration of the East Africa Community (EAC).
This is due to its rich resources such as fishery, biodiversity, extensive networks of rivers and
wetlands, forests, fertile soils, wildlife, minerals, tourism, multimodal transport and
communication. around the basin. The basin is therefore considered a unique area especially due
to its environmental, cultural, scientific, socioeconomic, immense natural resources and huge
investment potential.
Within the LVB, Lake Victoria which is the world’s second largest and Africa’s largest
freshwater lake is one of the most important landmarks.
The lake covers an area of 68,800km2 spanning 400km North-South and 240km East-West.
It has a shoreline of 3,460km and is a relatively shallow water body with an average depth of
40meters while the deepest point is 80meters.
This trans-boundary asset is shared by Kenya (6%), Tanzania (51%) and Uganda (43%).
Over 80% of water in the Lake Victoria comes directly from rainfall while the rest comes from
tributary runoff from :
Kagera, Mara, Simiyu, Gurumeti, Yala, Nyando, Migori and Sondu-Miriu rivers.
Water in Lake Victoria is lost through very high evapotranspiration and one major outlet, the
Nile River which is the Africa’s longest river.

This is a very short list of rivers in Kenya.[1] This list is arranged by drainage basin, with
respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.

Mediterranean Sea[edit]

Gnus crossing the Mara River.

 Nile
o White Nile
 Victoria Nile (Uganda)
 Lake Victoria
 Nzoia River
 Yala River
 Nyando River
 Sondu River (Miriu River)
 Awach River
 Itare River
 Kitare River (South Awach River)
 Gucha River (Kuja River)
 Migori River
  Riana River
 Mogonga River
 Mara River

Lake Turkana[edit]

 Suguta River
 Kerio River
 Lokichar River (Lomenyangaparat)
 Turkwel River
o Suam River
o Omo River
o Turkwel River

Lake Baringo[edit]

 Olarabel River (Ngusero River)

 Molo River
o Perkerra River
 Njoro River

Lake Naivasha[edit]

 Gilgil River
 Malewa River
o Turasha River (Kija river)

Lake Natron[edit]

 Southern Ewaso Ng'iro

o Seyabei River

Indian Ocean[edit]
Flooding on the Tanna River, 1998.

 Jubba River (Somalia)
o Lagh Dera
 Lak Bor
 Lagh Kutulo
 Lagh Bogal
 Ewaso Ng'iro
 Isiolo River
 Naro Moru river
 Milgis
o Dawa River
 Tana River
o Kathita River
o Mutonga River
o Thiba River
o Thika River
  Kiama River
o Ragati River
o Kururu River
o Muhuhi River
 Galana River
o Athi River
 Mbagathi River
 Ruiru River
 Nairobi River
o Tsavo River
 Tudor Creek
 Voi River (Goshi River)
 Umba River
 Pangani River (Tanzania)
o Jipe Ruvu River
 Lumi River