Why nucleated settlement

When kept in close proximity, more competition is created among individuals, and some resources, like food, water or land can become stretched. Nucleated settlements can also edge out farmland, requiring some goods to be transported into the settlement center for trade. Also due to the close proximity of living arrangements in nucleated settlements, infectious diseases spread more easily than in other types of settlements.

Unsanitary conditions, such as the lack of planned sewer systems, also contribute to disease progression within nucleated settlements.

Rebecca Renner is a teacher and freelance writer from Daytona Beach, Florida. What Is Nucleated Settlement? References World Atlas: What is a nucleated village? Definition of a linear settlement:. Linear settlements are settlements where the buildings are constructed in lines, often next to a geographical feature like a lake shore, a river or following a road. Where linear settlements follow a road, the road often predates the settlement.

Example of a linear settlement:. Other names for linear settlement:. Definition of a dispersed settlement:. Dispersed settlements are ones where the houses are spread out over a wide area. They are often the homes of farmers and can be found in rural areas.

Example of a dispersed settlement:. The deforestation in the rainforest is started by building a road deep into the forest. Then farmers settle along the road. They chop down trees and extend their fields away from the road. As settlements develop and grow, they form identifiable settlement patterns which we have explained in detail below.

You can see the different settlement patterns complete with illustrations and defintions. Villages that are situated by a water supply often grow into towns, for instance Taffs Well, or Ffynnon Taf in south Wales. Nucleated settlements also develop higher up a slope to avoid flooding.

Often we see nucleated settlements where people have settled on flat lowland areas, where the town can expand in many directions. Reference entries nucleated settlement in A Dictionary of Geography 4 Length: 98 words. View all related items in Oxford Reference » Search for: 'nucleated settlement' in Oxford Reference ». All rights reserved. Sign in to annotate. Delete Cancel Save. Cancel Save.