Longman Panorma Geography Solutions for Class 7 Social science Chapter 10 - Human Environment

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A settlement is a place where people live and interact with each other. It has the following features: 
i) It is a place where humans carry out various forms of livelihood through a variety of activities.
ii) Settlements are of different types, ranging from villages and towns to cities and bustling metropolises.

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Most of the rural settlements are inhabited by societies whose primary activity is agriculture. Fishing may be carried out in rural settlements that are situated along water bodies. Some forms of cottage industries like weaving and pottery may also develop in rural settlements. 

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Urban settlements can be classified into various types according to their functions. They include administrative towns, defence towns, port towns, industrial towns, mining towns, residential towns, resort towns. etc. 

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The Unites States of America has the highest road density in the world. The highway network links all cities on its eastern and western coasts and other important towns in the country.

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The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Waterway of North America is the largest and busiest inland waterway in the world.  It is very beneficial as it connects the major industrial towns situated in the hinterlands of the USA and Canada with the Atlantic Ocean and also sustains economic activities. 

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Advantage of air transport: It is the fastest mode of travelling.
Disadvantage of air transport: It is the costliest and most expensive means of travelling.

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The invention of computers has proven beneficial for the field of communication. Through emails, we can send messages instantly from one computer to the other, thus, transcending geographical and political boundaries. The Internet is a source of information on any subject and facilitates the exchange of knowledge and ideas.

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Rural and urban settlements are complementary to each other. In rural settlements, majority of the people are engaged in primary activities like agriculture, fishing and mining. The raw materials produced by such primary activities are used in secondary activities in urban areas, such as manufacturing and trading.Villages provide food grains, fruits and vegetables as well as supply of labour force to the cities. The cities, in turn, provide industrial goods needed by the villages.

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Railways are indeed much convenient a means to travel long- distances. Firstly, it needs to be noted that trains take comparatively less time to cover a long distance. Let us for example state that to reach Kolkata from Delhi by road we need around thirty hours. However, we take just fifteen hours to cover the same distance by railways.

Secondly, the journey over long distances is much less strenuous by railways. We do not have to tolerate the pain of bad roads and road jams. Railway journeys are less cumbersome and less tiresome.

Thirdly carriage of heavy-goods by railways is indeed the cheapest way possible.

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Although the Amazon river of South America is the largest in the world, it is not of much commercial use in inland transportation. This is because a major portion of the river passes through dense, tropical forests, which are remote and uninhabited. Thus, it cannot cater to major transport or economic needs.

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The development of air transport in a particular region is not dependent on the relief and topography of that place. It is therefore the best mode of transport for reaching remote and inaccessible areas.

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There are five patterns of rural settlements:

1. Dispersed settlements: These are composed of distant and isolated dwellings. Such settlements are largely found in hilly areas or in other areas with poor accessibility.
2. Nucleated settlements: These are composed of dwellings that are close to one another in an area. These are found in river valleys and flat plains, having good accessibility.
3. Linear settlements: These are linear and elongated settlements composed of dwellings built in a line. These are found along the banks of rivers or along transport channels like roads and railways.
4. Circular settlements: These are composed of dwellings in a circular pattern and are found in water-scarce regions where they develop around a water source like a lake or an oasis.
5. Radial settlements: These are composed of dwellings built along the streets which spread out from a central point in different directions. They are also known as star-shaped settlements.

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Rail networks vary in density in different parts of the world. Western Europe and the East-Central USA have the densest network of railways in the world.  This is because these regions are highly developed and heavily industrialised with a large number of urban settlements.  In South America, Africa and Australia, rail network has developed to connect the areas that are rich in agricultural or mineral resources to the urban centres.  In Asia, China has the largest rail network, followed by India. In India, the Great Plains region has the highest rail density due to its flat topography, high population and economic importance. 
 

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Communication means sending and receiving messages, information and ideas. With the advancement in technology, different forms of communication have developed over the years. Telegraph and telephone were the foremost inventions in the field of modern communication. Communication through mail was introduced in the early parts of the twentieth century. With the invention of the printing press, communication began to be carried out through books and newspapers. Gradually, radio and television were invented, which came to be used as means of communicating with a large number of people at once, thereby being known as means of mass communication. The most recent developments in communication came via satellites and radars. The introduction of computers has brought a revolution in the field of communication, with emails enabling us to send messages instantly, and the Internet being the biggest source of information on almost every topic and subject. It has also transformed the way business is conducted and how people interact with each other.

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The correct answer is option (b).

Explanation: Oxford is an example of a cultural town as the famous Oxford University is located there. It is a hub of knowledge, ideas and culture.

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The correct answer is option (c).

Explanation: The autobahns in Germany constitute a high-density road network and are crucial for Germany's economy.

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The correct answer is option (d).

Explanation: The Trans-Siberian Railway is more than 9,000 kilometres long and to cover this distance the railway takes eight days. .

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The correct answer is option (a).

Explanation: It connects the economically important Rhone and Rhine rivers.

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