Class 12 Geography - KERALA
Human Settlements
The chapter 'Human Settlements' in Class 12 Geography under the Kerala SCERT syllabus explores the clustering of human habitations across the earth's surface. It delves into the classification of settlements into rural and urban types, examining their morphology, functions, and patterns of distribution. Students will learn about the evolution of towns, problems associated with rapid urbanization, and the unique characteristics of Indian and Kerala settlements. Understanding this chapter is crucial for board exams as it bridges human geography with socio-economic development, frequently featuring map-based questions, structural differences, and short-answer queries.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Human Settlement
A cluster of dwellings of any type or size where human beings live, ranging from a single isolated house to a mega city.
Compact vs. Dispersed Settlements
Compact settlements have closely built houses around a central hub, while dispersed settlements feature isolated houses scattered over a wide area.
Urbanization
The process by which an increasing proportion of a population lives in towns and cities, driven by industrialization and rural-to-urban migration.
Functional Classification of Towns
Categorizing urban centres based on their primary activities, such as administrative, trading, industrial, cultural, or resort towns.
Rural Settlements in Kerala
Kerala features a unique pattern of dispersed or semi-clustered rural settlements often aligned along roads, backwaters, or homesteads rather than traditional nucleated villages.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Kerala SCERT Class 12 Geography board exams, this chapter typically carries around 6 to 8 marks. Questions often include direct differences between rural and urban settlements, short notes on settlement patterns, and case-study or map-based analysis of urban growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rural settlements are primarily engaged in primary activities like agriculture, fishing, and forestry, whereas urban settlements depend on secondary and tertiary activities like manufacturing, trade, and services.
Rural settlements are primarily engaged in primary activities like agriculture, fishing, and forestry, whereas urban settlements depend on secondary and tertiary activities like manufacturing, trade, and services.
Why are Kerala's settlements considered unique?
Unlike northern India where villages are heavily clustered, Kerala exhibits a continuous sprawl of houses along roads and water bodies, blending rural and urban characteristics known as 'desoms' or homestead settlements.
What factors influence the site and situation of a settlement?
Key factors include availability of water, fertile soil, defensive advantages, climatic conditions, and proximity to trade routes or transport networks.
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