To compare settlement functions, name each place’s dominant function, cite evidence, and state the difference in one sentence. The evidence comes from the land-use information supplied.
This lesson belongs to population and settlements. It follows explaining migration push and pull factors, since destinations attract people through their functions.
What are the main functions?
- Residential: places where people live, with houses and schools.
- Commercial: shops, markets, banks and offices.
- Administrative: government offices, courts and a district council.
- Industrial: factories, workshops and processing plants.
- Transport: ports, railway stations and road junctions.
Worked example: two invented settlements
The land-use lists below are original and invented. The two settlements are Pekan Ladang and Bandar Muara.
| Land use | Pekan Ladang | Bandar Muara |
|---|---|---|
| Shops and market | 40 shops, weekly market | 15 shops |
| Factories | None | 12 factories |
| Port | None | Deep-water jetty |
| Government offices | District office, court | Customs post |
| Housing | Large estates | Small estates |
Pekan Ladang. The district office and court show an administrative function, and the 40 shops and weekly market show a commercial one. It serves nearby villages.
Bandar Muara. The jetty and customs post show a transport function, and 12 factories show an industrial one. Goods move in and out of the area.
Compare. Pekan Ladang serves people through trade and administration, whereas Bandar Muara moves and processes goods. Pekan Ladang has more shops and government offices, while Bandar Muara has factories and a port.
The mistake that costs marks
The slip is to describe each place in its own paragraph. It is accurate, but the word compare requires a link between them.
| Describing | Comparing |
|---|---|
| “Pekan Ladang has a court. Bandar Muara has a jetty.” | “Pekan Ladang has an administrative function because of its court, whereas Bandar Muara has a transport function because of its jetty.” |
Check yourself
Settlement R has a railway station, a bus terminal and a large freight yard. Settlement S has a university, a hospital and three housing estates. State the dominant function of each and one difference.
Answer
R: transport, shown by the station, terminal and freight yard. S: residential with education and health services, shown by the university, hospital and estates.
Difference: R moves people and goods through the area, whereas S provides homes and services for people who live there.
What to study next
Continue with interpreting demographic graphs without stereotyping groups, then test your comparing skill with the graph evidence and fair-comparison lab.
If you want a teacher to coach your comparisons, see online one-to-one Geography tuition.