What are rural and urban settlements? Mention their characteristics.

Rural settlements are most closely and directly related to land. The settlements are small. The people living in rural settlements mostly have agriculture, fishing, and animal husbandry as their occupation.

Characteristics of rural settlements:-

• They are relative small settlements.

• People living in these settlements have mostly agriculture, fishing and animal husbandry as their occupation.

• The housing pattern is mainly linear, rectangular, Star, Circular, T or Y shaped or Nebula.

• The location of the rural settlements is in close resemblance to their occupation. They tend to live on fertile land, areas which are close to any water bodies or where the building materials are available in plenty.

• The economic conditions of the people are poor, and mostly they live from hand to mouth.

Urban Settlements are a concentrated settlement that constitutes or is part of an urban area. It is an area with high density of human-created structures. These geometrical patterns are usually in squares and rectangles.

Features of Urban settlements:-

• The population of the urban settlements is much more than the rural settlements. According to the basis of population, the urban settlements are subdivided into towns, cities, million cities, megacity etc.

• The civic amenities and facilities are much more organised and comfortable for the people.

• The facilities like employment, education attract a lot of people.

• The economic conditions of most of the people are good.

• The trading facilities of the towns are quite good.