Types of Urban Settlements (Grade 12 NSC Matric Geography): Revision Notes
Types of Urban Settlements
Urban areas develop in different locations for various reasons, and geographers classify them according to their main function or purpose. Understanding these different types helps us explain why settlements grow where they do and what services they provide to surrounding areas.
There are three main categories of urban settlements that you need to understand for your NSC Geography exam: central places, trade and transport towns, and specialised towns or cities.
Mastering the classification of urban settlements is essential for understanding South Africa's settlement patterns and will help you analyse why certain towns developed in specific locations.
Central places
Central places are smaller urban settlements that serve as service centres for the surrounding rural areas. These towns develop because farmers and rural residents need access to goods and services that cannot be provided in every small village or on every farm.
The key characteristic of central places is that they provide both low order and high order goods and services to their surrounding areas. Understanding the difference between these two types of services is crucial for your exam success.
Low order goods and services
Low order goods and services are items or functions that people need frequently in their daily lives. Because people buy or use these regularly, they don't mind travelling shorter distances to access them.
Low Order Services Examples:
Goods:
- Bread, milk, petrol, basic groceries
Services:
- General practitioners (doctors), mechanics, local shops
These services require smaller populations to remain profitable (smaller threshold population) because people use them often. You'll find many of these services in central places because the demand is regular and consistent.
High order goods and services
High order goods and services are items or functions that people purchase less frequently or don't need on a regular basis. Because these are bought infrequently, people are willing to travel further distances to access them.
High Order Services Examples:
Goods:
- Televisions, designer clothing, luxury items
Services:
- Specialist doctors, health spas, expensive restaurants
These services need larger populations to survive (larger threshold population) because people don't use them often. There are fewer of these services available because the demand is less frequent.
Important terminology for central places
Essential Terms for Central Places:
- Threshold population: The minimum number of people needed to support a particular service or function and make it profitable
- Range: The maximum distance people are willing to travel to access a particular good or service
- Sphere of influence: The total area served by a business or service - this is where the customers live who use that particular service
These three concepts work together to explain how central places function and why certain services are available in some towns but not others.
Trade and transport towns or cities
These urban settlements develop at strategic locations where transport routes meet or where transport methods change. The easy access to transportation networks makes these locations attractive for trade and commerce, leading to urban growth.
Types of trade and transport towns
Break-of-bulk towns: These develop where goods must be transferred from one type of transport to another. The most common example is where sea transport meets land transport at ports. Durban is a perfect South African example, where goods arriving by ship are transferred to trucks or trains for inland distribution.
Junction towns: These settlements grow at points where two or more major transport routes intersect. De Aar in the Northern Cape exemplifies this type, as it developed where several railway lines meet. The intersection creates opportunities for trade, refuelling, and passenger services.
Gap towns: These towns develop at strategic points that provide access through physical barriers like mountain ranges. De Doorns in the Western Cape developed at the Hex River Pass, providing a crucial route through the mountains for transport between regions.
Each type of trade and transport town developed because of a specific locational advantage related to transportation. This advantage became the foundation for the town's economic growth and continued existence.
Specialised towns or cities
Specialised settlements develop because of one dominant economic function or activity in the area. If this main function were to disappear, the town would face serious economic challenges and might even become a ghost town.
The CRIME mnemonic helps you remember the five main types of specialised towns:
CRIME Mnemonic for Specialised Towns:
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C - Commuter towns: These are residential areas where people live but work elsewhere, often commuting to nearby larger cities. Soweto serves as an example of a commuter town for Johannesburg.
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R - Resort towns: These develop around tourism and recreational activities. Margate on the KwaZulu-Natal coast exemplifies a resort town focused on beach tourism.
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I - Industrial towns: These grow around manufacturing activities and factories. Secunda in Mpumalanga developed around the petrochemical industry.
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M - Mining towns: These settlements develop around mineral extraction activities. Welkom in the Free State grew because of gold mining in the area.
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E - Education towns: These centres develop around major educational institutions like universities. Grahamstown (now Makhanda) in the Eastern Cape is famous for Rhodes University.
Vulnerability of Specialised Towns:
Remember that specialised towns are particularly vulnerable to economic changes because they depend heavily on one main activity. If that industry declines or disappears, the entire town's economy can collapse, potentially creating ghost towns.
Exam tips and common mistakes
Essential Exam Strategy Points:
When answering questions about urban settlement types, remember these important points:
- Always identify the main function that caused the settlement to develop
- Use specific South African examples when possible - examiners appreciate local context
- Don't confuse threshold population (minimum needed) with actual population size
- Remember that specialised towns are vulnerable because they depend on one main economic activity
- For trade and transport towns, focus on the locational advantage that led to their development
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Mixing up low order and high order services
- Forgetting to explain WHY a settlement developed at that location
- Using international examples instead of South African ones when asked
Understanding these settlement types helps explain South Africa's urban pattern and why certain towns developed where they did. This knowledge is essential for understanding broader geographical concepts about urbanisation and economic geography.
Key Points to Remember:
- Urban settlements are classified into three main types based on their primary function: central places, trade/transport towns, and specialised towns
- Central places serve surrounding rural areas with both low order (frequent needs) and high order (infrequent needs) goods and services
- Trade and transport towns develop at strategic transport locations: break-of-bulk points, junctions, and gaps through barriers
- Specialised towns depend on one main economic activity and use the CRIME mnemonic: Commuter, Resort, Industrial, Mining, and Education centres
- Understanding threshold population, range, and sphere of influence is crucial for explaining how central places function
- Always use South African examples and focus on the locational advantages that led to urban development