Grade 8: The Physical Environment and Human Settlements

Factors that affect Settlements

1.      landforms- people choose low-lying areas with flat land that is best for farming.  There are examples of intensive agriculture in in the world, such as Japan, where terraced forms of cultivation exist.  However, this occurs largely where land is limited.  The population of the Kanto Plain is roughly the same as the population of Canada. Therefore, areas with a very high population density are forced to be efficient with their land.  Even the Civilization of Machu Pichu used terraced farming.

2.      natural resources- whatever materials that are available are used to build settlements.  The Porcupine Gold Rush in Northern Ontario spurred settlements.

3.      soil- the type of soil that is rich in nutrients and low in acidity can determine whether farming is possible.

4.      close proximity to waterways- civilization began along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Major rivers are a source of the following: food, transportation, irrigation, drinking water, recreation, waste removal (this is not advisable unless it is treated), and trade.  The Seven Years’ War demonstrated that the British were keen to gain access to major rivers such as the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi River.

5.      climate- providing that the growing season is long enough, the ideal settlement can grow crops on a regular basis.  Although new varieties can be grown or grafted, areas such as the Mediterranean Region and tropical environments provide ideal growing seasons.  Otherwise, food needs to be imported or dependent on animal sources such as caribou or buffalo.

6.      vegetation- the type of vegetation provides building materials for homes and grasslands are ideal for raising or domesticating animals.

7.      historical factors- exploration routes, colonization, and trade influenced settlement patterns; the triangular trade routes established settlements along the Eastern Seaboard of North America, the Caribbean and settlements along Western Europe

8.      political factors- government make decisions that influence the growth of settlements; for example, a decision to build a railway could lead to linear settlement patterns such as the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok

9.      religious influences- settlements have grown around places with spiritual significance such as Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which is a holy site for Islam’s Grand Mosque

10.  economic influences- the greater the economic or job growth in an area, the faster the population grows; for example, Brasilia’s population is growing at a faster rate than Rio de Janeiro’s population. Settlements can be abandoned too once the work has vanished.  In the southern Atlantic Ocean, there is an abandoned whaling station at Leith Harbor.

C.W.H. PLEASER

Climate

WATERWAYS

Historical

Political

Landforms

Environment/natural resources

Agriculture natural/ vegetation

Spiritual

Economic

CRNHVEPLC

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