Class | Subject | Book | Chapter | Session | Questions covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XII | Geography | India: People and Economy (NCERT) | 2 – Human Settlements | 2026-27 | 7 of 7 |
Chapter at a glance
Topic | Key point |
|---|---|
Rural settlements | Primary activities; types — clustered (compact), semi-clustered (fragmented), hamleted, dispersed (isolated) |
Factors | Physical (relief, water, climate, soil), cultural and ethnic (caste, religion), security (defence) |
Urban settlements (Census definition) | Statutory towns (municipality, corporation, cantonment board, notified town area committee) and census towns: population ≥ 5,000; density ≥ 400/sq km; ≥ 75% male main workers in non-agricultural activities |
Evolution of towns | Ancient (Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patliputra, Madurai), medieval (Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Agra), modern (Surat, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata; hill towns; industrial towns) |
Classification by size | Class I (1 lakh+), metropolitan (10 lakh+), mega cities (50 lakh+) |
Functional classification | Administrative, industrial, transport (ports, railway junctions), commercial, mining, garrison/cantonment, educational, religious and cultural, tourist towns |
Exercise Questions
Question 1 (i)
Which one of the following towns is NOT located on a river bank?
(a) Agra (b) Bhopal (c) Patna (d) Kolkata
Answer
Agra (Yamuna), Patna (Ganga) and Kolkata (Hugli) are on river banks. Bhopal is known as the “city of lakes” — it is located around the Upper and Lower Lakes, not on a river bank.
- Bhopal
Question 1 (ii)
Which one of the following is NOT the part of the definition of a town as per the census of India?
(a) Population density of 400 persons per sq km. (b) Presence of municipality, corporation, etc. (c) More than 75% of the population engaged in primary sector. (d) Population size of more than 5,000 persons.
Answer
According to the Census of India, a town must have at least 75% of male main workers engaged in non-agricultural (non-primary) activities — not the primary sector. So option (c) is not part of the definition.
- More than 75% of the population engaged in primary sector
Question 1 (iii)
In which one of the following environments does one expect the presence of dispersed rural settlements?
(a) Alluvial plains of Ganga (b) Arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan (c) Lower valleys of Himalayas (d) Forests and hills in north-east
Answer
Dispersed (isolated) settlements appear as isolated huts or hamlets of a few huts in remote jungles, small hills with farms or pastures on the slopes. Extreme dispersion is often caused by an extremely fragmented terrain and the land resource base. Many areas of Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala have this type. Among the options, the forests and hills of the north-east have dispersed settlements. (The Ganga plains and arid Rajasthan have compact/clustered settlements — the latter due to water scarcity.)
- Forests and hills in north-east
Question 2 (i)
What are garrison towns? What is their function?
Answer
Garrison (cantonment) towns are towns that developed as military bases — places where troops are stationed. Their function is defence: to house army personnel and their families, provide training and logistical support, and protect strategic regions. Examples: Ambala, Jalandhar, Mhow, Babina, Udhampur, Meerut (cantonment).
Garrison or cantonment towns developed as military bases where troops are stationed; their function is defence — housing, training and supporting the armed forces (e.g. Ambala, Jalandhar, Mhow, Babina, Udhampur).
Question 2 (ii)
What are the main factors for the location of villages in desert regions?
Answer
In desert regions (e.g. Rajasthan), the main factor is the availability of water — villages are located near water sources such as ponds, lakes, tanks, wells, oases or along canals, since water is scarce. People live in compact settlements to make maximum use of the limited water. Other factors: availability of cultivable land (patches of fertile soil), elevated sites free from sand dunes, and security.
In deserts, villages are located mainly near sources of water — ponds, tanks, wells, oases or canals — as water is scarce, so settlements are compact around them; patches of cultivable land and safe, stable sites also matter.
Question 3 (i)
Discuss the features of different types of rural settlements. What are the factors responsible for the settlement patterns in different physical environments?
