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Human Settlements – Class 12 Geography notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 12 Geography, chapter 10. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

Chapter overview

A human settlement is a cluster of dwellings of any type or size where people live. Settlements are broadly rural or urban. Rural settlements depend mainly on primary activities and are classified by type as clustered, semi-clustered, hamleted and dispersed. Urban settlements depend on secondary and tertiary activities and are classified by size and function. India's urbanisation has increased steadily, and cities are classified as towns, cities, million-plus cities and megacities.

Rural settlements

Clustered settlements are compact villages found in fertile alluvial plains and the north-east.
Semi-clustered settlements form when a clustered village fragments, often in Gujarat plains and parts of Rajasthan.
Hamleted settlements are units separated physically but sharing a name (called panna, para, palli, nagla or dhani); dispersed settlements are isolated huts or hamlets in hills, forests and extreme climates, such as in Meghalaya, Uttarakhand and Kerala.

Urban settlements

In India, a town is a place with a municipality or corporation, or with at least 5,000 people, a density of 400 per sq km and more than 75% of male workers in non-agricultural work (census town).
Towns are classified by function as administrative, industrial, transport, commercial, mining, garrison, educational, religious and tourist towns; many cities are multifunctional.
Cities with over 10 lakh people are million-plus cities, and those with over 50 lakh are megacities; urbanisation has created problems such as slums, congestion and pollution, addressed through programmes like smart cities.

Key terms

Rural settlement: a settlement where most people work in primary activities
Clustered settlement: a compact settlement with closely built houses
Dispersed settlement: isolated houses or hamlets spread over a large area
Census town: a place meeting population, density and non-agricultural work criteria
Megacity: a city with a population of over 50 lakh (5 million)

Important questions with answers

What are hamleted settlements?2 marks

Hamleted settlements are villages fragmented into several physically separate units called hamlets that share a common name, often because of social or ethnic factors or the terrain. They are known locally as panna, para, palli, nagla or dhani.

How are towns classified on the basis of function?3 marks

Towns are classified as administrative towns (state capitals), industrial towns (Jamshedpur), transport towns (ports like Kandla), commercial towns (Kolkata), mining towns (Jharia), garrison towns (Ambala), educational towns (Pilani), religious and cultural towns (Varanasi) and tourist towns (Shimla). Many large cities are multifunctional.

Describe the types of rural settlements in India and the factors affecting them.5 marks

Rural settlements in India vary in type according to physical, cultural and security factors. Clustered or nucleated settlements are compact groups of houses with narrow lanes, found in the fertile Ganga plains, the north-eastern states and parts of central India; they arise where land is fertile, water is limited to certain points, or people need to live together for security or social reasons. In Bundelkhand and Rajasthan, people cluster around scarce water sources. Semi-clustered or fragmented settlements develop when a clustered village breaks up or when some groups, often for social reasons, live on the outskirts; they are found in the Gujarat plains and parts of Rajasthan. Hamleted settlements consist of several hamlets separated physically but sharing a common name, called panna, para, palli, nagla or dhani; they are common in the middle and lower Ganga plain, Chhattisgarh and the lower Himalayan valleys, often due to social and ethnic divisions. Dispersed or isolated settlements are single huts or small groups of huts scattered over hills, forests or grasslands, found in Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, because terrain and land resources do not support compact villages. Factors include relief, water availability, soil fertility, climate, social structure and security.

Quick revision

Rural: clustered, semi-clustered, hamleted, dispersed.
Urban definition in India.
Functional classification of towns.
Million-plus cities and megacities; urban problems.

Exam tips

Make a table of rural settlement types with regions.
Remember the three census town criteria: 5,000 people, 400 per sq km, 75% male non-farm workers.

Practice MCQs

A settlement where most people depend on primary activities is
1. urban
2. metropolitan
3. rural
4. industrial
Show answer
Answer: (c) rural. Agriculture is the main occupation.
Compact villages with closely built houses are
1. dispersed settlements
2. hamleted settlements
3. clustered settlements
4. ribbon towns
Show answer
Answer: (c) clustered settlements. They are common in fertile plains.
A city with over 10 lakh people is called a
1. town
2. million-plus city
3. census town
4. hamlet
Show answer
Answer: (b) million-plus city. India has many such cities.
Local names such as panna, para and dhani refer to
1. hamleted settlements
2. clustered settlements
3. megacities
4. mining towns
Show answer
Answer: (a) hamleted settlements. Hamlets share a common village name.
Dispersed settlements are typical of
1. Ganga plains
2. hilly and forested regions
3. coastal deltas only
4. river banks in cities
Show answer
Answer: (b) hilly and forested regions. Terrain limits compact building.
A census town must have a minimum population of
1. 1,000
2. 5,000
3. 50,000
4. 1,00,000
Show answer
Answer: (b) 5,000. It also needs a density of 400 per sq km.
Which is NOT a criterion for a census town
1. population of at least 5,000
2. having a railway station
3. at least 75% of male workers in non-agricultural work
4. density of at least 400 per sq km
Show answer
Answer: (b) having a railway station. A railway station is not required.
Varanasi and Haridwar are examples of towns classified by function as
1. mining towns
2. garrison towns
3. religious towns
4. industrial towns
Show answer
Answer: (c) religious towns. Pilgrimage shapes their economy.

All chapters of Class 12 Geography

Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.