Settlement Key Words

 

It is important to know the key words for GCSE Geography; below are the words and definitions you should know for the Settlement Unit. You should use this list to create flash cards or to get someone to quiz you.

Bridging Point- Settlement located where a river is forded or bridged.

Burgess Model -A model of urban structure for towns in MEDCs.

Catchement Area - The area that is served by a particular school, shop or settlement.

Central Business District (CBD) - The heart of a city where the financial and business interests are (shops, offices, entertainment).

Commuter or Dormitory Village - Settlement on the edge of a town or city.

Comparison Goods - Goods that are expensive and bought less frequently, e.g. furniture.

Convience Goods - Goods that are cheap and bought frequently, e.g. papres, food.

Core (of the CBD) - The heart of the CBD where the large department stores are located.

Decentralisation - Outward movement of shops and offices from the CBD to the suburbs.

Dry-Point Site - Site of a settlement which avoids land that is likely to flood, e.g. a gravel mound or side of a valley.

Frame (of the CBD)- The outer area of the CBD with smaller shops and offices.

Green Belt- Land around a large town or city which is protected from development, in order to halt the expansion of the town into the country side.

Hinterland - The area surrounding a settlemtn, port, etc.

Hoyt’s Model - A model of urban structure for towns in MEDCs.

Industrial Estate - Zone of light industry often on the edge of a town.

Informal Sector - In LEDCs many people work in the informal sector as shoe-shine boys, servants, etc.

Inner City - The urban zone of MEDCs outside the CBD - a zone of mixed land use.

Megacity - City with over five million people.

Millionaiare City - City with over one million people.

Morphology - Arrangement of land uses in an urban area, usually in distinct zones.

Periferia - Housing zone in Sao Paulo where shanty towns have been upgraded.

Recreational Facilities - Sports fields, clubs and leisure complexes.

Route Focus - Where many communication routes (roads, railways) meet.

Self-Help Scheme- People in shanty towns in LEDCs are given basic services by the government, and some of the means to build their own homes.

Site- Land on which a settlement is built.

Situation - Settlement in relation to its surrounding area.

Suburb - Mainly residential area outside the innter city of an MEDC.

Urban Land Use - Use of the land in towns and ciites.

Wet-point Site - Place where a settlement is close to a water supply such as a spring on a chalk escarpment.

Zone - Area where land uses are similar.