Answer
Types of rural settlements: 1. Clustered/agglomerated/nucleated settlements – a compact or closely built-up area of houses; the living area is distinct from the surrounding farms, barns and pastures; the closely built-up area and intervening streets present a recognisable pattern (rectangular, radial, linear). Found in the fertile alluvial plains (Ganga plains) and in the north-eastern states. Sometimes people live in compact villages for security or defence (e.g. Bundelkhand region of central India, Nagaland), and in Rajasthan due to the scarcity of water, to make maximum use of available water resources. 2. Semi-clustered or fragmented settlements – may result from a tendency of clustering in a restricted area of dispersed settlement, or from the segregation or fragmentation of a large compact village. Often, the land-owning and dominant community occupies the central part of the main village, whereas people of lower strata of society and menial workers settle on the outer flanks. Widespread in the Gujarat plain and some parts of Rajasthan. 3. Hamleted settlements – the settlement is fragmented into several units physically separated from each other, bearing a common name. These units are locally called panna, para, palli, nagla, dhani, etc. This segmentation is often motivated by social and ethnic factors. Found in the middle and lower Ganga plain, Chhattisgarh and lower valleys of the Himalayas. 4. Dispersed or isolated settlements – isolated huts or hamlets of a few huts in remote jungles, or on small hills with farms or pastures on the slopes. Extreme dispersion is caused by extremely fragmented terrain and land resource base. Found in Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.
Factors responsible: 1. Physical features – nature of terrain, altitude, climate and availability of water (fertile plains — clustered; rugged hills and forests — dispersed; deserts — compact near water). 2. Cultural and ethnic factors – social structure, caste and religion (e.g. segregation into hamlets by caste). 3. Security factors – defence against thefts and robberies (compact villages in Bundelkhand, Nagaland).
Rural settlements are clustered (compact, in fertile plains, for security in Bundelkhand and Nagaland, and around scarce water in Rajasthan), semi-clustered (dominant groups at the centre and lower groups on the margins — Gujarat plain, parts of Rajasthan), hamleted (units like panna, para, nagla, dhani due to social and ethnic factors — middle Ganga plain, Chhattisgarh, lower Himalayan valleys) and dispersed (isolated huts on fragmented terrain — Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Kerala). Patterns depend on physical features, cultural and ethnic factors and security.
Question 3 (ii)
Can one imagine the presence of only one-function town? Why do the cities become multi-functional?
Answer
One-function towns: In the early stages, some towns may develop around one dominant function — e.g. a mining town (Jharia, Digboi, Singrauli), an industrial town (Bhilai, Jamshedpur), a religious town (Varanasi, Puri, Ajmer), a garrison town (Mhow), a tourist town (Nainital, Mussoorie), an educational town (Roorkee, Varanasi). Towns are classified by their dominant function. However, it is difficult to imagine a town with only one function, because even a mining or industrial town needs shops, markets, schools, hospitals, transport, banks and administration for its residents.
Why cities become multi-functional: 1. Growth of population – as a town grows, the needs of the population create demand for various services: trade, transport, education, health, recreation. 2. Concentration of activities – once a town develops, it attracts more industries, businesses and institutions (agglomeration economies). 3. Administrative functions – many cities become administrative headquarters (district, state capital). 4. Transport and communication – cities become nodes of transport, attracting trade and commerce. 5. Example – Mumbai began as a port and commercial centre, but is now an industrial, financial, administrative, educational, cultural and entertainment (film) centre; Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai are also multi-functional. 6. Metropolitan cities perform a wide range of functions, and their functional specialisation becomes less distinct as they grow.
A town may have one dominant function (mining town like Jharia, industrial town like Bhilai, religious town like Puri), but a town with only one function is hard to imagine, since residents need shops, schools, hospitals, transport and administration. Cities become multi-functional as growing populations demand many services, agglomeration attracts more industries and institutions, they become administrative and transport nodes — e.g. Mumbai grew from a port into an industrial, financial, administrative, educational and film centre.
Topic checklist
- ☒ Rural settlements: types and factors (Q 1 (iii), 2 (ii), 3 (i))
- ☒ Urban settlements: definition and location (Q 1 (i), 1 (ii))
- ☒ Functional classification of towns (Q 2 (i), 3 (ii))